Kathy Shanahan is Yorba Linda's 2026 Citizen of the Year. The city announced the honor during Mayor Carlos Rodriguez's State of the City address on October 14.
Shanahan has lived in Yorba Linda since 1991. According to the city:
- She has led the Girl Scout Honor Guard's Rose Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day and Veterans Day since 2009.
- She has spent 17 years in the Funeral Ministry at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic she helped lead an effort that produced nearly 120,000 medical face shields.
Her husband, Mike Shanahan, is a past Citizen of the Year. The city says they are the first husband and wife to each receive the award.
The State of the City address and the city's "Year in Review" video are posted on the city's State of the City page.
Sources: City of Yorba Linda, Citizen of the Year, Oct. 26 · City of Yorba Linda, State of the City, Oct. 23