COG Board of Directors

2026 COG Board Officers

COG Board Chair Reuben Collins, II (Charles County), COG Board Vice Chair Charles Allen (District of Columbia), and COG Board Vice Chair Alyia Gaskins (City of Alexandria)

The Board of Directors is the Council of Governments’ governing body and is responsible for its overall policies and the approval of its work program and budget. The board takes action on committee recommendations, discusses current and emerging regional problems, and develops priorities and focus areas for the organization.

Board members are appointed each year by COG’s local governments and representatives from the Maryland and Virginia state legislative delegations. The current board consists of 34 members—the majority are elected officials.

Board meetings are held at noon on the second Wednesday of most months. Meetings are open to the public, and representatives from the media frequently attend.

The following groups serve as the COG Board's policy committees:

To learn more about the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, read the COG By-Laws. 

Watch our video to learn more about COG, our network of leaders, and our regional planning work and programs.

 

Featured Documents

View Documents
  • Letters/Memos

    COG Executive Director's Report

    Mar 4, 2026

    The Executive Director's Report provides the COG Board of Directors with a brief summary of policy board and committee work, outreach efforts, and media highlights. 

  • Other Documents

    COG By-Laws

    Feb 19, 2026

    By-Laws of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Last revision: February 2026.

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    Publications

    COG Annual Report

    Feb 11, 2026

    In 2025, the Council of Governments drove regional progress through bold partnerships. Key achievements included endorsing the DMVMoves transit vision and addressing federal workforce reductions. COG also strengthened public safety coordination and finalized Visualize 2050, the region's federally mandated, metropolitan transportation plan. These initiatives support a resilient, accessible, and sustainable future for all residents and member jurisdictions across metropolitan Washington.

    Learn more about this collaborative work and how COG is building on these initiatives in 2025 in COG's annual report and corresponding video.

    Visit the Member Benefits web page for a brochure on COG's programs and services.

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    Publications

    Member Benefits

    Feb 11, 2026

    Brochure highlights COG’s wide range of programs and services for its member governments, partner organizations, and the public.

    Visit the Annual Report web page to review the past year's accomplishments.

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    Publications

    COG Legislative Priorities

    Jan 14, 2026

    The legislative priorities approved by the COG Board of Directors focus on supporting the region’s transportation funding, housing, water quality, climate and energy innovation, air quality, human services, emergency preparedness, and infrastructure investment.

     

  • Publications

    COG Work Program and Budget

    Jun 11, 2025

    COG's Work Program and Budget is transmitted through the COG Board of Directors' Budget and Finance Committee for review and approval or modification by the board. It highlights recent accomplishments and goals, both in summary and by program, offering an overview of the great value of COG's work along with COG's spending plan. 

     

  • Publications

    COG Board Member Handbook

    Feb 7, 2024

    The COG Board Member Handbook includes key documents about COG and its governance, including an organizational chart, committee descriptions, media protocol, policy guidelines, and more.

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    Publications

    Region United Framework Document

    Mar 9, 2022

    Report on the COG Board of Directors planning framework for 2030. The framework provides short summaries on the following four priorities: Equity Emphasis Areas (EEAs), High-Capacity Transit Station Areas (HCTs), 2030 Regional Housing Targets, and the 2030 Climate Goal. It also highlights COG grants, technical assistance, planning tools, and other resources  available to its members to advance these shared regional goals.  

    For the latest news, updates, and resources related to the framework, visit the Region United landing page.

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    Publications

    Region Forward Vision

    Jan 28, 2010

    Region Forward is COG's vision. It's a commitment by COG and its member governments, who together seek to create a more prosperous, accessible, livable, and sustainable metropolitan Washington. Region Forward includes goals, targets, and the Greater Washington 2050 Compact, a voluntary agreement to motivate area governments and stakeholders to advance the vision. The Region Forward Coalition tracks progress toward meeting these goals and targets and summarizes the results in progress reports. For the latest information on the vision and its goals and targets, visit the Region Forward page.