December 30, 2005

San Jose councilman Dave Cortese elected ABAG president

The Association of Bay Area Governments recently elected San Jose District 8 Councilman Dave Cortese as its president for a two-year term beginning in January.

Dave Cortese

Cortese, Evergreen’s councilman since 2000 and 2006 mayoral candidate for San Jose, serves on the city’s transportation committee and sits on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s board of directors. A former East Side Union High School District board trustee, he has previously served as ABAG’s vice president. He replaces Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty as ABAG president.

Founded in 1961, the association serves as the regional planning agency and council of governments for the Bay Area’s nine counties and 101 cities and towns, representing almost seven million people in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.

ABAG addresses social, environmental and economic issues that transcend local borders to strengthen cooperation and coordination among local governments. It is one of more than 560 regional planning agencies across the nation working to help solve problems in areas such as land use, housing, environmental quality and economic development.

Building coalitions, task forces and partnerships within the Bay region and beyond have typified ABAG’s problem-solving approach to issues affecting the Bay Area. Today, ABAG’s approach includes research and analysis, education and outreach, and cost-effective member service programs.

“At a time when many of the issues that we face as a community are regional in nature, we must empower cities and counties to look to strategic and effective regional planning for solutions,” Cortese said in a statement after being named president.

For more information, go online to www.abag.ca.gov.