COG held its Annual Meeting virtually on December 9, bringing together area elected officials and cross-sector partners to acknowledge the extraordinary challenges faced by the region in 2020 and to recognize the outstanding leaders who worked tirelessly in their communities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COG President and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall and COG Board Chair and Prince George’s County Council Member Derrick L. Davis led the meeting.
“It was incredibly reassuring to see how in the weeks leading up to the pandemic, COG’s network was fully activated and in service to the region,” said Davis. “This regionwide activation continues to this day, supporting our local and state efforts to combat this dangerous disease.”
Learn more about the region’s work together in 2020 to address COVID-19, advance equity, and plan for the future through the words of 11 local leaders—Derrick Davis, Phyllis Randall, Christian Dorsey, Kelly Russell, Charles Allen, Penny Gross, Dr. Travis Gayles, Mark Belton, Mark Jinks, and Karla Bruce—and COG Executive Director Chuck Bean.
Randall thanked COG’s board and committee chairs for their commitment to regional partnership and problem-solving throughout the year, while Davis praised the work of city and county managers, public information officers, homeland security and public safety officials, chief procurement officers, among others, who have helped the region rise to meet this moment of crisis.
“We’ve come together…to help one another,” said Randall, “We’re talking to senior citizens through doors and windows so they won’t be alone, we’re wearing masks to protect ourselves and other people, we’re thanking our healthcare providers and our first responders, and we’re also realizing that so many other people who we never really thought of before as essential workers are essential...We’re really seeing one another this year.”
Health Officials Receive Special Impact Award
During the program, COG recognized the region’s health officials with a special Regional Impact Award, for their laser focus in keeping communities safe, and their commitment to coordinating across borders.
“Through their work on COG’s Health Officials Committee, they helped pave the way for a stronger response to the COVID pandemic,” said Randall.
Dr. Travis Gayles, COG Health Officials Committee Co-Chair and Montgomery County Health Officer, accepted the award on behalf of the committee.
COG also acknowledged area food assistance efforts through a donation to the Capital Area Food Bank, and pledged to partnering more closely to address food insecurity, a reality for many residents in the region.
Looking Ahead to 2021
During the business section of the meeting, COG elected its corporate officers for 2021: President Muriel Bowser, Vice Presidents Nancy Navarro and Ann Wheeler, and Secretary-Treasurer Rodney Lusk. COG Board Officers for 2021 will be selected at the January COG Board of Directors meeting.
According to Davis, one challenge of the year ahead will be to apply what has been learned from COVID-19 and the resulting economic recession and quality of life impacts.
COG previewed its forthcoming analyses on the regional impacts of COVID-19 in the areas of health, the economy, transportation, and the environment, a resource for decisionmakers in 2021.
Davis also noted there is much more to be done to ensure the region’s more equitable and resilient future. COG took significant steps forward in this area in 2020 by adopting equity as fundamental value and hosting a series of town hall discussions with the Transportation Planning Board on the topic.
In 2021, regional priorities will include embarking on the next long-range transportation plan, Visualize 2045, advancing new initiatives on Fair Housing and reducing and eliminating homelessness, and fostering more integrated metropolitan planning, especially in regards to combatting climate change.