At its annual membership and awards luncheon, COG presented Falls Church Vice Mayor David Snyder with its highest honor, the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award. The award is presented annually to an elected official for outstanding service to residents of the metropolitan Washington region.

At its annual membership and awards luncheon, COG presented Falls Church Vice Mayor David Snyder with its highest honor, the Elizabeth and David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award. The award is presented annually to an elected official for outstanding service to residents of the metropolitan Washington region.

Snyder, who serves as chairman of the region’s Transportation Planning Board (TPB), was recognized for his work in bringing regional leaders and citizens together to forge consensus on transportation issues as well as his advocacy for increasing transportation funding and studying new ways to finance projects. Under his leadership, the TPB hosted an event in May that included over 80 TPB members, stakeholders, and citizens for an in-depth discussion on setting long-range transportation priorities, which had been requested by the TPB’s Citizen Advisory Committee.

“David Snyder has been supportive of major regional initiatives such as the TPB’s award-winning, TIGER project, a $59 million federal grant that will improve bus transit throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia,” said Kwame Brown, D.C. Council Chairman-Elect and COG Board Chairman. “On a day when we celebrate and promote regionalism, it is fitting that we honor him.”

The Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG) was honored with the Regional Partnership Award for its support and promotion of Region Forward, a comprehensive, new vision of shared goals and targets for the National Capital Region. WRAG was one of the first non-governmental organizations to officially endorse the vision, which has also been approved by all 21 local governments that participate at COG. WRAG has also partnered with COG on initiatives such as the Community Health Indicators Report for the D.C. region.

The COG Board appointed its corporate officers for leadership in 2011. William Euille, Alexandria Mayor, was elected President. Vincent Gray, District of Columbia Mayor-Elect, and Cathy Drzyzgula, Gaithersburg Council Member, will serve as COG Vice Presidents. Sheryl Bass, Manassas Council Member, will serve as Secretary-Treasurer.