Benjamin Award

The Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce Gilbert Benjamin “Outstanding Citizen of the Year” Award is named in honor of its past recipient Gil Benjamin who lived and served the community of Granada Hills for many years.Gil served on the Board of Directors of the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce and was elected President in 1990. He served in the United States Armed Services, held a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as being an avid USC football fan. He and his wife Ruth served the local Granada Hills community in a myriad of civic activities. They were the official community Historians whose collective efforts assisted in the writing of the “The History of Granada Hills,” by author Jim Heir in 2007.The “Granada Hills Citizen of the Year” Award has been presented by the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce since 1982. The annual civic award is the highest recognition bestowed and presented to an outstanding selected individual for distinguished and exemplary volunteer service with the local community. The special citizen award was renamed in Gilbert Benjamin’s honor in 1994 that personally epitomized the highest attributes of the presented award and highlighted selfless volunteer service.