Regular Features: Social Media Updates | Upcoming Events/Meetings Coalition Kicks Off Next Phase of Region Forward Initiative
NARC Elects Gross, Tejada to Leadership Posts
News Channel 8 Features Community Energy Planning, CEEPC Report
COG Fire Chiefs Promote Fireworks Safety
Commuter Connections Honors Area Businesses
The Region Available for Download
To view this content on the Region Forward web site, click here. Click title to view agenda and other information. To view the complete Events Calendar, including special events and meetings of policy and technical committees, click here. July 13: COG Board of Directors For more than 50 years, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, known as COG, has helped develop solutions to issues of regional importance. COG is an independent, nonprofit association comprised of elected officials from 21 local governments, members of the Maryland and Virginia legislatures, and members of the U.S. Congress. The Metropolitan Memo is sent to COG’s membership of over 250 local, state and federal elected officials as well as regional stakeholders and citizens. To be added to the Metro Memo subscription list or make changes to your subscription, please contact Steve Kania.
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Creating the Region Forward vision was hard work. Using Region Forward to measure progress, prioritize needs, and jumpstart projects will be an even more challenging endeavor. This important next phase of the initiative will be led by the Region Forward Coalition, which met for the first time on June 10 at George Mason University’s Arlington campus. At the meeting, RFC members learned about Complete Community Priorities, a planning concept that will help them identify important needs for Regional Centers. They also took part in a panel discussion on a new transit-oriented, affordable housing initiative, an example of the kind of project the RFC hopes to spark through new public-private partnerships. The RFC is a diverse group of local, state and federal government officials, business and nonprofit leaders, and advocates. Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Eric Olson will serve as Chair of the Coalition. Arlington County Board Member Mary Hynes and District of Columbia Planning Director Harriet Tregoning will serve as the group’s Vice Chairs. For the latest news on Region Forward, 
Two COG Board members have been elected to leadership posts at the National Association of Regional Councils. Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross was elected Senior Vice President of the NARC Board of Directors, which puts her in line to become the NARC Board President. Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada was elected to represent District III of NARC, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Tejada replaces Gross who previously served as District III representative. NARC represents more than 230 regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations in the United States and is the national voice for regionalism. 
Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette, who is also Chairman of COG’s Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy Committee, and COG Environmental Planner Jeff King discussed the benefits of community energy planning (also known as district energy) on News Channel 8 after the June COG Board meeting. Fisette delivered a progress report on the region's climate and energy action plan at the meeting. District energy is one of the strategies CEEPC has examined to reduce energy costs and limit greenhouse gas emissions. To view the story, 
In advance of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, fire officials from the metropolitan Washington region conducted a fireworks safety news conference and safety demonstration at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy on June 23. They also announced the You Light It…We’ll Write It! regional campaign, which will target individuals who use illegal fireworks. For more information as well as stories by NBC4 and Patch , 
On June 28, Commuter Connections held its annual Employer Recognition Awards at the National Press Club and honored The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., B. F. Saul Company, and Clean Currents for promoting sustainable commuting choices for their employees. For more information on the award winners,
The Region: Annual Review of Transportation Issues in the Washington Metropolitan Region was released this month and is available for download on the COG web site. This year's edition features articles on the region's long-range transportation plan update, the development of regional transportation priorities, and a bold scenario that examined the impact of more concentrated growth, superb bus transit, and lots of toll lanes. To download the report, 
RegionForward.org has plenty of content from the Coalition Kickoff, including photos, a blog post on a transit-oriented, affordable housing initiative discussed at the meeting, and a video of the keynote speech by Barbara McCann of the National Complete Streets Coalition.