Ervin Received Phyllis Campbell Newsome Award

Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin was presented with the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Award at the Center’s 34th Annual Celebration on Oct. 17.

Valerie Ervin, left, was one of four honorees on Oct. 17 when the Center for Nonprofit Advancement presented its annual Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Awards at the Center’s 34th Annual Celebration at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Councilmember Ervin, in her second term on the Montgomery County Council, will join 2013 honorees Sharon Bulova, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Prince George’s County Councilmember Ingrid M. Turner; and Lafayette Barnes, director of the D.C. Office of Partnerships and Grant Services.

The Center for Nonprofit Advancement, which was founded in 1979, created the Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Award to highlight the work of four elected or non-elected officials respectively representing Montgomery County, Fairfax, Prince George’s County and the District of Columbia. Each year, the organization selects honorees “who have gone above and beyond in partnership with the nonprofit sector to ensure more vibrant communities.”

The Phyllis Campbell Newsome Award was named in honor of the Center’s former director of advocacy and community relations after her untimely passing in 2003. This is the second time Councilmember Ervin will receive the award. She was first recognized by the organization in 2008. She joins the honorable David Harrington of Prince George’s County as the only two-time recipients of the award.

“I am humbled and honored; much of what I have accomplished in my seven years on the Council has been through nonprofit partnerships, and together—working with County service providers, local businesses and advocacy organizations, we have been able to do great things,” said Councilmember Ervin, who chairs the Montgomery Council’s Education Committee.

“Many social issues show up in our school systems first, and my approach has always been to work with those who are on the ground helping our neediest residents. They are our community heroes.”

Councilmember Ervin extensively collaborates with representatives from a variety of nonprofit organizations, working on a range of policy issues including bullying prevention, expanding free breakfast and summer lunch programs in schools, increasing support for community gardens, creating the nation’s first countywide Food Recovery Network, expanding childcare subsidies for working families and bringing Bikeshare to Montgomery County.

“I could not do my job effectively without collaborating with our nonprofit partners, who play a crucial role in moving Montgomery County forward,” said Councilmember Ervin. “I look forward to attending the Center’s 2013 annual celebration to accept this cherished honor and thank the nonprofit sector for all that they have done for our community.”

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