Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization will celebrate the impact of its significant role to plan and direct transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the region and honor those who advocate for smart planning and connectivity during the first annual State of the Region Annual Awards. This inaugural event will coincide with the release of the Broward MPO’s annual report, sharing success stories from a challenging year. The luncheon will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, November 19, at the Signature Grand in Davie.
Former Hollywood Commissioner and immediate past Broward MPO board chair Richard Blattner will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Champion Award will be presented to the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), Fort Lauderdale Chapter. The Visionary Award will be presented to Florida House of Representatives member Christine Hunschofsky [D-96]. Deputy City Manager Sheila Rose will be honored with the Community Impact Award. Special guest host for the luncheon is Jacey Birch, morning news anchor for WPLG Local 10 News.
“We are proud of the work that we are doing at the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization with great partners at the city, county, state and national levels,” said Executive Director Gregory Stuart. “It is the right time for us to start a new tradition of honoring community members and organizations that share and support our mission.”
Richard Blattner: Immediate past chair of the Broward MPO Board of Directors, Blattner was elected to the City of Hollywood Commission in 1994, re-elected in 2007 and served until December 2020. He currently serves on the City of Hollywood Planning and Development Board. Among his many community activities are the Hollywood and Broward County YMCAs, Broward League of Cities, Broward County Planning Council and Broward County Water Advisory and Alliance Action boards.
Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO): COMTO is the leading national advocacy group for employment diversity, inclusion and contracting opportunities in the transportation industry. The Fort Lauderdale chapter, founded in 2009, has grown into one of the largest, with more than 100 members. For the past seven years, the chapter has awarded scholarships to local high school and college students. Accepting the award will be Fort Lauderdale Chapter President, Kesha Davis.
State Rep. Christine Hunschofsky: Elected to the Florida House of Representatives for District 96 in November 2020, Hunschofsky was the mayor of Parkland from 2016 to 2020. While mayor, Rep. Hunschofsky led her city through the aftermath of the mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She was appointed to co-chair the United States Conference of Mayors Small Cities Forum and testified before the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of the 116th Congress. Hunschofsky was inducted into the Broward County Women’s Hall of Fame. In the Florida House, she is on the Education & Employment Committee and five subcommittees, including Congressional Redistricting; Environmental, Agriculture and Flooding; Finance and Facilities; State Administration & Technology Appropriations and Early Education and Elementary Education.
Sheila Rose: Sheila Rose, deputy city manager in Coconut Creek, is an ICMA credential manager with a professional degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Cincinnati. She is a member of the International City Managers Association, the Broward County City Managers Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the American Planning Association, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and is a past member of the Pompano Beach Architectural Review Board. She was the founding president of SOS Children’s Village, Florida and the national umbrella organization of SOS, USA, serving foster children internationally. She currently serves as vice chair of the Broward County Parks Foundation.
The event is sponsored by the City of Hollywood/Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency; Florida Power & Light Company; T.Y. Lin; Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors; Kimley Horn; South Florida Regional Transportation Authority/Tri Rail; Tindale Oliver; Goodman Public Relations; the Downtown Transportation Management Association; The Brand Advocates and Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman.
Luncheon tickets are $70 per person or $700 per table. To reserve tickets, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/broward-mpo-state-of-the-region-annual-awards-tickets-172236994487
About The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization
Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization is a federally mandated agency responsible for making policy on local transportation issues and deciding how to spend federal money on relevant projects in Broward County. Governed by a local board comprised of 25 voting members, Broward MPO is responsible for transportation planning and funding allocation in urbanized Broward County. The Broward MPO works with the public, planning organizations, government agencies, elected officials and community groups to develop transportation plans that address overall mobility within the county. Their mission is developing better roadways, seamless public transportation, more bike lanes and walking paths and improved infrastructure. For more information, please visit https://www.browardmpo.org.