University of Wisconsin - Extension

UW-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development honored with Chancellor’s award for civic engagement

Contact Greg Wise, 608-263-7804, greg.wise@ces.uwex.edu

Madison, Wis.—A University of Wisconsin-Extension center whose faculty and staff are consistently rated highest among their peers for accessibility and quality and whose web site is rated number one for traffic related to economic development was recently honored for its work.

The Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) was presented with the UW-Extension Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement at the Lowell Center in Madison.

The Chancellor's awards are given to recognize the work of people and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to UW-Extension and to the quality of life for Wisconsin residents during the past year.

"The University of Wisconsin-Extension is a welcoming gateway to the knowledge and resources of the University of Wisconsin," Chancellor David Wilson said. "Education, whether it is in a classroom, in a farmer's field or in front of a computer, is key to a robust economy and to the health and well-being of Wisconsin's children, youth and adults."

The CCED focuses its efforts on building local economies, revitalizing downtowns, developing and supporting entrepreneurs and local leaders and enhancing nonprofit organizations.

"The CCED's work features consistent threads of responsive public engagement, better access to the university, partnerships, collaboration and scholarship that results in impacts that make a difference today and will continue to do so into the future," said Greg Wise, the Center's director.

Karna Hanna, executive director of the Sauk County Development Corporation, writing in support of the CCED's award nomination, stated that "[The Center's] work focuses on urgent practical problems and issues....their materials are extremely useful to both general practitioners [of economic development] and lay citizens."

To learn more about the CCED and its work, visit http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/

To learn more about the 2009 Chancellor’s awards, go to

http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/chancellor/wisconsin/awards09.cfm