Community leadership Ottaway Award will go to Jonathan Drapkin

For 27 years, Vision Hudson Valley has awarded the Ottaway Medal for community leadership and commitment, named in honor of Ruth and James Ottaway. They were prominent philanthropists and business leaders, interested in improving quality of life.

In the earliest days of Vision Hudson Valley, formerly the Orange County Citizens Foundation, James Ottaway focused on creation of institutions and programs to preserve and promote quality of life in Orange County and beyond.

This year, Vision Hudson Valley’s Board of Trustees award the 27th Ottaway Medal to former Pattern for Progress Executive Director Jonathan Drapkin. Under Drapkin’s leadership, Pattern became known as the region’s public policy think tank and a leading strategic planning organization.

Pattern’s influence shaped the delivery of government services, the realization of downtown revitalization, understanding regional demographics, and housing. His career experience in government and the private sector helped him earn the trust of several New York State administrations, serving as a member of two commissions focused on the restructuring of local government and on the Executive Committee of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council. The Ottaway Medal will be awarded at the 27th Ottaway Medal Dinner to be held on September 29, at Cedar Lakes Estates in Port Jervis, NY from 5:30pm-8:30pm.

Vision Hudson Valley has remained focused on community revitalization, public policy, infrastructure issues related to land use, energy, and transportation, sustainable economic growth, and more. Vision is a membership-based organization that is open to all.

About Vision Hudson Valley (formerly the Orange County Citizens Foundation):

Vision Hudson Valley, founded in 1971, is a membership-based, non-governmental organization aiming to improve quality of life for Hudson Valley residents through public policy and advocacy in land use and transportation planning, water conservation, waste management, cultural affairs, education, agriculture, recreation, and healthcare.

Vision Hudson Valley is housed on 50 acres of farmland, formerly the home of Surrealist artist Kurt Seligmann. On these Sugar Loaf grounds, known as the Seligmann Center, the organization brings people together to create and share ideas, artistic performances, and programming.