The CEO of the Central City Improvement District (CCID), Tasso Evangelinos was honoured with a Mayoral Civic Award at a ceremony at the Good Hope Sub-council in Wale Street on Tuesday October 26.
Mr Evangelinos was among 15 community members honoured for their contribution to the city centre.
Ward 115 councillor Ian McMahon, while handing over the award, praised Mr Evangelinos’ “vision, expertise and determination”.
“The tough task that the CCID faced due to Covid-19 was a formidable challenge in the CBD, and the team stepped up and were front-and-centre in those tough times… even now that we are on Level 1, they have their work cut out for them.”
Mr Evangelinos joined the organisation as a precinct manager when it was formed in 2000 under the management of the Cape Town Partnership.
He became CEO in 2007 and has been at its helm since 2016. “I am honoured and flattered to be bestowed this award, and share it with my team and the CCID board of directors as our success is very much a team effort.”
Mr McMahon praised the CCID for its invaluable contribution to ensuring the success of downtown Cape Town.
“The CCID is one of the most important partners we have in the CBD and we depend on the organisation,” he said. “Today, 21 years after its founding, we have a vibrant CBD for investment and a world-class live, work, play and stay destination that is welcoming to all.”
CCID board chairperson Rob Kane, who is also the CEO of Boxwood Property Fund, congratulated Mr Evangelinos, saying the CCID had, “maintained its course in incredibly rough waters and has been unwavering in its call to duty to serve its stakeholders”.
Mr Kane said he was very proud of the way Evangelinos led his team pre-Covid-19, when the tight economy put enormous strain on resources and on the CCID.
“Then, in 2020, when the pandemic struck and the government implemented a 21-day hard lockdown, Tasso and the CCID’s teams swiftly strategised on how best to serve stakeholders in a time of panic and uncertainty, becoming admirable and fearless frontline workers.
“To this day, the CCID’s teams remain at the forefront of what is happening in the CBD, adapting to stabilise the area as well as promote business and investment to ensure the success of the CBD in the face of an ongoing pandemic.”