The City of Tempe received verification of its leadership and
innovative nature from the National Civic League (NCL), receiving
recognition as one of 100 All-America cities at the 54th Annual All-America
City Awards ceremony
This was the second time Tempe
won the award. The first recognition occurred in 1984
"This award is for the people of Tempe," Mayor Neil
Giuliano said. "We have made tremendous accomplishments over the years
through partnership and collaboration, and I'm proud to see that our
community has been recognized for these efforts on a national level."
The All-America City Award, a 54-year-old program of the
National Civic League recognizing civic excellence, annually honors 10
communities that best exemplify the spirit of grassroots citizen involvement
and cross-sector collaborative problem solving. All-America cities
successfully address current national issues such as crime, education,
poverty, cultural diversity and environmental use and protection.
 Since
the program began, more than 4,000 communities have competed for the award
and nearly 500 communities have been selected as All-America Cities. The
2003 All-America cities are Tempe, New Haven, Conn.; Miami Beach, Fla.; Des
Moines, Iowa; Marquette County, Mich.; Laurinburg, N.C.; South Sioux City,
Neb; Greater Racine Area, Wis.; Wilson, N.C.; and Corpus Christi, Texas.
"These All-America Cities symbolize the best of our nation
- the ability of citizens, government, businesses and nonprofit
organizations to come together, effectively address their local issues, and
produce tangible results," NCL President Christopher T. Gates said. "The
accomplishments of these 10 All-America Cities serve as an inspiration to
communities across the United States that are facing similar challenges."
Giuliano led the Tempe delegation, made up of community
partners, volunteers and city staff. Tempe showcased three innovative
projects: Tempe Town Lake on the Rio Salado, the Riverside Sunset
Neighborhood Transformation, and the Thomas J. Pappas School for Homeless
Children and Tumbleweed Youth Resource Center. Tempe's participation was
sponsored in part by community partners and America West Airlines, Tempe
Decorating Center and Grand Canyon Title. For information on Tempe's
presentation projects, please visit
www.tempe.gov/lake,
www.tempe.gov/westside and www.tjpappasschool.org. The NCL is a
109-year-old non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to
strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL
accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing,
research and the All-America City Award. |
