The Review Magazine : May-June 2022

MAXIMIZE YOUR MEMBERSHIP

2022 Community Excellence Award Timeline

03/15/22: Start submitting projects 05/13/22: Deadline for submissions 06/17/22: Four finalists announced

By Kim Cekola

A chievement Awards, Local Success Stories, Race for the Cup…Through rule and guideline changes, to recognition and even hardware, the intent of the League’s award program has always been to applaud our members and bring recognition to their work. We are the conduit for your projects to reach other municipalities. The Achievement Awards were started in 1984; through several modifications they became the Community Excellence Awards (CEAs) in 2007. The awards are an annual statewide competition, recognizing outstanding community services, projects, and programs. The variety of submissions have included transportation, environmental, public art, events, city/village marketing and promotions, retrofitting/rehabilitating buildings, and even a method of informing residents about council goals. They are inspiring examples of what Michigan communities can accomplish through dynamic leadership, creative vision, and collaborative effort. The CEAs have the power to stimulate ideas among members. When the City of Vassar presented its Chill on the Hill sledding event at the League’s 2011 Convention, another city loved it and put on a similar event in its downtown. Public art—especially sculpture projects—have engendered a lot of interest and replication. Over the years we have seen projects that fill people with good feelings and respect for what municipalities can accomplish. Since municipalities rarely brag, entering the CEAs is a way to talk about your projects to those who understand what went into the planning and execution—your municipal peers.

The City of Ironwood won the CEA in 2013.

“ We believe the positive recognition of receiving this award will increase awareness of the great things that Ironwood and the U.P. have to offer.” statewide competition when over 500 of your peers have voted, is something to be valued and we are humbled." The League is cognizant of the fact that not every municipality has the same level of resources. We want municipalities of all sizes to get their projects out there and seen. When the City of Ironwood won the Cup in 2013, Mayor Kim Corcoran said, “I was very happily surprised for our community to win the Cup. I was thinking we were a small community, and I didn’t know if we stood a chance on getting this, but it’s a very big deal for us. This award helps put us on the map—from the PR we get from this and for our project. It shows what our community has to offer. We believe the positive recognition of receiving this award will increase awareness of the great things that Ironwood and the U.P. have to offer.” IRONWOOD MAYOR KIM CORCORAN The City of St. Joseph was the first CEA winner (in 2007) for “Art on the Beach.” Then Mayor Mary Goff declared, "The city commission, staff, St. Joseph Today, Perry Ballard, Inc., and our merchants are very proud of this win. A special thank you to the talented artists in our community. We could not have received this award without them. To win such a prestigious

The City of St. Joseph, the first CEA winner in 2007.

46 THE REVIEW

MAY / JUNE 2022