Washington, D.C. – At the September 3 commencement ceremony for this year’s graduating class of the Institute for Regional Excellence (IRE), Alexandria City Manager Jim Hartmann was presented with the 2009 Visionary Leadership Award. Every year, the Institute’s graduating class chooses a regional leader to honor with the award.

The IRE is a collaborative effort of The George Washington University and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) to train local government managers how to effectively advance regional cooperation and increase their exposure to innovation in local government.  

Hartmann has served as Alexandria’s City Manager since January 2005. As the chief administrative officer of a city with more than 140,000 residents, he is responsible for overseeing a budget of more than $500 million and a workforce of more than 2,500 employees. 

In addition to his multitude of duties as City Manager, Hartmann is also an active participant in COG’s Chief Administrative Officers Committee.  In this role, Hartmann and his colleagues provide leadership and share ideas on a number of regional issues, including emergency preparedness, homeland security, transportation, and environmental planning.

Dr. Jacqueline Brown, former Chief Administrative Officer for Prince George’s County, presented the award to Hartmann and said that “he is, by working together with other regional leaders, helping enhance the quality of life in his community and the entire region.”