Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Contact: Mary Curtius 703-228-7943 (voice) 703-228-4611(TTY)
Arlington County Board Chairman Zimmerman Named to State Panel
Secure Commonwealth Panel Monitors and Assesses Virginia’s Emergency Response Initiatives
ARLINGTON, Va – Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman has been named to a four-year term on the Secure Commonwealth Panel by Governor Tim Kaine.
The Secure Commonwealth Panel is a 29-member advisory board to the governor that monitors and assesses Virginia’s prevention, preparedness, response and recovery initiatives. Established in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the panel helps to ensure cabinet-level coordination among state agencies related to emergency preparedness and facilitates private sector preparedness and communication.
The panel makes quarterly reports to the Governor. Its recommendations have, in the past, resulted in changes to state laws.
Zimmerman’s appointment to the panel comes as the nation, Virginia and Arlington prepare to observe the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks with a series of memorials and other events.
“Virginia has made great progress in emergency preparedness since Sept. 11, 2001,” Zimmerman said. “But we must continuously look for ways to make further improvements. With my transportation background, I am particularly looking forward to working on evacuation planning and other emergency transportation issues, and to helping ensure that we can quickly and safely get people out of harm’s way when disaster strikes.”
Zimmerman serves as one of Virginia’s two members on the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. He also is a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Transportation Planning Board for the National Capital Region. He was first elected to the Arlington County Board in 1996.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
