Who Deserves a Round of Applause? Nominate City Leaders for Awards by May 5

2016 award winners: Oak Park Heights Mayor Mary McComber
and Shoreview City Manager Terry Schwerm

Take a moment and think of the person in your life who deserves a round of applause for their work in local government.

Who comes to mind?

Yup, chances are that person you are picturing is pretty great! They may also be a perfect nominee for the League of Minnesota Cities’ C.C. Ludwig Award or the James F. Miller Leadership Award, which are now open for 2017 nominations until May 5. Find details and a nomination form here.

Did you think of an elected official? → C.C. Ludwig Award
Do they present a clear vision? ✔ Do they have a knack for public service? ✔ Have they gone above
and beyond to make contributions to improve municipal government throughout Minnesota? ✔
If the check marks keep coming, now is the time to nominate your elected city official for the C.C. Ludwig Award.

Did you think of an appointed official? → James F. Miller Leadership Award
The LMC panel of judges will also be looking for appointed city officials who have shown outstanding leadership by dedicating themselves to public service in their communities. Pro tip: nominees will really “wow” the judges if they’ve also made a point of benefiting the greater local government community in Minnesota, beyond the boundaries of their own cities.

You may be thinking, “How do I know if they are qualified for these awards?” Every nominee has their own unique history and resume, but it might help to take a look at these stories featuring past winners in Minnesota Cities magazine.
League Celebrates Outstanding City Leaders (2016)
League Recognizes City Leaders (2015)

Who are C.C. Ludwig and James (Jim) F. Miller, anyway?
They are both former League executive directors who are worth reading up on. Check out these archives to see more about the leaders behind the awards that honor our city officials today!
C.C. Ludwig—The Man, The Award, The Legacy
Jim Miller—22 Years of Leading The League

Reminder: Nominations are due May 5 for all League awards, so start the process today

Great City Work? Check. Next Up? LMC Awards Recognition

Your city isn’t waiting to make your community a better place to live, and you shouldn’t wait to help recognize your city’s success stories!

The League of Minnesota Cities offers multiple awards to showcase your hard work, including the City of Excellence Award and the League of Minnesota Cities/GreenStep Cities Sustainable City Award. These annual awards are now accepting nominations through May 5.

City of Excellence Awards
If your city has improved a city service, solved a classic conundrum, modified a solution to fit your city's needs, saved money while achieving great results, or creatively included stakeholders in a decision-making process, this work could be a good fit for the general entry category in the League’s City of Excellence Award program.

Representatives of 10 cities in southwest Minnesota accept a
joint City of Excellence Award in 2016.

Get your City of Excellence entry form on the League's website, and turn in your entries by May 5 to share your good work.

General entries are accepted in three population categories:

•    4,999 and under
•    5,000 to 19,999
•    20,000 or more

The City of Excellence Award program also offers recognition in a different topical category each year. For this year’s topical award category, “Promoting Civility in the City,” the League wants to know how your city fosters civility in city hall or in the greater community. This could look like a program or project that improves council-staff relations, promotes open and respectful community dialogue, or results in successful community conversations about a controversial issue. 

Want examples of award-winning projects? Check out the 2016 winners, featured in Minnesota Cities magazine:

Hastings’ ‘Riverfront Renaissance’ Brings New Vitality
Oak Park Heights Turns Fly-Ash Pit into Fun Park
Belle Plaine Boosts Safety with ‘Tiger Watch’ Program
Collaborative Effort Brings Fiber-Optic Broadband to Rural Region

Sustainable City Award
The Sustainable City Award is also offered by the League and GreenStep Cities partner organizations. GreenStep Cities can submit work they’ve done to help achieve their sustainability goals.

If your city is making green look good, download a Sustainable City Award application and submit your success stories by May 5.

Want examples of sustainability that wowed? Check out the 2015 and 2016 winners:

St. Anthony Village: Sustainable City Through Collaboration (press release)
Oakdale Saves Money While Working to Save the Planet