Environmental Excellence Awards

GreenWorks established the Environmental Excellence Awards to recognize the
outstanding work of individuals, businesses and organizations in environmental stewardship and sustainability in our community.

Award Winners

Susan B. Roderick Lifetime Achievement Award: Karen Cragnolin, champion of the French Broad River and former executive director of Riverlink.
Individual: Willie Mae Brown, active volunteer and community advocate. She worked for more than 26 years as a volunteer with Quality Forward/Asheville GreenWorks.
Organization: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, whose Green Team has gone above and beyond to make the sanctuary environmentally sustainable with features such as rainwater catchment plantings and energy efficient lighting fixtures.
Business: Highland Brewing Company, for successfully working to achieve efficiencies in beer production and follow sustainability measures in its tasting room and throughout its facility, including wastewater pretreatment and solar power.
Education: French Broad River Academy, for its commitment to experiential education that includes strong environmental and service learning components.
Youth: Luke Shealy, North Buncombe High School student who has completed several environmental service projects and is organizing businesses, educational institutions, and community members for a March for Science in Asheville on Earth Day.
Golden Shovel Award for an innovative, collaborative project that demonstrates a commitment to environmental sustainability: New Belgium Brewing, City of Asheville, and Equinox Environmental, whose project included the implementation of stream restoration, greenway, stormwater best management practices, native and pollinator plant species, and phytotechnology (using plants to help address brownfield conditions).