Los Altos Historic Preservation Award

The intent of the Los Altos Historic Preservation Award is to recognize individuals, groups, organizations or projects that exemplify the spirit of historic preservation in the City of Los Altos. The award will be in the form of a Mayor’s Proclamation presented to the recipient by the City Council. Nominees must demonstrate a dedication to historic preservation in the City of Los Altos as outlined below. The purpose of the award is to encourage public knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the City’s past, and foster civic and neighborhood pride and a sense of identity based upon the recognition and use of the City’s historic resources.

Past Award Recipients

2012: Don MacDonald
2013: Marion Grimm (Honored posthumously)
2014: Margaret Thompson
2015: Bob Grimm
2016: Valorie Cook Carpenter
2017: Pinky Whelan
2018: 10 Yerba Buena Avenue
2019: Nan Geschke
2020: Jane Reed
2021: 1365 Grant Road
2022: Anne Roberts and Dick Liewer
2023: Los Altos Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution for the Early Settlers of Los Altos/Mountain View
2024: Liz Nyberg

Nomination

Nominations for the 2025 Historic Preservation Award may be submitted by any member of the public, including self-nominations. To nominate a candidate, submit a nomination letter outlining how the nominee meets the criteria listed below to the Historical Commission.

To officially submit a nomination, please complete the nomination form (linked below) and provide all necessary documentation to the Historical Commission staff liaison, Sean Gallegos. Submissions may be sent via email to sgallegos@losaltosca.gov, hand-delivered, or mailed to:

City Hall
1 North San Antonio Road
Los Altos, CA 94022

All nominations must be received by Wednesay, April 23, 2025, at 5:00 PM.

The Historical Commission will evaluate all nominations at its meeting on Monday, April 28, 2025. After reviewing written submissions and hearing public testimony, the Commission may vote to select a recipient. If a recipient is chosen, the nomination and supporting evidence will be forwarded to the City Council. The recommendation may be presented at the Historical Commission’s annual joint meeting with the City Council for feedback or submitted directly for consideration at the Council’s next regular meeting. The recipient will be recognized with a proclamation by the Mayor.

The Historical Commission reserves the right not to recommend an award if no nominations sufficiently meet the criteria. Unselected nominees may be resubmitted for consideration in future years.

Evaluation Criteria

• Demonstration of pioneering or innovative efforts in historic preservation or education.
• Conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Rehabilitation.
• Public Benefit received (educational, beautification, advocacy, etc.).
• Impact to the City of Los Altos.

Historic Preservation Award Forms

• Award Information Flyer
• 2025 Nomination Form