The Houston-Galveston Area Council, or H-GAC, named an award after Mayor Tom Reid and awarded it to him at the organization's meeting on Jan. 24, according to a press release sent out by the organization. The award recognizes excellence in regional leadership in the H-GAC region, according to the release.

Reid served as mayor of Pearland for nearly 40 years. Reid has been a member of H-GAC’s board since 1973, the first year he was elected to city council, according to the release.

“It’s rare to find a person who can see beyond themselves and their community all the time,” Chuck Wemple, executive director for H-GAC said in a press release. “Then you find someone like Mayor Reid, and we learn that we can do more together than apart.”

The Tom Reid Excellence in Regional Leadership Award will recognize future board members that show outstanding leadership to the region.

“For me, it is a way of life to be part of this organization,” Reid said. “When you have the responsibility to make decisions about the 13 counties in the region, your vote counts. As you become more involved in H-GAC, the more you realize how you can make positive contributions to the region.”

H-GAC is an association of local governments and elected officials from the 13-county Gulf Coast planning region, which provides a forum to solve regional issues; prioritizes funding opportunities; and provides direct services to communities.