Portsmouth’s First Citizen, 2024

Portsmouth, VA – RADM Mark A. Hugel, USN, ret. has been selected as Portsmouth’s First Citizen of the year and will be honored at the Portsmouth First Citizen banquet on April 25, 2024 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center. In a tradition that began 90 years ago in 1932, the citizens of Portsmouth have honored an individual for his or her contributions to the community by naming that individual Portsmouth’s First Citizen. The annual award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit of citizenship through service to the community. Nominations for the honor are submitted by the public and the honoree is determined by a committee composed of former First Citizens.

This event honoring RADM Hugel is hosted by the Portsmouth Service League and is open to the public. Proceeds from ticket sales and donations from the event have been designated for the STARBASE Victory STEM Program, The Up Center, and the Portsmouth Service League. The Portsmouth Service League invites everyone to join in this celebration to recognize his generosity and service and to encourage a spirit of civic-mindedness in others. For ticket purchases or additional information, please email firstcitizen@portsmouthserviceleague.org or visit https://givebutter.com/PFC2024.

FIRST CITIZEN OF PORTSMOUTH

For eighty-third years, the citizens of Portsmouth have honored an individual for his or her contributions to the Portsmouth community by naming that individual Portsmouth’s First Citizen.  The First Citizen Committee, comprised of all living previous honorees, is now accepting nominations for the First Citizen of Portsmouth 2023, to be honored in the fall of 2023.

A Portsmouth First Citizen should be an individual who embodies the spirit of citizenship through his or her service to the community for the sole purpose of and in the spirit of giving.  This spirit is evidenced by an individual’s civic, charitable, and religious contributions to fellow citizens, the Portsmouth and Hampton Roads communities, the state and country without remuneration and over and above the pursuit of one’s chosen vocation.

To nominate an individual, please complete the Nomination Information Form below and submit a detailed letter of nomination to the First Citizen’s Committee via email OR mail to c/o Portsmouth Service League, PO Box 6647, Portsmouth, VA 23703.  In your nomination letter, you should describe the nominee’s background, scope of work in the community, the qualities or actions that make that work extraordinary, and why you feel the nominee should become First Citizen.  You should consider the nominee’s service to humanity, volunteer service and philanthropic contribution, governmental contributions, cultural achievements, and moral and/or religious leadership.  Your nominee need not be a resident of Portsmouth, but his or her service should have been principally in or to the City of Portsmouth.

Nominations are confidential and the nominee should not be informed of his or her nomination.  Persons having identified a citizen for nomination are encouraged to collaborate to present a broad spectrum of a nominee’s accomplishments and provide letters of endorsement. 

Please submit your nomination on or before November 3, 2023. 

Christine Young and Candiss Cox, First Citizen Co-Chairs 2023

firstcitizen@portsmouthserviceleague.org/Christine’s Cell: 757-793-6390/Candiss’ Cell: 757-618-0797

Portsmouth Service League
P.O. Box 6647
Portsmouth, VA 23703