Hays County Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Conley was elected chairman of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization policy board, the first time a chairman has been elected from outside Travis County.

CAMPO is the regional planning group for five Central Texas counties—Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson.

"From my perspective, it's a big deal for Hays County," Conley said. "Going back as far as 10 years ago, Hays County almost had no involvement in the region. Now we're not only involved in almost all the regional organizations, many of us have been elevated to leadership roles. And that, ultimately, is good for our constituents."

CAMPO coordinates regional transportation planning among the counties, cities, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Capital Area Rural Transportation System and the Texas Department of Transportation.

It also approves the use of federal transportation funds within the region. Hays County was recently awarded $3.87 million in federal funds for five CAMPO-approved projects set to begin this year.

Conley said he looks forward to serving the county's citizens on the board.

"Certainly, I can bring more attention to the issues in Hays County, and that's important in a growing region," he said.

He said he appreciated the board's trust in his ability to represent the county and the region.

Travis County Precinct 2 Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt was elected as vice chairwoman of the board. She and Conley will serve two-year terms, during which the board will begin work on the 2040 transportation plan for the region.

Conley, whose precinct extends from the Wimberley area of western Hays County into the San Marcos area, has been a Hays County commissioner since 2004 and has served on the CAMPO board since 2010.

He also represents Hays County on other transportation planning organizations.

More information about CAMPO is available at www.campotexas.org.