Livermore Named Finalist for 2021 All-America City Award

Livermore, only municipality in California to receive a nomination

LIVERMORE, CA. – The National Civic League has named Livermore as one of 20 finalists representing 15 different states to compete in June for the honor of being named an All-America City. Other nominees for 2021 include Spokane, Washington; Richmond, Virginia; Englewood, Colorado; Kansas City, Missouri; and Dallas, Texas. Livermore is the only municipality in California to receive a nomination.

The All-America City Award has been given to ten communities each year since 1949. The award celebrates the work of communities in using inclusive, innovative, and effective civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronger connections among residents, businesses, and nonprofit and government leaders. The theme for 2021’s competition is “Building Equitable and Resilient Communities.”

Livermore’s participation in the All-America City Award competition is a collaborative effort between the City, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD), Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD), and Las Positas College. Staff and representatives from these agencies worked collaboratively to submit the application in February. The written application required the description of three community-driven projects. Livermore’s application first highlights the community’s anti-vaping efforts and addressing the youth mental health crisis. The second featured project focuses on efforts to address racial equity and justice, including the work of the City’s Equity and Inclusion working group, as well as the establishment of a wellness center and new diverse clubs at LVJUSD schools. The third project highlighted is the community’s response to housing inequity and homelessness.

The next step in the competition is a virtual presentation at the 72nd All-America City Awards Event, which takes place June 7 through June 9. Each community is given ten minutes to make a live virtual presentation before the awards jury explaining why it should be named an All-America City. The community presentations will bring the written application to life, focusing on civic engagement and the three projects in the application. Following the presentation, the jury will have ten minutes to question the presenters. The jury will use the presentation, answers to their questions, and the written application to determine the ten All-America Cities for 2021.

Roseville, Lincoln and Rancho Cordova are previous local recipients of the All- America City Award.

National Civic League: “The mission of the National Civic League is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. We achieve this by inspiring, supporting and recognizing inclusive approaches to community decision-making. Founded in 1894 by a group of civic leaders that included Theodore Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis, the National Civic League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.”