WESTERVILLE, Ohio- The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has again named Westerville to its prestigious international list of “Top7” Intelligent Communities. The organization announced the honor Monday in Taiwan, marking a back-to-back designation for Westerville on both Smart21 and Top7 lists.

Westerville is one of two cities from the United States (both from Ohio) on the 2020 Top7 list. The other communities are:

•  Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

• Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

• Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

• Tallinn, Estonia

• Hudson, Ohio, USA

• Markham, Ontario, Canada

The ICF evaluates communities on the basis of their performance in six key indicators:  broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, advocacy and sustainability.

Westerville was recognized for its commitment to innovation through cutting-edge collaborations like The Point at Otterbein University, which houses an exclusive “FinTech” program with J.P. Morgan Chase. Other public programs, including  WēConnect, the first municipal data center in the U.S. and sustainable programs through the Westerville Electric Division helped earn ICF’s acknowledgment.

The Top7 designation follows the announcement last October of Westerville on ICF’s list of “Smart21” communities. The organization also named Westerville to its 2020 top five list of 30 communities ranked by sustainability. Westerville was named a Top7 and Smart21 community for 2019, making it the only city in Ohio to make both lists on its first attempt last year. The City of Columbus was named “Intelligent Community of the Year” in 2015.

“City staff and our partners in the community work intentionally to inspire and facilitate innovation, moving forward in a way that anticipates the needs of the future while remaining true to our history and values” said Todd Jackson, Chief Information Officer for the City of Westerville. “We are working now to imagine a future Westerville that delivers on the promise we make to our residents and businesses for exceptional public services.”

Westerville will host an ICF cofounder in March or April for an on-site visit and assessment to observe the City’s infrastructure, programs and partnerships. The process culminates on June 18 with the announcement of the 2020 Intelligent Community of the Year at the annual ICF Summit, hosted by the City of Dublin, Ohio (a Top7 community in 2010 and 2011).

The Westerville Partnership (comprised of the City, Otterbein University, Westerville City Schools, Westerville Public Library and Westerville Area Chamber) and key business community stakeholders collaborated on the application for inclusion on these international lists.