Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award

At its Regular meeting on February 25, 2002, the City Council, acting on a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission, created the Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award in honor of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Hagop "Jake" Kuredjian. Deputy Kuredjian was killed in the line of duty on August 31, 2001, while he and other law enforcement personnel were engaged in a shootout with a suspect in Stevenson Ranch. Deputy Kuredjian often worked as an Armenian interpreter for the Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the FBI. The Gold Meritorious Conduct Medal was presented to Kuredjian in 1989, for rescuing a woman from a cliff while stationed in Malibu.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Hagop Jake Kuredjian

The Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award is presented annually to recognize those outstanding individual or group who give their time and resources to enhance the quality of recreation programs within the Malibu community. Past recipients of this award have demonstrated a commitment and involvement in addressing some aspect of recreation in Malibu, and in doing so demonstrated the highest level of citizenship, making a lasting contribution to the community.

2026 Jake kurdjian Citizenship award

The City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission approved the Malibu Equestrian Group, consisting of Beth Cadwallader, Bonnie Decker, Denise DeGarmo, Larry and Lori Gray, Talley Hutcherson, Gina McCloskey, and Erin Sinclair, as the 2026 Jake Kuredjian Citizenship Award recipients.

Jake Kuredjian Award 2026

Past Award Recipients                                                                    

2025Suzanne Guldimann, Andy Lyon, and Nick Shurgot
2024Shari Latta and Poison Free Malibu
2023Sara Wan
2022Richard Lawson and Judy Villablanca
2021Sandy Banducci and Rob LeMond
2020John Bell and Ellen Reich
2019Kasey Earnest and Steve Hotchkiss
2018Mike Mulligan and Justine Petretti
2017Bob Stallings
2015Joan House
2014Steve Ciniglio
2013Michael Zweig
2012Dermot Stoker
2008John Paola
2007Bruce Young, Mike Doyle, James Whalen, and Steve Rodriguez
2005Tim Biglow, Danny Klein, and Nick Tidy
2004Jack "Papa Jack" Schultz
2002Doug O'Brien, Joel Castro, Jill & Harold Smith, Maud Ann Sunderland, and Ron Bloomfield