Karen Reddick Yurka has been named Manzanita’s Citizen of the Year for 2025.
Announcing the honor at the June 4 city council meeting, Mayor Kathryn Stock said Yurka had brought strong organizational skills over the years to many difficult tasks supporting the community.
A Manzanita resident for nearly 30 years, Yurka volunteered at CART’M Recycling for over 20 years, including four on its board of directors. She also spent five years as Executive Director. Her leadership was cited for helping guide the organization through its takeover by Tillamook County in 2019.
Yurka has also served on the Manzanita Planning Commission for over 17 years, including the last nine as Chair. She has been lauded for keeping that organization focused on its technically complex work dealing with controversial applications and strong community opinions.
Yurka, said Mayor Stock, “is a leader in every sense of the word and truly worthy of this recognition.”
“I love this town,” said Yurka, responding to the announcement. “I’ve always loved this town, since I first visited on vacation in the ‘70s.”
Manzanita’s Citizen of the Year is selected annually by a committee of previous honorees and serves as Grand Marshal of the annual Fourth of July parade.
