2010 Livable Communities Leadership Award Honors Harriet Tregoning
COALITION FOR SMARTER GROWTH
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2010
Contact: Stewart Schwartz
202.244.4408 ext. 121
Cell: 703.599.6437
2010 Livable Communities Leadership Award
Coalition Honors Harriet Tregoning, Director of the D.C. Office of Planning
Attendees include former Governor Glendening, leading smart growth developers, architects, conservation and civic leaders
WASHINGTON, DC – Last night at a special reception, the Coalition for Smarter Growth recognized Harriet Tregoning, Director of the D.C. Office of Planning, with its seventh annual Livable Communities Leadership Award. Former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening, President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, presented the award on behalf of the Coalition, recognizing Ms. Tregoning’s leadership in the District of Columbia and the Washington, D.C., Region.
The reception, held in the beautiful headquarters space donated by National Trust for Historic Preservation, attracted over 100 guests, to support the Coalition and Ms. Tregoning. Attendees included conservationists, civic activists, government leaders, mixed-use and transit-oriented developers, architects, planners and attorneys.
“Harriet Tregoning has a tremendous record of leadership in smart growth at the federal, state, regional and local levels of government,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “She is playing a leading role in making D.C. a walkable, bikeable, affordable, vibrant, globally competitive and sustainable city. At the same time, she has emerged as a regional leader in the development of the Council of Governments’ Greater Washington 2050 vision plan, and the region’s first bus priority corridor network.”
In his presentation of the award to Harriett, former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening stated, “What has always impressed me about Harriet is her ability to think ahead of everyone else, to see trends and make the connections, as she implements yet another set of ground-breaking initiatives.”
“As for the Coalition, I have long been impressed by the critical role it has played in the D.C. region ensuring that we keep moving forward with smart growth,” said Glendening. “Coalition members do it all, as policy experts, educators, advocates and communicators.”
“I am honored to receive this award from the Coalition,” said Tregoning, “The Washington, D.C. region has a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the federal livability/sustainability initiatives. The partnership assembled in this room tonight -- government, conservation, development, architecture and civic leaders -- has the power to ensure our region becomes the national leader in sustainable and equitable development.”
Accomplishments:
Harriet’s smart growth leadership spans federal, state and local government, and the non-profit sector:
Director of the Washington, D.C. Office of Planning: Harriet is making D.C. a walkable, bikeable, affordable, vibrant, globally competitive and sustainable city. Her commitment to public involvement and responsiveness to community concerns has helped to win support from residents for replanning, revitalization and transit. She is leading the complex city-wide revamping of its 1950s zoning code to a new code that supports walkable, vibrant communities.
Regional Leadership: Harriet is playing a central role in the crafting of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Greater Washington 2050 sustainability vision and in the development of growth and transportation scenarios to fight climate change. She spearheaded the development of the region’s first-ever bus priority corridor plan to compete for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) stimulus grant.
Record at the State and National Level: Harriet’s smart growth career includes serving as the director of Development, Community and Environment (the “Smart Growth Office”) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At EPA, Harriet helped to found and coordinate the National Smart Growth Network. She then served Maryland Governor Glendening as both Secretary of Planning and the nation's first state-level cabinet secretary for Smart Growth. In that role, she chaired a 15-member Smart Growth Sub-cabinet and coordinated key Smart Growth initiatives for revitalizing neighborhoods, historic preservation, increasing transit and transit-oriented development, implementing priority funding areas, promoting walkable communities, and preserving open space. Prior to her appointment in D.C., she directed the Governors’ Institute on Community Design and the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, co-founding the latter with former Maryland Governor Glendening.
Previous awardees include:
-- Congressman Gerry Connolly (2009), former Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
- Bob Peck (2008), former President of the Greater Washington Board of Trade
- Dan Tangherlini (2007), former City Administrator, former Director of DDOT, and Metro General Manager
- James O. Gibson (2006), longtime leader of advocacy for urban communities in the foundation, government and non-profit sectors
- Leslie Steen (2005), non-profit housing developer
- Chris Zimmerman (2004), Arlington County Board Member
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