NINA Earns National Recognition for Community Service

HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA), a two-year-old collaborative devoted to rebuilding the city's historic Asylum Hill neighborhood, has now been nationally recognized for its success in helping to improve the area's public safety, housing and quality of life. The recognition comes from CoreNet Global, an association of corporate real estate leaders, which has selected NINA as a finalist for its 2005 H. Bruce Russell Global Innovator's Award.

The Global Innovator's Award is given to companies that demonstrate the most innovative practices in corporate real estate. The annual award was renamed this year in honor of the founder of CoreNet Global Learning, H. Bruce Russell.

NINA, along with nine other Global Innovator's Award finalist organizations, will present a review of their innovation strategies before a panel of senior corporate real estate professionals and leading academics at Harvard University, August 3 and 4. CoreNet Global will announce the winners at its Las Vegas Global Summit, October 23-26.

"CoreNetGlobal, through their recognition of NINA, reinforces what we in Hartford have long known, that neighbors working together can transform city blocks and change lives," said Lynda Godkin, the chairperson of NINA's board of directors and senior vice president of state and community relations at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. .

Susan Winkler, president of NINA added, "We are honored that CoreNet would select NINA as a finalist for the Russell Award and gratified by how much we have been able to accomplish in Asylum Hill in such a short time."

NINA is a non-profit organization made up of employee volunteers from Aetna, The Hartford, Mass Mutual Financial Group, ING, Saint Francis Hospital and Webster Bank. NINA's mission is to stimulate the revitalization of Asylum Hill, primarily through improvements in public safety and homeownership. Other priorities for the nonprofit include economic development and education.

For eight years, CoreNet Global has been showcasing solutions, best practices and innovations in corporate real estate and workplace management through the Global Innovators Award.

Contact: Ken Johnson NINA 860.244.9390 ninaken@sbcglobal.net