Howell Receives Liberty Award

May 6, 2010

AORTA’s Jim Howell Receives Prestigious Liberty Regional Leadership Award

by Fred Nussbaum
Long-time AORTA Director Jim Howell was awarded the Robert Liberty
Regional Leadership Award to a standing ovation from the 150+ activists,
decision-makers agency representatives and business supporters at the 2010 Coalition
for a Livable Future (CLF) Regional Summit on April 29th. Portland City
Councilwoman Amanda Fritz presented the award. Jim joins a string of local
livability leaders in receiving this award, including Congressman Earl
Blumenauer and Charlotte Lehan, Mayor of Wilsonville. The award, endowed by
Metro Councilor and CLF co-founder Robert Liberty, recognizes and rewards
leaders, who have made significant contributions to the livability of the
Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region.

Working off the nomination form submitted by former AORTA Director Fred
Nussbaum, Fritz cited Howell’s key involvement in, among others, stopping the
Mt. Hood Freeway and getting those funds redirected toward introducing
light rail to the region, implementing multi-destinational suburban and urban
transit service, expanding rail transit,  adopting accessible transit
vehicles, saving Union Station facilities for expanding passenger rail, planning
and implementing improved passenger and freight rail and fighting the CRC
Megabridge proposal. You can see a more detailed list of Jim’s achievements
here (.doc file) or here (PDF)
“Jim has been a tremendous asset, not only to AORTA, but the Portland
region, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Jim is an amazing idea man and has a
tenacity to see his ideas through. It was long time for him to get some
official recognition,” said Nussbaum. The CLF is to be commended for choosing
Jim as this year’s nominee. There were 10 other, highly qualified nominees
this year.