Loudoun County Administrator Tim Hemstreet was presented with the 2018 Visionary Leadership Award from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) Institute for Regional Excellence (IRE) on October 12. Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz was honored with the 2018 Inspiring Leader Award.

The awards recognize top local government officials for their outstanding contributions and dedication to the region, their home jurisdictions, and the IRE program. The awards were presented during the IRE graduation ceremony for 31 new Certified Public Managers. IRE, in partnership with George Washington University, offers a graduate-level Certified Public Manager training program. More than 350 participants have completed the program to date.

Hemstreet serves as Chairman and Schwartz as a member of the COG Homeland Security Executive Committee, which helps local jurisdictions prepare for emergencies and sets priorities for spending the region’s share of federal homeland security funding. Additionally, both Hemstreet and Schwartz serve on COG’s Chief Administrative Officers Committee, where they work with city and county managers from local governments to address regional challenges.