Oceanside CA— Mr. Larry Hatter was named the 2018 recipient of the City of Oceanside Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award at the annual commemoration celebration hosted by the North San Diego County Branch of the NAACP and the City of Oceanside on January 15. Mr. Hatter has been a longtime member of the North San Diego County community and continues to exemplify the philosophy and ideals of the late Dr. King through his continued passion, works, and vision for the Oceanside Community as a whole.

Mr. Hatter is an avid supporter of education and the Oceanside Unified School District. He spent countless hours devoted to getting the Oceanside School Bond passed through educating residents and advocating for their yes vote. Mr. Hatter is a member of the Hall of Fame for the Oceanside High School. He has led the Hall of Fame program for years helping to select new candidates each year. Arranging the program and helping with the success that it is today, he has tirelessly led efforts to secure money for scholarships and bring participants together. In the past few years Mr. Hatter has been involved in a mentoring program in collaboration with Lincoln Middle School and students from Crown Heights.
Larry Hatter was selected as Citizen of the Year in 1991 by the former North County Blade Citizen newspaper. He was one of the Founders of the Oceanside Friends of the Library, serving on the Board of Directors for a number of years, working so that the Oceanside community could have the opportunity to have one of the finest libraries in the county. Mr. Hatter is one of the Founders of the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) and works to raise awareness and funding for the OMA. Today, the Museum enjoys visitors from around the world, with many exciting exhibitions to be enjoyed by all.
Mr. Hatter is past President of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Oceanside Economic Development Commission for a number of years, working with the business community business and worked to bring new and developing businesses to the area. He also served on the City of Oceanside’s Affordable Housing Strategy Committee.
The Community Service award is an annual award given to a resident of the City of Oceanside or Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton who exemplifies the ideals and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and who has served the community in volunteer activities over a long period of time.