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Yoneo Ono Award

RCAC's Yoneo Ono Outstanding Rural Volunteer Award honors rural people who have made significant lifelong contributions to their community in volunteer capacities. Named in honor of Yoneo Ono, one of RCAC's founders, the award is presented by the RCAC Board of Directors during a festive celebration on the honoree's home turf. The award is presented biennially (in even years). In 2010, The award went to Kay Clarke Philip in Colorado >> 

Yoneo Ono (1925-1998)
dedicated his life to rural
housing and assistance programs

Yoneo Ono was a Japanese American born in Bakersfield, California in 1925. He was interned in Poston, Arizona Relocation Center as a youth and graduated from Poston High School. He later attended and graduated from the University of Connecticut. As an adult, he worked tirelessly for rural development. He was one of RCAC’s founding board members. For his lifelong commitment, RCAC honored him with an award when he retired from its board in 1984. Since then, the RCAC board of directors has presented the award to 29 outstanding volunteers who have made immense contributions to rural development. He was presented the 1998 Yoneo Ono Award at RCAC’s conference in Seattle, shortly before his death.

Nominations are accepted year-round. Access and complete the form >>

This page was updated on February 6, 2012