The City of Danville’s violence prevention manager has received the Excellence in Virginia Award for Innovation in Government from the Virginia Commonwealth University L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.  Robert David who also heads up the city’s Project Imagine program was honored in Richmond on Tuesday.

The VCU Douglas Wilder Excellence in Virginia Award for Innovation in Government recognizes individuals, organizations, or government entities that have implemented innovative reforms resulting in increased efficiency, effectiveness, or improvements in how a government entity performs or delivers services. The award focuses on unique and fundamental changes in governance, policy, problem-solving, technology, or other operational elements within the scope of the recipient’s mission.

Project Imagine is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles, helping participants visualize and pursue a life free from gangs and crime. Teens enter the program through referrals from law enforcement, courts, schools, and parents.