The first woman mayor of Salina will be honored.

The City of Salina will honor former Mayor and City Commissioner Karen Graves by designating the north plaza of the Tony’s Pizza Events Center as the “Karen M. Graves Plaza.”  Graves served on the Salina City Commission from 1977-1983, including a term as Salina’s first woman mayor in 1979-1980.

A dedication ceremony will be held Monday, April 23, 2018 at 1 p.m. at the site. The public is invited to attend both the dedication and the reception to follow in the Tony’s Pizza Events Center lobby with Graves and her family.

“With the recent renovation of the Bicentennial Center and its rebranding as the Tony’s Pizza Event Center, there’s an opportunity to recognize and honor the history of the Center, as well as the contributions of a leader and a true pioneer in Salina City government,” said City Commissioner Melissa Rose Hodges. “It’s my hope that the reception will provide a great opportunity for Salinans to reminisce about the incredible accomplishments of the 1970s and 1980s as we honor our first woman mayor, Karen Graves.”