Community Playmaker Announces Finalists for 2025 Community of the Year
Published on January 08, 2026
Community Playmaker, a media platform dedicated to celebrating and empowering civic leaders, today announced the three finalists for its 2025 Community of the Year Award. The annual honor recognizes cities, towns, and counties across the United States for their outstanding commitment to enhancing quality of life through innovative programs, visionary leadership, and community-driven solutions. The 2025 finalists — Port St. Lucie, Florida; Hays, Kansas, and Monessen, Pennsylvania— showcase inspiring stories of resilience, collaboration, and long-term investment in residents’ well-being.
The Community of the Year Award highlights impactful initiatives in areas such as economic development, community engagement, public safety, arts and culture, environmental stewardship, and the creation of inclusive, high-quality environments. Finalists are selected based on their ability to demonstrate measurable progress, strong civic partnerships, and a clear vision for the future.
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Port St. Lucie (PSL) has transformed from a scattered retirement development without traditional downtown, job centers, or basic infrastructure into one of the fastest-growing and most forward-thinking cities in the country. Through resident-driven planning and strategic investment, PSL has launched one of the largest septic-to-sewer conversion programs in the U.S., diverting more than 20 billion gallons of wastewater from sensitive waterways while improving resilience and safeguarding the biodiverse St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. The City’s Southern Grove Jobs Corridor has reimagined a once-underutilized tract of land into a thriving hub for manufacturing, logistics, research, healthcare, and biomedical innovation—bringing thousands of well-paying jobs, major employers, and long-term economic stability to the region. At the same time, initiatives like Naturally PSL: Green Spaces and Places are expanding and protecting hundreds of acres of conservation and recreational land, activating miles of trails, and elevating environmental stewardship as a core community value. Recognized nationally for public engagement, safety, and environmental leadership, Port St. Lucie is a powerful example of how a city can turn legacy challenges into a platform for inclusive, sustainable growth.
Hays, Kansas
Hays, Kansas, offers a powerful blend of Midwestern hospitality, forward-looking infrastructure, and environmental responsibility. The community has invested heavily in education, opening a new multi-million-dollar high school supported by strong partnerships with Fort Hays State University and local businesses to prepare students for a rapidly changing economy. Hays has also prioritized quality of life and inclusion, exemplified by projects like the Accessible Recreation Complex (ARC Park), which welcomes children of all abilities, and the Bob and Pat Schmidt Community Center, a multigenerational hub that brings together childcare, senior services, and community gathering spaces under one roof. The city’s long-standing commitment to water conservation and sustainable growth underscores every major investment, protecting limited natural resources while supporting development. A vibrant arts and culture scene — anchored by the historic Chestnut Street District, the state’s oldest arts council, and signature events like the Wild West Festival and Oktoberfest — complements top-tier recreation facilities such as the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex and extensive trail networks. With modern services, a regional airport, affordable cost of living, and strong healthcare and higher education assets, Hays demonstrates how thoughtful planning and community-minded investments can create an exceptional place to live, learn, work, and retire.
Monessen, Pennsylvania
The City of Monessen, Pennsylvania, embodies small-city resilience and reinvention. Once a struggling steel town facing fiscal crisis and population loss, Monessen has restored financial stability under the leadership of Mayor Ron Mozer and the city council, eliminating deficit spending and closing each year with a budget surplus. The city is leveraging strategic partnerships to rebuild its core infrastructure and attract private investment, including a $22 million sewer and stormwater upgrade and the Neighborhood Partnership Program, which is poised to bring millions in revitalization funding. Community-focused initiatives such as the Nehemiah Community Development Corporation and the Music in the Park series at the Monessen City Park Amphitheater are reconnecting residents to their public spaces, supporting local businesses, and using arts and culture as catalysts for civic pride and economic renewal. With over 150 blighted properties removed and new collaborations across public safety, faith communities, and local organizations, Monessen is rewriting its story as a clean, safe, and welcoming city that is reclaiming both its identity and its future.
The 2025 Community of the Year winner will be selected from among these three finalists and announced on January 22nd on communityplaymaker.com and in the Community Playmaker newsletter. Civic leaders, residents, and partners are encouraged to follow the stories of each finalist community as they continue to innovate, collaborate, and build a better future for their citizens.
Subscribe to Community Playmaker’s weekly newsletter for updates on the 2025 Community of the Year and for stories from communities across the United States.
About Community Playmaker
Community Playmaker is a platform dedicated to providing ideas and solutions for visionary community leaders, AKA “Playmakers”. These are the mayors, city council members, city/county administrators, and their teams who use their time, talent, and resources to do great things in their community. Public service is hard. Being a Playmaker is even harder. Each week, Community Playmaker provides stories from around the country highlighting how communities addressed a variety of issues from affordable housing to climate change to economic development- all to help civic leaders take their communities from “good to great.” To learn more about Community Playmaker, subscribe to their weekly newsletter, or attend an upcoming Summit, visit communityplaymaker.com.