The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and Siemens Corporation presented the 3rd annual Siemens Sustainable Community Awards to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Newton, Iowa. Each winning community improved the quality of life for residents by achieving vital economic, environmental, and social goals.

"The awards highlight successful public-private partnerships and showcase national models for sustainable development," said BCLC executive director Stephen Jordan. "We congratulate this year's winners for their inspiring achievements and look forward to sharing these examples with many companies, chambers, and their partners."

The Awards were presented at last week's National Conference on Corporate Community Investment (www.uschamber.com/bclc/sustainablecommunity) in three categories:

Large Community - Philadelphia won for Mayor Michael Nutter's Greenworks Philadelphia initiative. This comprehensive and ambitious sustainability plan introduced in April 2009 encompasses many policy and program areas and nearly all city departments and agencies. Altogether, Greenworks strives to have a citywide presence and impact, improving quality of life for all residents while aiming to make Philadelphia "The Greenest City in America." Since its launch, Greenworks has not only gained momentum in Philadelphia, but has gained attention from across the country and world as a model sustainability plan.

Mid-Size Community - Grand Rapids, Michigan took the honor for the strategic initiatives of Mayor George Heartwell, with policy direction provided by the Grand Rapids Sustainability Plan. Accomplishments under these efforts include ranking 4th in the nation for leadership in LEED buildings, incorporating brownfield redevelopment as a core component of the development program, founding a Community Sustainability Partnership (CSP) organization, and being designated as both a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development by the United Nations University and inducted into the U.S. EPA's Green Power Leadership Club through the Green Power Partnership program.

Small Community - Newton, Iowa was recognized for its transformation along sustainability principles. After the departure of a major employer based in Newton that resulted in the elimination of 4,000 jobs, the community rebuilt its town to attract sustainable energy businesses, including two wind turbine parts manufacturing facilities and a bio-diesel plant. Newton has transformed itself into a model for sustainable redevelopment and recently received the nation's first Regional Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to train their needed future workforce.

Details about the three winners, as well as six other community honorees, are on BCLC's Web site (www.uschamber.com/bclc/sustainablecommunity).

"Siemens is a part of the fabric of this nation," said James E. Whaley, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Marketing at Siemens Corporation in Iselin, N.J. "We're helping blaze a trail for America's new energy economy as well as strengthening the communities where we do business. This year's winners share that same vision of a sustainable future and have demonstrated both exceptional commitment and outstanding results. On behalf of the more than 60,000 employees of Siemens in the U.S., we salute these three communities for their groundbreaking efforts and honor them as role models for other cities and towns across the nation."

Sustainability refers to the development of a community that simultaneously emphasizes economic growth, environmental conservation, and a vibrant quality of life for its residents. Whereas in the past these three goals were assumed to be mutually exclusive and even contradictory, communities across the nation have proven that these goals now leverage and reinforce each other. The communities honored through this year's Siemens Sustainable Community Awards have proven outstanding innovation in their efforts.

The Siemens Sustainable Community Awards were presented by Stephen Jordan and John Palilla, Director, Intelligent Traffic Solutions, Siemens Industry.

About Siemens
Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions. With 405,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $104.3 billion in fiscal 2009. With U.S. executive offices in Iselin, N.J., New York, N.Y. and Washington, DC, Siemens in the USA reported revenues of $21.3 billion in fiscal 2009 and employs more than 60,000 people throughout all 50 states.

About BCLC
BCLC is a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is the Chamber’s voice and resource for the social and philanthropic interests of the business community.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center

U.S. community development. Emerging-market development. Disaster response. Social and environmental innovation – businesses play an important role in all of these issue areas.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center is recognized in the corporate citizenship field as a source for fresh thinking, exceptional networking and practical lessons learned.

The Foundation works to strengthen collaboration and understanding among companies, corporate foundations, chambers of commerce, NGOs, and governmental offices. As a partnership facilitator, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center helps businesses find highly effective ways to invest in local communities, be responsive in times of disasters, and improve lives and livelihoods across the globe.

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