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Natick Selectman Joshua Ostroff has received the annual Theodore Mann Regional Leadership Award from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
The MAPC award is named in honor of the late Theodore “Teddy” Mann, who served as mayor of Newton from 1972 to 1994, the longest tenure in the city’s history. The award “recognizes a municipal leader from Greater Boston whose commitment to regional collaboration best exemplifies Mann’s legacy,” according to the MAPC.
Rick Mann, the mayor’s son, presented the award, calling Ostroff “a tireless community advocate and a thoughtful proponent of regionalism.”
As chair of the MetroWest Regional Collaborative for three years, Ostroff advocated for a coordinated Route 9 “smart growth” plan to guide growth for the future. Ostroff also has sought to regionalize innovations such as Natick’s energy savings and management program.
A Natick selectman since 2006, Ostroff is president of the Massachusetts Selectmen’s Association and a past president of the MMA. During his year as MMA president, Ostroff was a strong voice in the effort to pass municipal health insurance reform, an initiative that is now saving hundreds of millions of dollars for communities throughout the Commonwealth.
“I gratefully accept this award on behalf of all of you who pursue public service in a spirit of collaboration and with enthusiasm,” Ostroff said during the award ceremony on May 29 in Quincy. “Teddy Mann’s legacy is one of joyful stewardship – understanding that while we may have inherited a complex legacy, we are also given an incredible opportunity to improve our communities and the connections between and with them.”