The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) has announced Mr. Jeremy Holmes as the winner of its 2026 Gordon N. Dixon Award. The award was presented at a meeting of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC). The Dixon Award recognizes an executive director, VAPDC commissioner, or PDC commissioner who has provided leadership and made outstanding contributions to promote the concept of regionalism in Virginia.
Mr. Holmes has served as the RVARC Executive Director since 2021. Previously, he had been the Associate Executive Director since January of 2020. He served as Director of the Commission’s RIDE Solutions Commuter Assistance Program for 15 years, while also being involved in a number of regional community advocacy efforts, including the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, the Greater Roanoke Valley Asthma and Air Quality Coalition, Roanoke Valley Reads, and Healthy Roanoke Valley.
Through efforts like the Roanoke Valley Collective Response, Mr. Holmes supported the alignment of cross-sector partners to address substance use across the full continuum of care. Through projects like the Blueprint for Action Update, his efforts strengthened coordination, elevated community voice, and positioned the region as a model for collaborative, data-informed approaches that extend beyond any single locality.
“Jeremy has cultivated a model of regional collaboration that is both strategic and deeply rooted in trust,” said Bailey Medeiros, Director of the Commission’s Roanoke Valley Collective Response, in making the nomination. “Across our region, local collaborators consistently describe the Commission under Jeremy’s leadership as a true partner, one that brings people together, aligns efforts, and helps translate shared vision into coordinated action.”
Holmes also was praised for encouraging a positive, team-oriented workplace environment where staff feel supported, valued, and connected to meaningful work that directly benefits the communities they serve.
For 16 years, Gordon N. Dixon was an outstanding example of a regional leader while serving as Executive Director for two planning district commissions–the New River Valley and the Fifth Planning District Commission. He sincerely believed in regional planning and community development. Following his death, the VAPDC established the Dixon Award to recognize executive directors and commissioners who display exceptional dedication to the regional planning vision for Virginia.
Planning District Commissions were enabled by state legislation in 1968 and most were established the following year. There are 21 PDCs and Regional Commissions in Virginia made up of elected officials and citizens appointed by local governments. The purpose of Planning District Commissions is to encourage and facilitate regional solutions to problems of area-wide significance. This is done by promoting the efficient development of the physical, social, and economic policies of all districts by assisting local governments to plan for the future. The PDCs of Virginia joined together to create the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions in 1987 to share best practices and further regionalism across the Commonwealth.
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