Recently in Awards Category

Nomination forms are now available for the three awards presented by the Alabama alliance for Arts Education each year. One goal of the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education is to recognize innovation and achievement. The Alliance acknowledges individuals, schools, and organizations that demonstrate outstanding support for the arts and arts education. The submissions deadline is Monday, August 30, 2010. Recipients will be honored during an awards dinner, which will be held October 6, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the Arts Education Summit at the University of Alabama, Hotel Capstone.

IMPACT AWARD - This award is given to an organization for outstanding commitment and dedication to children and the arts for innovative and creative programming, curriculum, teaching, and/or presenting. 
 
MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARD - This award is given to an individual who is a champion of arts education, an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment and dedication to children and arts education.
 
ARTS ADVOCACY AWARD - This award is given to recognize the accomplishments of an individual whose advocacy efforts have significantly increased support for arts education.
 
For more information visit www.alaae.org or contact Donna Russell, Executive Director at
334-269-1435 or aaae@bellsouth.net.

Each week, Youth Serve America (YSA) features an Everyday Young Hero in the National Service Briefing. Everyday Young Heroes are youth leaders, ages 5-25, who identify a need in their community, address it through service, mobilize their peers and community partners, and engage the media and elected officials. Everyday Young Hero Award winners receive a certificate and award letter, and will be featured on YSA's website and in the National Service Briefing. Youth selected as Everyday Young Heroes are also considered for YSA's other awards, including YSA Service Stars and the Harris Wofford Award.

To nominate a young person who has improved their community through service, please visit www.YSA.org/awards/hero

The four recipients of the 2009 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement are as follows:

Overall Excellence: Lancaster County Planning Commission for Envision Lancaster County. Lancaster County, in south-central Pennsylvania, is known for its historic towns and villages, and its fertile farmland. To maintain the county's character, its diverse economy, and its natural resources for future generations, the Lancaster County Planning Commission established a countywide comprehensive growth management plan, which protects valuable farmland and historic landscapes by directing development to established towns and cities in the county.

Policies and Regulations: City of Charlotte for Urban Street Design Guidelines. As the central city in a rapidly growing metropolitan area, Charlotte, N.C., is under intense development pressures. Rather than continue the automobile-dominated development patterns of the last 50 years, Charlotte adopted Urban Street Design Guidelines to make walking, bicycling, and transit more appealing and to make the city more attractive and sustainable.         

Built Projects: Chicago Housing Authority, FitzGerald Associates Architects and Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation for Parkside of Old Town. Parkside of Old Town sits on eight city blocks that were once home to a public housing complex notorious for criminal activity. The redevelopment has transformed the neighborhood by reconnecting it to downtown Chicago and tying together mixed-income housing, parks, and new shops and restaurants.

Smart Growth and Green Building: City of Tempe, Ariz. for the Tempe Transportation Center. The Tempe Transportation Center is a model for sustainable design, a vibrant, mixed-use regional transportation hub that incorporates innovative and green building elements tailored to the Southwest desert environment. The Tempe Transportation Center is a true multi-modal facility that integrates a light rail stop, the main city bus station, and paths for bicyclists and    pedestrians.

More information on the winners and EPA's Smart Growth Program: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/

The 2009 Alabama Tourism Awards were presented Tuesday night at a black-tie awards ceremony at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear as part of the Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism. Tourism leaders and representatives from throughout the state along with First Lady Patsy Riley attended the awards banquet. The tourism awards honor outstanding achievements in the state's tourism industry. Each winner is recognized as a key player in making tourism a strong economic force in the state. Tourism contributed $9.6 billion to Alabama's economy in 2008 and supported 170,000 jobs statewide. An estimated 22 million people visited the state last year.
 
The Alabama Tourism Department coordinates the awards program. Award winners are as follows:
Government Advocate Award - Representative Richard Lindsey, 39th Congressional District.
Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame - Tony Rayne; founder and past president of Abbeville Chamber of Commerce.
Media Advocate Award - Raycom Media.
Governor's Tourism Award - J. Gary Ellis, President of Compass Marketing, Inc., Gulf Shores.
Organization of the Year - Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association.
Attraction of the Year - The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Event of the Year - BayFest, Mobile.
Tourism Executive of the Year - Michael Gunn, VP of Convention Sales, Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Tourism Employee of the Year - Jennifer Moore, Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Partnership Award - Alabama Barbeque Association.
Welcome Center of the Year - Sumter Welcome Center.
Theme Campaign - Alabama Scenic River Trail.
Rising Star Award - Kalleigh Drake, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce.
 

The deadline for submitting nominations for the Governor's Tourism Awards is May 20. Please contact Cynthia Flowers at Cynthia.Flowers@tourism.alabama.gov for the nomination form. Two new categories have been added for 2009: Rising Star Award for people with less than 2 years in the tourism industry and the Themed Campaign Award for local participation in state tourism's "Year of" promotional campaigns. The tourism awards will be presented at the Governor's Conference on Tourism at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear on Aug. 30 - Sept.1.

Nominations for the Governor's Tourism Awards are now open. Please contact Cynthia Flowers at Cynthia.Flowers@tourism.alabama.gov for the nomination form. Two new categories have been added for 2009: Rising Star Award for people with less than 2 years in the tourism industry and the Themed Campaign Award for local participation in state tourism's "Year of" promotional campaigns. The tourism awards will be presented at the Governor's Conference on Tourism at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear on Aug. 30 - Sept.1.

Missoula, Montana -- Adventure Cycling Association's nationally acclaimed Underground Railroad Bicycle Route has won the American Trails National Partnership Award.

Announced Monday night at the 19th National Trails Symposium in Little Rock, Arkansas, this award recognizes the unique partnership forged between Adventure Cycling Association and the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Minority Health to create a 2,028-mile bicycle route memorializing the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses by which freedom seekers attempted to escape slavery before and during the Civil War. The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route passes points of interest and historic sites from Mobile, Alabama, a busy port for slavery during the pre-civil war era, north to Owen Sound, Ontario, a town founded by free blacks in 1857.

Read more: http://bike-pgh.org/2008/11/20/underground-railroad-bicycle-route-wins-american-trails-partnership-award/

Governor Bob Riley announced Wednesday that the Alabama Tourism Department has won the Travel Industry Association's highest honor for its Year of Alabama Arts campaign as well as two other national competitions.  The state agency was presented with TIA's "Discover America" marketing award and is featured in the November issue of National Geographic Traveler. The 2007 promotion also won the National Council of State Tourism Directors' "Mercury" award for best state promotion and Travel Weekly's "Magellan" award for promotion of culture and the arts in the U.S. and Canada.
 
"To win one top award is outstanding, but to win the best in three separate competitions must be unprecedented," Governor Riley told tourism and arts representatives at a ceremony in the State Capitol. The purpose of the 15-month Year of Alabama Arts campaign was "to put a huge spotlight on the arts, everything from architecture to dance and in between," state tourism director Lee Sentell said. "We had involvement from more than 60 communities which shows how important the arts are all over the state."

The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) was recently presented the “Shining Example” Award for Regional Organization of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS). The Shining Example Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of tourism in the Southeastern states. The 2008 Shining Example Awards program was part of the 25th annual fall meeting of STS held at the Peabody Little Rock Hotel in Little Rock, Ark.
 
Tourism expenditures in 2007 for the 16 northernmost counties of Alabama increased 13% over 2006 with nine of the 16 counties of the North Alabama region producing double digit growth. AMLA developed and launched Alabama’s only wine trail, “A Taste of Elegance” earlier this year, and has been instrumental in attracting sporting events and sports-related tournaments to North Alabama.
 
“It is a humbling experience to be honored by the Southeast Tourism Society as the regional tourism organization of the year,” said Dana Lee Jennings, president and CEO of AMLA.  For twenty-five years, STS has been the south’s leading tourism organization. For AMLA to win the Shining Example Award, credit must be given to the hard work put forth by the members of AMLA including a special thank you to Chairman of the Board Tami Reist, the Executive Committee, and Board of Directors for their leadership, support and guidance.” www.alabamamountainlakes.org

TPL and the National Association of Counties (NACo) are now accepting applications for the fifth annual County Leadership in Conservation Awards. The awards recognize leadership, innovation, and excellence by forward-thinking county leaders in local land conservation.

Successful programs will be judged on the basis of:

• Innovation
• Financing Mechanisms
• Visioning and Planning
• Diversity and Strength of Partnerships
• Acquisition and/or Implementation Excellence
• Generating Public Awareness and Support
• Program Management

The Awards help NACo and TPL recognize innovative counties making great strides in local land conservation and help generate publicity for these groundbreaking efforts. Bringing recognition to the county's program, and providing "best practice" examples for county and other local officials to design landmark conservation programs across the country are the main goals of the Awards.

Access the Application Form for more information and to apply electronically. The deadline for submissions is November 21, 2008 by 5 PM EST.

Award winners will be recognized at NACo's Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. in March 2009.

More information about awards categories and criteria.
Read more about the 2008 County Leadership in Conservation Award winners

These awards are "designed to recognize outstanding transportation projects, processes, and people who incorporate environmental stewardship into the planning and project development processes using FHWA funding sources." The awards are given in 12 categories, including a category for America's Byways®. Entries may be submitted by October 15, 2008 to the Division Administrator at the Federal Highway Administration Division Office in the State in which your entry is located. For more information, go to http://www.fhwa-ee-awards.com.

Applications are now being accepted in a new recognition program of the Preserve America initiative -- Preserve America Stewards -- which will honor exemplary volunteer efforts at historic resources around the country.

The program will recognize stewardship programs that have demonstrated a successful use of volunteer time and commitment in order to help care for our cultural heritage. Government entities (federal, tribal, state, or local), non-profit organizations, and businesses are eligible to apply to have their programs recognized.

The application form and guidance is available at www.preserveamerica.gov. For further information, contact Druscilla Null at dnull@achp.gov or at (202) 606-8532.

Deadline for most awards: September 10, 2008

Each year, the American Planning Association honors outstanding efforts in planning and planning leadership, including cutting-edge achievements and planning under difficult or adverse circumstances. We invite you to participate in the celebration of the best in plans and planning by nominating projects and people you think deserving of such recognition.

Nominations for 2009 National Planning Awards will be accepted here starting July 1, 2008.

September 10, 2008, at 12 midnight (local time) is the deadline for submitting online nominations for National Planning Excellence, National Planning Leadership, and National Planning Achievement awards; the International Planning Leadership Award; APA President's Award; AICP President's Award; AICP National Planning Pioneer Award; and APA Distinguished Service and Contribution Awards.

If you have questions about any of the National Planning Excellence, Leadership, and Achievement Awards, contact APA Public Affairs Coordinator Denny Johnson at djohnson@planning.org or 202-349-1006.

For additional information about APA Journalism, AICP Student Project Awards, and AICP Outstanding Student Awards, see descriptions below.

Applications are now being accepted in a new recognition program of the Preserve America initiative -- Preserve America Stewards -- which will honor exemplary volunteer efforts at historic resources around the country. Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady and Honorary Chair of Preserve America, announced the new program at the Preserve America Presidential Awards ceremony on May 12 at the White House.

The program will recognize stewardship programs that have demonstrated a successful use of volunteer time and commitment in order to help care for our cultural heritage. Government entities (federal, tribal, state, or local), non-profit organizations, and businesses are eligible to apply to have their programs recognized.

The application form and guidance is attached and is also available at www.preserveamerica.gov. While the quarterly schedule for submissions makes June 1st the next deadline, we encourage applicants to submit applications at any time over the summer if they are interested in being among the first programs to be designated as Preserve America Stewards.

The Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) Program is a comprehensive three-phase approach to economic and community development for cities with populations between 2,000 and 12,000. With the mission of helping Alabama’s smaller communities to plan, grow and prosper, ACE partners from the private sector, governmental agencies, and universities work with each community to successfully achieve the vision and goals created during the ACE program.  The ACE Program will hold its 2008 Graduation Ceremony on Monday, May 19 during the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Convention in Birmingham, Alabama.  The ceremony will announce the 2008 communities that have completed the ACE Program’s three phase approach to obtain the prestigious title as an Alabama Community of Excellence.  For more information regarding the ACE Program, visit www.alabamacommunitiesofexcellence.org.

The Travel Industry Association's TIA Odyssey Awards, in partnership with National Geographic Traveler, recognize the best in marketing, advertising and Geotourism in the travel and tourism industry.

2008 categories include:

• US Domestic Travel Advertising
• International Travel Advertising
• Online Advertising
• Partnership for America
• International inbound Discover America Marketing
• Domestic Discover America Marketing

Five new Smart Growth In Action Case Studies, from projects recognized in the 2007 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement competition, are now available for online review or for download.

The National Award for Smart Growth Achievement recognizes communities that use the principles of smart growth to create better places. This competition is open annually to local or state governments and other public sector entities. Applications will be accepted for the 2008 Awards through April 7, 2008.

Alabama’s partnership with Google Earth in creating Virtual Alabama, a three-dimensional visualization program that can be used by first responders, law enforcement and others, was recognized by the nation’s governors earlier this week. Governor Bob Riley presented the Public-Private Partnership Award from the National Governors Association to Google Earth during the group’s annual meeting in Washington, DC. Virtual Alabama is the nation’s first comprehensive database of satellite imagery and aerial photography that assembles, displays, evaluates and shares critical data for emergency responders.

Merging of Cultures at Peter F. Alba Middle School has been selected to represent ALABAMA as the winner of the Southern Growth Policies Board 2008 Innovator Award. Merging of Cultures was chosen from more than 100 nominees in the Southern region as an outstanding initiative in youth development and/or engagement.  The program will be honored at the conference Youth: The Real Future of the South conference on June 1-3, 2008 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
 
As one of 13 Innovators in the Southern region, the program will be publicly honored on Sunday, June 1, 2008 in an awards ceremony at the Peabody Little Rock, followed by a reception hosted by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe at the Clinton Presidential Center.