Nearly a year after being announced as Yankton’s 2020 Citizens of the Year, Jake and Sandy Hoffner finally had a chance to celebrate the honor.
During a short ceremony at the Chan Gurney Municipal Airport Friday, the Hoffners were recognized with proclamations issued by the City of Yankton and Yankton County.
The award ceremony was postponed due to flare-ups of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hoffners have a long history of serving the Yankton community — even if they weren’t originally a part of it. Raised in North Dakota where they originally farmed, the Hoffners moved to Yankton in 1988 when Jake bought a crop-dusting business. Both have been longtime members of the Yankton Morning Optimist Club.
Jake also served two terms on the Yankton City Commission and was appointed mayor for a single one-year term.