Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke has been named American City & County's 2015 municipal leader of the year for what the magazine termed "extraordinary leadership and dedication to innovation" in the Scenic City.
Berke won accolades for his initiatives to rally Chattanooga's spirit following the July 16 shootings, organizing services for the fallen as well as a tribute concert. He was also honored for his work to promote what the magazine called an "innovation economy," moving the city away from melting steel and toward making apps.
"I now believe I live in the greatest mid-sized city in America," Berke told the magazine.
Berke also won recognition for the expansion of Chattanooga's citywide gigabit infrastructure. Under Berke, EPB increased its available Internet speeds tenfold to 10 gigabits per second, bandwidth that is available right now to all of the city's residents.
"Berke's accomplishments extend further than his leadership during a crisis and ability to remain calm under extreme pressures," the magazine wrote. "It is for these efforts that Mayor Andy Berke has been selected as American City & County's 2015 Municipal Leader of the Year."