WASHINGTON D.C. — The Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments has received a 2023 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations for the Water Regionalization and Water Commons Program project.
The project aimed at assisting small rural systems starting in McKinley County and thence for the whole region of Northwest New Mexico to provide a sustainable framework for meeting them where they are, customizing an action improvement plan, and providing a full circle of partners for technical assistance and a full cycle of funders with flexible investments. Through this program and its partners, the COG has developed the equivalent of a Regional Water Planning Organization model after RTPOs or the transportation version, a Small System Leadership Institute, annual Rural Water Summits, and a local-level technical assistance approach that has proven effective.
“Creating positive change in communities starts with relationships and common ground. Creating programs that stick and are effective is about having a passionate change-maker and creating programs that last is about partnerships," Evan Williams, NWNMCOG’s Executive Director, said. “This award is about building all three together and all the credit goes to Angelina Grey, our Water & Environment Program Manager, for her vision and leadership.”
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of the nation’s regions and local communities.
Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2023 Annual Training Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio Nov. 7-10. The 2023 class of award recipients consists of 107 projects from 71 organizations spanning 28 states. These projects are presented in an interactive story map developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The map is available online at nado.org/2023-impact-award-recipients.
“NADO’s Impact Awards program provides a yearly opportunity for us to publicly commend the indispensable services delivered by our members to their local communities,” 2022-2023 NADO President Chris Fetzer, executive director of the Northern Arizona Council of Governments, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, said. “These projects not only made positive impacts in their respective regions, but also underscore the incredible diversity of programs and resources offered by regional development organizations that promote vibrant, resilient, and thriving communities.”
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