Danville was awarded on Sunday night the prestigious 2024 All-America City designation by the National Civic League. The city is one of only 10 communities nationwide to receive this designation, which is awarded annually to recognize communities that are best tackling critical challenges.
The announcement came at the 75th annual All-America City Award Event in Denver.
"Danville is honored to receive the prestigious 2024 All-America City designation," said Mayor Alonzo Jones. "Our city is undergoing a remarkable transformation, and we are committed to ensuring that every citizen has a voice in shaping our future. This award is a testament to the collaborative spirit that propels us forward."
For 2024, communities were invited to showcase their work specifically on strengthening local democracy by building the capacity of residents to actively participate in civic life and have a meaningful say in decisions.
This year’s competition is the first entry submitted by the City of Danville since it was selected as an All-America City in 2020. Danville was also named an All-America City in 1977.
In this year’s entry, the City of Danville highlighted its efforts to develop a new comprehensive plan — PLANDanville — using a process unlike any employed in the past. The process included a series of community events, workshops conducted in a storefront space secured for PLANDanville, and direct outreach into neighborhoods by a team of six community ambassadors — local individuals who had the trust and respect of other community members. In addition, PLANDanville made a sincere, sustained effort to engage schoolchildren in the planning effort, encouraging them to develop a sense of pride and ownership in their city and its future.
The All-America City application also highlighted the Police Department’s nearly 40 community engagement programs, the Parks and Recreation Department’s “Heart The Park” campaign, and the Danville School Board’s engagement of youths by adding four student representatives to the board.
For those efforts, Danville was named in March as one of the finalists for the awards.
A team of Danville representatives traveled to Denver this week to make a final presentation to a jury of nationally recognized civic leaders.
In addition to Danville, nine other cities received the All-America City designation for 2024: Edinburg, TX; High Point, NC; La Marque, TX; Lexington, KY; Monrovia, CA; Newport News, VA; Roanoke, VA; Seattle, WA; and Watkinsville, GA.
For more information about Danville’s entry, visit www.danvilleva.gov/AAC.
For more information on the National Civic League, visit www.nationalcivicleague.org/.