2018 - Tanya Moore

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2018 Outstanding Citizen Winner Tanya Moore

Congratulations to the 2018 Outstanding Citizen Winner Tanya Moore
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Ever since she was a kid volunteering to help at her neighborhood park in South Minneapolis, Tanya Moore has stayed true to her philosophy: if you want to change your world for the better, you have to get involved.

It was this enthusiasm for community engagement that helped Moore earn the City of Columbia Heights’ 2018 Outstanding Citizen Award this spring. The thought of winning never occurred to her—it’s an achievement that recognizes residents for going above and beyond in their community, but Moore said she doesn’t think of what she does as going above and beyond.

“I just do what I do,” Moore said. “It’s shocking that (the nominator) would think that I deserved this, but then to win it. I was really surprised.”

She was nominated by Nick Novitsky, City Council member and president of the Lions Club.

“I’ve known her for five years and every time I see her she’s doing something that will benefit the community,” Novitsky said. “She’s always willing to do what she can to help out anybody, and she does it without hesitation or complaint.”

Moore moved to Columbia Heights 17 years ago and quickly got involved in a number of community organizations. She is currently on the board of directors for the Columbia Heights Athletic Boosters and has been a longtime member of the Lions Club where she volunteers for a range of activities and events, including the annual Jamboree.

She works as a paraprofessional with the Columbia Heights School District, where three of her five children are enrolled, and frequently volunteers to coach youth sports and assist with extracurricular events. She’ll soon be joining the Multicultural Advisory Committee, a group of volunteers who help the Columbia Heights Police Department better respond to and work with the community’s diverse populations. Moore is often joined in her volunteer work by her husband Nelson and the rest of her family. 

She said she hopes the Outstanding Citizen Award inspires more people to get involved in their community.

“There are so many different organizations in our community looking for people to volunteer,” Moore said. “I’d love to see new faces out there.”

Moore was selected from a group of nominees by Mayor Donna Schmitt and last year’s Outstanding Citizen winner Amada Màrquez Simula.