Washington D.C. / December 3, 2014
CLCI Assistant Director and City of Cincinnati Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld was honored at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. as a winner of the New Ideas Challenge from NewDEAL, a national network of pro-growth progressive state and local elected officials working to expand opportunity in the changing economy.
The first ever New Ideas Challenge gives recognition to smart, pro-growth progressive solutions that are being developed and tested by state and local leaders all across the country. At a time of national gridlock, this network of leaders is offering innovative solutions from the front lines of government. All of the idea submissions are viewable at a new website unveiled today, www.newdealleaders.org.
“Everyday, the pro-growth progressive leaders who are a part of the NewDEAL network are championing ideas to modernize government for the 21st century. These exceptional winners of the New Ideas Challenge have impressed us with innovative solutions to grow the economy and expand opportunity for all. I congratulate these results-oriented state and local leaders not only for the ideas they’re working on locally but also for the ripple effect they’ll create in communities across the country,” said Governor Jack Markell, Honorary Co-Chair of the New Ideas Challenge….
Cincinnati City Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld won in the ‘Making Government Work Better’ category for his Town-Square Schools program which seeks to transform school facilities–which too often sit un-used–into round-the-clock neighborhood hubs that offer after-school programming, health resources, adult education, and recreational opportunities for students, their families, and the surrounding community. “Being part of NewDEAL has exposed me to some of the sharpest policy minds and most talented leaders from around the country, motivating me to elevate my own ideas for making government work and growing our economy,” Councilman Sittenfeld said. “It’s a genuine honor to win NewDEAL’s ‘New Ideas Challenge’, and further proof that pro-growth progressives are the right kind of leaders to get our country moving again.”
“As a Governor and former Mayor, I know that the best ideas about moving our country forward often come from innovators on the front lines of state and local governments. I’m thrilled by the New Ideas Challenge and know it will stimulate the kind of fresh thinking we need. I’m impressed by these finalists, and am excited to see their ideas put into action,” said Governor O’Malley, Honorary NewDEAL Co-Chair.
These winners were chosen out of sixty submissions by an esteemed panel of judges who are thought leaders in the policy arena: Diana Carew, Senior Economist, Progressive Policy Institute; Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz; Suzanne Nora Johnson, Vice Chair, Brookings Institution; Jim Kessler, Vice President, Third Way; Sonal Shah, Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation; and Andy Stern, former President Emeritus of SEIU.