The Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) is comprised of 20 elected officials across the Chesapeake Bay and its watersheds. Members of LGAC work closely to further engage their local governments, and develop and implement beneficial environmental strategies within and around their communities. There are seven women in LGAC who are not only leaders within the committee but also leaders within their communities. For Women’s History Month, we would like to highlight these leading ladies of LGAC:

The Honorable Ruby Brabo

Ruby Brabo was elected to the Board of Supervisors of King George County, Virginia in 2012 as the At-Large District Representative. At the state level she is involved with the Virginia Association of Counties and, at the federal level, her involvement includes: National Association of Counties Member, appointed to the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Rural Action Caucus. She was appointed to the Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Executive Council in 2015.

The Honorable Sheila M. Finlayson

Sheila M. Finlayson is the Alderwoman to the Annapolis City Council in Maryland. She serves as Chairperson of the Rules and City Government Committee and as a member of the Economic Matters and the Finance Committees. She is also the liaison to the Education Commission. Sheila has developed a number of initiatives which includes Light of the City for Safety, the Annapolis Youth Summer Jobs Program and a model to insist police officers are engaging with their communities more effectively. Currently, Sheila is a member of the Annapolis Chapter of the Links, Incorporated and has recently been named as Chairperson for Services to Youth in the East Region, advising 73 chapters in most major cities.

The Honorable Jasmine Gore

Jasmine Gore is the Mayor of the City of Hopewell within the Commonwealth of Virginia. She made history becoming the second 26 year-old to sit on Hopewell’s City Council and is currently the first woman and African-American elected to represent Ward Four within the City of Hopewell. In addition, Jasmine was selected to serve as a 2013-2014 Fellow for the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials Foundation and, in 2014, became the youngest appointee to the 2015 National Board of Directors for the National League of Cities. She was appointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve on the Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council in September of 2017.

The Honorable Penelope Gross

Penny Gross was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from Mason District in November 1995, and was re-elected to her sixth term on November 3, 2015. Penny is vice-chair of the Board, and chairs the Personnel Policy and Environment Committees. Regionally, Penny represents Fairfax County on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the INOVA Health System Board of Trustees, and the Potomac Watershed Roundtable. On the state and national level, Penny is President-Elect of the Virginia Association of Counties, Vice-chair of the National Association of Counties’ Energy, Environment, and Land Use Committee, and Immediate Past President of the National Association of Regional Councils.

The Honorable Andria McClellan

Andria McClellan was elected to Norfolk City Council in Virginia on May 3, 2016 to serve Superward 6. She currently serves on the following boards: Norfolk Public Schools, Open Campus, Advisory Board Chair, CIVIC Leadership Foundation, Executive Board and OneVirginia2021, Regional Advisory Board. Andria previously served a number of boards and commissions including Norfolk Planning Commission, Nauticus Foundation, and the Virginia Coastal Coalition.

The Honorable Brianne Nadeau

Brianne Nadeau was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia on November 2014. As Councilmember, Brianne is committed to strengthening our schools, supporting small businesses, increasing affordable housing and public safety, and putting measures in place that allow for government transparency, effectiveness and the highest ethical standards. She was elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 2006 and has served as a board member of Jews United for Justice. Brianne was appointed to the Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Executive Council in 2015.

The Honorable Ann Simonetti

Ann Simonetti is a former Councilmember of Marysville Borough Council in Pennsylvania, and is currently the Chair of the Local Government Advisory Committee. She has served on the Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Executive Council since 2004. Ann has served in local governance since 1999 including acting as the Executive Director of the Capital Region Council of Governments (COG), Board Member, officer and president of Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB), Board Member of the Perry County Transportation Authority, Board Member of the South Central Assembly, Local Technical Advisory Committee for PennDOT’s Local Technical Assistance Program, PA COG officer and president, and assisting Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development to establish the Perry County COG as a pilot for Uniform Construction Code administration.