| Each year since 1979, the Park Slope Civic Council has identified and honored an organization and an individual for outstanding service to the community. The awards, one for professional service, the other for a volunteer, are named for George Lovgren, the Park Slope activist who in the 1960s worked tirelessly to save the Union Street Firehouse from closure. The awards epitomize the Civic Council’s philosophy – that it’s people caring about their community who make Park Slope a great place to live. Examples of past Lovgren honorees are Kim Maier of the Old Stone House, Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors and City Councilman Brad Lander, among many other deserving recipients. The 2020 Lovgren Awards were presented at the Civic Council’s annual year end general membership meeting via Zoom on Thursday, June 4th. The Lovgren Award for Community Service by a Professional was awarded to Susan Fox, Ph.D., Founder of Park Slope Parents: Susan Fox is a community organizer of great energy. She was chosen as one of Brooklyn’s Extraordinary Women for 2009 and a Woman of Distinction in 2010. Susan founded Park Slope Parents in July, 2002 for local parents who wanted to exchange information. Park Slope Parents is a community of seven thousand families, with its members sharing advice on raising families in Brooklyn – everything from hiring a nanny to choosing a camp, from teething to single parenting, from dealing with illness to help with aging parents. Other initiatives include partnerships with non-profit organizations to provide child-related items (e.g., clothing, cribs, blankets) for needy families, pregnancy and baby groups, as well as groups for stay-at-home moms, tweens, cooking, and more. Susan’s enormous contributions to the families of Park Slope is undeniable. The Lovgren Award for Community Service by a Volunteer was awarded to Michael Cairl: Michael Cairl is a tireless advocate for the Park Slope community. He was president of the Park Slope Civic Council from 2010 to 2014. Since 2008, he has served on the Board of Directors of Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, which plans the development of a greenway for cyclists, joggers and pedestrians along the Brooklyn waterfront from Greenpoint to Bay Ridge. Since 2017, he has been president of the Montauk Club, a private social club in Park Slope founded in 1889. He has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees as well as Financial Secretary of Park Slope United Methodist Church and is a co-founder of the Grand Army Plaza Coalition, responsible for improvements around the Plaza. From 2004 to 2011, he served as Chair of the Gowanus Community Stakeholder Group. Additionally, for the past few years, he has laid out text and photos for the printing of the Park Slope House Tour Brochure. Michael’s leadership on behalf of the Park Slope community has been outstanding. |
The Civic Council is proud to acknowledge these distinctive and dedicated individuals.