West Hills neighbor Debbie Smith received the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award at the 2022 Neighborhood Conference, held Saturday at the Knoxville Convention Center. The event is produced by the City’s Office of Neighborhood Empowerment. 

Community Empowerment Director Charles F. Lomax, Jr. and Neighborhoods Coordinator Debbie Sharp presented Smith with the award and commended all nominees for their contributions to their neighborhoods and the city at large. 

“Healthy and connected neighborhoods are key to a thriving, resilient city,” Lomax said. “Everyone being recognized today is an example of a good neighbor.”  

The selection committee, made up of members of the Neighborhood Advisory Council, chose Smith for the variety and longevity of her service. She demonstrates her concern for the safety and wellbeing of her neighbors of all ages in numerous ways, including pursuing traffic-calming solutions and collecting litter up to a mile away from her house. 

Smith and her husband Frank have served as leaders in the West Hills Community Association and have donated power-washing services to West Hills Elementary School. 

All finalists received proclamations honoring their contributions of time, energy and personal expense to making their neighborhoods safer, cleaner and more beautiful places to live. Those finalists are:

- Beth Booker, posthumously, Old North Knoxville
- Arturo Cano, Colonial Hills
- Chris Hall, Sequoyah Hills
- Eric Johnson, Vestal 
- Nancy Shackelford, Sherrill Hills

All Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award nominees demonstrated the qualities exemplified by the late Diana Conn, for whom the award was named and given posthumously. Members of her Old Sevier Community described Conn as a generous, caring and devoted neighbor. 

Learn more about the Office of Neighborhood empowerment and its many programs and resources at KnoxvilleTN.gov/neighborhoods.