Keep Iowa Beautiful Awards
Photographer: Diane Ebert of Waterloo, IA
Robert D. Ray Community Award for Excellence
The Robert D. Ray Community Award for Excellence is given annually to a town or city for enhancing the beauty, cleanliness and attractiveness of the community.
The award is designed to recognize a town/city that has gone the extra mile to build a stronger more vital Iowa community both culturally and environmentally.
Community beautification projects that are supported or expanded may include, but not limited to, entryway improvement, housing, streetscaping, litter prevention, park/trail development, recycling, lighting, roadway improvement, incorporation of art landscaping and public nuisance abatement.
Former Governor Robert D. Ray believed that clean and attractive communities improve the economic vitality and cultural climate of where we live, work and raise a family.
2026 Recipient:
City of Lake View and City of Bondurant
The Robert D. Ray Community Award for Excellence goes to the City of Lake View for their legacy enhancing cultural amenities, building hometown pride and protecting the local environment for all residents.
The Robert D. Ray Community Award for Excellence goes to the City of Bondurant for their legacy of improvement and community pride through transformative projects that enhance culture while honoring heritage.
Previous Recipients
- 2025 – City of DeWitt
- 2024 – Community of Perry and Community of Camanche
- 2023 – Community of Manning and Community of Pocahontas
- 2022 – Community of Bellevue
- 2021 – Community of Lost Nation
- 2020 – Community of Maquoketa
- 2019 – Community of Percival
- 2018 – City of Varina
- 2017 – City of Woodbine
- 2016 – City of Lake City
