The Manatee River Fair Association honors Norma Kennedy with Manatee County’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award during the 72nd Annual VIP Luncheon, held Thursday, January 8 in Veterans Hall at the Manatee County Fairgrounds.
Manatee County Distinguished Citizen Award is presented annually by the members of the Manatee River Fair Association in cooperation with the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners. The award recognizes individuals who have “made significant and meritorious contributions to Manatee County in the way of volunteer community service.” Norma Kennedy, a lifelong resident of Manatee County and proud graduate of Manatee High School, Class of 1956, is recognized for her exceptional dedication to the community through numerous affiliations and leadership roles. Norma has served as a founding director, vice president, and president of the Parrish Arts Council from 2013 – 2019. Additionally, she has held the positions of treasurer, vice president, and president of the Parrish Civic Association from 2014 to the present. Norma’s commitment extends to the Palmetto Historical Commission as a director in 2019, and to the Manatee County Fair Marketing Committee from 2019 to 2025. She has also contributed to the Manatee County Farm City Week from 2019 to 2022.
Norma’s community involvement also includes serving as treasurer and vice president of the Parrish Community High School Booster from 2019 to 2023, membership on the Tourist Development Council Advisory Board from 2022 to the present, and participation in the Parrish Historical Society from 2021 to 2022. She is also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Gillette. Norma Kennedy has received awards that include the Appreciation Award from the Parrish Fire Department and served as Grand Marshal at the Parrish Heritage Day Parade in 2013. Her contributions to Manatee County are significant. Since 2017, she has been involved in the Parrish Hometown Christmas and is credited as a key advocate for the development of the new Parrish Community Park. Under her leadership in the Parrish Civic Association, thousands of signatures were gathered to urge the school board to name the Parrish High School to reflect the town of Parrish. Currently, she is establishing a tribute to veterans with a brick memorial at the new Parrish Community Park. She actively applied for grants for the mural project in the Village of Parrish. She contributes to the Parrish Civic Association’s Rural Development Committee to support the growth of the Village of Parrish and is working on the development of the Parrish Community Center. Above all, family is the heart of Norma’s world, including children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. After the passing of her spouse, she poured her heart into serving Parrish and working to preserve and enrich their community.
One nomination letter received states that she has “consistently gone above and beyond to make a lasting and positive impact for Parrish and all of Manatee County.”
