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Posts tagged ‘Partnerships’

Last week, council dealt a crushing blow to Mayor Rob Fords tireless campaign to build subways along Sheppard Avenue. The plan failed, in part, because even the mayors allies could not see a feasible funding strategy for the subway plan. Its no secret that Mayor Ford is a fan of smaller government and more private-sector involvement, and to the mayor, building transit is simple: just ask the private sector to do it. Others suspect that it may not be so easy.

So we asked Jane Bird, the former CEO of Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc., about the private sectors involvement in Vancouvers Canada Line–a 19-kilometre LRT line that was built there in advance of the 2010 Olympics. And if there is one thing that was clear from our discussion, its that public-private partnerships are complicated.

Were there concerns from the public about involving private partners in the Canada Line project?

I think its fair to say there was a pretty healthy debate at the time. Theres always a discussion about big transit projects. But there was a healthy discussion about whether there was a role, not so much on the construction side, because the private sectors been building transit infrastructure since the turn of the century, but whether there was a longer-term role for the private sector to operate the line.

At the end of the day I think most people and the elected officials approved the project because it appeared that there was value to the public sector and the taxpayers by going this way. And I think weve had significant success and its sort of proven itself to be true.

Because the Canada Line is a free-standing line, was it easier to bring in private sector operation?

Absolutely, because its not interlined [with the rest of Vancouvers transit system]. As a result, we could do a proposal to the markets that said, We want this service on this north-south line and it doesnt matter if the technology is common to the other line.

We werent restricted to one technology or one brand, we could have a broad competition between anybody providing technology that would get us the service requirements that we want. So we asked for a system that would be about 19 km, we wanted to get people from downtown Vancouver to Richmond in 24 minutes, we wanted a train every three minutes, we wanted it run from x-hour in the morning to x-hour at night, we wanted 16 stations, we wanted airport service. This is our recipe. And we asked the market for their best response to that requirement.

But you can imagine if you had a lot more restrictions on that, in terms of interlining with other technologies, that there would not have been as broad a procurement as we were able to do.

What can the private sector offer, besides money?

I think theres a real role for the business community in support of how and when were going to do infrastructure renewal, whether its transportation, or roads, or water, or sewer, or ports, anything. Because the business community has a very significant interest, as do we all, in a strong infrastructure to support the economy.

What can the private sector do for public transit that government cant?

In Canada Lines case, structuring the contract as we did enforced a discipline and a rigour of thinking about the project that I dont think government often does as well as they should. That approach to understanding what it is you want to do and what you intend to accomplish is an important conversation that we dont give as much attention in the government as we should.

The second thing is, the private sector can provide a level of innovation through a competitive process that sometimes government cant do. The competitive process involves companies that have worked all over the world, so theyve done rapid transit in Barcelona, or Istanbul, or Berlin. So they bring all the innovation and all the design ideas that theyve gathered working all over the world, so you get the benefit of what everybodys doing rather than what locally or provincially we think is the solution. In the case of Canada Line, there were many instances where we had anticipated solutions to a problem, and SNC-Lavalin came up with solutions that were much better, no doubt as a function of some of the work they were doing elsewhere. Because government doesnt always know the answer, so if you can create a design competition or a way to solve an engineering problem with the benefit of many minds with experience worldwide, that is a good thing.

And generally speaking, I think the private sector does a better job of managing risk than the government does. When the private sector takes a risk, they almost have to do a better job of understanding what that risk is, the likelihood of it occurring, and the cost if it were to occur. Government doesnt do as good a job of that, historically. Because when things go wrong in government, usually the consequences are spread among thousands if not millions of taxpayers. So the consequences of mismanaging a risk for government are smaller than for the private sector, generally speaking.

So when you involve the private sector, you have to figure out what the risks are in a project and then figure out whether the government or the private sector is better able to manage it. In most cases, its better to transfer the risk to the private sector and pay a little to do that. Not all risks. If you look at Canada Line, environmental permitting risks were something that the government ended up keeping. So the consequences of not getting a permit would be on government. The cost of acquiring property for the line was a risk that we kept. But virtually all the rest of the risk, whether it be schedule risk, or ground condition risk, or overall construction or material cost risk, we transferred that to the private sector.

[Private sector involvement] secured more certainty for the project. The fact that the Canada Line was delivered early and under budget was in part due to the fact that the private sector was managing that risk.

Also, in our case, effectively the same company that designed and built the line is the same one that had to maintain and operate it for 30 years. So I think theres a symmetry to that. It creates a commercial incentive to design and build something well if you have to bear the cost of operating and maintaining it over time. I think that is a benefit for government, because its a question of looking at the whole cost of the line for 30 years. If the private sector has to bear the cost of maintaining it, whether its cleaning the tiles or maintaining the trains, theyre more likely to invest up front in a quality product.

Were you generally in favour of public-private partnerships before the Canada Line project?

I think Ive always felt that there is a place for the government and the private sector in most things. Each does certain things well. The art is to figure out where the governments role should be and stop and where the private sectors role should be and stop.

I think some of the confusion that arises, is that its not as easy as one-size-fits-all. What does it mean, public-private partnerships? It could mean anything. But it has the potential to work well if the government owners ask, Is there a role, and what role would best suit the project that were trying to build or the objectives that we have? Rather than start from a preconception that private sectors going to be involved.

Where do you see room for the private sector to get involved in Torontos transit system?

It would certainly be worthwhile to look and see if the transit projects that are currently under discussion would benefit from private sector participation. I think that would be a worthy piece of work to do. And then if one concluded there was a role, then define exactly what that role would be. Is it designing and building the line? Is it just financing the line, and what would that look like? What that role might be and what it might look like for that project, because its a project by project thing, I couldnt comment, because its a pretty detailed piece of work.

Jane Bird shared her experiences with public-private partnership to build Vancouvers Canada Line as part of The Munk Schools Moving Our Region speaker series yesterday afternoon.

Filed under: joel charlebois, cityscape, public-private partnerships, transit, TTC, Vancouver

United Nations peacebuilding efforts are more effective when post-conflict countries set their own priorities and take ownership of the national institution-building process, senior UN officials told the Security Council today.

?Building peace means helping national institutions reach a point where they are able to maintain a sufficient level of stability and security, in particular through respect for the rule of law and human rights,? said the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, in his remarks to a Council meeting on peacekeeping and its role in peacebuilding. ?Strong national ownership and leadership in the formulation of peacebuilding priorities is essential.?

Peacekeeping is the most visible of the United Nations work to maintain international peace and security. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) currently has 15 peacekeeping missions in four continents, with more than 120,000 men and women serving. Peacekeepers are often called early peacebuilders as increasingly since the 1990s peacekeeping operations have become involved in a wide range of activities to help build the foundations for sustainable peace in war-torn countries.

?In these last three years,? Mr. Ladsous told Council members, ?we have come a long way in sharpening our understanding of what peacebuilding entails.?

?What then,? he asked, ?is the specific role of peacekeepers in this effort??

The peacekeeping chief emphasized that talking about the role of peacekeepers in peacebuilding is not about expanding peacekeeping, adding new tasks to mandates. ?It is about making the best of tasks that peacekeepers area already being asked to perform,? he said.

?Peacekeepers are best suited to prioritize those initiatives that advance the peace process or political objectives of a mission,? Mr. Ladsous noted. ?These initiatives may also ensure security or lay the foundation for longer-term institution building in a few key areas.?

He added that peacekeeping missions have a restricted time horizon and must synchronise their plans with those actors better suited to undertake long-term engagements.

In her remarks to the Council, the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, Susana Malcorra, focused on the social and economic impact on the life of host countries by peacekeeping missions, through job creation and local procurement but also, unless proper care is taken, through problems like environmental degradation and distortion of the job market.

Ms. Malcorra said that high levels of unemployment and slow economic recovery made it difficult for youth and war-affected populations to find legal income-generating opportunities locally. She added that such scenarios present a serious impediment for war-affected populations to establish alternative livelihoods and encourage sustainable reintegration in local communities.

Ms. Malcorra cited the example of Liberia, where the UN peacekeeping mission in that country (UNMIL) and its partners ? the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the country?s Ministry of Public Works ? designed a series of labour intensive road repair projects increasing accessibility as well as short-term employment opportunities.

The projects were concentrated around vulnerable communities, such as communities along borders and those in close proximity to desirable natural resources. They created over 75,000 jobs and channelled almost $6 million into local communities, with the workforce including representation from all communities, ex-combatants, returnees, and women. In addition, 600 kilometres of primary roads and 300 kilometres of secondary roads were rehabilitated, improving access year round to many parts of the country.

Ms. Malcorra also focused on the Civilian Capacities initiative being undertaken by the Department of Field Support, aimed at supporting the development of national capacities.

?Accessing more effectively the needed civilian experts and deploying them into missions to support the development of national capacities, and to help us plan and execute peacebuilding tasks, as well as effective transitions, depends on stronger partnerships between the UN and external providers ? principally Member States,? she said.

Building the capacity of national staff in peacekeeping missions is an important contribution of peacekeeping operations in post-conflict societies, said Ms. Malcorra. She noted that several UN peacekeeping missions ? such as those in Sudan, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ? have introduced specific strategies and programmes that are aimed at strengthening the capacity of national staff members who will play a critical role in the development of their country beyond the UN?s presence.

The officials also addressed the importance of partnerships for UN peacekeeping, with both UN and non-UN actors, based on each actor?s comparative advantage at different stages of the peacebuilding process, as well as their ability to deliver.

Mr. Ladsous said that the UN is only one of many actors contributing to any peacebuilding effort, and building strong partnerships with regional organizations, bilateral partners and international financial institutions in the early stages of planning processes is also necessary to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach.

The UN?s top peacekeeper pointed especially to peacekeeping missions as they draw down, a time-period when regional and bilateral partners are critical, as risks may persist after a peacekeeping operation draws down requiring planning of longer-term security guarantees with the help of partners.

?How do we know when to move beyond a peacekeeping mission? There is no easy, one-size-fits-all answer to this question,? Mr. Ladsous said. ?In an ideal scenario, drawdown should happen gradually, on the basis of a careful review of the situation on the ground, discussions with our national, bilateral and regional partners, and testing of the host country?s capacity to assume responsibilities and public perceptions.?

He noted that no matter how much progress a country has made towards peace, the departure of a peacekeeping mission can also be expected to raise anxieties, and may be destabilising in itself.

?Building confidence between the host government, key national stakeholders and the international community and clearly articulating the facts of a transition through continued dialogue and communication strategies is critical to a successful drawdown planning,? Mr. Ladsous said.

Ms. Malcorra echoed his comment, noting that transitions from peacekeeping operations may be inherently political processes, but they can only succeed if they are well prepared and executed.

ATHENS, March 28 (Reuters) – Cyprus would seek financing
from other countries and companies to help it build energy
infrastructure such as a key plant to liquefy natural gas, the
countrys energy minister said on Wednesday.

Cyprus reported its first natural gas discovery in December,
when US based Noble Energy said it had discovered an
estimated 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet in a block south of the
island.

Israeli firm Delek has suggested that Cyprus build a natural
gas liquefaction plant, which would process both Cypriot and
Israeli natural gas, discovered in even bigger quantities in
nearby waters.

Its clear that to build such infrastructure, particularly
when we talk about a natural gas liquefaction plant, the cost is
extremely high, Cypriot Industry Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis
told a conference in Athens.

Thats why we are seeking a multilateral cooperation with
the participation of other important countries, particularly
from the region, and also other big energy companies. Our state
will have to hold a significant stake in that project because
were talking about strategic infrastructure, he added.

Noble, which has discovered off Israel some of the worlds
largest off-shore fields of the past decade, wants this issue
clarified soon.

There are proposals, not just from Noble and Delek, but
also from other companies, including from China, to finance and
support an LNG terminal, Sylikiotis said.

PENSACOLA, Fla., March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
The University of West Florida (UWF), with the assistance of Academic Partnerships, offers an online Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree starting this fall.

This 33 credit hour non-thesis certificate program complies with the Florida Principal Leadership Standards and is designed for educators who want to advance in the K-12 education arena. The program was developed to ensure that participants acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to become campus administrators, district supervisors, deans, or curriculum developers at the elementary, middle and secondary level. The 8 week courses are taught by the same professors that teach on campus and the degree can be completed in as little as 18 months.

“UWF is committed to expanding access to higher education and providing teachers educational opportunities through online education, allowing them the flexibility and affordability they need to achieve their professional goals,” said Judy Bense, president of UWF.

With accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the online M.Ed. in Educational Leadership is rated a Best Buy by Get Educated.com. Additionally, every course within this degree is developed based upon the nationally recognized Quality Matters (QM) Rubric for quality online instruction.

Online degree programs have emerged as the most rapidly developing trend in higher education with universities quickly converting traditional programs into an online format. Dallas-based Academic Partnerships provides all non-academic support, such as marketing and technical aspects, for UWF’s Master of Educational Leadership online program.

“We, at Academic Partnerships, are proud to assist the University of West Florida expand access to its top quality degree programs and extend the reach of its great brand. We are passionate about the positive impact higher education has on the lives of students, their families and on society as a whole,” said Rob Ganji, president of Academic Partnerships. “UWF’s online Master of Education in Educational Leadership will equip in-service educators across Florida and beyond with the skills they need to provide strong leadership at the campus and district level.”

The fall 2012 application deadline is June 1 for the Aug. 27 session. For more information about enrollment and funding opportunities for Fall 2012, please call 1-877-588-2502 or visit
http://edleadership.uwf.edu .

About University of West FloridaThe University of West Florida offers undergraduate degrees in 51 areas, master’s degrees in 25 areas, two specialist degrees and a doctorate in education. UWF serves a student population of approximately 12,000. The University of West Florida Online Campus offers more than 400 online course sections each semester that can lead to the completion of more than 28 fully online undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as credit-earning certificate programs.

For more information visit

http://edleadership.uwf.edu/

About Academic PartnershipsAcademic Partnerships is a higher education service provider that works exclusively with state universities to convert their traditional degree programs to online delivery and to recruit and retain qualified students. For more information see
www.academicpartnerships.com

SOURCE University of West Florida

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:





The Guardians Brand Partnerships team work with you to create tailored marketing solutions to help you achieve you communication objectives in an innovative way.

Your campaign will be designed around five key principles:

1. Insight – we ensure that we know exactly who your campaign should engage with and how best to achieve this.

2. Opportunities – we act as your channel planners, identifying the products, brands and advertising solutions most relevant to your needs

3. Content – supplements, microsites and other formats ensure that your brand benefits from the association with our award winning editorial.

4. Reach – we strive to ensure maximum reach of the right people, for example through promotions, sampling, events or tie-ups with third parties.

5. Value – we ensure that the project works as hard for you as possible, for example by generating prospects through competitions or putting out joint PR. We also offer campaign effectiveness research so that you can see the results for yourself.

Click here to see an archive of Brand Partnerships digital projects.

For more information, contact:

David Fisher
020 3353 4658
david.fisher@guardian.co.uk

Mia Barnes
020 3353 2473
mia.barnes@guardian.co.uk

Sally Burtt-Jones
020 3353 3850
sally.burtt-jones@guardian.co.uk

Email: guardiancommercial.brandpartnerships@guardian.co.uk

A troubleshooter who works with technology businesses has teamed up with a London outfit to offer finance packages for small firms with potential.

Manchester-based Peter Wolstenholmes firm Milton Partnerships is focusing on sectors such as biotechnology and life sciences.

He said: “We work with innovative SMEs which need some help in growing their business.

“Our model is to help them grow their sales and introduce some capital if needed, avoiding the dilution in their equity by venture capitalists.

“Normally, we find that companies are struggling with sales.

“We dont charge for our service upfront. We take on the costs involved but negotiate a fee based on an increase in sales.”

Milton is currently working with 15 SMEs nationwide, targeting firms with annual turnover of at least £250,000.

It has teamed up with the London-based Growth Innovators Group to offer finance to firms.

Mr Wolstenholme added: “The innovation should be hard to replicate by a competitor, have proven sales and be capable of being sold across a number of industry sectors or markets.”

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Partnerships help make PantoneLive succeed

Published on March 26, 2012

Cary Sherburne interviews Dr. Sonia Megert, Vice President of Pantones Digital Business Unit about the successful partnerships offered at the launch of PantoneLIVE.

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View Transcript raquo;

SAN JOSE, Calif., Mar 26, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Engineering and construction services company Cupertino
Electric, Inc. (
www.cei.com )
today announced that Chief Commercial Officer John
Curcio will examine how strategic partnerships are helping drive
solar project costs down to compete with traditional forms of energy at
this year’s Cleantech Forum held in San Francisco, California. Offering
a unique engineering/procurement/construction (EPC) contractor
perspective, Curcio will join other industry panelists to discuss how
partnerships can help fuel a successful business and make solar energy
affordable through lowest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE).

“In our business serving commercial and utility-scale customers, our
mission, over the life of the system, is to maximize the amount of
energy produced for the lowest possible cost without compromising the
quality or integrity of the engineered solution,” said Cupertino
Electric chief commercial officer Curcio. “Getting to the lowest
Levelized Cost of Energy and making solar energy on par with traditional
forms of energy requires global partnerships to create high-quality,
impactful solar solutions.”

About Cleantech Forum 2012

Focused on utility, solar, biofuel, electric vehicle, transportation,
smart water and energy-efficient solutions, the 10th Annual Cleantech
Forum event in San Francisco, Calif. run from March 26, 2012 through
March 28, 2012. For more information, visit:
http://events.cleantech.com/sanfrancisco/ .

Cupertino Electric’s Innovative Initiatives to Advance Solar

Cupertino Electric is constantly exploring new technologies and methods
to give customers the best solutions at the best price. The company’s
on-site Technology Evaluation Laboratory in San Jose, Calif. is designed
to closely evaluate the performance of a variety of solar and
optimization technologies, including crystalline silicon, Cad Tel and
CIGS. All of the technologies offered at the on-site lab are modeled and
monitored through Cupertino Electric’s custom-built asset management
platform.

About Cupertino Electric, Inc.

Cupertino Electric, Inc. (CEI) (
www.cei.com )
is a private company headquartered in San Jose, Calif. that has provided
expert engineering and construction services for a constantly evolving
world for more than 57 years. CEI’s Energy
Alternatives Division engineers, procures, constructs and maintains
solar and renewable energy solutions. For more information, visit
www.cei.com .

SOURCE: Cupertino Electric, Inc.

Cupertino Electric, Inc.
Autumn Casadonte, 408-808-8034
Autumn_Casadonte@cei.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

DES MOINES, Iowa, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Founded during the height of The Great Depression, Holmes Murphy & Associates, one of the nation’s leading independent risk management and insurance brokerage firms, is celebrating 80 years in business this year.

“We appreciate our client partnerships, our valued employees, and all those who have united us along the way,” said Jim Swift, Holmes Murphy Chairman.

“This milestone is truly a testament to our team who continues to drive our clients’ businesses forward,” states Daniel Keough, CEO. “Our dedication to our clients has earned Holmes Murphy decades of loyalty.”

Holmes Murphy was founded in 1932 by Max Holmes. In 1939, Ray Murphy joined the agency, becoming a partner in 1951. The pair established a firm committed to dynamic leadership and independent ownership. This foundation is still embraced by the shareholders leading the company today.

“Our firm is now the 22nd largest independent risk management and insurance brokerage firm in the United States and the ninth largest privately owned brokerage firm*,” said Dennis Bishop, President. “During the past 20 years, the firm has climbed up to its current ranking from a ranking of 71st in 1992.”

An Industry Partner

Holmes Murphy is a leader in delivering quality insurance products and services in property casualty, employee benefits, captive insurance, claim processing, surety bonds, loss control, and claims administration. The firm serves clients from family-owned operations with hometown connections to major employers with global ties. Holmes Murphy has expertise in serving clients in agribusiness, architect and engineer, construction, C-store and petroleum, education, financial, healthcare, law, lodging, public entities, small business, transportation, and wind/renewable energy.

About Holmes Murphy

Founded in 1932, Holmes Murphy & Associates, an independent insurance brokerage, is ranked 22nd among America’s top 100 brokers and ninth among privately owned brokers. Holmes Murphy has 13 offices in 11 states, including Des Moines, Davenport and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Denver, Colo.; Dallas, Texas; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; St. Louis, Mo.; Madison, Wis.; Peoria, Ill.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Sioux Falls, S.D. Holmes Murphy partners with business and industry leaders throughout the Midwest and across the nation in the areas of property casualty, employee benefits, captive insurance, risk management, and loss control.

For more information, call 800-247-7756 or visit
www.holmesmurphy.com . Follow Holmes Murphy on Twitter.com @holmesmurphyins or visit us on Facebook.

*According to 2011 Business Insurance magazine.

SOURCE Holmes Murphy & Associates

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

CHESAPEAKE, Va., March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
On Thursday, March 29, Cox Communications will be presented with a Distinguished Merit Citation from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) organization. This presentation will occur at VCIC’s 48th Annual Humanitarian Awards program to be held at the Waterside Marriott, 235 East Main Strfaeet in Norfolk, and begins at 6:30 p.m.

Cox received this recognition from VCIC for the company’s diversity engagement practices in Hampton Roads and throughout the state. Specific items noted by VCIC are as follows:

Community Engagement: Cox’s commitment to diversity extends beyond the workplace into the Hampton Roads community. Social responsibility — with an emphasis on supporting youth, education and environmental sustainability — lies at the heart of Cox’s values.

Supplier Diversity: Cox actively seeks diverse suppliers through its membership in the National Minority Supplier Development Council and its affiliates. Cultivating supplier diversity is very important to Cox.

Diversity Partnerships: Building partnerships with organizations representing diverse groups has allowed Cox to reach its social responsibility objectives more broadly. Cox has partnerships with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Hampton Roads; the Urban League of Hampton Roads; the Filipino-American Unity Organization; the Asian-Indians of Hampton Roads, and many others in the company’s efforts to strengthen its diverse community partnerships.

Gary McCollum, Cox Senior Vice President and General Manager, said, “Connecting with the communities we serve is an important part of our operations and is at the core of our company values. In the past year alone, our cash and in-kind donations to community causes have exceeded $10 million.”

Others being recognized at the upcoming event are: Kate A. Broderick, Faculty and Community Liaison in the Office of Educational Accessibility at Old Dominion University; Maurice A. Jones, Publisher of The Virginian-Pilot; Rosalin Mandelberg, Rabbi at Ohef Sholom Temple; and Bruce Rader, long-time Sports Director of WAVY-TV and WVBT-TV.

For more information, contact Felicia Blow at (757) 222-8432 or felicia.blow@cox.com.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women, by women, in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at
www.cox.com and
www.coxmedia.com .

About Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities

Founded in 1935 as the Virginia Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the organization has presented humanitarian awards annually in the Tidewater area for 48 years. The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities promotes understanding and respect on all issues of diversity for all age groups all across Virginia. Since 2006, the number of programs conducted by VCIC has increased by an impressive 300%. Locally, the 77-year-old organization delivers programs to educators and students in Hampton Roads through its Connections Institute and Diversity Dialogue Day programs, as well as professional development workshops for educators and community organizations. VCIC also co-sponsors the NEXUS Interfaith Dialogue Series.

SOURCE Cox Communications

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved