FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Columbus, OH (June 14, 2022) – The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) presented its 2022 Achievement and Leadership Awards today during an awards ceremony held at the NARC 56th Annual Conference & Exhibition.
“I am so pleased and so proud as President of NARC to be able to celebrate these achievements in regional cooperation, excellence, and leadership,” said NARC President Bob Cannon, Supervisor of Clinton Township, Michigan and former chair of Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. “What greater honor is there than to be able to recognize the valuable contributions of my colleagues.”
Eleven projects received 2022 Achievement Awards and four regional leaders received 2022 Leadership Awards. More information about this year’s recipients can be found below.
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Eastgate Regional Council of Governments | Eastgate Regional Broadband Feasibility Study
In June of 2021, the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments (Eastgate) accepted the completed Regional Broadband Feasibility Study that would serve as the roadmap towards addressing the issues that plague high-speed connectivity in the region while also promoting the modernization of broadband infrastructure to ensure competitiveness in a fast-changing and ever-evolving global landscape.
East Texas Council of Governments | Rural, Set, Go! Workforce Strategy Public Forum Series
Rural, Set, Go! is an intentional strategy to engage community leaders, business leaders, and community members in candid conversations about the factors that influence their local workforce and economic development needs, particularly in-demand skills as identified by the community employers.
Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission | In Recognition of the Miami Valley Disaster Recovery Leadership
Following a series of disastrous storms in 2019 the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) MVRPC was asked and agreed to become the designated leader of the Long-Term Community Disaster Recovery Network, helping the impacted counties, cities, townships and villages across the region create a plan for recovery and resiliency.
Region 1 Planning Council | R1 Land Bank
The R1 Land Bank exists to effectively aggregate parcels of land for future sale or development, while fostering municipal collaboration and supporting community goals. Hundreds of legally abandoned sit at length, often years, vacant and deteriorating. Through the land bank, vacant properties may be acquired and returned to market at a higher value putting an end to the vicious cycle of declining equalized assessed valuations and abandoned properties in communities.
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission with Lehigh County, Pennsylvania | Lehigh Valley Jobs & Housing Support Initiative
Immediately following closures from the COVID-19 Pandemic Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) alongside Lehigh County, went to work to quantify the vulnerabilities as a first step in beginning to address what quickly became a jobs and housing crisis. Within weeks on the shutdowns, the mayors of the region’s three cities, Bethlehem, Allentown and Easton joined the roundtable with Lehigh County and LVPC to start needed problem-solving.
Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization | Miami-Dade TPO SMART STEP Program
The Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Urban Mobility Task Force & Non-Urban Core Task Force were created to focus on addressing bicycle and pedestrian mobility challenges in Miami-Dade County. As a result, the SMART STEP (Street Transportation Enhancements Program) was created to facilitate interagency coordination, innovation, and accelerated implementation of pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects that increase connectivity and enhance safety.
Puget Sound Regional Council | PSRC’s Equity Program
PSRC’s goal is to advance racial equity to ensure that the region’s vision for a prosperous and healthy future is possible for all people in the region. Recognizing that this is not available to everyone, PSRC set out to change this with its new Equity Program. PSRC’s Equity Program offers several innovations as they are taking an entirely new approach to equity in their work.
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments | Southeast Michigan Electric Vehicle (EV) Resource Kit and Planning Hub
The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) developed the Southeast Michigan EV Resource Kit and Planning Hub as a one-stop destination which provides local communities and stakeholders with quick access to key data and background information on EVs and EV infrastructure; the current status of infrastructure and deployment; community zoning and planning ordinances; funding opportunities; and local case studies and best practices. The primary goal of this resource is to assist stakeholders and communities across the region and state to most effectively prepare for and support the adoption of EVs as well as in the deployment of EV charging infrastructure.
Alamo Area Council of Governments | Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape
The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape (CBSL) was designated as the first Sentinel Landscape in Texas, and one of only 10 in the nation. Sentinel Landscapes are areas in which natural and working lands are well suited to protect defense facilities from land use that is incompatible with the military’s mission. The purpose of the program is to focus and leverage federal resources on a landscape-scale natural resource conservation effort through a regional consortium of state and local governments, nonprofit conservation organizations, military installations, and regional Federal technical assistance offices.
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) | SCAG Housing Policy Leadership Academy
The SCAG Housing Policy Leadership Academy (HPLA) offers a 10-session online training for emerging and established community leaders who want to better understand how to advance policy solutions to increase the supply and availability of affordable housing. The program is open to elected officials, advocates, and community stakeholders in moving forward a pro-housing development agenda and empower leaders to make informed decisions. SCAG had an overwhelming response to the program.
Houston-Galveston Area Council | H-GAC Small Business Financial Assistance – Pandemic & Beyond
In 2020, as businesses struggled to remain afloat due to mandated closures, H-GAC worked to find solutions. Endeavoring to create new, nimble and responsive loan programs to meet small business needs, H-GAC leveraged its resources, connections, special ability to tap into various funding sources, and its existing framework. The pandemic spurred immediate action from the third largest county in the nation, Harris County, which would help pave the way for the creation of various loan programs in the region.
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
2022 WALTER SCHEIBER LEADERSHIP AWARD
Barry Seymour, Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Barry Seymour has served since 2006 as Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), one of the nation’s largest and most respected Metropolitan Planning Organizations. In his time at DVRPC, Mr. Seymour instituted the first municipal grant program for revitalization of urban neighborhoods and older suburban communities, created a growth management planning program for suburban communities, spearheaded the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Smart Transportation initiative, oversaw a regional food system plan, and is now directing efforts to improve energy efficiency and address climate change in the region. He is a recipient of the 2008 Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence.
2022 TOM BRADLEY LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Honorable Tom Johnson, Mayor of Village of Somerset, Ohio
Tom Johnson, Mayor of the Village of Somerset, is one of Appalachian Ohio’s leading public servants and a champion of community-led economic development. Mayor Johnson understands the region’s assets—its natural environment, its unique historic downtowns, and its entrepreneurial spirit. He also understands the importance of both working top-down and bottom-up and the power of working collaboratively to address the challenges and disparities faced by small communities like those in Appalachian Ohio.
The Honorable Rap Hankins, Council member, City of Trotwood
Mr. Rap Hankins is a well-known, well-respected leader at the local, regional, state and national levels. Mr. Hankins served as an elected Councilmember for the City of Trotwood, a Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) member community, for more than 16 years. Mr. Rap Hankins is a champion for regionalism in his role as a leader for multi-county racial equity, disaster recovery and environmental efforts. These are three separate efforts that are combined because of who Rap is –a leader, community activist, and a drum major for change in the Miami Valley. In total, he has dedicated more than 20 years toward leadership of regional initiatives led by or affiliated with MVRPC. There is no end in sight because Rap feels reenergized and feels he is accomplishing far more now as an unelected official toward the regional and state ideals that he has long championed.
2022 PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Lyle Wray, Executive Director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments
For over 40 years, he has been the model of an innovative public servant. As Executive Director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments, his leadership made an indelible and positive impact on the local, regional, state and bi-state regional levels that will reverberate for many years. Lyle’s work in Connecticut has been transformational for the region. With Lyle’s leadership, collaboration, and knowledge, we’ve seen positive changes in the “land of steady habits”. The region and the state are better for his contributions.
More information about NARC awards, conferences, and leadership contact Melissa Lowe, Melissa.Lowe@narc.org, or check out our website at www.NARC.org.
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About the National Association of Regional Councils
NARC serves as a national voice for regions by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve American communities – large and small, urban and rural.