Having worked closely with COG for many years and seeing first-hand the dedication that goes into your efforts, it was an honor to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors. I want to thank you all for the many collaborative achievements you made during a year of uncertainty and change.

Just some examples of how COG brought our region together include the launch of Talent Capital, a groundbreaking, AI-powered workforce resource tool. COG also continued to serve as a hub for information-sharing, hosting our first-ever regional workshop on AI and establishing new data dashboards, like our Regional Crime Dashboard as well as the DMV Monitor, a partnership with Brookings Metro, that tracks our region’s economic health.

In addition, the COG and WMATA Boards endorsed the DMVMoves Plan, outlining a unified vision and sustainable funding model for the region’s transit network. Additionally, the Transportation Planning Board at COG approved Visualize 2050, the region’s transportation plan that includes $297 billion in planned projects.

COG is the one place that brings together federal, state, and local officials, and partners in the private and nonprofit sectors, on issues that matter to everyone who calls our region home. I invite you to watch our short recap video, featuring highlights from the past year that covers the variety of our regional programs and projects, and I look forward to continuing this important work together in 2026.

Rodney Lusk
2025 COG Board Chair
Fairfax County Supervisor

MORE:

Learn about how regional leaders joined forces to develop Talent Capital

Read about the COG initiative to share federal workforce data with area officials as well as resources to help workers impacted by job cuts

Learn about how COG partnered with area law enforcement agencies to create the Regional Crime Dashboard