WASHINGTON — When the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments gets to work next year, the first thing it’s expected to do is approve proposed board leaders who are all African-American. And, the Council of Government’s 2019 Corporate Officers who were approved earlier this week, are also all women.
“Isn’t that amazing? So, the leadership is female,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Earlier this week, Alsobrooks was elected president of the 2019 Council of Governments’ Corporate Officers.
This is an historic @MWCOG leadership panel! For the first time, all Board Officers nominees are African American and all Corporate Officer nominees are women. This speaks to the diversity and inclusion of our region and it makes me very proud. pic.twitter.com/WWfK1gV3vu
— Robert C. White, Jr. (@RobertWhite_DC) December 13, 2018
Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart is the panel’s secretary-treasurer. Sharing vice president duties are D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Phyllis Randall, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair at-large.
Randall added that members of the panel are already friends, making for easier communication and collaboration when it boils down to decision-making.
“COG has a $60 million budget and about $35 million of that is pass-through money — grants and things like that,” Randall said. “So it’s important to have those collaborations and those discussions and those relationships.”
Randall’s Chief of Staff, Bo Machayo said that women leadership across the region can bring about a new level of solution, support and collaboration.
Randall agrees, adding: “It will be such a positive collaborative effort between D.C., Maryland and Virginia. I’m very excited.”
The theme of collaboration was widely embraced by newly elected officials who joined COG for the first time at the group’s annual membership meeting last Wednesday.
Alsobrooks told those gathered that leaders in this “powerhouse region” don’t necessarily need to agree on everything. But, they should be committed to working together to offer residents a uniform standard of transportation, infrastructure and quality of life.
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. But, if you want to go far, go together,” Alsobrooks said, reciting an African proverb with a message she believes applies to area leaders. “I believe it is a time for us to continue to go together and I believe we grow and we continue to benefit from it,” Alsobrooks said.
COG’s Corporate Officers preside over the general membership annual meeting. The president and secretary-treasurer also review COG’s financial affairs and budget.
COG’s Board Officers lead the group’s Board of Directors that is responsible for its overall policies.
The 2019 COG Board Officers nominees will be voted on at the January 9th COG Board of Directors meeting.
The nominees include Chairman Robert White, who is on the D.C. Council; Vice Chairmen Derrick L. Davis of the Prince George’s County Council; and Christian Dorsey of the Arlington County Board.
