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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
What a terrific conference! Thanks to the City of Spokane, its residents, elected officials and administration for the hospitality shown during NUSA's 34th Annual Conference on Neighborhood Concerns.
The conference site provided an opportunity to experience the Northwest lifestyle closeup: from rafting down the Spokane River, biking through historic neighborhoods and wilderness, to walking through Riverfront Park on your way to downtown, taking the sky ride over the Spokane Falls, or celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Looff Carousel.
In spite of tough economic conditions and lower than expected attendance, this conference provided an opportunity to share information and ideas, discuss new and innovative approaches, and gather information that could prove valuable to improving the quality of neighborhoods throughout the nation.
Over 40 workshops were offered, along with 15 Neighborhood Pride Tours. The quality and content of workshops provided an opportunity to learn and share, network with others, and offered practical advice on improving neighborhoods and unique perspectives on building strong neighborhoods. The workshops and tours topics ranged from sustainable communities to capacity building in your local community.
NUSA also celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Neighborhood of the Year (NOTY) Award. This program showcased and recognized best practices in programs and services by neighborhood groups throughout the United States.
The 34th Anniversary also introduced two new events: the NUSA 5K Fun Run/Walk for Healthier Communities, and NUSA's first International Affiliate. Ms. Tazuko Ouchi from Tokyo accepted this affiliate recognition and award on behalf of the Japan Association for Community Policy (JACP.)
In the coming months, NUSA will continue to work on behalf of its membership to provide a venue for neighborhood-minded people to share and develop solutions to meet the challenges of the day, along with making preparations for the 35th Annual Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2010.
Respectfully,
Elton Gatewood, President