The VAPDC’s Board of Directors and Executive Directors held a joint summer meeting earlier this month in Lynchburg. The meeting featured insightful presentations and discussions on resiliency in Virginia, and on energy supply and demand. Thanks to our speakers, which included the state’s new Chief Resiliency Officer, the chair of Resilient Virginia and representatives from Appalachian Power. We also had a thoughtful discussion by the Board and Executive Directors about the value of planning district commissions. On the business side of things, the annual business meeting was held. Dwayne Tuggle (CVPDC) will continue as President for this coming year and Mike Hankins (CRC) will remain First Vice President. Chip Boyles (GWRC) will serve as 2^nd Vice President, while new Board members are Tom Tanner (Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors) and Jeremy Holmes (RVARC). The Board of Directors also held a brief meeting following the annual business meeting.

Several VAPDC awards have been presented in the past several weeks. Bob Crum, executive director at the Hampton Roads PDC, received the Gordon Dixon Award at a late July meeting of the Hampton Roads Caucus. The President’s Award was presented to Gary Christie, retired executive director of the Central Virginia PDC, at the summer meeting in Lynchburg. Finally, retired state senator Emmett Hanger received a Lifetime Legislative Achievement Award for his nearly 40 years of public service to the state. The award was presented at this week’s meeting of the Central Shenandoah PDC.