Darla Van Hoey selected as 2024 Greg Kennedy Community Service Award recipient

December 18, 2024

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The Southfield City Council confirmed the Total Living Commission’s (TLC) recommendation of Darla Van Hoey as the 2024 recipient of the Greg Kennedy Community Service Award, which honors residents who are active in community service. 

Mayor Ken  Siver and TLC Chair Deborah Walton-Medley formally presented Mrs. Van Hoey with the Award at the Regular City Council meeting on Monday, December 16 in Council Chambers.

Nominations for this prestigious award were reviewed by the City’s Total Living Commission with recommendations made to City Council. The Commission unanimously voted to approve Mrs. Van Hoey’s nomination.   

Mrs. Van Hoey has been actively volunteering in the community for many years, serving as President of the Southfield Historical Society, Treasurer of the Friends of the Southfield Public Library, and Vice President of the Southfield Parks & Garden Club. She is currently working on archiving documents and files of the late longtime Mayor Donald Fracassi where she has already volunteered over 200 hours of her time over the past year sorting through scores of boxes of records, documents, and mementos belonging to former Southfield Mayor.  She has spearheaded the preservation of these important documents of historical value to the city which were turned over to the Southfield Public Library. 

Darla Van Hoey

Mrs. Van Hoey is responsible for the City recently receiving the President’s Award from the Keep Michigan Beautiful for the Edgeriver Farm Barn, a historical landmark in the city. During Black History Month, she plays the role of Viola Liuzzo, a Civil Rights Activist. She is a recipient of the 2024 Extra Mile Award from Mayor Siver because of her extraordinary volunteer work in the community and her overall commitment to the City of Southfield. As a member of the Southfield Parks & Garden Club, she has participated in organizing plant swaps, local and regional meetings, garden walks and much more.

“Mrs. Van Hoey is an extraordinary person who gives a great deal of herself to make a real difference in the community,” commented Mayor Dr. Ken Siver. “She works tirelessly to bring about positive change to improve the quality of life for the residents of Southfield. She is greatly deserving of this award as she truly embodies the work, spirit and voluntarism of Mr. Kennedy.”

The Greg Kennedy Community Service Award was originally established in 1999 to honor the legacy of community activist Greg Kennedy by encouraging other residents to engage in public service. Greg Kennedy was one of Southfield’s first residents and demonstrated his commitment to the City throughout his entire lifetime. He established the City’s first Southfield Homeowners Coalition and annually sent numerous low-income children to attend the Shriner’s Circus. He visited senior homes in Southfield every week to help out, entertain and listen. He was an outspoken advocate for seniors and young people alike and was known for standing up for other people’s rights. Since its inception, there have been only nine past recipients of the award, including: Samuel P. Havis in 2000; Jacqueline Nelson in 2001; Muriel Zweigel in 2003; Jonathan Adams in 2016; Roger Goolsby in 2017; Pat Haynie in 2018; Rosemerry Allen in 2019; Sabrina Heller (posthumously) in 2022; and Delores Flagg in 2023.