PAG announces recipient of annual Swanson Regional Leadership Award
Pima Association of Governments announced today that Hurvie Davis is the recipient of the 2015 Thomas L. Swanson Regional Leadership Award.
The Swanson award is given in honor of a former PAG executive director, the late Thomas L. Swanson, who retired in 2002 after serving nearly 25 years at PAG, to acknowledge an individual or organization that has affected positive change in the region in the areas of transportation, air quality, water quality or economic vitality.
Davis served as the City of Tucson Director of Transportation for nearly 16 years, from 1974 to May 1990. He also served as the Town Manager of Marana and he served on the 2005 Citizens Advisory Committee that helped to develop the Regional Transportation Authority plan for voter approval.
His many accomplishments include: Aviation Parkway/State Route 210 (alignment selected by Mayor and Council and taken into the state highway system), several other major corridor projects in Tucson (including Campbell Avenue/Kino Parkway corridor, Golf Links/Alvernon Way corridors and Kolb Road corridor through Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), the widening of Speedway through the University area, the expansion of Sun Tran, the annexation of the
Ina/Orange Grove, Thornydale area into Marana to help with the town’s growth and economic development, and initiated planning for the Twin Peaks Interchange at Interstate 10 which became a RTA-funded project.
“The Town of Marana needed to annex areas with businesses and revenue potential,” said RTA Board Vice Chair and Marana Mayor Ed Honea. “Hurvie set out to help the town secure the necessary signatures for annexation. This bold and enterprising move was a turning point in the town’s development.”
PAG Chair Ramón Valadez said Davis was Tucson’s transportation director when a major state gas tax was approved by the state Legislature in the early 1980s. “As a result of an influx of state funding into his department’s budget, Hurvie directed expansion of the capital and operations budgets that led to the development of several major corridor projects,” Valadez said.
Mr. Davis also is known for his people skills and helping others to advance in their profession.
“He was a great mentor while at the City with four of his staff members going on to become directors of city or county transportation departments,” said Priscilla Cornelio, Director of the Pima County Department of Transportation, who co-nominated Davis for the award.
“Hurvie’s tenure in local government represents a career of passion, commitment and achieving great results,” said Gilbert Davidson, Town Manager for Marana, who wrote a letter of support for Davis’s nomination. “Much like Tom Swanson, Hurvie served to make his communities better places for all.”
To view past Swanson award recipients, please visit www.PAGregion.com.
Pima Association of Governments is an association of local, state and tribal governments with a mission to build consensus among its members and the public on regional planning for transportation, energy, watershed and air quality. PAG’s staff gather and analyze data, provide accurate information, and coordinate an open and cooperative planning process to promote good decision-making for the region. Please visit www.PAGregion.com or www.facebook.com/PAGregion for more information.
