Stamford, CT, Jan. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, has recognized 25 community organizations and individuals through its 2022 National Awards program.
The Keep America Beautiful National Awards program celebrates the work of its nearly 700 community-based affiliates, millions of volunteers and participants, and corporate and community partners for their commitment to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s communities.
Winners were selected in the following categories:
- Individual Achievement Awards: Lady Bird Johnson Award
- Innovation Awards: State and Local Affiliate Innovation Awards
- State Agency Partnership Recognition Awards
“Congratulations to the affiliates, state agencies, and individuals in the 2022 award group. You are the leaders of our work to clean, green, and beautify communities across America and the heart of our movement,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO, Jennifer Lawson. “Each awardee represents hours of service and commitment, willingness to try new things and invest time, talent and resources to do the work that translates into stronger and more vibrant communities. Your leadership is ours to follow and we are grateful.”
Liz Davis is the recipient of the Keep America Beautiful Lady Bird Johnson Award. This award is a gender-neutral recognition for an outstanding volunteer. Named after the former First Lady for engaging our nation in recognizing that aesthetic beauty is directly related to a better quality of life, the award is given to a volunteer for exceptional leadership with at least 10 years of service in helping their local community to become cleaner, greener, and more beautiful. Davis is a volunteer for Keep Smyrna Beautiful in Georgia. In the words of her nominator, Julie Barwig:
"For the past 17 years, Liz Davis has worked tirelessly to fulfill the mission of Keep Smyrna Beautiful. She is an active and service-minded volunteer, who can be found doing everything from coordinating our largest fundraiser to volunteering at document shredding events. As a way of life, she models for KAB affiliates the way to be an effective servant-leader."
The Keep America Beautiful Innovation Award salutes affiliates that have created innovative partnerships and programs to further the mission of Keep America Beautiful. The Innovation Awards are intended to honor true innovation. These are unique ideas or methods and/or creative or non-traditional approaches to solving challenges. The Innovation Awards recognize new approaches that help facilitate growth within an organization. An innovative partnership or program may be original in concept or may be the development of novel and different methods of established partnerships or programs.
Innovation Awards for 2022 are awarded to the following:
- Keep The Blackstone Valley Beautiful (RI) - Local Partnership
- Keep The Rez Beautiful (MS) - Local Program
- Keep Smyrna Beautiful (GA) - Local Partnership
- Keep Gastonia Beautiful (NC) - Local Program
- Keep Alachua Beautiful (FL) - Local Partnership
- Keep Irving Beautiful (TX) - Local Program
- Keep Oklahoma City Beautiful (OK) - Local Program
- Keep Mississippi Beautiful (MS) - State Partnership
- Keep Louisiana Beautiful (LA) - State Program
The Keep America Beautiful State Agency Partnership Award honors state Departments of Transportation, Environmental Quality, and/or other state agencies for their support of Keep America Beautiful State Affiliates. These are the partners that help our State Affiliates get the job done, and Keep America Beautiful is grateful for their support and partnership.
State Agency Partnership Awards for 2022 are awarded to the following:
- Alabama Department of Transportation - Keep Alabama Beautiful
- CALTRANS - Keep California Beautiful
- Mississippi Department of Transportation - Keep Mississippi Beautiful
- Ohio Environmental Protection Agency - Keep Ohio Beautiful
- Ohio Department of Transportation - Keep Ohio Beautiful
- Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality - Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
- Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry - Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
- Oklahoma Turnpike Authority - Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
- Oklahoma Department of Transportation - Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development - Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
- PA Department of Transportation - Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
- PA Department of Environmental Protection - Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
- South Carolina Department of Transportation - Keep South Carolina Beautiful
- Tennessee Department of Tourism Development - Keep Tennessee Beautiful
- TDOT - Keep Tennessee Beautiful
Congratulations to the 2022 National Award winners from Keep America Beautiful and thank you for your hard work and commitment to ensure everyone lives in a beautiful community.
About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The Keep America Beautiful Model for Change – steeped in education, research, and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice, and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of nearly 700 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
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