Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter announced its annual environmental award recipients at a special banquet in Addison, Texas, on Saturday. The awards recognize and reward efforts of volunteers, organizations, staff, and others that reflect Sierra Club’s mission. This year’s banquet honored awardees from both 2013 and 2014.
The Chapter’s highest honor, the Orrin Bonney Award, was awarded to Conservation Director Cyrus Reed. It is given to an individual who, over a number of years, has exemplified the spirit and commitment of the Sierra Club by contributing their time and effort in one or several positions of authority for the Chapter. Reed was given the award for his more than 10 years of dedicated work on behalf of the Lone Star Chapter – first as a contract lobbyist, then as Conservation Director, and on three separate occasions as Interim Director, taking on more responsibility without additional compensation. His years of work advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency are complimented by a long list of other energy and environmental efforts, which have had a lasting impact on Texas and its environment.
“I am extremely honored to receive this special recognition,” said Reed. “It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to work on issues of such great importance alongside such dedicated people, and I look forward to many more years of fighting for future generations of Texans.”
Other notable awardees included the organization T.E.J.A.S. (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services), which won the Environmental Justice Award, for bringing a new generation of grassroots activists into meaningful roles defending living conditions in fence line communities near refineries in east Houston.
Several volunteers were also recognized, including Liz Wheelan, who won the Virginia Murray Brewer Award, given to those who have contributed to the Chapter and/or a Regional Group via the Outings Program. Wheelan has led the Dallas Group’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors (formerly Inner City Outings) program for 14 years.
“We are overjoyed to be able to recognize two years of such wonderful people, most of whom volunteer their time to help improve our environment,” said Dewayne Quertermous, Executive Committee Member of the Lone Star Chapter. “Our strength as an organization and as a movement is rooted in the determination of these individuals and groups to fight for a better Texas.”
Also among the honored award recipients was Special Service Award winner Peter Bella, who, is recognized for his work on a two year report that linked the relationship of emissions from oil and gas operations in the Eagle Ford Shale to diminishing air quality in the San Antonio region.
2014 Award Winners
- Cyrus Reed: Orrin Bonney Award
- John MacFarlane: Chapter Conservation Award
- Scott Nicol: Chapter Conservation Award
- Diane Lancaster: Chapter Service Award
- T.E.J.A.S: Environmental Justice Award
- Wally James: Environmental Reporting Award
- Jim Chapman & Stefanie Herweck: Hermann Rudenberg Award for Coastal Conservation
- Rita Beving: Special Service Award
- Liz Wheelan: Virginia Brewer Award (Outings)
- Niles Seldon: Virginia Brewer Award (Outings)
- Nick Anderson: Art in Service to the Environment
2013 Award Winners
- Molly Rooke: Chapter Conservation Award
- Peter Bella: Special Service Award
- Zac Trahan: Special Service Award
- County Attorney’s Office, Harris County: Environmental Justice Award
- Brantley Hargrove: Environmental Reporting Award
- Arthur Kuehne: Virginia Brewer Award (Outings)
- Women & Their Work – Chris Cowden, Executive Director: Art in Service to the Environment
- Mary E. Kelly, Ken Kramer Living Waters Award