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Excitement filled the air at the La Crosse Distilling Co. as we gathered together to celebrate all of the nominees and announce the 2023 Inspiring Sustainability Award winners. It was a wonderful evening full of connection and appreciation.
The Inspiring Sustainability Award originated from Coulee Partner’s for Sustainability’s Harvest Dinner in 2010. Each year Coulee Partner’s recognized individuals, businesses, organizations and projects that exemplified sustainability in our region.
In 2018, the Sustainability Institute continued this award through the Inspiring Sustainability Awards. To us at the Sustainability Institute, the Inspiring Sustainability Award represents recognition for outstanding leadership in sustainability...leadership that inspires others within our community and beyond. (See past winners)
This year we received 17 nominations from our community all of which were deserving of the award. This is a perfect example of how many wonderful things are happening in our area when it comes to sustainability. Each one of the nominees are working to make a brighter and better place for all to live.
From these amazing nominations, the Sustainability Institute Executive Board had the difficult task of choosing just one individual and one organizational winner for 2023.
So without further ado, here are the winners of the
2023 Inspiring Sustainability Awards!
We are excited and proud to announce that the individual winner for the 2023 Inspiring Sustainability Awards is….
Jessica Schoonover!
From solar panels, pollinator gardens, & forthcoming EV Car charging stations, to sustainability classes & changing library prizes to include less plastic/single-use novelty items, Jessica is focused on implementing sustainability throughout the Shirley M Wright Memorial Library in Trempealeau, Wisconsin.
Jessica’s dedication to educate and encourage her community is evident. She has greatly expanded the library's selections regarding sustainability resources and ties them into educational programs on site. In addition to these initiatives, Jessica is in the process of leading the library through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative Certification program - a 2-year program for sustainability in public libraries. This will make the Shirley M. Wright Memorial Library in Trempealeau the first library in the state of Wisconsin to hold this certification!
Next, we are happy to recognize our organizational winner for 2023…..the City of La Crosse Climate Action Plan
The City of La Crosse's Common Council adopted a Climate Action Plan for the community in January 2023. In alignment with recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, La Crosse’s Climate Action Plan establishes greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of 50% below 2019 levels by 2030 with a goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. The plan puts forth 41 strategies across 9 sectors, from transportation to housing, from health and safety to waste management, that will help us mitigate our emissions while also build our resilience to the impacts of climate change. This is a significant, multi-year initiative that sets our community up to become a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant city in the decades ahead.
Mayor Mitch Reynolds and Council Member Mackenzie Mindel accepted the award on behalf of the City.
We want to congratulate our winners once again and thank them for the work they do to inspire us to keep on our sustainability journey.
Media Coverage - News Channel 8
