At its Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Luncheon today, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) presented its three highest honors to area public and private sector leaders. Arlington County Board Member Libby Garvey, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority CEO Monica Backmon, and the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, represented by Director Catherine Buell, were each recognized for their service and contributions to the region.
Arlington County Board Member Libby Garvey received the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award
In addition to serving her local community, Libby Garvey has been an active participant at the regional level—offering her time and energy on a wide variety of subjects, including homeland security, water quality, and transportation. Garvey first became involved with COG when she joined its National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council in 2004. Since then, she has served as chair of the Region Forward Coalition, a group focused on advancing COG’s vision plan, where she held in-depth discussions on inclusive growth and advancing racial equity. Garvey also led COG’s Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee, which addresses regional water quality issues, and she is a member of COG’s Food and Agriculture Regional Member Policy Committee, which supports efforts to build a resilient, connected food and farm economy.
“Libby is known for consistently creating spaces and opportunities at COG where ideas and thoughts can flow freely,” said District of Columbia Councilmember Robert White, who presented Garvey with the award. “By helping area leaders build bonds and learn from each other, she’s helped shape a better region.”
The Scull Award is presented to a local, state, or federal elected official serving a COG member jurisdiction. It is presented in the memory of Elizabeth and David Scull, two former Montgomery County Councilmembers who were strong supporters of COG and regional cooperation.
Northern Virginia Transportation Authority CEO Monica Backmon received the Ronald F. Kirby Award for Collaborative Leadership
As CEO of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, Monica Backmon is responsible for the long-range planning, prioritization, and funding of the Northern Virginia region’s most significant transportation projects. In this position, she has leveraged inter-jurisdictional collaboration to build consensus around the region’s priorities,
“Under Monica’s leadership at NVTA, Northern Virginia has had a fierce advocate for additional state transportation funding. She’s developed aggressive, competitive funding programs to transform our transportation networks across Northern Virginia and ensure our region and its economy keeps moving for our residents,” said Loudoun County Board Chair and COG Board Member Phyllis Randall, who presented the award.
Backmon also led the creation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Working Group to initiate collaboration between planners across Northern Virginia to support the development of a regional BRT system, building the potential to link COG Equity Emphasis Areas (EEAs) and rural communities to activity and employment centers otherwise not accessible via public transit.
The Kirby Award honors area government executives who work collaboratively with elected officials, stakeholders, and their communities to shape a better region. The award is presented in the memory of Ron Kirby, COG’s Transportation Planning Director from 1987 to 2013.
Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund, represented by Director Catherine Buell, received the Stuart A. Freudberg Award for Regional Partnership
Since launching its Housing Equity Fund in 2021, Amazon has already committed nearly $1 billion in funding to support the development and preservation of diverse and accessible affordable housing across the metropolitan Washington region.
Led by Catherine Buell, the Amazon Housing Equity Fund has partnered with several local jurisdictions and Metro on projects that will preserve and produce affordably-priced housing near transit and advance COG’s regional housing targets for 2030. The fund also provided financial support to help COG create a new Housing Affordability Planning Program (HAPP), which awarded $656,000 in grants in 2022 to jumpstart 10 local planning initiatives and development projects.
“Catherine’s tenure as Director of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund is characterized by the same values that drive our own work to achieve COG’s regional housing targets. This is because we are united by a vision of what our region can look like when all are provided the tools and opportunity needed to succeed,” said COG Board Chair and Arlington County Vice Chair Christian Dorsey.
The Freudberg Award recognizes organizations or individuals that provided leadership in support of regional policies or programs endorsed by COG. This is the second year the award has been presented, created in memory of Stuart A. Freudberg, who in his 40-year career at COG, served in several leadership positions in the organization, including Deputy Executive Director from 2014 to 2020.
Prince William Board Chair Ann Wheeler elected COG Corporate President
Board members also elected COG’s corporate officers for 2023. Prince William Board Chair Ann Wheeler was elected Corporate President, District of Columbia Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. and Charles County Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II were elected as Corporate Vice-Presidents, and City of Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor was elected as Secretary-Treasurer.