Daugherty to be honored as Citizen of Year

CONNEAUT – There is little doubt Kristina Daugherty loves the people in her community.
Daugherty, who has organized a number of community activities over the years, can often be found smiling and having fun with the children of Conneaut.
Because of her dedication to the city, Daugherty was selected as the Conneaut Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Citizen of the Year.
“As owner of Castaways Pizza and Grill, Kristina is already very busy, but with the addition of her volunteer and community service hours, she is a non-stop force of energy,” the CACOC Citizen of the Year ballot read.
The CACOC also announced that the 2025 Chamber Champions will include the Conneaut High School National Honor Society as the Community Impact Award Winner; Independent Can Company as the Business Impact Award Winner; and Lew Shiley and Robert “Bob” Marcy, who will posthumously be recognized with the Legacy Award.
Daugherty and the Chamber Champions will be honored at the Chamber’s Annual Membership Dinner on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at New Leaf Event Center. Dinner tickets are available at the Conneaut Area Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $45 for chamber members and $50 for non-members. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner at 6 p.m.
The Citizen of the Year is expected to have been involved in the betterment of the Conneaut area through volunteer and/or charitable works. Those activities should occur outside of the nominee’s professional life and performed over a period of time.
Nominations for Citizen of the Year are made by community members and voted on by past chamber presidents and past Citizen of the Year recipients.
Beyond owning a business, Daugherty serves on the Conneaut Convention and Visitors’ Board and the Conneaut Port Authority Board.
“On the CPA Board, Kristina works tirelessly to improve the quality of life in Conneaut (particularly along our beautiful lakefront),” the CACOC Citizen of the Year ballot read. “She was instrumental in the CCVB partnering with the Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau to promote Conneaut as a visitor destination.”
The Castaways Annual East Egg Hunt and the Castaways Candy Crawl have become labors of love for Daugherty and her family.
“(Daugherty) works hard to promote events such as the Community Easter Egg Hunt that attracts hundreds of kids and families, and the Annual Halloween Candy Crawl (with almost 70 businesses jumping on board this year to hand out candy at their respective locations),” the CACOC Citizen of the Year ballot read.
While building her own success business, Daugherty wants to see all of the city’s businesses thrive.
“Kristina is not only a successful businesswoman in her own right — she wants ALL Conneaut businesses to thrive,” the CACOC Citizen of the Year ballot read. “She bought several gifts and gift cards from area businesses to use as giveaways in her ‘20 Days of Giving’ leading up to Christmas.”
The less fortunate in the community have come to know Daugherty’s charity, as well.
“Kristina has also been known to purchase and distribute food items for those in need — no questions asked,” the CACOC Citizen of the Year ballot read. “She has a huge heart, and it would devastate her to see someone going without food.”
The Community Impact and Business Impact awards are being handed out for the first time.
The Business Impact Award recognizes a locally-owned or locally-operated business that has demonstrated outstanding success, leadership and commitment to the community over the past year. The award honors a business that not only excels economically, but also contributes positively to the quality of life and vitality of the city.
The Community Impact Award recognizes a business, nonprofit organization or individual whose actions have made a meaningful and lasting difference in the community, honoring those who go above and beyond to improve the social, cultural or economic well-being of the city through service, generosity and collaboration.
The Legacy Award is presented to a business or individual who has made outstanding achievements to the City of Conneaut and is typically given to a business or individual whose achievements measure over many years and have made a significant impact on the community.
Joe Orlando and Joyce Shellhammer posthumously received the 2024 Legacy Award in recognition of their many years serving the community.