The Jack Phillips Awards:  Honoring Our Past

As with any organization, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments is a reflection of the quality of its membership and leadership. All of the accomplishments in the last 11 years have been made possible because of the leadership and efforts of the Valley’s elected and appointed officials.  In order to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of its leaders as well as the 10 year anniversary of the agency, the COG instituted the Jack Phillips Award in 2005. This Award is given annually to honor those individuals whose work has profoundly shaped and contributed to the success of the San Gabriel Valley. In reading over the COG’s the accomplishment, it is important to credit these individuals. 

About Jack Phillips

Jack Phillips was first elected in the Industry City Council in 1997 and was selected by his colleagues to serve as that City’s delegate to the San Gabriel Valley Council of Government Governing Board. During his tenure on the Board, Jack established a very distinct persona. Aside from his prominent mustache, shirt and tie, and his punctuality, those who knew Jack understood that Jack was a man of few words. However, he possessed a keen insight with respect to people and issues. Jack seldom missed a COG Board meeting and always made sure he accompanied his colleagues on the COG Board travels to Washington DC and Sacramento. Jack was an excellent ambassador for the City of Industry in forging that City’s relationship with the other 31 cities here in our San Gabriel Valley. 

Jack Phillip’s approach to public service exemplified the type of collaboration and partnership that the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments is known for today. His actions and efforts set the framework and defined the culture for how this organization has moved forward in building our interjurisdictional governance. Although he passed away in 2005, Jack’s quiet leadership played a critical role in the success of our organization. In order to honor his contributions, the SGVCOG voted unanimously to establish an annual awards ceremony to recognize individuals who had a significant impact on the progress of our organization and the San Gabriel Valley and, in doing so, represent the ideals embodied by Jack Phillips.