Radford – The New River Valley Regional Commission board of directors has presented its annual awards for 2020 to Chris Tuck, Champion of the Valley, and Bill Ellenbogen, Citizen of the Valley.
Tuck was recognized as the Champion of the Valley for his contributions as a member and chair of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. The award is reserved for a current or former elected official serving the region.
Tuck served two terms on the board of supervisors, representing District B in the central part of the county. Under his leadership, the board was able to navigate selling two county-owned former school sites, helping the parcels return to the tax roll while supporting important needs for housing, job creation, parks and public services.
A community advocate and businessperson, Ellenbogen was honored as the Citizen of the Valley, given to a citizen in the New River Valley who has made significant contributions to the betterment of the region. Ellenbogen was selected for this award because of his tireless work in development of the Huckleberry Trail.
He has served as the founder and president of the Friends of the Huckleberry Trail organization since its inception. On June 20, 2019, the Town of Blacksburg officially opened the most recent extension of the Blacksburg portion of the Huckleberry Trail. This marked the realization of a dream that became a 30-year effort to connect Christiansburg and Blacksburg to the Jefferson National Forest.
The New River Valley Regional Commission is one of 21 regions in Virginia with commissions chartered under Virginia law. The organization encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski and the City of Radford. The purpose of the regional commission is to promote regional cooperation, to coordinate the activities and policies of member local governments and to provide assistance to local governments.