FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen is pleased to announce the selection of Asia Institute Crane House (AICH) as the Louisville Field Office’s recipient of the 2022 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). AICH’s Executive Director, Joel Buno, will join DCLA award recipients from across the country in Washington, D.C., on May 5, 2023, to receive the official award in a ceremony hosted by FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Founded in 1987, Crane House specializes in promoting and preserving the diversity of all Asian cultures through education, outreach, and the arts. Crane House annually partners with dozens of Asian communities, academia, local government, businesses, law enforcement, and the FBI to create a more culturally aware and safer community. It highlights Asian culture and combats anti-Asian sentiment by annually engaging over 50,000 children and adults through educational programs, lectures, and performances. Crane House also focuses on the development of young adults through its Crane House Young Professionals program. This program supports and encourages members to proactively pursue leadership roles in government, business, and society. Above all, the Crane House embraces the cultural values of education, hard work, and family to unite and strengthen the Asian community in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

“In recent years, Asian communities across the country have experienced a surge in hate crimes and hate incidents. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim, they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office. “By partnering with the Crane House for more than two years, FBI Louisville better understands how these incidents affect our Asian community, and those directly impacted by these incidents now know that they can turn to the FBI Louisville for help.”

The Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America. Recipients of this award are recognized for their service above and beyond the call of duty to help keep America and its residents safe and are selected based on nominations from each of the FBI’s 56 field offices.

For additional information on the DCLA and this prestigious award, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/about/community-outreach/dcla.