Pursues ‘Community of Excellence’ designation

The Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) announced that Florala and Gardendale will join ACE as the organization’s 2019 incoming class and revealed that Bay Minette, Hanceville and Tallassee have earned the designation of an “Alabama Community of Excellence” Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Opening Session of the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Convention, held in Mobile.

The two cities will begin the process of becoming ACE communities this summer. To apply, communities with eligible populations complete a competitive application process in order to be considered for the ACE program. The two main criteria used in selecting ACE participants are 1) the level of local commitment to the ACE program, and 2) the community’s capacity to support the ACE program. ACE strives to guarantee widespread geographic coverage across Alabama. 

The ACE program offers a systematic three-phase approach with technical resources and the tools needed to help Alabama’s small towns foster growth and prosperity by focusing on their distinctive assets and resources. The ACE comprehensive program includes: Phase I, known as the assessment phase. During this time, a comprehensive report card detailing community assets and weaknesses will be prepared by an ACE Team and presented to the community along with recommended strategies and actions.

During Phase II, the Leadership Development and Strategic Planning component, each community must establish a leadership development program, prepare an up-to-date strategic plan, and identify a local nonprofit development organization.

Phase III is the Implementation and Comprehensive Planning segment.  Issues addressed during Phase III include comprehensive planning, commercial business development, education enhancement, infrastructure, health and human services, retiree attraction, tourism, economic development, and quality of life.

Throughout each of these phases, ACE Partners work with each community to successfully achieve their goals.

The recent graduation of Bay Minette, Hanceville and Tallassee brings the total number of Alabama communities that have achieved designation as Alabama Communities of Excellence to 39.  These communities include: Alexander City, Arab, Atmore, Bay Minette, Brewton, Childersburg, Demopolis, Elba, Eufaula, Evergreen, Fairhope, Fayette, Foley, Geneva, Graysville, Guin, Gulf Shores, Guntersville, Haleyville, Hanceville, Hartselle, Headland, Heflin, Helena, Jackson, Jacksonville, Jasper, Leeds, Livingston, Millbrook, Monroeville, Montevallo, Oneonta, Rainsville, Saraland, Spanish Fort, Tallassee, Thomasville, and Valley.  Other communities currently in the process of working through the ACE program include: Abbeville, Boaz, Center Point, Chelsea and Red Bay as well as the 2019 Incoming Class, Florala and Gardendale.

ACE was created in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation organized to provides technical assistance to select communities with populations ranging from 2,000 to 18,000 that helps to strengthen the communities’ long-term economic success.  This year marks 17 years of ACE providing the resources and knowledge for small communities across the state to focus on the importance of planning, leadership development and broad-based community engagement. Community leaders are provided with training and workshops to develop vision and mission statements, implementation strategies and a sustainable leadership development program. ACE assigns each community with a team of experts from the ACE Associates Council that guide them with an implementation strategy as they work through the program.

ACE principles include the active involvement by community stakeholders across a broad demographic spectrum coupled with development of local leaders and leadership capacity and an emphasis on the importance of developing and implementing short- and long-term plans to further the municipality’s vision.