The CALCOG Regional Excellence Awards recognize the people, programs, and partnerships that show what regional leadership looks like in practice. From innovative projects to public servants and statewide champions, these awards highlight how collaboration across jurisdictions delivers real results for California communities. Award recipients are recognized annually in connection with CALCOG’s Regional Leadership Forum.
Regional collaboration delivers results that are difficult to achieve in isolation.
Award Categories
Eureka!
Recognizes innovative regional projects or programs from agencies of any size, spanning housing, transportation, sustainability, equity, resilience, energy, public engagement, funding, or reporting. Celebrates creative leadership and ideas that can serve as models for others.
Champion for Regions
Recognizes legislators, policymakers, partners, and stakeholders who have carried legislation, advanced major policy, or made substantial contributions to regional governance and the work of regional agencies at a statewide level over time.
Presidential Poppy
Recognizes regional board members, staff, and individuals who exemplify exceptional commitment, creativity, and effort in service to their region and community. Celebrates leadership, service, and vision that strengthen outcomes locally, regionally, and statewide.
Lifetime Achievement
Recognizes individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to regional government over the course of their careers, reflecting sustained dedication to public service, leadership excellence, and effective, forward-thinking regional governance.
2026 Eureka! Award Winners
Inland Regional Energy Network
Western Riverside Council of Governments
The Inland Regional Energy Network helps local governments improve energy efficiency, strengthen public infrastructure, and develop workforce pathways in the clean energy economy. Through technical assistance, workforce training, and regional partnerships, the program connects sustainability goals with economic opportunity.
South Bay Local Travel Network
South Bay Cities Council of Governments
The South Bay Local Travel Network reimagines neighborhood streets as a connected system for micromobility, helping residents use e-bikes, scooters, and other small electric vehicles for short everyday trips. By focusing on practical, lower-cost infrastructure improvements, the network connects neighborhoods to schools, parks, and job centers while improving safety and reducing congestion.
Equity Through Participatory Budgeting
Transportation Agency for Monterey County
This program places community voices at the center of transportation planning by using participatory budgeting to fund Safe Routes to School improvements. Residents across the Salinas Valley helped identify and vote on projects designed to improve safety for students traveling to school, demonstrating how inclusive engagement can shape better public investments.
Calexico East Port of Entry Bridge Widening Project
Imperial County Transportation Commission
This complex infrastructure effort modernizes a critical international crossing at California’s southern border. By coordinating across multiple levels of government and maintaining operations during construction, the project improves freight mobility, reduces congestion, strengthens trade, and enhances safety for travelers moving between the United States and Mexico.
Engage, Empower, Implement Program
Sacramento Area Council of Governments
This regional funding initiative partners local governments with community-based organizations to co-create transportation and infrastructure projects. By incorporating residential lived experiences and local priorities into project development, the program strengthens community engagement and builds a pipeline of equitable projects with broad public support.
Doorway Housing Portal
Metropolitan Transportation Commission / Association of Bay Area Governments
The Doorway Housing Portal is a regional digital platform that simplifies the process of searching and applying for affordable housing across the Bay Area. By allowing residents to determine eligibility and apply for multiple listings through a single system, the platform helps thousands of households’ access housing opportunities while providing valuable regional data.
FRESH SGV
San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments
The FRESH SGV initiative works with cities across the region to recover edible food from businesses that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to residents facing food insecurity. While the program primarily serves those most in need, it also helps communities reduce organic waste.
Madera County Triage Center
Madera County Transportation Commission
The Madera County Triage Center creates a coordinated pathway from crisis to stability for individuals experiencing homelessness. By combining modular bridge housing with supportive services and case management, the project strengthens the region’s continuum of care and expands access to housing solutions.
CV Link
Coachella Valley Association of Governments
CV Link transforms an underutilized corridor into a regional network for walking, biking, and low-speed electric mobility. Spanning multiple communities across the Coachella Valley, the corridor connects residents and visitors to jobs, schools, parks, and destinations while promoting cleaner air and healthier lifestyles.
2026 Champion for Regions Award
Lee Ann Eager
Since 2009, Lee Ann Eager has presided over the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, steering investment, industry growth, and economic resilience throughout the region. As a steadfast proponent of high-speed rail, she built a business retention program that kept hundreds of local businesses from closing amid construction, safeguarding jobs and economic stability across the region. She now co-chairs Fresno Works, guiding investment strategy around the rail line and strengthening ties between public, private, and academic partners throughout the Central Valley. CALCOG proudly honors her with the 2026 Champion for Regions Award, celebrating a career defined by turning disruption into lasting economic opportunity for the region she calls home.
2026 Presidential Poppy Award Winners
Jan Harnik
Ronald Loveridge
Jenny Devine
Kristin Jacinto
Awards Archive
Learn about some of our past award winners. These regional agencies, projects, and people were recognized for standout efforts in transportation, housing, sustainability, and innovation. Explore their stories below to see the creative solutions shaping communities across California.
Looking Ahead
Nominations for the next round of Regional Excellence Awards will open ahead of the next Regional Leadership Forum. Click the boxes below to learn more about the award categories, nomination criteria, deadlines, and submission information.
From the Awards Ceremony
