(September 30, 2009 – Washington, DC)  The Insight Center for Community Economic Development has announced that Clifford N. Rosenthal, President/CEO of the New York-based National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (Federation) will be honored at its 40th anniversary dinner and awards presentation, being held in Washington, D.C. on November 12, 2009.

The Insight Center is honoring key leaders that have played instrumental roles improving the lives of low-income and working families.  According to Roger A. Clay, Jr., President of the Insight Center, Rosenthal was a natural choice.  “Cliff’s thirty years as head of a grassroots community-focused trade association is an accomplishment few others can claim, and is a testament to his dedication and commitment to our inner city and rural communities,” said Clay, Jr., “It’s truly an honor to publicly recognize Cliff’s accomplishments and the wide-ranging impact he has had during his long, distinguished career.”

Born out of the War on Poverty in the late 1960s, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, formerly known as the National Economic Development and Law Center (NEDLC), marks its 40th anniversary this year. Since inception, the Insight Center has been a leader in developing and implementing solutions to help people to not just get out of poverty, but to build a more stable and prosperous future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

“I’m humbled to be selected for this honor,” said Rosenthal. “It’s especially meaningful, because of the long history of collaboration between our two organizations.”

The Insight Center and the Federation have been longtime partners in fighting poverty and expanding opportunity for low-income and working families.  In 1978, the Insight Center published the first manual on organizing community development credit unions, and the Federation was a key partner in this important effort.

The Honorable Hilda Solis, the Secretary of Labor will be the keynote speaker at this event, and Clarence Page, a two time Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist specializing in urban issues, will be the Master of Ceremonies.

Other honorees include: Robert H. Dugger, Managing Partner, Hanover Investment Group, LLC; Susan R. Jones, Professor of Clinical Law, George Washington University Law School; Kilolo Kijakazi, Program Officer, Financial Assets and Economic Security Unit, Ford Foundation; The W. K. Kellogg Foundation; and Kaiser Permanente.

For more information about the dinner and awards presentation, or to place an ad in the Tribute Book, please contact Jesse Kelsey, Insight’s Development Associate (510- 251-2600 or jkelsey@insightcced.org) by October 12th or visit www.insightcced.org.

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About the Insight Center: The Insight Center for Community Economic Development, formerly the National Economic Development and Law Center (NEDLC), is a national research, consulting and legal organization dedicated to building economic health in disenfranchised communities. The Insight Center's multidisciplinary approach utilizes a wide array of community economic development strategies including promoting industry-focused workforce development, building individual and community assets, establishing the link between early care and education and economic development, working to close the racial wealth gap, and advocating for the adoption of the Self-Sufficiency Standard as a measurement of wage adequacy and as an alternative to the Federal Poverty Line. For more information about the Insight Center and its programs, please visit www.insightcced.org.