North Tidewater News

Newport News, Virginia has been named one of ten All-America City Award winners by the National Civic League. This recognition celebrates the city’s efforts to engage residents in strengthening democracy through local action and innovation.

“This is an historic day in the City of Newport News, as the prestigious All-America City Award celebrates our innovative programs and dynamic residents, community leaders, businesses, nonprofits, and employees,” said Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones. “Newport News has been on the vanguard of history for generations, and we continue to set the standard for how a community can and should leverage innovation to enhance civic capital. This award is a testament to our programs, which are building forward to impact today and future generations.”

"We are happy to designate Newport News as an All-America City,” said Doug Linkhart, President of the National Civic League. “Through their application and presentation, they showed that they are among the best in America at collaborating with residents and diverse stakeholders to tackle local challenges and seize opportunities. They remind us that the foundations of our democracy are strengthened through both individual and collective action."

Earlier this year, communities across the country submitted written applications showcasing their efforts to strengthen democracy. The field was narrowed down to twenty finalists who traveled to Denver, Colorado. There they connected with peers, learned from national thought leaders, and presented their work to a jury of nationally recognized civic leaders. After careful deliberation, ten winning communities were selected including Newport News.

“During the presentation, I told the jury that dreams are realized in Newport News,” said Jones. “It was a dream of mine to bring this award to my hometown, and I am humbled and thrilled that Newport News is receiving this honor the first time we applied. I appreciate the contributions of our diverse delegation who spoke passionately about our transformative projects and their commitment to strengthening our community. I look forward to celebrating this achievement and continuing to share the story of Newport News across the nation.”

The jury cited that Newport News is addressing national issues at a grassroots level by prioritizing resident engagement in problem-solving. The city submitted three programs for consideration:

- Gun Violence Intervention Program: Works with community organizations to interrupt cycles of violence among individuals at high risk for committing crimes or being victims of gun violence while addressing root causes.

- Youth Diversion/Youth Court: An initiative helping teens with minor offenses take responsibility for their actions through peer sentencing; it was first-of-its-kind in Virginia.

- Community Assistance and Response (CARE) program: Offers individuals experiencing mental health crises hope instead of handcuffs.

The mission of the National Civic League is advancing civic engagement for equitable thriving communities. Founded in 1894 as America’s oldest good governance organization, it champions many early 20th-century democracy innovations. Today it maintains Model City Charter standards organizes All-America City Awards publishes National Civic Review supports extensive national networks involving local elected appointed civic leaders through its Center Democracy Innovation works public officials understanding testing disseminating next-generation participatory equitable productive democratic innovations.