The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) has announced Ms. Patricia Paige as the winner of its 2024 Gordon N. Dixon Award. The award was presented posthumously at a recent meeting of the New Kent County Board of Supervisors, of which Ms. Paige was a member until her death in November 2023. The Dixon Award recognizes an executive director, VAPDC commissioner, or PDC commissioner who has provided leadership and made outstanding contributions to promote the concept of regionalism in Virginia.

Ms. Paige was first elected to the New Kent County Board of Supervisors in 2015 and served as the District 3 representative for nearly eight years. Ms. Paige promoted regionalism through her service and leadership on the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission (PlanRVA), the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization Policy Board, the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, and the Richmond Region Tourism Board of Directors. She also served on the Central Virginia Transportation Authority from its inception in 2020. “Ms. Paige commanded respect and admiration from her peers, transcending political divides with a vision focused solely on the betterment of our community,” said PlanRVA Executive Director Martha Shickle. “Her ability to unite, to find common ground, and to bridge gaps made her a beacon of hope in the boardroom and out in the community.”

For 16 years, Gordon N. Dixon was an outstanding example of a regional leader while serving as Executive Director for two planning district commissions--the New River Valley and the Fifth Planning District Commission. He sincerely believed in regional planning and community development. Following his death, the VAPDC established the Dixon Award to recognize executive directors and commissioners who display exceptional dedication to the regional planning vision for Virginia.

Planning District Commissions were enabled by state legislation in 1968, and most were established the following year. There are 21 PDCs and Regional Commissions in Virginia made up of elected officials and citizens appointed by local governments. The purpose of Planning District Commissions is to encourage and facilitate regional solutions to problems of area-wide significance. This is done by promoting the efficient development of the physical, social, and economic policies of all districts by assisting local governments to plan for the future. The PDCs of Virginia joined together to create the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions in 1987 to share best practices and further regionalism

across the Commonwealth.

Pictured above are: PlanRVA Executive Director Martha Shickle; Sandi Paige Godwin, Sister of Patricia Paige; PlanRVA Board Relations Manager Janice Scott