From left to right: COG Executive Director David Robertson, COG Board of Directors Chairman Penelope Gross, Greater Washington 2050 Chairman Sharon Bulova, and COG President Phil Mendelson.
Washington, D.C. – At its Annual Membership and Awards Luncheon, COG presented Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova with its highest honor, the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award. The award is presented annually to an elected official for outstanding service to residents of the metropolitan Washington region.
Bulova was recognized for her leadership in guiding the Greater Washington 2050 Coalition—a group of over 30 public officials and business and civic leaders tasked by COG to develop a new approach to solving regional challenges. Over the past year and a half, Bulova advocated for vigorous outreach to member governments and stakeholders, spearheaded an extensive public survey and forum of future-focused experts, and served as chief spokesperson for the initiative. The Coalition recently released a draft of its final report, Region Forward, which proposes goals, targets, and a compact agreement to guide future planning and measure regional success.
“Chairman Bulova’s efforts to build consensus and new ways to work together as a region will have long-lasting benefits to all area residents,” said COG Executive Director David Robertson. “For helping move Region Forward closer to the finish line, she certainly deserves the title Regional Leader of the Year.”
From left to right: Gross, Robertson, NCPC Chairman L. Preston Bryant, Jr., NCPC Executive Director Marcel Acosta, Mendelson.
The National Capital Planning Commission was honored with the Regional Partnership Award for co-hosting a meeting with COG in July between senior Obama Administration officials and local elected officials to discuss how leaders at all levels of government can work together on issues ranging from traffic congestion and transit funding to environmental protection and affordable housing. Moving forward, COG and NCPC are seeking opportunities on a number of those issues to build stronger federal-regional partnership.
COG’s Corporate Officers for 2010 were also named at the Luncheon. Greenbelt Mayor Judith F. Davis will serve as COG President. Alexandria Mayor William Euille and District of Columbia City Administrator Neil Albert will serve as Vice Presidents. City of Fairfax Councilmember Daniel Drummond will serve as Secretary-Treasurer.