Today, the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) announced that they have named Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown the 2011 Policymaker/Elected Official of the Year for his work in leading Maryland’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) transition efforts as Chair of the Governor’s BRAC Subcabinet. Award winners were formally recognized at the 2011 ADC Annual Conference and Awards Luncheon this afternoon in Norfolk, Virginia.
Nominated by an ADC member, the ADC Policymaker/Elected Official of the Year award recognizes leadership in creating and/or sustaining effective efforts to develop partnerships with defense communities that enhance a local community and its economic development or the broader national community of defense communities. Brown was recognized for the subcabinet’s innovative work to accommodate BRAC mission growth at five installations, estimated to generate more than 20,000 jobs arriving this year and as many as 60,000 total jobs by 2015.
“I am extremely grateful for being recognized by the Association of Defense Communities and I’m honored to share this award with all members of the BRAC Subcabinet, as well as with our many partners in local, state and federal government and the private sector who have worked diligently alongside us to make base realignment a success in Maryland,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “This award is a reflection of the successful partnerships that we have established in Maryland with our defense communities. Together, we have worked successfully to fulfill the mission of supporting the national defense while simultaneously protecting and preserving the quality of life we enjoy in Maryland.”
Lt. Governor Brown and the BRAC Subcabinet received the award in recognition of their numerous accomplishments, including developing a unique, intergovernmental approach to planning processes. The Lt. Governor steered a series of legislative proposals through the General Assembly, many designed to help the state fully benefit from the economic opportunities stemming from BRAC growth.
Brown and the BRAC Subcabinet also channeled state resources to prepare the state’s workforce to take advantage of the thousands of jobs coming to Maryland, improve local roads to handle increased traffic and make the purchase of a home easier in counties affected by BRAC. In the past several years, many of the BRAC Subcabinet’s accomplishments have been cited nationally as best practices.
“ADC is pleased to give the Elected Official of the Year award to Lt. Governor Brown,&rdquo
