In December 2022, the COG Board selected Clark Mercer as the organization's new Executive Director, the sixth chief executive since COG’s founding in 1957. Mercer began serving in his official capacity at COG in January 2023, during what is already shaping up to be a pivotal time for the region. 

In this special episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney sits down with Mercer to discuss his background as Chief of Staff to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, and the roles he sees COG playing as area leaders tackle some big issues on the horizon: including Metro funding, housing, equity, and the region’s post-COVID economy.