Jennifer Gamble (from left), Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, and Kathy Allavie share a moment on stage as Allavie accepts the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award during the Mission Inn Foundation gala, honoring her decades of service to Riverside. (Ashley Chruszcz)
Beginning in 1997, the Mission Inn Foundation has given the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award to a Riversider who embodies the Inn founder's commitment to service the community with a big-picture vision and a willingness to put in the work to make Riverside the best city possible. This year's awardee, Kathy Allavie, has four decades of volunteer commitment to the service of the city. Her bona fides are uncontroversial.
Her work spans the Junior League and PTA, her advocacy for public art projects and civic events like the Art Float of 2018, and her role in creating the Ghostwalk. Kathy stayed impossibly busy in her service to our community, even finding time to volunteer as a docent and sit on the board of the Mission Inn Foundation.
She may be best known for her 17-year tenure on the RUSD Board of Education. Her commitment to the arts and STEAM education led to the development of model programs at the district level in those areas. Ramona High School Arts Magnet and the STEM Academy are widely recognized for their excellence.
Kathy graduated from Poly High School and left town for a bit to attend the University of Southern California. Like so many who go away, Riverside pulled her back. "I didn't expect to come back; Riverside demanded I come back," she said of her time away.
Riverside has that charm that grabs your heart and demands your effort. We hear continuously about Riverside's small-town feel in a big-town package. Much of what that infers is that you can find a community where the impact of your devotion does not get lost in the crowd. It's big enough to need big things but small enough to notice the changes.
Kathy embodies that spirit of service to the community, which comes from a belief in the goodness of the city and its people.
"I believe Riverside is a good city because of the people who came before us, like Frank Miller, who left a road map that we still follow today. People like my grandparents, my uncles (Gene and Jack Yeager), and my parents, who gave their all for this city, along with thousands of others. And I hope I did my part, too. And after me, there will be others who are just as committed as I am and who will continue our work. Because we all want to live in a vibrant place, a dynamic place, but cities aren't dynamic without effort." Kathy said in her acceptance speech.
"My messageâkeep working for Riverside's improvement. Keep investing in its possibilities. Keep respecting its history. Keep working to make it beautiful and elect people who feel the same way."
