PGCPS Honored for Innovative Infrastructure Deal
By Leslie Green - Published July 21, 2025
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) continues to make headlines for its visionary approach to school infrastructure. At the Proximo Congress 2025: US Energy and Infrastructure Finance conference in Nashville, TN, PGCPS was formally recognized for its groundbreaking Blueprint Schools Phase II initiative, receiving the Proximo Award for North America Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year.
Shawn Matlock, Director of the Office of Alternative Infrastructure, Planning, and Development, accepted the award on behalf of the PGCPS team.
“Receiving the Proximo Award for North America Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year is an incredible honor—not just for me, but for the entire team behind this transformative initiative,” Matlock shared. “This recognition affirms what we already knew: that investing in innovative public-private partnerships can reshape our communities for generations to come. It was a necessary alignment between the county executive, county council, school board, and state representatives that made this possible for the students of Prince George’s County Public Schools.”
The honor reflects the growing national recognition of Prince George’s County’s leadership in using creative financing strategies to meet public needs. Jeremy Ebie, Founder and CEO of Phoenix Infrastructure Group, emphasized the project’s broader impact:
“This is a milestone project for us. It’s our first school facility, our first social infrastructure project, and it’s the second major one that’s been done in the U.S.—both taking place in Prince George’s County,” said Ebie. “This region is filled with such innovative, diverse, smart, hardworking, honest people, and we're excited to be part of what's already taking place here and honored that they've trusted us with this opportunity."
Sia Kusha, Group Head of Business Development and Partnering at Plenary Americas, added:
“We believe that celebrating these types of projects on a global scale will shed light on a different methodology to use public sector dollars in a much more efficient and beneficial way for the public. These types of projects produce the greatest value for money, for the largest number of people, for the longest amount of time.”
Kusha also credited the collaboration across all levels of leadership and community involvement:
“We celebrate Prince George's County leadership—from the county executive to the county representatives to members of the school board—as well as our partners and the parents who participated in all the design collaborative discussions. They helped us get to a final design selection and ultimately the final project, which was financed and is now under construction.”
As the Blueprint Schools Phase II project continues to take shape, this award serves as a proud reminder of the power of innovation, partnership, and community investment in transforming education and uplifting futures across Prince George’s County.
“P3s are an innovative way for us to utilize our current resources to provide students with the state-of-the-art facilities they deserve. This is our next generation, and we’re looking forward to building bridges with these schools,” Matlock concluded.