This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

The city of Decatur’s typical strategic planning processes involve house dinners, community roundtables, and diverse steering committees. The city’s commitment to equity shows in its Better Together program and its Community Action Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Engagement, which is designed to make Decatur a more welcoming, inclusive and equitable place to live, work and visit. City government is in the process of assessing its departments, and training managers and volunteers to bring racial equity into the workplace on a regular and ongoing basis.

Three project examples showing how Decatur leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues:

1. Better Together

Decatur’s Better Together Initiative was a year-long, community-wide visioning process designed “to cultivate a more just, welcoming, inclusive, equitable and compassionate experience for all who live, visit or work here.” Through the initiative, approximately 800 residents worked under the guidance of a Leadership Circle to put together a Community Action Plan for Inclusion, Equity and Engagement that outlines 60 action items for individuals, organizations and local government.

The Leadership Circle, much like a steering committee, was made up of 19 individuals who came from diverse backgrounds. The committee set three goals for the Better Together Initiative: An Equitable and Inclusive City; Racially-Just Community Policing; and Diverse and Affordable Housing. Throughout the process, extra efforts were made to engage immigrants, young people, seniors, lower-income residents, people of color and others who are often underrepresented.

Once the action plan was completed, a diverse 15-member advisory committee was appointed to oversee implementation. Activities to date include:

• Creation of a community asset map,
• A Welcoming America Interactive reception for immigrants,
• A community conversation focused on “Who Is Decatur” and
• Discussions on how to improve policing, community development and other functions in ways that respect differences and create equitable outcomes.

2.  Community Relations Officers Who Enforce the Law
In 2015, the Decatur Police Department began an effort to reform the way they do policing, dovetailing this work with the Better Together Initiative and work to improve racial equity. The process, which involved extensive community outreach and guidance, has led to community policing being embedded in the Decatur Police department’s culture to the point that Decatur Police now refer to themselves as “Community Relations Officers Who Enforce the Law.”

As a result of complaints and community concerns, Decatur Police Chief Mike Booker hired an outside consultant. The consultant organized 24 focus groups of 10-15 residents each to hear perspectives on the department from the community, with special attention to resident groups that had concerns about the police. The focus groups, which included police officers, helped craft a three-year strategic plan for the department that focused on improving the responsiveness of the police to the community.

Implementation of the department’s strategic plan includes the use of social media platforms, including Nextdoor.com and Facebook, as a means of staying in touch with the community. Training is another focus area, with new programs to train police officers in working with people of color, the mentally ill, families in crisis and the general public in a manner that shows understanding and respect. Training programs for the community are also included, with a Citizens Police Academy, self-defense classes, kids’ programs and other activities aimed at improving mutual respect and understanding between residents and the department.

3.  I Am Decatur
I Am Decatur is a collection of thirty-two portraits and stories from a variety of community residents that represents the diverse backgrounds and lifestyles of people in the community. The collection is the brainchild of Decatur resident and photographer Beate Sass, who was dismayed at the divisions caused by the 2016 presidential elections and worked with local grassroots organizations to create what she calls “a celebration of our differences and of our shared humanity.”

The city embraced I Am Decatur as part of its Better Together Initiative and displayed the photos during its annual Welcoming America reception in September 2017, which included a conversation among about 50 people designed to bridge differences. The exhibit also served as a backdrop for a “We Are Decatur” Sunday Supper Community Conversation organized by the Better Together Advisory Board to create an opportunity for the community to gather for conversations across differences. Over 150 residents attended the gathering, which has led to the creation of a conversations toolkit for hosting smaller neighborhood gatherings.

Sponsors of the photo collection are now working with local business and tourism associations to display the exhibit in storefronts and other public locations. In addition to the photos, Beate Sass has collected stories from dozens of residents, with those stories being catalogued on a website, all as part of an effort to bridge differences and build connections among the city’s different populations.

Additional Resources

• Decatur, GA, 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery

Meet the Manager

Peggy Merriss

City Manager

The Decatur City Commission hires a full-time professional administrator, the city manager, who supervises and manages the daily operations of the city. Decatur's current city manager is Peggy Merriss, who has worked for the city since 1983. She served for six years as personnel director, four years as assistant city manager, and has been in her current position of city manager since 1993. She received a BA in political science from Converse College and a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Excerpted from the Decatur, Georgia, website: http://www.decaturga.com/city-government/city-departments/city-manager-s-office

This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

Charlotte has undertaken several racial equity processes designed to improve community service delivery, including the ongoing use of a racial equity lens for city programs. This has resulted in strategic capital investments in targeted neighborhoods. Following a report revealing economic inequity in the city and a police shooting in late 2016, the city engaged thousands of residents in one-on-one conversations and community meetings to collect ideas on how to improve equity and address racial bias community-wide.

Three project examples demonstrate how this community leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues:

1.  Project P.I.E.C.E Workforce Development Collaboration
The Partnership for Inclusive Employment and Career Excellence (PIECE) Workforce Development Collaboration program was started by Charlotte’s Economic Development department as an outgrowth of community conversations about economic inequity in the city. In 2016 a joint study by Harvard University and the University of California at Berkeley found that a person born into poverty in Charlotte has a lower chance of ascending the economic ladder than in any of the 49 other cities included in the study.

PIECE is a collaboration among the city, local businesses, and nonprofit organizations to provide construction-industry training and employment to economically challenged segments of the Charlotte community. Through neighborhood-level outreach, the PIECE program has identified hard-to-employ populations and provide them with the needed training to enter long-term employment as a skilled worker in the construction industry. Participants include people with criminal backgrounds, periods of chronic unemployment and low skill levels. Particular attention was spent on recruiting youth and people of color.

By working with Goodwill Industries and other nonprofits, PIECE trained 154 individuals in 2017 and employed 117. More than 50 businesses have signed on as partners with PIECE to assist with

• Curriculum development,
• Mock interviews,
• Mentoring, and
• Placement.

2.  LEVEL UP Youth Program
LEVEL UP was started in 2017 to assist Charlotte teens by preventing crime, promoting health, and reducing academic summer regression. The initiative is a collaboration of the city, the YMCA, and an assortment of other nonprofit organizations. It was begun as a result of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force’s “Leading on Opportunity” report, which recommended a variety of services to address teen crime, health and academic success.

The LEVEL UP program hosts activities at branch YMCA sites in low-income areas on weekend evenings and during the summer, during which volunteers from several youth nonprofits provide mentoring services, classes, and recreational activities. Additional opportunities include interacting with police officers, tutoring, and becoming part of longer-term mentoring and educational programs.

During 2017, LEVEL UP provided services to just over 1,000 teens and utilized 330 volunteers. A large majority of the teens were low-income African-Americans, and a majority were boys between the ages of 14-18. The program is gearing up for 2018 and has a goal of enrolling 1,500 teens and garnering 400 volunteers. The number of sites and activities will be expanded as well. Goals have been set for the teens to perform better in school, enroll in higher education, and show improvements in self-confidence.

3.  Smart District/North End Infrastructure
Charlotte is working to bring greater prosperity to its North End neighborhood, which is mostly African-American and low-income, through an innovative community engagement strategy aimed at connecting the area’s residents to technology and job opportunities that will improve their well-being. Residents’ ideas will be sought in four areas:

• Smart Homes,
• Healthy Communities,
• Job training for jobs in technology, and a
• “Build your own project” category aimed at miscellaneous innovations.

Many residents in the North End do not have access to the same infrastructure or amenities as other residents in other parts of the city. This project, dubbed the North End Smart District, is aimed at improving the health and economic well-being of people in the area by facilitating resident-driven initiatives to improve access to technology and to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.

A companion project will improve the physical infrastructure of the North End to make it more attractive as a location for high technology employers and as a place to live. The Applied Innovation Corridor Project partners with academic institutions to bring new businesses to the area. Extension of light rail and redevelopment of a housing district will make the area more accessible and attractive, while maintaining affordability for the existing population.

Additional Resources

• Charlotte, North Carolina, 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery

Meet the Manager

Marcus D. Jones

City Manager

Marcus Jones began his role as city manager of Charlotte on Dec. 1, 2016. Before moving to Charlotte, Marcus served as the city manager of ​Norfolk, Virginia, a role he began in February 2011 after serving the city from 2004-2009 as the director of budget and grants management and as an assistant city manager. As the city manager of the second largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, he helped Norfolk build on its competitive advantages as the urban core of a region of more than 1.7 million people. Marcus has 23 years of public service experience, which includes serving as a deputy secretary of finance for two governors in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In each case, he played a major role in protecting the Commonwealth’s coveted AAA bond rating and streamlining government operations. He has experience managing complex budgets ranging from $1.2 billion (local) to $50 billion (state). While serving with the state government, Marcus gained a strong reputation for his ability to negotiate complex financial and legislative issues across party lines. Marcus earned his bachelor's degree in public administration from James Madison University and an MPA from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Excerpted from the Charlotte, N.C., website: http://charlottenc.gov/CityManager/AboutUs/Pages/City-Manager-Marcus-D-Jones.aspx

This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

The San Antonio Office of Equity, in partnership with SA2020, applied an equity impact assessment to seven high-impact City initiatives, including street maintenance, civic engagement to inform the city’s budget, and boards and commissions. One assessment resulted in new outreach strategies, such as  SA Speak Up, which reduced the gap between white and Latino respondents by attracting 200 people to its first Spanish-language Community Night, a family-friendly event held in a park with food, activities, and health screenings.

Three project examples showing how this community leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues:

1.  Enroll SA
As part of San Antonio’s visioning project, SA2020, residents identified healthy lifestyles as an important part of life in the city. Although 75 percent of Bexar County residents under age 65 had health insurance in 2010, the community set the goal of increasing the number of insured people to 85 percent by 2020.

In 2013, a collaborative working group of every major local hospital, the County, the City, and multiple community-based organizations, began working together to determine the best way to increase enrollment in health insurance throughout the community.

“EnrollSA, Get Bexar Covered,” an outreach campaign and website, were launched in February 2014. The coalition worked to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including eligibility and deadlines, and provided individual enrollment assistance during large, public events and through appointments citywide.

During each ACA enrollment period, the coalition used data and community partnerships to boost the number of people enrolled. The coalition targeted zip codes with the greatest needs. Examples of partnerships included: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, a public service organization of mostly African-American women, called people who needed help, and Univision had a phone bank with volunteer Spanish speakers to boost Latinx enrollment. The coalition also used an existing 211 phone service to connect individuals to navigators.

In 2016, 81.6% of residents under 65 had health insurance. Members of the EnrollSA coalition are still working collaboratively to assist residents not only during open enrollment periods, but year-round – continuing their role in ensuring 85% of San Antonians under age 65 are insured

2.  San Antonio Teen Pregnancy Collaborative
Teen pregnancy has been a major problem in Bexar County, with 2010 rates among the highest in the United States. That distinction didn’t sit well, so the San Antonio Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaborative (SATPPC) was formed to reduce the teen birth rate among females ages 15 to 19.

The SATPPC included an impressive list of cross-sector organizations, including:

• Public entities,
• Community-based organizations, as well as
• Faith-based and secular institutions.

While the numbers still show that Bexar County has one of the highest rates, the collaborative has reduced teen pregnancy steadily since it began its work.

The collaborative has been hitting its targets before the group’s self-imposed deadlines. In 2012, for example, the teen pregnancy rate was down 15 percent, its 2020 goal. By 2014, the rate fell by 25 percent, its revised 2020 goal. So far, the teen pregnancy rate is on track to meet its latest target—a 50 percent cut—by 2020. Between 2010 to 2015, the rates have fallen for ages 15 to 19 among Latina teens, from 65.4 per 1,000 to 39.0, and among African American teens, from 45.6 per 1,000 to 25.3.

This collaborative identified a need to shore up evidence-based programs that focus on behavioral risk factors and to address other determinants of teen behaviors such as the level of parents’ education, access to medically-accurate information, and teens’ knowledge of factual medically-based information.

The collaborative also identified five intervention areas:

1. Community mobilization,
2. Stakeholder education,
3. Evidence-based programs,
4. Youth support and development, and
5. Quality adolescent health care.

3.  Upgrade
Launched in April 2017, Upgrade is managed by the non-profit San Antonio Education Partnership, in collaboration with several organizations including the city, the county, SA2020, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and SA Works, an industry-led strategic workforce development organization aligning education providers with private sector demand to promote economic mobility.

The program targets adults who want to finish their degrees. Upgrade’s advisers work with individuals and employers seeking to upskill their employees by

• helping them explore options for the right college and program;
• providing guidance about financial aid, college transfers, and transcript evaluation; and
• connecting potential students to community resources such as childcare and financial planning.

In the first eight months, 641 adults have inquired, with 512 completing the intake form. Of those who inquired, 69% identify as Latino/a, 7% as African American, 9% as White, 4% as multi-racial, and 11% did not identify.

Upgrade is part of a 22-city network supporting adult learners; San Antonio is the first in Texas. Upgrade stems from the work of SA2020’s Talent Pipeline Task Force, which addressed workforce and attainment through a coalition of employers, workforce development leaders, chambers of commerce, and postsecondary education and social service providers.

The task force developed a plan to better connect education and training to three industries:

• Healthcare and Biosciences;
• Information Technology and Cybersecurity; and
• Advanced Manufacturing, with a specific focus on Transportation Manufacturing, or Automotive and Aerospace.

The task force believed focusing on adult learners could shift economic and educational outcomes.

Additional Resources

• San Antonio, TX, 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery

Meet the Manager

Sheryl L. Sculley

City Manager

Sheryl Sculley is the city manager of San Antonio, Texas, the chief executive officer of the municipal corporation of 12,000 employees, an annual operating and capital budget of $2.7 billion, assets of $24 billion, and a city population of 1.5 million residents. With more than 30 years of executive management experience, Sculley was recruited to lead the municipal corporation of the city of San Antonio in 2005. Sheryl was recruited more than a decade ago to San Antonio to overhaul an underperforming city organization. During her tenure, she has replaced the city’s executive staff with some of the nation’s best management talent; increased financial reserves from 3% to 10% of the annual budget; completed more than $2 billion in infrastructure improvements; reduced the property tax rate four times; streamlined city business systems and eliminated 1,600 civilian positions; improved customer service; and elevated the professionalism of city management. One of Sculley’s primary responsibilities is financial management of the City of San Antonio. She has successfully balanced 12 city budgets while elevating the financial standing of the city. The city’s general obligation (G.O.) bond rating by Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch rating services is AAA, a first for the City of San Antonio in 2008 under Sculley’s leadership. Of the top ten largest cities in the U.S., only San Antonio has a G.O. bond rating of AAA from all three major rating agencies. The AAA ratings have been reaffirmed for eight consecutive years. Excerpted from the San Antonio, Texas, website: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Manager/sculleybio

This success story was originally published as a 2018 All-America City Award project description and is reprinted courtesy of the National Civic League. Learn more about the award program here.

Women and people of color are among the municipal leaders throughout Kershaw County. In all plans, projects and services, Kershaw County strives to accurately reflect residents and businesses. When the county school district accepted construction bids for three new schools, special consideration was given to general contractors committed to giving local businesses a legitimate opportunity to bid on the work and a job fair was held to reach local subcontractors. Transparency and accessibility are goals, from hiring practices that endeavor to ensure all communities are aware of vacancies, to ensuring residents are better informed about when and where public forums and official meetings are held.

Three project examples show how this community leverages civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues:

1.  Health and Wellness

Community Medical Clinic (CMC) launched a program called LiveWell Kershaw, a population-based care approach to improving health outcomes in Kershaw County.

In collaboration with the University of South Carolina and the state health and human services department, LiveWell Kershaw began with a county-wide health assessment and followed with a health improvement plan. Eat Smart/Move More Kershaw County and the KershawHealth hospital system provided start-up funding. From data gathered, LiveWell Kershaw discovered a health crisis in an underpopulated rural region with six major zip codes and 21% living below poverty.

LiveWell Kershaw employed three strategies to improve the health outcomes of residents in this area:

1. A school-based health center that provided individual counseling, mentoring parent sessions, consultations and support groups. A nurse practitioner and certified medical assistant saw middle and high school students at the high school four days a week.
2. Satellite health care locations, identified based on a high number of emergency room visits, were created to provide personal coaching, medical treatment, mental health counseling and enrollment in other social assistance programs.
3. Training about population health and health equity has been added within the staff and in the county. Training has included quarterly staff and board training, community meetings, and a county-wide population health summit with over 100 attendees.

One of the most significant and impactful programs is the health equity bus tours, which focus on community health statistics, patient challenges and successes, and health care service expansion.

2. Children and Education
A successful program that emerged from a five-year Safe Schools/Healthy Students multi-million-dollar grant and continues to thrive is the Jackson Teen Center. Residents raised money and collected furnishings for the center, which opened in the summer of 2014. The World Venture Foundation funded a new gym floor, with other community partners purchasing bleachers, new basketball goals, and paint for the facility. Unique programs offered are music production and “Job Readiness for Teens” (JRT) program, an after-school and summer employability skills training program.

Kershaw County seeks to develop future leaders through Junior Leadership Kershaw County, a partnership with the Kershaw Chamber of Commerce, KCSD, and Camden Military Academy. Up to 32 high school students are selected for this program, which offers hands-on leadership opportunities.

Another challenge that the community addressed is recreational needs of families with special needs children, who make up 11.2% of the student population; they had to travel more than 35 miles to an accessible playground. Through focus groups, surveys, and public meetings, the rendering of a state-of-the-art playground was developed. Volunteers led the project, raised $300,000 and built the ADA-accessible playground in 14 months. It is the first ADA compliant playground in Kershaw County and one of only 15 in an 11-county region.

These community leaders have now created a formal non-profit organization, PLAY (Place of Learning for Active Youth) Foundation. The foundation is building a Farmers’ Market Pavilion with a community garden and educational space in downtown Camden.

3.  Vision
In early 2015, the Kershaw County Council envisioned a plan capable of uniting citizens and preparing the county for the future. Out of that discussion arose VisionKershaw 2030, which was developed through a comprehensive visioning process that collected information from county residents, community leaders and business owners.

The public engagement process lasted several months and included over 32 outreach events held at volunteer fire stations, churches, government buildings and schools. Staff offered workshops to a diverse cross section of organizations, including the local NAACP chapter and youth leaders. Materials were available in Spanish, and staff answered questions during the annual multi-cultural festival. Of the attendees, over 60% were female, approximately 15% were minorities, and every age demographic was represented. Surveys were also distributed at events and via a dedicated website.

The vision has eight core goals:

1. Economic growth
2. Land use
3. County services
4. Infrastructure and transportation
5. Education
6. Recreation
7. Culture and health.

Since its creation, all local municipalities have adopted VisionKershaw 2030. Kershaw County Council annually discusses aligning the budget with the vision plan. Numerous private enterprises and public entities reference the vision in planning and budgets.

A list of accomplishments would include:

• Improved existing recreation;
• Planning for a new permanent downtown farmers market;
• Reestablishment of the county’s Human Relations Board;
• Completion of a detailed pedestrian, bike and greenway plan, finishing the first connector trail;
• Passing a $129 million school board facility bond referendum and penny sales tax just two years after it failed;
• Starting a mobile food pantry to serve food deserts; and
• Expanding the number of EMS stations in under-served areas.

Additional Resources

• Kershaw County, SC, 2018 AAC Award video presentation
• 2018 AAC Award presentation photo gallery