"The All-America City Award (AAC) is
like a civic 'Oscar' for communities of all sizes," said National Civic
League President Gloria Rubio-Cortés. "It's unique because it
recognizes the efforts of entire communities. AACs demonstrate
inclusiveness, collaboration, civic engagement, and innovation."

An
All-America City has a proven capacity for community-based problem
solving, grassroots civic engagement and cooperation between sectors
(public, private and nonprofit). To become a finalist, each participant
completed an application documenting three community projects that
address local challenges such as job creation/economic development,
environmental sustainability, neighborhood revitalization and disaster
recovery.

Listed alphabetically by state are the 2009 finalists:

Phoenix, Arizona Windsor Heights, Iowa Toledo, Ohio

Fort Smith, Arkansas Wichita, Kansas Wooster, Ohio

Inglewood, California Pocomoke City, Maryland Toledo, Oregon

Rancho Cordova, California Rockville, Maryland Erie, Pennsylvania

Windsor, Colorado Salisbury, Maryland Providence, Rhode Island

Tampa, Florida Somerville, Massachusetts Chattanooga, Tennessee

Bensenville, Illinois Belton, Missouri Rowlett, Texas

Carbondale, Illinois Albany, New York Caroline County, Virginia

Fort Wayne, Indiana Benson, North Carolina

Richmond, Indiana Kinston, North Carolina

South Bend, Indiana Clinton, North Carolina

Des Moines, Iowa Statesville, North Carolina

The
June 17-19 awards program will be an excellent opportunity for
journalists and broadcasters who cover government, business, schools,
crime, or neighborhood/community issues to catch up on the latest
strategies for local problem solving.

"This year is the 60th
Anniversary of the All-America City Awards. We are inviting all former
winners (more than 500 of them) to come to the event in Tampa to be
recognized, and to share their lessons learned and community stories
with their peers," noted Rubio-Cortés.

During the three-day
competition, a delegation from each community will present its
challenges and solutions to a jury of national experts from across the
United States. At least one community project must focus on the needs
of young people.

The 2009 awards program will feature Innovation
Forums to promote peer-to-peer dialogues among the finalist communities
and regional and national leaders. Topical dialogues and panel
discussions on "green" solutions, immigrant integration, race
relations, and economic recovery strategies will be featured, along
with a planning session for future AAC alumni activities.

The
All-America City Award is an honor achieved by more than 500
neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties, and regions across
the country. Some have won the award multiple times.

This
year's AAC Awards are sponsored in part by Prudential, MWH Global,
Inc., Mile High United Way, Jones Day, Southern California Edison,
Southwest Airlines (The Official Airline of the AAC Awards), Tampa
Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina (The Sole Official Headquarters
Hotel of the AAC Awards) and Marriott International.

Headquartered
in Denver, Colorado, the National Civic League strengthens democracy by
increasing the capacity of our nation's people to fully participate in
and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. Founded in
1894 by Theodore Roosevelt and other government reformers, NCL is a
nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that accomplishes its mission
through training, technical assistance, publishing, facilitating
community-wide strategic planning and awards programs. It publishes
research on government structures and reform and community building
innovation (The National Civic Review, Civic Index, and 8th Edition of
the Model City Charter). In addition to the All-America City Awards,
NCL conducts the MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Awards to
be announced in April.

For more information on NCL and its programs, visit www.ncl.org.