WASHINGTON, DC – The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announced today that two of its members – Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross and Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada – were elected to leadership posts on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC).

NARC serves as the national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC represents more than 230 regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations in the United States.

Supervisor Gross was elected Senior Vice President of the NARC Board of Directors, which puts her in line to become the NARC Board President. Board member Tejada was elected to represent District III of NARC, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Tejada replaces Gross who served as District III Representative on the Board prior to her election as its Senior Vice President. Both Supervisor Gross and Board Member Tejada currently serve on the COG Board of Directors.

“It is becoming clear that local boundaries matter less in a globalized world. Competing in that world today requires regional cooperation. That’s what NARC is about and that’s why I am eager to serve as the Board’s Senior Vice President,” said Gross.

“The region I have been elected to represent – District III – is one of the most economically and ethnically diverse areas of the country. That presents both challenges and opportunities. I look forward to representing our region on the NARC Board of Directors,” said Tejada.

Gross and Tejada plan to reach out to regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations in District III to foster improved collaboration among NARC members and to recruit additional members to join NARC.