NCL Email Newsletter December

CIVIC ACTION

December 2004

Welcome to the December issue of the National Civic League's email newsletter. This monthly communication provides information on the activities and accomplishments of NCL and links to information on a variety of topics.

In This Issue

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
from the National Civic League

New NCL Board Chair
2005 All-America City Award
MetLife Ambassadors in Education Award
Model City Charter Available Now
Free Online Harvard Portal
Contact Information

New NCL Board Chair

Rawson Takes Reins of National Civic League
New Chair Seeks Input From Members

The National Civic League's Board of Directors elected Robert Rawson, Jr. as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Rawson replaces Dot Ridings who served two terms in the position.

Rawson has served 20 years on NCL's board over two separate terms. His father, Robert Rawson, also chaired NCL's Board more than 20 years ago.

Rawson is a graduate of Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard Law School. He is the partner in charge of the Cleveland office of Jones-Day, an international law firm with offices in 30 locations around the world. He is an anti-trust litigation specialist. His wife, Judy, is the mayor of Shaker Heights, a suburb in the Cleveland area. The Rawson's have two boys, Alex 25, and Greg 22.

"It's a privilege and a welcome challenge to lead an organization that brings citizens together with elected officials to advance government and improve governance in our communities," Rawson said. "Unfortunately, many people see our country divided over numerous issues. We plan to find ways that NCL can help citizens and organizations find common ground to overcome these divisions."

Rawson plans to coordinate a board retreat in early 2005 to examine NCL's services and weigh them against the needs of its constituents. He also plans to fully develop the board and fill vacancies strategically with leaders who have the experience and perspective NCL needs to continue building communities and improving local governments across the U.S.

"The National Civic League is a membership organization," Rawson said. "I value input from all members and want to hear your perspectives on challenges and opportunities facing communities."

To send Mr. Rawson your thoughts and suggestions, please write to ncl@ncl.org.

2005 All-America City Award

Applications Now Available for 56th Annual All-America City Award

2005 Applications Due March 10th

DENVER - Communities across the U.S. are facing numerous challenges, including homeland security, public education, rising medical costs, declining tax bases, and many others. The 2005 All-America City Award will recognize communities that are overcoming these challenges and others through innovation and collaboration.

The All-America-City Award is the oldest and most prestigious community recognition event in the country. The Award recognizes exceptional community problem-solving and is earned by communities that work cooperatively to tackle challenges and achieve results.

Since 1949, the All-America City Award has encouraged, and recognized, civic excellence. It honors communities of all sizes - cities, towns, counties, neighborhoods and regions - in which citizens, government, businesses and volunteer organizations work together to address critical local issues. Communities that address their challenges in innovative and collaborative ways can become an All-America City.

"The All-America City Award has been described as a Nobel prize for constructive citizenship," said Christopher T. Gates, President of the National Civic League. "That's how George H. Gallup, the famous pollster and one of the Award's founders, described the program 50 years ago. That description holds true today."

The benefits realized by All-America City Award winners and finalists include heightened national attention, civic pride, and a proven economic impact. The rigorous application process itself serves as a valuable civic self-assessment and can make communities stronger, Gates said.

Since 1949, more than 500 communities in all but two states have earned this prestigious award. The National Civic League is now accepting applications for the 2005 Award. Cities, towns, neighborhoods, counties, and cohesive regions can apply. Applications are due March 10, 2005. The National Civic League will announce the 30 finalists on April 14, 2005. All finalists advance to the 56th annual All-America City Awards competition in Atlanta, June 23-25. A national panel of judges from all sectors of society will score all 30 presentations and select 10 winners based on the quality of the collaborative projects each community presents.

For more information, or to receive an application for the 2005 All-America City Award, contact Gary Chandler at the National Civic League. Call 720-931-0834, or write to gchandler@ncl.org. Applications and information are available at www.ncl.org/aac.

For more information, please contact the National Civic League at
303-571-4343, or write to aleksh@ncl.org.

MetLife

School Principals Earn Honors for Improving Communities

Winning Schools Earn $5,000 For Community Projects

Fifteen school principals from 15 U.S. cities earned a special reward in 2004 for positive community works thanks to the MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award.

The 2004 award recognized public school principals in the middle grades and higher who are making extraordinary efforts to strengthen their schools and communities. Each winning principal will receive a $5,000 grant for his or her school to continue community work and relationship-building projects.

"Principals are key to establishing a culture of caring and community involvement in their schools," said Sibyl Jacobson, MetLife Foundation president and CEO. "Their leadership in reaching out to their students' neighborhoods sets an important example for students, teachers and staff."

MetLife Foundation's goal is to provide positive recognition to encourage these educators to continue their efforts, while encouraging others to follow their examples. The 2004 program encouraged teachers, students, parents, and community members to join together to nominate the extraordinary works of a principal in their community. A national selection committee reviewed the nominations and determined the following winners:

Atlanta Mr. Nash Alexander, III Benjamin S. Carson Honors Preparatory	Boston Mr. Albert Hollard Health Careers Academy	Chicago Mr. Kenneth L. Hunter Prosser Career Academy
Denver Ms. Nicole Veltze Cole Middle School	Des Moines Mr. Michael Zelenovich May Goodrell Middle School	Detroit Ms. Cheryl White Detroit Lions Academy
Greenville Mr. Richard K. McClure Mauldin High School	Los Angeles Dr. Gregory Vallone James Monroe Senior High School	New York Mr. Howard A. Friedman Manhattan Comprehensive Night & Day High School
Philadelphia Mr. Alan Liebowitz George Washington High School	San Antonio Mr. Everett Fuller Wheatley Middle School	St. Louis Mr. Thomas Cason Soldan International Studies High School
Tampa Mr. Kevin McCarthy Robinson High School	Tulsa Ms. Kris Serna Cleveland Middle School	Washington, D.C. Ms. Maria Tukeva Bell Multicultural High School

The National Civic League and MetLife Foundation plan to expand the program in 2005. The program will continue in the same 15 cities, while adding five additional school districts in five different cities (yet to be determined). The 2005 program will encourage nominations for outstanding teachers in these 20 cities. The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2005. For more information about the Ambassadors in Education Award, visit www.ncl.org/cs/metlife or contact Gary Chandler at 720-931-0834 or gchandler@ncl.org.

Model City Charter Available

Update your city charter with the new Model City Charter, which provides the key information you need to keep up with the latest perspectives and practices on good governance. It will help you manage the new challenges facing municipalities, including: Performance Measurement, Regional Cooperation, Citizen Participation, Campaign Finance, Election Law, and New Technologies.

“As it has for the past 88 years, the 8th Edition of the National Civic League’s Model City Charter again endorses the council-manager form as the preferred structure of local government. This definitive guide recognizes the importance of appointing a city manager who is qualified solely on the basis of education and experience in the accepted competencies and practices of local public management."
Bob O’Neill, Executive Director,
International City/County Management Association.

TO ORDER YOUR COPY CALL 303-571-4343, or order online.

Free Online Harvard Portal

The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, announces a new online portal, creating access to successful government innovations. The first of its kind -- the Government Innovators Network - www.innovations.harvard.edu - is designed to inform and connect busy national, state, and local level policy-makers and senior managers.

Supported by Harvard's Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, this portal is the first of its kind to address the needs of public leaders who seek new and better ways of carrying out the business of government. The intent is to revitalize government and promote reinvention and collaboration, so that government can continue to be responsive to the people it serves.

Visitors will find information about innovative ways to accomplish important programs across sectors of government -- from Hartford's Education Alternatives, Inc. or new collaborations by the Nashville Office of Affordable Housing, or New Mexico's Koch Performance Roads or Oregon's "No Wrong Doro Initiative." This sort of information is assembled in the portal from news sources, Harvard study centers, from the Ash Institute's national innovations awards program, and from policy-makers themselves. The visitor will find information tailored to his interests -- ranging from criminal justice, economic development, or education and training, to health and social services or finance.

"We plan that the portal will grow and change according to the interests of and feedback from users," comments Stephen Goldsmith, author of Governing by Network and one of the founders of the portal. "If online meetings or new 'Communities of Practice' will foster the development of new ideas and their application, the Government Innovators Network will act on this synergy and capture these ideas for use or adaptation by others." The portal's designers anticipate that online meetings, special web casts, bulletin boards, and other tools will be used, as needed, to bring people closer together who can share expertise and support each other's efforts.

Visit www.innovations.harvard.edu, register and begin to explore what the portal has to offer. Be part of the adventure and help us to share information and encourage collaborations that produce better results for all citizens served by government.

Contact Information

The National Civic League (NCL), founded in 1894, is America's original advocate for community democracy. It is a nonprofit, non-partisan, membership organization dedicated to strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL fosters innovative community building and political reform, assists local governments, and recognizes collaborative community achievement. NCL accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing, research, and the All-America City Awards, America's original and most prestigious community recognition program.

National Headquarters
National Civic League / 1445 Market St. / Suite 300 / Denver, CO 80202
303-571-4343 (phone) / 303-571-4404 (fax)
ncl@ncl.org

Washington D.C. Office
National Civic League / 1319 F Street, NW / Suite 204 / Washington, DC 20004
202-783-2961 (phone) / 202-347-2161 (fax)
ncldc@ncldc.org

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