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City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: David Katz, Communications Intern
Phone 952-833-9522 • Fax 952-826-0389 • www.EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edina Mayor Wins Award Recognizing Commitment and
Contributions to Transportation Improvements
Edina, Minn., Feb. 23, 2012 – The University of Minnesota’s nationally acclaimed Center for
Transportation Studies recently announced that it will bestow its 2012 Distinguished Public
Leadership Award on Edina Mayor James Hovland at the Center’s annual awards luncheon in April.
“The Distinguished Public Leadership Award recognizes public leaders who have influenced
innovative transportation policy directions that benefit society,” said Shawn Haag, Program
Coordinator for the Center for Transportation Studies.
Hovland’s commitment to transportation improvements is evidenced by his involvement in ongoing
projects at the local, regional and state levels.
He is currently chair of the U.S. Highway 169 Corridor Coalition and the GEARS Board for the
Counties Transit Improvement Board, which evaluates grant applications and allocates state funding
for a variety of Twin Cities transportation initiatives. He is also a member of the I-494 Corridor
Commission and the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), which makes recommendations to the
Metropolitan Council.
Mayor Hovland also sits on the Southwest LRT Community Works Steering Committee, which
provides overall direction for the light rail expansion currently under way, and the Southwest LRT
Management Committee, which advises the Metropolitan Council on all issues relating to the rail’s
design and construction.
The Center for Transportation Studies will honor Hovland’s numerous contributions – along with
those of honorees in five other categories – at its spring ceremony, held yearly on the University of
Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus in the McNamara Alumni Center.
Hovland has been mayor of Edina since 2005, following eight years as a City Council Member. He
has served on the Center for Transportation Studies’ Executive Committee since 2007.
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City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424