Smart Growth America is excited to announce the 2026 Champions Institute cohort. 14 local elected officials from 11 states will participate in this year’s program, where they’ll gain the tools and skills they need to develop time-bound Active People, Healthy Nation Action^SM Plans that promote safe environments for physical activity in their communities. This year’s cohort marks an important milestone: more than 100 Champions have now participated in the Institute since it began in 2020.

Local elected officials, from mayors to city councilors to tribal chairpeople, can play a big role in improving a community’s environment so that it works better for the people who live there. Smart Growth America’s Champions Institute helps train these leaders to become effective champions for Complete Streets, active transportation networks, downtown revitalization, and many other strategies for building healthy communities. Over the next four months, this cohort will engage in virtual sessions, peer learning, and one-on-one coaching to gain the knowledge and resources needed to support plans, policies, and funding in pursuit of these goals.

The 2026 Champions Institute participants are:

• Councilmember Ambar Marquis | Clarksville, TN
• Mayor Coletta Perry | Crafton, PA
• Councilmember David Schloegel | Jamestown, ND
• Councilmember Deborah Winstead | Pelham, NY
• Councilmember Jacque Sample | Columbia, MO
• Councilmember Jennie Chamberlain | Hanover, NH
• Legislator Josh Leviker | Lewis County, NY
• Mayor Linda Short | Mayersville, MS
• Councilmember Nichole Rogers | Albuquerque, NM
• Legislator Reed Cleland | Cortland County, NY
• Councilmember Steele Reynolds | Shawnee, KS
• Councilmember Sukh Kaur | San Antonio, TX
• Councilmember Tiffany Burgess | Beaverton, MI
• Councilmember Valerie Carroll | Columbia, MO

Now in its fifth year, the Champions Institute has grown into a network of over 100 local elected officials committed to advancing safer transportation options and more resilient, livable communities.

We can’t wait to get to know this year’s participants and see what great things they’ll accomplish!

This program is made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-PW-24-0080). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. These efforts are part of the CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation^SM Initiative that is working to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027.