When Neal came to the foundation, ''she not only brought a lifetime of insight and experience, but a love for Akron, her community,'' said Alberto Ibargüen, president and chief executive of the Knight Foundation. ''She has been a player in Knight's involvement in Team NEO, the University Park Alliance, the Austen BioInnovation Institute, education projects with Akron's school board and superintendent and countless other small and big projects around town. She understands Akron, she loves Akron, she wants Akron to succeed. And her work always showed it.''

You can read the entire story at Ohio.com

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke emphasized that many of the programs delivered through OneCommunity in Northern Ohio will serve as an example for the Commerce Department’s work across the country. Locke also stated how important broadband is to the Obama administration, with pervasive high-speed availability laying the groundwork for a better future.

“Imagine a country where students can take classes from anywhere, where you can have access to world class doctors through the web,” said Secretary Locke. “Not only will this broadband initiative is put people to work immediately building the network, it will enhance the lives of our citizens by providing high speed access at a low cost to provide life-long learning.”

Read more about Locke and Genachowski's visit to Akron and about the Obama administration's plans for the stimulus at the Knight Center's Community Connection.

Clarification: OneCommunity is based in Akron and Cleveland. Locke and Genachowski visited Cleveland for their press conference.

Robert W. Briggs

Knight Foundation vice chairman Robert W. Briggs today received the 2009 Sir Thomas More Award. The Catholic Diocese and St. Bernard Church in Akron sponsor this award each year to recognize a member of the legal profession who is concerned for the community and has provided outstanding service in furtherance of justice and humanity.

Find out more about the award here.

Knight CFO Juan Martinez helped put together the plan for the BioInnovation Institute:

Dr. W. Gerald Austen, chairman of Knight Foundation, said he hopes the Institute "will make Akron a world-class center for bioinnovation.”

Per William H. Considine, chairman of the BioInnovation Institute and president and chief executive officer of Akron Children’s Hospital, goals of the Institute include:

* Creating a nationally distinctive center of excellence at the intersection of biomaterials and medicine
* Translating leading edge research into life-saving medical devices
* Improving the health of the community
* Rapidly growing annual biomaterials-related research funding across the partners
* Increasing investment by national firms into regional biomedical start-ups and companies
* Increasing employment opportunities for those educated locally and drawing talent from around the globe
* Adding thousands of new jobs in the region by 2018.

For more, please see the press release and the BioInnovation Web site.

What do you think about the new BioInnovation Institute in Akron?

From the 6.28 press release:

Proving once again that it indeed deserves the title “world renowned,” the Akron Art Museum, designed by the Viennese firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, was chosen as one of three finalists for the highly prestigious Lubetkin Prize from the Royal Insitute of British Architects (RIBA) in London. After winning one of RIBA’s 2008 International Awards, following a visit by a jury of architects and lay judge, the Akron Art Museum was honored further by being chosen as one of only three worldwide finalists for the Lubetkin Prize.

...

"It is an incredible honor for all of us in Akron who worked on the museum's John S. and James L. Knight Building to have it singled out by the world's leading architectural organization as one of the three most important new buildings outside Europe,” said Mitchell Kahan, director and chief executive officer of the Akron Art Museum. “When I think of all the great structures unveiled last year around the globe, from Asia and Africa to North and South America, this recognition underlines the success of our goal to create an innovative design of worldwide significance."

Find more images (and interesting manipulated photography) of the Akron Art Museum's Knight Building on Flickr.

Have you visited the Akron Art Museum? What is your favorite museum building?

You can read the entire speech here; abbreviated descriptions of the four projects (they share similar names) are below.

Knight News Challenge (newschallenge.org)

The Knight News Challenge funds ideas that use digital media to deliver news and information to geographically defined communities.

This is a yearly contest about the future of local news delivery (and includes projects in a range of media areas such as mobile, video, and microfunding).

Knight Commission on Information Needs (knightcomm.org)

The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, in partnership with the Aspen Institute, will propose public policy that will facilitate meeting those needs.

This is a new group with fifteen members that will make recommendations in 2009 about core community information needs.

Knight Center of Digital Excellence (knightcenter.info)

The Knight Center of Digital Excellence is a not-for-profit consultancy to help communities across the United States ensure digital access to every citizen.

This is sometimes called "universal access," and the goal is to accelerate digital access projects across the U.S.

Knight Community Information Challenge (informationneeds.org)

Community Foundation initiatives to meet the information needs of their communities are matched by funds from Knight Foundation.

This is to help community foundations use media and technology to deliver information to their communities.

Questions? Leave a comment below.

As Glorio Rubio-Cortes, president of the National Civic League says, "the All-America City Award is the 'Oscar' for communities of all sizes."

Mayor Don Plusquellic (second from right) accepted the award on behalf of Akron.

"This award confirms what the citizens in Akron already know about their city," Knight Foundation Program Director Vivian Neal says. "Akron is an outstanding city to live, work and raise a family."

Congratulations to Vivian and the Akron community.