WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Former President Bill Clinton today presented a Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) Clinton Center Award for Leadership and National Service to Maryland Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C. City Year leader Chandra Bembery was also honored with this award for commitment to national service. Clinton was joined at the event by DLC Chairman Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) and DLC Founder and CEO Al From.
"I am honored that the DLC is launching this new project, the Clinton Center, to keep New Democrat ideas alive, to keep them current, and to energize the next generation of New Democratic leaders who will keep them at the center of American politics and public life," President Clinton said.
"This is an exciting day for the DLC," From said. "Not only are we launching the DLC Clinton Center, but we are also celebrating the success and value of a cornerstone DLC issue -- national service."
The Clinton Center Awards for Leadership and National Service are presented by the DLC to individuals who have demonstrated through their actions a commitment to the New Democratic ethic of promoting mutual responsibility and enriching civic life. This was the first event of the Clinton Center, a new DLC project dedicated to promoting the next generation of New Democratic ideas and leaders and to ensuring the continuing modernization of Democratic politics.
Lt. Governor Townsend was chosen for the inaugural DLC Clinton Center Award for her record of leadership, especially in promoting national service. Lt. Governor Townsend pioneered the nation's first statewide mandatory student service program to ensure that the next generation of citizens learns the habits -- and rewards -- of citizenship and civic involvement. She implemented two of the nation's premier crime fighting programs, HotSpots, which brings together law enforcement and community leaders to reduce violent crime at record rates, and Police Corps, which seeks to recruit young people to serve as police officers and receive training in community policing techniques. By promoting character education and civic responsibility, Lt. Governor Townsend led Maryland -- and the nation -- in the effort to engage citizens and promote community service.
"I am honored to receive this award for leadership and service," Lt. Gov. Townsend said. "And I am even more honored that over the past 5 years, more 200,000 Maryland students have contributed more than 6 million hours of community service. I believe that the best type of leadership is providing opportunities for others to get involved and lead, and that is what we are doing all across Maryland."
Clinton also presented an award to Chandra Bembery, a project manager with City Year Philadelphia, for her commitment to national service and enriching civic life. Bembrey has been active in service programs since she was a junior in high school, and joined the City Year program after graduation. Since completing her City Year service, Chandra has returned to manage two programs serving Philadelphia area schoolchildren.
For over two decades, the DLC and New Democrats across the country have promoted the idea of mutual responsibility and civic enrichment through a commitment to citizen service. National service is a concept that combines our keystone values of opportunity, responsibility and community. Much of the recent debate on national service can be traced back to the DLC's 1988 publication of a book entitled Citizenship and National Service, and the 1989 introduction of the first national service proposal by then-DLC Chairman Sen. Sam Nunn and future DLC Chairman Rep. Dave McCurdy. Former DLC Chairman President Bill Clinton made the issue a national priority with the establishment of his signature national service program, AmeriCorps.
The Democratic Leadership Council seeks to promote public debate within the Democratic Party and the public at large about national and international policy and political issues. For additional information, web users may access the Democratic Leadership Council online at www.ndol.org or contact the DLC's communications office at (202) 546-0007.
