Less than two weeks after winning the Gold Communications Excellence Award by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives,  Strive2Thrive receives more national recognition. This time, as a regional leader.
S2T, along with several other national programs, was named a finalist in the prestigious Alliance for Regional Stewardship’s (ARS) Organizational Champion Award.  Finalists for the award will be recognized on stage at the ACCE National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, this August. S2T will receive a statue and a seat on the Blue Ribbon Regional Panel during the convention, where they will share the details of the Albany model with other chambers. 

A winner of the Champion Award will be named at the convention. 
Deborah Bowie, Senior Director of Communications and Public Policy said she submitted S2T for the award after comparing the program to the award criteria. 
 
“Strive2Thrive met so many of the criteria that it seemed the award was tailored to them,” Bowie said. “The submission basically wrote itself. When you have a great product, it’s easy to share it with others. It’s big news for Albany – it means we’re doing something right and others are taking notice.”
 
ARS selected the unique workforce development program – created and launched in 2009 by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce – based on whether the program met the four principles of regional stewardship: Innovative economy, Livable Communities, Social Inclusion, and a Collaborative style of Governance.  Final scores were then awarded based on five criteria: Context, Innovation and Excellence, Performance, Cohesiveness, and Replicability. 
 
S2T organizers call being nominated for this prestigious award a nod to a breakout year of impacting lives in Albany.

 “What an honor to be recognized on this level,” said S2T Program Coordinator Ausha Jackson. 
 
“We are very proud of the program we’ve developed and embrace this award as opportunity to share our Albany story with others in the hopes they will see the value of attacking poverty via a community- and business-based model,” Jackson said.