Smart Growth America Leadership Awards

Photo Gallery: Smart Growth America's 2013 Leadership Awards

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Guests at Smart Growth America’s 2013 Leadership Awards cheered (literally!) for smart growth, as well as the three recipients of this year’s awards.

Progressive Insurance was honored for its Snapshot program, the most widely available usage-based auto insurance program on the market today. Mayor Laura McConwell and the City of Mission, Kansas were honored for their commitment to investing in infrastructure. And Mayor Randy Rhoads and the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri were honored for their focus on healthy, active transportation systems.

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Progressive Insurance receives Smart Growth America's first Leadership Award for Business

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Earlier this week we announced the winners of our 2013 Leadership Awards. Progressive Insurance was one of the winners.

As Flo, the bubbly white-aproned spokesperson for Progressive Auto Insurance says, “It’s like, from the future, right?” regarding Snapshot, the company’s “pay-as-you-drive” auto insurance. It may seem futuristic, but Progressive has been developing the concept for a long time – the company first launched a forerunner of today’s plan in 1998 and introduced the latest iteration, Snapshot, in 2010.

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Mayor Laura McConwell and Mission, Kansas: A small city with big smart growth ambitions

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The Sylvester Powell Jr. Community Center in Mission, Kansas.

Earlier this week we announced the winners of our 2013 Leadership Awards. Mayor Laura McConwell and Mission, Kansas were one of the winners.

Mission is a first-generation suburb of just under 10,000 people, located 8 miles south of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. At just 2.7 square miles, Mission feels like a small town despite being minutes away from the center city.

Some might see Mission’s small size as an obstacle to economic vitality. But the community in Mission saw smart growth strategies as a way to raise the profile of the city far beyond it’s small size.

Mayor Laura McConwell has helped make those plans a reality. McConwell has served as the City of Mission’s Mayor since 2002, replacing Sylvester Powell who served as mayor for the previous 25 years. Originally inspired to serve on the town council to speak for young families who at that time were not well-represented, McConwell has become a driving force behind several impressive smart growth and sustainability initiatives in the city.

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Announcing the winners of Smart Growth America's 2013 Leadership Awards

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Two mayors and one company are being honored this week with national awards for their leadership on better development strategies.

Mayor Randy Rhoads of Lee’s Summit, MO and Mayor Laura McConwell of Mission, KS have been selected to receive Smart Growth America’s 2013 Leadership Awards. They are joined by Progressive Insurance, for its Snapshot pay-as-you-drive auto insurance.

“This year’s award winners are doing remarkable work,” said Geoff Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America. “Lee’s Summit and Mission are creating vibrant neighborhoods through strategic policy and investment decisions. Progressive Insurance is an industry leader in recognizing new trends among American drivers. Smart Growth America is proud to honor them with this year’s Leadership Awards.”

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Smart Growth America's top 12 of 2012: Honoring leaders in the field

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From left to right: Managing Director of LOCUS, Christopher Coes; Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO); Senator Mark Warner (D-VA); President of LOCUS, Chris Leinberger; President and CEO of Smart Growth America, Geoff Anderson.

For the next two weeks, we’ll be doing a special blog series highlighting some of Smart Growth America’s favorite accomplishments from 2012. This is the first of twelve that we’ll be rolling out, so keep an eye out for a new one every day!

In February, we presented Smart Growth America’s 2012 Leadership Award to Darrell Steinberg. Steinberg, California State Senate President Pro Tem, received the award for his incredible efforts in championing and helping to pass SB 375, legislation that integrates greenhouse gas reduction goals into California’s existing regional transportation planning process, and encourages planners to locate homes near jobs and create more transportation options. The bill not only fights climate change but also gives towns across the state the power to make land use and transportation decisions that strengthen local economies, reduce sprawl, preserve farmland and spur business development, furthering the cause of smart growth in California and setting an example for states across the nation.

LOCUS

Send your nominations for Smart Growth America's second annual 2012 Leadership Award

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Nominations are now being accepted for Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute second annual Leadership Award. This is a great opportunity to recognize elected officials in your area who have championed smart growth and sustainable development policies.

Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute’s Award for Outstanding Leadership is bestowed annually on an elected official that has shown exceptional leadership in smart growth policy development or implementation. Last year, North Carolina State Senator Floyd B. McKissick and Representative Jennifer Weiss received the award for their outstanding leadership in smart growth policy making that will make North Carolina neighborhoods even greater places to live. Their efforts helped create the innovative Sustainable Communities Task Force, which created $250,000 in task force grants for regional sustainable development partnerships.

The Leadership Institute will be accepting nominations from Smart Growth America coalition members until September 1, 2011. Please contact Shelly Hazle, Program Manager, Smart Growth America for further details at 202-207-3355 x120 or [email protected].

Click here to download the full submission guidelines (PDF)

Nominations will be accepted through our online submission form. Click here to submit your nomination online >>

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First Annual Smart Growth America's 2011 Leadership Awards goes to North Carolina leaders

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For leading the way with smart growth policy making that will make North Carolina neighborhoods even greater places to live, Smart Growth America is pleased to recognize North Carolina State Senator Floyd B. McKissick and Representative Jennifer Weiss with Smart Growth America’s 2011 Leadership Award.

In 2010, Senator McKissick and Representative Weiss sponsored legislation to establish an innovative Sustainable Communities Task Force in North Carolina. Excitingly, the legislation passed – making North Carolina one of the latest states to recognize the connections between cross-agency governance at the state level, coordination with stakeholders at the local level, and sustainable communities on the ground.

As co-chairs of the Legislative Study Commission on Urban Growth and Infrastructure, McKissick and Weiss helped develop and refine the Sustainable Communities Task Force legislation from the earliest stages. The legislation lays out six guiding smart growth principles, similar to the Livability Principles of the federal HUD, DOT, and EPA Sustainable Communities Partnership.

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