Coalition for Smarter Growth 20th Anniversary Celebration

[box]     

business attire

The Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award event is our primary fundraiser of the year, and the reception is known for attracting a highly-engaged and diverse mix of regional leaders in development, conservation, architecture, planning, housing, and local government.

Our 2017 event is of special significance, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary and two decades of progress. To mark our milestone, our reception will take place in the grand art deco space at Historic Terminal A at Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, fittingly within a five-minute walk of a Metro station. We’ll honor the recipients of our 2017 Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award and our Sanders-Henn Community Hero Award, as well the founding members who launched the Coalition for Smarter Growth two decades ago.

Please join us for an evening celebrating with cocktails and conversation, as we reflect on our progress and look ahead.

[/box]

[box]
[line]
[pretty][/pretty]

Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson

2017 Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award winner

Casey Anderson, Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board, is the 2017 Prince Livable Communities Leadership Award honoree. Anderson stands out for his vision, commitment and successful implementation of smart growth in support of the county’s economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and quality of life.

Anderson and his staff have advanced progressive master plans in Downtown Bethesda, Lyttonsville, Westbard, and White Oak as well as landmark changes to the county’s Subdivision Staging (growth) Policy to encourage development near transit and to reform the system of payments developers make to support public infrastructure.

Anderson has championed the preservation of an underground tunnel for the Capital Crescent Trail as part of the Purple Line, investment in urban parks and affordable housing, and focused development in Bethesda and other transit-oriented centers to attract and retain major employers such as Marriott. He also has been a strong advocate for reduced parking minimums and support for biking, walking, and transit.

Anderson has served on the boards of several non-profits, including the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, the Woodside Civic Association, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board. He lives in Silver Spring with his wife and two children, and in his spare time enjoys mountain biking, coaching high school debate, and volunteering with the Boy Scouts.

The Prince Livable Community Leadership Award is bestowed annually on the Washington area individual or individuals who have made a particularly significant contribution to smart growth in the Washington region. Past award winners include Montgomery County Councilmember Roger Berliner, former Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada, Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly, former District of Columbia Office of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning, West*Group founder Jerry Halpin, and former Federal Realty Vice President Evan Goldman.

Frederick and Diana Prince championed the formation of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, and – through the Prince Charitable Trusts – have supported a network of smart growth, conservation, and social equity non-profits for over two decades, encouraging their collaboration and mutual success. Their investment in community organizations has contributed to the revitalization of the District of Columbia, protection of the region’s environment, stronger affordable housing policies, and one of the most successful smart growth movements in the nation – linking preservation of the countryside with urban revitalization and walkable, transit-oriented communities.

[line]

[pretty]

[/pretty]

Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller

2017 Sanders-Henn Community Hero Award winner

Christopher G. Miller, the President of the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), is this year’s Sanders-Henn awardee. Miller is a visionary and strategic leader, and a coalition builder and mentor, responsible for tremendous progress in smart growth and conservation in the DC region. A founder of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) and a founding Co-Chair and Steering Committee member of the Choose Clean Water Coalition, he also serves on the boards of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, the Virginia Conservation Network, the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership. He also is a member of the Land Trust Alliance Leadership Council.

As President of PEC, Miller leads regional work on smart growth, county comprehensive planning, transportation, land conservation, habitat restoration, natural resources protection, historic preservation, rural economics, and energy.  Within the Piedmont region, PEC works to educate, engage, and empower communities to work on Smart Growth at a variety of scales from rural villages such as Washington and Marshall to Mainstreet communities such as Culpeper, Warrenton, Leesburg, and Middleburg, and urban areas such as the City of Charlottesville and areas of Loudoun planned for Transit Oriented Development along the Silver Line.

He first worked for PEC as coordinator of the successful campaign that challenged Disney’s America development proposal, after which he co-founded CSG to lead a coalition of conservation groups successfully advocating for a more sustainable model for regional growth. Prior to joining PEC, he was the Assistant Director for Federal Affairs at the Surface Transportation Policy Project, a national transportation non-profit based in Washington DC. Until 1993, he was an Associate with the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, P. C. Mr. Miller also worked for the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Environmental Law Institute. He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and B.A. with honors in Environmental Studies from Williams College. Chris is married to Catherine Anthony and has two daughters, Caroline and Claire.

The Sanders-Henn Community Hero Award honors local residents who demonstrate records of service and dedication to their community and make outstanding contributions to smart growth in the region. This annual award is named in honor of two of the smart growth community’s greatest volunteer advocates, Harry Sanders and Carl Henn, both of whom passed in 2010.

[clear][/box]

[box]

[clear][/box]