The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Prince George’s County Planning Department
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department’s Neighborhood Planning Academy Earns National Achievement Award
LARGO, MD – The Prince George’s County Planning Department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) announces that its Neighborhood Planning Academy has been recognized with a 2025 Achievement Award for Civic Education and Public Information from the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Designed specifically to engage Prince George’s County residents and community stakeholders, the Neighborhood Planning Academy explains the County’s planning framework and how to engage in the development review process. The free program empowers participants to become better advocates for their communities’ goals and visions and establishes ambassadors in each councilmanic district to provide more meaningful engagement during planning efforts, such as master plans, and for updating Plan Prince George’s 2035 Approved General Plan to reflect the needs of all County residents. Since the launch of the program in the fall of 2023, nearly 200 individuals – reflecting all regions of the County – have participated in the Neighborhood Planning Academy.
“We are excited to add this honor to other international, national, and state-level recognition for the Neighborhood Planning Academy,” said Lakisha Hull, Director of the M-NCPPC Prince George’s County Planning Department. “We are proud of our team who work continuously to enhance the award-winning program and the County residents who embark on the educational journey with us.”
The Neighborhood Planning Academy earned the 2024 Maryland Planning Award in community engagement/education from the American Planning Association (APA) Maryland Chapter and Maryland Planning Commissioners Association, a 2024 Gold MarCom Award for government publications/magazine, and a 2024 Grand Award and 2023 Award of Excellence for campaigns, programs, and plans from APEX – the Awards for Publication Excellence.
The NACo Achievement Awards Ceremony will take place on July 13, 2025, at NACo’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Philadelphia, PA. Each year, NACo’s Achievement Awards recognize outstanding programming in 18 categories aligned with the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. The categories include children and youth, criminal justice and public safety, libraries, management, information technology, health, civic engagement and more. Launched in 1970, the program is designed to celebrate innovation in county government. Each nominated program is judged on its own merits and not against other applications.
“The Achievement Awards shine a spotlight on the hard work and innovation happening in county governments across the nation,” said NACo President James Gore. “This year’s winners highlight the dedication and creativity of county leaders and our teams to building thriving communities and providing the best possible services to our residents.”
For more information on the Neighborhood Planning Academy, visit: https://academy.pgplanning.com. Prince George’s County residents and stakeholders may join the mailing list to receive announcements on applications for the Fall 2025 cohort and upcoming courses.
For more information about NACo’s Achievement Awards, click here.
About the Prince George’s County Planning Department
The Prince George’s County Planning Department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is responsible for preserving, protecting, and managing the county’s resources through high-quality planning services and growth management guidance. Our mission is to promote economic vitality, environmental sustainability, design excellence, and quality development in Prince George’s County. Visit our website, www.pgplanning.org, to learn how you can become engaged in shaping the future of your community.
About the National Association of Counties
The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. www.naco.org.
Assistance
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission encourages the participation of persons with disabilities in all its programs and services. Register at least a minimum of two weeks in advance of the program start date to request and receive a disability accommodation. Call the Public Affairs Office at 301-952-3038, email PublicAffairs@ppd.mncppc.org, or complete the online form.
Contact:
Calista Black
Chief Communications Officer
calista.black@mncppc.org | 301-952-3038
Patricia Villone
Public Affairs and Marketing Specialist III
patricia.villone@mncppc.org | 301-952-4112
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