031219 Press Release - Denton Selected for NLC Community Resilience Program (March 2019) IOv FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DENTON Jessica Rogers • (940) 349-7531 • Jessica.Rogers@cityofdenton.com
Denton Selected for Prestigious Resiliency Program with the National League of Cities
Denton is one of eight cities that will receive support
DENTON, TX, March 12, 2019—Today, the National League of Cities (NLC) announced that
the City of Denton will join the 2019 cohort of the Leadership in Community Resilience
Program. Each of the eight cities chosen will receive $10,000 in direct financial support as well
as technical assistance and professional development opportunities to help them meet
community-specific resiliency goals.
The eight cities selected for the 2019 Leadership in Community Resilience Program are:
Anchorage, Alaska; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Denton, Texas; Durham,North Carolina; Evanston,
Illinois; Jersey City,New Jersey; Park City, Utah; and Roeland Park, Kansas.
"From the western fires to the increased hurricane activity ravaging the coasts, climate change
is a real threat to our nation's cities, towns and villages," said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and
executive director of the NLC. "We are excited to welcome eight new cities to our annual
Leadership in Community Resilience Program. Through collaboration, innovative approaches,
and an unmatched passion for supporting their communities, I'm confident that these local
leaders will advance policies and programs to address their biggest local challenges."
The City of Denton was interested in participating in the cohort this year to build upon annual
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories that have been completed, as well as projects currently
underway to complete a GHG Contribution Analysis and a Climate Hazards and Vulnerabilities
assessment. Having a complete understanding of the challenges facing the community and the
ability to use data to prioritize education and local action is key to the success of the City's
sustainability programs.
Now in its third year, the Leadership in Community Resilience program is generously supported
by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wells Fargo. NLC also announced that the
program had established technical assistance partnerships with the Thriving Earth Exchange and
ecoAmerica, which will provide additional tools and resources to support the cohort of cities.
To apply for the program, officials from each city submitted a proposal detailing a specific
resiliency challenge in their community and a proposed event or project that could address it.
Past participants used their involvement as a springboard to form invaluable partnerships, hold
resiliency summits and workshops, and implement innovative infrastructure projects.
"I am so proud of the work being done by our Sustainability staff and the collaborative
leadership of our Council Committee on the Environment," said Council Member Keely Briggs
and Chair of the Council Committee on the Environment. "Qualifying for this innovative
program and grant from the National League of Cities Sustainable Cities Institute places Denton
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in a class of sister cities that are aggressively working to not only improve the sustainability of
their own communities, but to serve as leading examples for cities across the country."
The goal of this program is to generate new insights related to the challenges and opportunities
associated with local resilience initiatives. In the coming years, the lessons learned through this
process will be used to help hundreds of NLC member cities achieve greater resiliency for their
residents and prepare the nation for the effects of climate change and other hazards.
Additional information regarding the City's sustainability programs can be found at
www.sustainabledenton.com.
Contact: Katherine Barnett, (940) 349-8202, katherine.barnett cityofdenton.com
Visit www.cityofdenton.com for more news and to stay updated.
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