ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Altoona Blair County Development Corporation (ABCD) presented the City of Altoona with the prestigious Rossman-Kazamier Award.

The award, which has only been given out once before, was established in 2016 with the support of the Bill Rossman and John P. Kazmaier families.

The award is designed to “recognize organizations or individuals who make significant strides in developing partnerships that help move things towards that goal and in a positive way,” According to Ron McConnell, ABCD chairman.

The City of Altoona received the award in recognition of the major policy changes made in recent history, their communication improvements and funding initiatives that have been implemented in recent years.

Mayor Matt Pacifico accepted the award on behalf of the city while the City Council and the City of Altoona staff members joined in attendance. Pacifico thanked the ABCD for its recognition and said “this award represents the joining effort and strong commitment on the part of many area businesses and organizations.”

Penn State University is the only other recipient and this is the first time the award has been given out since 2017.