Dec. 21, 2021
Contact: Lisa Thurber
Communications and Marketing Director
479-575-8330
lthurber@fayetteville-ar.gov
Fayetteville Earns Win, Honorable Mentions for Trendsetter City 2021 Awards
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The City of Fayetteville was named a Trendsetter City by Arkansas Business this week, winning one category of the annual awards and earning honorable mentions in two others.
The Trendsetter City program is designed to “honor cities who are leaders in innovative programs and initiatives for improvement and growth,” according to Arkansas Business. “Being a Trendsetter City is an honor that speaks to the commitment by city leadership and its citizens, and creates a great economic development selling point.”
The Fayetteville Public Library’s new Teaching Kitchen and J.B and Johnelle Hunt Family Center for Innovation were named winner of the Education and Workforce Education category for cities with a population of 20,000 or more.
Both were described as “state-of-the-art spaces dedicated to the needs of the community that connect workforces to industry by providing free access to training for in-demand jobs…taking [the library’s] mission – empowering its citizens through free and public access to knowledge – to the next level by connecting the community to technology and educational resources that may otherwise be out of reach.”
Fayetteville was given an honorable mention in the Infrastructure/Water category for its Precision Maintenance program implemented by the City’s Utilities Department. The City also received an honorable mention in the Health & Wellness category for its Engagement and Wellness Committee’s Health and Wellness coaching program.
Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan said, “It’s an honor and a delight to see Fayetteville recognized as a Trendsetter City. I’m very pleased to see our work being held up as examples of how a City can serve its people through forward-thinking, innovative programs.”
The City of Fayetteville will be recognized and receive its three awards during the Arkansas Municipal League’s 2022 Winter Conference, which will be held Jan. 19-21 in Little Rock. To see the 2021 Trendsetter City winners online and learn more about the Fayetteville Public Library’s expansion and City of Fayetteville’s programs, go to https://digital.abpg.com/trendsettercity_2021.
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