Overview
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) is accepting nominations for the 2025 Regional Leadership Awards and Regional Achievement Awards. Awards will be presented during NARC’s 59th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Seattle, Washington on June 10, 2025.
Please read all of the award information below before submitting an award nomination. You are able to submit multiple nominations, but please complete a new form for each nomination. All nominations are due at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, April 18, 2025. Thank you for your contribution!
Regional Leadership Awards
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) is accepting nominations for the 2025 Regional Leadership Awards. Awards will be presented at an awards event during NARC’s 59th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Seattle, Washington on June 10, 2025.
NARC Leadership Awards are presented to one (1) regional leader in each of the following categories:
- The Walter Scheiber Award recognizes significant impacts an executive director has made at the local, state, and national levels.
- The Tom Bradley Award recognizes the leadership and excellence of an elected or appointed official in advocating for regional concepts, approaches, and programs at any level of government.
- The NARC President’s Award recognizes the leadership and excellence of any person or organization in advocating for regional concepts, approaches, and programs at any level of the regional community.
Walter Scheiber Award
The Walter Scheiber Award recognizes the significant impacts an executive director has made at the local, state, and national levels. Candidates must demonstrate professional and executive management excellence in carrying out regional concepts, approaches, and programs.
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must be the executive director of a NARC member in good standing with a minimum of ten (10) years of service in a top management position (and a minimum of five years at the executive director level). Nominations must be made by a NARC member executive director or elected or appointed official. This award is not intended as recognition for executive directors who are retiring.
Selection Criteria
Walter Scheiber Award nominations will be judged on:
- Stature among peers and fellow regional council or MPO professionals
- Quality of service to the member regional council or MPO
- Contribution to a state association
- Contribution to regional efforts at the local, state, and/or national levels
- Participation in, and contribution to, the causes of NARC
Tom Bradley Award
The Tom Bradley Award recognizes the leadership excellence of an elected or appointed official in advocating regional concepts, approaches, and programs.
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must be an elected or appointed official from a NARC member in good standing. Nominations must come from a NARC member executive director or an elected or appointed official. This award is not intended as recognition for elected or appointed officials who are retiring.
Selection Criteria
Tom Bradley Award nominations will be judged on:
- Stature in public service
- Quality of service to their NARC member organization
- Contribution to regional efforts at the local, state, and/or national levels
- Participation in, and contribution to, the causes of NARC
NARC President’s Award
The NARC President’s Award recognizes leadership and excellence in advocating regional concepts, approaches, and programs at any level of the regional community.
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must be an elected or appointed official, executive director, or staff member from a NARC member in good standing; member of Congress; or corporate or association partner (at the NARC President’s discretion). This award may be used as recognition for elected or appointed officials or executive directors who are retiring.
Selection Criteria
NARC President’s Award nominations will be judged on:
- The nominee’s contributions to their region and community
- The extent to which the nominee’s time and dedication has provided benefit to the regional community
- The quality and uniqueness of one or more services to members
- Contribution to regional efforts at the local, state, and national level
- Participation in, and contribution to, the causes of NARC
Application Instructions
Applications must be submitted by Friday April 18, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET via this form: https://forms.office.com/r/7tC3XFxRQG. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Complete applications must include:
- A brief narrative outlining the reasons the nominated individual is deserving of the award. The narrative should address the selection criteria for the specific award and should be no more than 1,000 words.
- A professional resume (or equivalent biography) for the nominee.
Regional Achievement Awards
About the Awards
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) is accepting nominations for the 2025 Regional Achievement Awards. Awards will be presented at an awards event during NARC’s 59th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Seattle, Washington on June 10, 2025.
Regional Achievement awards are presented annually to recognize excellence in programs and services of regional councils, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and other regional organizations across the country.
Regional Achievement Awards recognize regional programs in the following categories:
- The Major Metro Award recognizes programs from regions with populations of 1 million and above.
- The Medium Metro Award recognizes programs from regions with populations between 250,000 and 1 million.
- The Rural Award recognizes programs from regions with populations below 250,000.
Eligibility
Nominees must be a member or group of members in good standing with NARC. State associations of regional councils or MPOs may apply as the nominee if the association is a NARC member and/or all the regional councils or MPOs of that state association are NARC members.
- Major Metro Award applicants must have populations of 1 million and above.
- Medium Metro Award applicants must have populations between 250,000 and 1 million.
- Rural Award applicants must have populations below 250,000.
Selection Criteria
Regional Achievement Award nominations will be judged on:
- Significance of the program or project in promoting and exemplifying regional cooperation and coordination and/d/d/or regional excellence
- Innovation in concept or approach
- Impact of program or project on the region
- Involvement of private and civic sectors
- Originality, duplicability, and quality of the program or project
Application Instructions
Applications must be submitted by Friday April 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET via this form: https://forms.office.com/r/7tC3XFxRQG. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Complete applications must include:
- A brief narrative (no more than 1,000 words) outlining the reasons the nominated program is deserving of the award. The narrative should address the selection criteria above.
- 1-2 PowerPoint slides and/or a 20-second video highlighting the project or program, to be used during the awards ceremony if the program or project is selected for an award.
Incomplete entrees will be disqualified.
Selection process and Application Material Use
Award applications will be reviewed by the Programs Committee. Their decisions will be considered final. All entries that meet the deadline and selection criteria become the property of the National Association of Regional Councils.
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