All America City
Only Ten Honored Each Year
The City of DeSoto was honored to be named an All-America City by the National Civic League at the finals for the prestigious award in Anaheim, California on Sunday, June 11th. Each year, cities across the country apply for this prestigious award but only ten cities receive it.
Many thanks to all 65 members of our community that helped create the application. The award was submitted to the National Civic League on 03-04-06. Thirty finalists were announced on April 13, 2006. Winners were announced June 11, 2006 in Anaheim, California.
Background
For more than five decades, the All-America City (AAC) Award has recognized exemplary grassroots community problem solving and is awarded to communities that identify their challenges and collaboratively work together to achieve results. Completing the AAC application requires cooperation among citizens, government, businesses, and voluntary organizations. It offers an opportunity for a community to examine their strengths and possibilities, to explore local resources and to create innovative solutions to their problems.
For several years, the DeSoto City Council included an initiative in its Business Plan to develop an implementation plan for pursuing All-America City status. In the 2006 Work Plan, their goal was to be acknowledged by the National Civic League with the All-America City Award.
As a result, City staff and members of our community spent countless hours gathering information, formulating a plan and completing the application for the All-America City Award. The application highlighted the DeSoto Dining and Dialogue program, our Empowered Homeowners Associations Program and Youth Initiatives including the Hip Hop Summit.
Process
Completing the application required us to look back at our challenges and accomplishments over previous three years. Once DeSoto was chosen as a finalist, work began in earnest to put together a live presentation for the judges in Anaheim, California. The cast of DeSoto’s live presentation entitled, DeSoto – Changing for Good has spent countless hours in rehearsal, memorizing lines, building sets and hitting their marks. All their hard work resulted in DeSoto receiving the All-America City Award in June, 2016.
"I would like to offer my sincere appreciation to the 65 citizens, business leaders and city staff who worked on this project for the last eight months,” said DeSoto Mayor Michael Hurtt. “You inventoried our programs and showcased our most innovative and effective projects and helped us officially recognize the public and private partnerships that were formed to address community issues.
"I would also like to thank everyone involved day in and day out in the programs highlighted, because you embody the community spirit that makes DeSoto a great place to live, work and play”, said Mayor Hurtt.
National Civic League
The City of DeSoto was honored to be named an All-America City by the National Civic League at the finals for the prestigious award in Anaheim, California on Sunday, June 11th. Each year, cities across the country apply for this prestigious award but only ten cities receive it.
Many thanks to all 65 members of our community that helped create the application. The award was submitted to the National Civic League on 03-04-06. Thirty finalists were announced on April 13, 2006. Winners were announced June 11, 2006 in Anaheim, California.
Background
For more than five decades, the All-America City (AAC) Award has recognized exemplary grassroots community problem solving and is awarded to communities that identify their challenges and collaboratively work together to achieve results. Completing the AAC application requires cooperation among citizens, government, businesses, and voluntary organizations. It offers an opportunity for a community to examine their strengths and possibilities, to explore local resources and to create innovative solutions to their problems.
For several years, the DeSoto City Council included an initiative in its Business Plan to develop an implementation plan for pursuing All-America City status. In the 2006 Work Plan, their goal was to be acknowledged by the National Civic League with the All-America City Award.
As a result, City staff and members of our community spent countless hours gathering information, formulating a plan and completing the application for the All-America City Award. The application highlighted the DeSoto Dining and Dialogue program, our Empowered Homeowners Associations Program and Youth Initiatives including the Hip Hop Summit.
Process
Completing the application required us to look back at our challenges and accomplishments over previous three years. Once DeSoto was chosen as a finalist, work began in earnest to put together a live presentation for the judges in Anaheim, California. The cast of DeSoto’s live presentation entitled, DeSoto – Changing for Good has spent countless hours in rehearsal, memorizing lines, building sets and hitting their marks. All their hard work resulted in DeSoto receiving the All-America City Award in June, 2016.
"I would like to offer my sincere appreciation to the 65 citizens, business leaders and city staff who worked on this project for the last eight months,” said DeSoto Mayor Michael Hurtt. “You inventoried our programs and showcased our most innovative and effective projects and helped us officially recognize the public and private partnerships that were formed to address community issues.
"I would also like to thank everyone involved day in and day out in the programs highlighted, because you embody the community spirit that makes DeSoto a great place to live, work and play”, said Mayor Hurtt.
National Civic League