Regional leaders celebrate award winners
(L-R) Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Friend of the Valley; Judge Lee Harrell, Champion of the Valley; and Ms. Angie Covey, Citizen of the Valley.
The New River Valley Regional Commission is pleased to announce three award winners for 2025. Champion of the Valley is Judge Lee Harrell, 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia; Citizen of the Valley is Ms. Angie Covey, New River Community College; and Friend of the Valley is Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
Radford – On October 23th, the New River Valley Regional Commission board of directors, comprised of elected officials and citizen appointees across the region, hosted a dinner event at The Highlander Hotel in Radford to honor the 2025 award recipients. Approximately 100 local government elected officials, state and federal representatives, and local government planning commission chairs were in attendance.
Ms. Angie Covey, New River Community College, was the recipient of the Citizen of the Valley award. This award is given to a citizen within the New River Valley who has made significant contributions to the betterment of the region. Ms. Covey was recognized for her role in helping to establish the Access to Community College Education (ACCE) program that provides two years of tuition at New River Community College at no cost to high school graduates in the region. Since 2015, the program has grown to serve over 500 students each year.
Judge Lee Harrell, 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, was the recipient of the Champion of the Valley award. This award is given to an appointed or elected official within, or representing, the New River Valley who has greatly assisted communities and residents during their service to the public. Through his leadership in the development and implementation of the Recovery Court program, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice, rehabilitation, and community transformation. The Recovery Court program has become a beacon of hope for individuals trapped in the cycle of addiction and criminal behavior. Rather than being treated solely as offenders, participants in Recovery Court are seen as individuals—people with potential, with stories, and with the capacity to recover and thrive.
Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, was the recipient of the Friend of the Valley award. This award is given to an individual or organization outside the New River Valley who has made significant contributions to the betterment of the region. Dr. Holmes serves as the Director of the Virginia Office of Broadband and State Program Manager for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). In these roles, she has overseen approximately 25,000 houses and businesses receiving broadband service in the region, and several million dollars of ARC investment for transformative projects such as the Old Prices Fork School Redevelopment, industrial park expansions, New River Water Trail Extension, and planning for the reintroduction of passenger rail service to the New River Valley.
Each award recipient was provided a custom stained-glass piece of art by the local artist Sandy Davenport, a member of ‘Round the Mountain, Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network.
See attached photo of award recipients. (L-R) Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Friend of the Valley; Judge Lee Harrell, Champion of the Valley; and Ms. Angie Covey, Citizen of the Valley.
About New River Valley Regional Commission
The New River Valley Regional Commission is one of 21 regions in Virginia whose commissions are 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.