Washington, D.C. (January 11, 2017) – The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) today elected District of Columbia Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie as its chairman for 2017.
McDuffie, who has served on the board since 2013, told his colleagues that securing sustainable, dedicated funding to help restore Metro to a world-class system will continue to be a top priority for the regional body comprised of officials from the District, Maryland, and Virginia.
“We are committed to doing our part to support our most vital regional asset and ensure that Metro is safe, reliable, and in a state of good repair,” McDuffie said.
McDuffie referenced COG’s work on Metro in 2016, including an interim report by a panel of city and county managers in October that analyzed performance metrics for Metro, funding needs, and the economic value of the system to the region. The next report of the panel is scheduled for this spring.
To help develop strategies for a regional approach to secure dedicated funding for Metro, McDuffie said COG will be convening a strategy group of elected officials.
Loudoun County Supervisor Matthew Letourneau and Prince George’s County Council Chairman Derrick L. Davis were elected as vice chairmen of the board.
Letourneau has served on the board since 2012 and was the COG Corporate President in 2014. Davis has served on the board since 2016.
The Board of Directors is COG’s governing body and is responsible for its overall policies, functions, and funds. Board members are appointed each year by the participating local governments and by caucuses of state legislative delegations from the region.
In addition to the board, a wide network of committees, partnerships, and programs advance COG’s regional work. Every month, more than a thousand officials and experts come to COG to make connections, share information, and develop solutions to the region’s major challenges.
Founded in 1957, COG is an independent, nonprofit association of 23 local governments. With a budget of $45 million, COG is supported by financial contributions from its member governments, federal and state grants and contracts, and donations from foundations and the private sector.