By NCL Board Chair Sandy Freedman
I would like to use the new AAC blog to invite everyone to attend the 2010 All-America City Awards in Kansas City June.
This is a great opportunity to hear first hand the wonderful stories from communities all across the country. You can see the energy and enthusiasm that the finalist delegations (mostly community builders and problem solvers) have for the event and for their communities. You will come away with some new ideas, and hopefully, plans to compete in 2011.
I was a member of our community delegation, Tampa, Florida, when we won the All-America City in 1990, and I know what a transformative experience it can be. It is hard to describe or to comprehend until you have been there. Author Curtis Johnson of the Citistates Group, an AAC juror in 2009, described it as cross between a high school pep rally and a political convention.
Behind the energy, cheering and civic spirit, however, is serious purpose—sharing information about innovative approaches to community building and local problem solving. I heartily invite you to come see for yourself.
The 2010 All-America City Awards will be held June 16-18 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. Find out more about the event by clicking on the “Information Hub” on this page.