Crosscut today is proud to announce the creation of the region's first "Courage Awards," which will recognize bold leadership in business, culture and public service.
Winners in each Courage Award category will be announced at a ceremony on October 31st. James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic and a frequent contributor to NPR, will be the keynote speaker.
"Timidity and opportunity, challenge and tough trade-offs face leaders in every walk of life here in the Pacific Northwest," said Greg Shaw, Crosscut publisher. "How often have you heard a friend or colleague ask what happened to the courageous leadership of a bygone era? Too often we complain that leadership lacks guts. At Crosscut we report on and follow acts of courage in many different sectors throughout the year. We hope our writing coupled with the annual awards will shine a bright light on acts of courage, small and large, that contribute to a better community."
"The Courage Awards recognize and celebrate the truly fearless among us," said Crosscut editor-in-chief Mary Bruno. "These are people who aren't afraid to speak truth to power, who aren't in it for the credit or the glory. They're the kinds of people who, sometimes quietly but always persistently, move our region forward."
The Crosscut editorial team will select three award winners: one in public service (elected or appointed government office, media, volunteer efforts), one in culture (the arts and sports) and one in business (both for-profit and non-profit ventures).
Candidates for the awards will be identified through a public nomination process, open to any individual who has practiced courageous leadership in the Pacific Northwest. Crosscut’s editorial team will review nominations and select the winners using a few simple criteria:
- innovating despite criticism;
- showing uncommon, selfless leadership;
- inspiring and instructing others in public service, business and cultural leadership;
- following data and best practices even when custom and tradition say otherwise;
- taking a risk to successfully break gridlock.
To nominate one or more people for the Crosscut Courage Awards, email CourageAwards@Crosscut.com with the name of your nominee and a paragraph describing the reason for his or her nomination. You will receive an automated reply confirming receipt.
Nominations must be received by July 30th, 2013. Winners will be notified by Sept. 15.
Limited space is available at the 2013 Crosscut Courage Awards breakfast, which will be held October 31 at Seattle’s Bell Harbor International Conference Center. Reserve your ticket or table now by calling Crosscut at 206-382-6137 or RSVP@Crosscut.com.
Companies and organizations interested in sponsoring the Courage Awards should contact publisher Greg Shaw at greg.shaw@crosscut.com.
Crosscut is a nonprofit, independent news organization read widely throughout the region and nationally. Its mission is to reveal and strengthen the civic and cultural life of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, which it does through its online daily magazine, events like Civic Cocktail, news partnerships and digital publishing across multiple platforms.
