The Center for Resilient Cities and Monona State Bank were honored today by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago for their outstanding partnership on the Resilience Research Center.

The organizations received one of the Bank’s two 2012 Community First Partnership Awards in Wisconsin. The awards recognize outstanding achievement in affordable housing and/or community economic development by ongoing partnerships of the Bank’s member institutions and non-profit organizations that have worked together to revitalize their communities.

The Center for Resilient Cities received $10,000 in recognition of its 16-year partnership with Monona State Bank. Most recently, they worked together to complete the redevelopment of a vacant 4-acre property now known as the Resilience Research Center, which includes the Resilience Neighborhood Center, Badger Rock Middle School, and the Madison operations of Growing Power, an internationally known urban agriculture organization. Learn more about the Resilience Research Center at www.ResilientCities.org. More information about Monona State Bank is available at www.mononabank.com.

The Quad County Lenders Consortium, which includes Couleecap, Inc., and is located in Westby, Wisconsin, was also recognized with $5,000 for its 14-year partnership with State Bank Financial.

“Both of these partnerships demonstrate ongoing commitments to revitalization,” said Sam Nicita, the Community Investment Officer for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. “Through collaboration, innovation, and planning, they have taken action and made sustainable, positive changes in their communities.”