Yorba Linda Honors Kathy Shanahan as 2026 Citizen of the Year for Decades of Volunteer Service

YORBA LINDA, Orange County — October 26, 2026. Yorba Linda has recognized Kathy Shanahan as its 2026 Citizen of the Year, highlighting decades of community service through Girl Scouts, veterans’ remembrance, neighborhood organizations and family support programs. The city announced the honor October 23, following its annual State of the City recognition.

According to the city’s account, Shanahan began working with Girl Scouts before moving to Yorba Linda in 1991. She later served as a leader and adviser, helped guide hundreds of girls and, since 2009, has led the Girl Scout Honor Guard’s Rose Ceremony at the Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Community service reaching beyond one organization

The city also credits Shanahan with 17 years in the funeral ministry at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, plus volunteer work with Yorba Linda Food for Families, local schools and military families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped lead a volunteer effort the city says produced nearly 120,000 medical face shields for frontline personnel.

The award carries a family distinction: the municipality says Kathy and her husband Mike are the first married couple both recognized as Yorba Linda Citizen of the Year. Mike Shanahan received the award in 2011, according to the city’s published honorees list.

Sources: City of Yorba Linda award announcement, October 23 and official award program and honorees. This is an account of the city’s recognition, not a claim of an independent interview with Shanahan.

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