Dayton, OH – The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) hosted the Annual Spring Dinner on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Marriott at the University of Dayton. This annual dinner is a celebration of the accomplishments of the Region. MVRPC’s Chairperson and City of Riverside Council Member, Sara Lommatzsch, First Vice-Chairperson and City of Troy Mayor, Robin I. Oda, Second Vice-Chairperson and Greene County Commissioner, Richard Gould and Third Vice-Chairperson and Preble County Commissioner Rachael Vonderhaar along with MVRPC’s Executive Director, Brian O. Martin, presided over the event which was attended by nearly 300 guests. During the dinner, the Arthur D. Haddad Regional Steward award was presented to Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge and the Regional Partner Award was presented to Mike Bowers from Darke County Economic Development.
The Arthur D. Haddad Regional Steward Award recognizes someone with an innovative spirit for solving regional challenges; who builds broad support toward a shared regional vision; and who is a regional steward promoting economic, social and environmental progress.
Judy Dodge, Montgomery County Commissioner, received this award for her commitment to improving the quality of life for everyone in the Region. Ms. Dodge serves on boards and commissions that further her commitment to the betterment of all including the Food Equity Coalition, Family & Children First Council (FCFC), and the Montgomery County Land Reutilization Corporation, MVRPC’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the past 15 years and MVRPC’s Institute for Livable and Equitable Communities. She is proud to serve in this capacity and will continue to work to enhance the quality of life for all Montgomery County citizens.
Brian O. Martin, MVRPC’s Executive Director, stated, “Ms. Dodge is an active voice for vulnerable populations. Her commitment to Montgomery County and the Region epitomizes hometown pride. We are so grateful to have her expertise and leadership on our Board of Directors over 15 years.”
The Regional Partner Award recognizes MVRPC’s partners who work together to achieve a common goal across the Region.
Mike Bowers from Darke County Economic Development received the partner award for his work to improve Darke County. He has expanded community opportunities, including county-wide internet and job opportunities for growing companies, county and Region.
“Mr. Bowers was very instrumental in creating our Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) program, bringing funding opportunities for transportation improvement to Darke, Preble, and Shelby County through the support of MVRPC. His vision for advancing community through strategic partnerships is a notable asset to our Board,” stated Mr. Martin.
The MVRPC Annual Spring Dinner was made possible by support from generous sponsors;
- American StructurePoint
- Arcadis
- Burgess & Niple
- CenterPoint Energy
- Choice One Engineering
- CityWide Development Corporation
- Coolidge Wall
- Dayton Branch NAACP
- Dayton Development Coalition
- Dayton Dragons
- DLZ
- Drive Electric Dayton
- Fishbeck
- Five Rivers MetroParks
- Goodhue Consulting
- Greater Dayton RTA
- HDR
- iHeartMedia
- KZF
- LJB Engineering
- Loc Gov Consultants, LLC
- Mary E. Tyler Consulting
- Miami Conservancy District
- MKSK, Inc
- Omega Community Development Corporation
- Patriot Engineering and Environmental, Inc.
- Premier Health
- Sinclair Community College
- Strand Associates
- Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council
- TEC Engineering
- The Dayton Foundation
- The Kleingers Group
- University of Dayton
- Woolpert, Inc.
- ZoneCo
Established in 1964, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission promotes collaboration among communities, stakeholders, and residents to advance regional priorities. MVRPC is a forum and resource where the Board of Directors identifies priorities and develops public policy and collaborative strategies to improve the quality of life throughout the Miami Valley Region.
MVRPC performs planning and research functions for our Region that ensure livable and equitable communities; clean air and water; robust roadway, transit, and active transportation options; and strategic community plans that chart the course for member communities and partners. MVRPC’s geographic area includes Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, and northern Warren counties in Southwest Ohio. Learn more at mvrpc.org/our-region.
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