26 Real People Making a Real Difference

Mary Crowley, Founder of Oceans Voyages Institute

We would like to nominate Mary Crowley for the Heart of Green award for her commitment to cleaning up plastic marine pollution in the global ocean! Mary Crowley is a woman of action who works to protect the health of the worlds' oceans. In 2008, Mary created Project Kaisei to let the world know about the garbage dump of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean and to make it clear that cleanup is possible. In August 2009, she sailed on board the 151-foot brigantine KAISEI – its name means "Ocean Planet" in Japanese – to the North Pacific Gyre. The journey yielded dramatic images of floating plastic that awakened a worldwide public to a catastrophic situation. Mary's team tested collection devices to retrieve even small pieces of plastic and partnered with scientists on ways to turn plastic into fuel. News of the voyage reached millions through media in 30 countries, including reports by CNN, People Magazine and Rolling Stone.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary is a local hero who has inspired a growing number of people to become active in defense of the oceans. She founded Ocean Voyages, an international yacht chartering company, and in 1979 she established Ocean Voyages Institute, a public charity. Today she focuses on Project Kaisei as its volunteer Director. All of Mary's work to share knowledge and experience of the oceans is grounded in her fundamental belief that people will protect what they know.

Nominated by: Lenora Carey
Ocean Voyages Institute/ Project Kaisei

Ryan Yerkey
COO, Project Kaisei; Director, Ocean Voyages Institute

Fred Schaeffer, Chairman of Walkway Over the Hudson

Fred Schaeffer, a suburban lawyer with a penchant for history and cycling, became the "face" of the effort to transform an abandoned Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into a pedestrian and cycling park spanning the Hudson River. As Chairman of the nonprofit group Walkway Over the Hudson for the past several years, Fred spent much of his free time, including evenings and weekends, bringing politicians, business people, media, environmental advocates, and just regular folks out onto the 120-year-old bridge's rickety deck, which soars 212 feet above the river. Fred firmly believed that one look at the breathtaking views from the top of the bridge would be enough to convert even the most ardent of skeptics of the merits of preserving the grand historic steel structure. Fred's all-weather field trips and a great deal of grassroots organizing by his dedicated colleagues on the Walkway Over the Hudson Board of Directors convinced some key people in high places to share their unique vision. Soon a powerful and committed public-private partnership galvanized to propel the project forward from concept to construction. Fred and the Walkway Over the Hudson Board forged key alliances with Congressman Maurice Hinchey, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Senator Steve Saland, New York State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash, former Governor Eliot Spitzer, the Dyson Foundation and Scenic Hudson — all of whom delivered significant funding and support for the project.

After the construction and rehabilitation effort broke ground in May, 2008, Fred became a tireless presence, ready to conduct interviews and speak at community gatherings at a moment's notice. He was the main spokesperson for the organization working throughout an intense 18-month construction effort and fundraising campaign, again, ably representing the nonprofit Board of Directors' point of view in hundreds of broadcast and print interviews that appeared in media outlets around the world. The campaign culminated with the successful grand opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park on Oct. 3, 2009. Just four months after the world's longest elevated pedestrian and cycling bridge opened to the public, nearly 450,000 visitors have enjoyed the stunning views from high above the Hudson, vastly exceeding original projections for the bridge. Fred's persistent belief that the public would embrace this massive adaptive re-use project — this recycling of something old and crippled to create something new and vital — has been borne out.

Nominated by: Steve Densmore
Dyson Foundation/ Walkway Over the Hudson

Beth Fiteni, Director of the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College

Beth Fiteni was chosen as one of the Long Island Business News 40 Under 40 for 2008. She is the Program Director for the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College and a professor of Environmental Policy. She coordinates the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force, which brings together local municipalities (towns & counties) to identify cost effective ways to implement clean energy initiatives. As a result of the Task Force, 10 municipalities have adopted an Energy Star code for new home construction, the first area in the nation to do so. She serves on the Town of Huntington's Renewable Energy Task Force and as a core leader of the LI Climate Action Network. She has offered a PowerPoint presentation on "Global Warming and its Local Solutions" to numerous organizations around LI.

Beth co-founded and coordinates the Long Island Interfaith Environment Network (LIIEN), to help local places of worship be "greener" and more energy efficient, while educating their congregations on environmental stewardship issues.

For nine years, Beth coordinated the region's first annual Organic Turf Trade Show for landscapers, and compiled the Long Island's Certified List of Organic Landscapers who provide chemical-free services. She offers lectures on organic lawn care to groups around Long Island.

She also offers a PowerPoint presentation on "non-toxic living" which informs people about toxins in their daily environment through such items as plastics, paints, cleaners, and body products.

She has been quoted in several local newspapers, magazines, and TV news clips over the past eight years (including Networking Magazine, WNBC Channel 4, News 55, News 12, WLIW-21, Channel 29 (Telecare), Canvas Magazine, Daily News, Newsday, Bellmore Herald, Long Islander and Long Island Catholic) on clean energy issues and natural alternatives to toxic products. She has also published articles in several of these same local magazines, plus Creations magazine, Pulse magazine, and Ecomii, an online publication.

Beth has worked as an environmentalist since age 18, and prior to her current position, worked at the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (now Beyond Pesticides) in Washington, D.C.. She holds a Masters of Studies in Environmental Law (MSEL) from Vermont Law School, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Connecticut College.

She graduated from the Class of '07 Leadership Huntington program, Molloy College's Energeia leadership program class of 2008, and is a graduate of the Woodhull Institute ('06), a nonprofit women's leadership organization founded by best-selling author Naomi Wolf. She has served on the Boards of the LI chapter of the US Green Building Council, Prevention is the Cure (a project of Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition), Friends of Huntington Farmlands, and Vision Long Island, and as an advisor to Healthy Planet, an organization that promotes healthy school lunches. Her hobbies include driving her Prius, wearing organic cotton clothes, and singing in Spanish.

Nominated by: Robert Meinke

Katie Spotz, Clean Water Advocate and World Record-Holding Rower

We often doubt the power of one person, especially when it comes to tackling a global challenge like clean water. It is with the highest admiration that my peers and I nominate Miss Katie Spotz for the 2010 Heart of Green Local Hero.

As a guest speaker in our Effective Leadership Academy, Katie came into our marketing class to speak about her upcoming extreme adventure and its cause. On New Year’s Day 2010, she began her challenge of being the youngest (age 22) and first American to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat solo. Her goal is to raise enough funds to secure fresh water for at least 1,000 people in developing nations.

Although Katie is from a small town in Ohio, much like my classmates and me, she has committed her life to helping raise awareness, using her athletic abilities, for global issues. But when it comes to endurance athletics, Spotz seems to find her stride. She has run numerous marathons, ultramarathons and even cycled across the United States. Motivated and consumed by her cause of fresh water for all, Spotz views her athletic endeavors as acts of meditation. Believing the challenge to be as much a mental one as a physical one.

Katie shoved off the coast of Africa in her one-woman rowboat, prepared to cruise 2,500 miles over nearly 100 days alone at sea, hoping to set shore in Guyana in South America later this spring. Although the rowing adventure is amazing, what our class found most compelling is Katie’s vision, her passion, and her commitment to making a difference. After hearing her speak and watching her daily progress across the Atlantic, we definitely look at ourselves and our company’s goals differently. We’ve also committed proceeds from our 2010 Green Dream Showcase to support Katie Spotz and her charity, The Blue Planet Run.

Nominated by: Hillary Sadler
Student CEO, The Green Dream, Beachwood, Ohio

Tim Thornhill, Partner in Parducci Wine Cellars

I nominate my boss, Tim Thornhill for the 2010 Heart of Green Local Hero Award. Tim's persistence, energy and creative thinking have transformed our winery and made it a special place to work. In 2004, Tim became an owning partner in Parducci Wine Cellars, the oldest winery in California's Mendocino County, which soon earned the title of America's Greenest Winery. Under his guidance as COO, the winery became the first carbon neutral in the U.S, converted to 100% green power, and certified all of its vineyards Organic and Biodynamic. Parducci twice earned California's highest environmental honor, The Governor's Economic and Environmental Leadership Award, in 2007 and 2009.

Tim takes great pride in his water conservation and recycling program. Installing meters and gauges was just the beginning. He designed and built a system to recycle 100% of the water used in Parducci's cellars through a system of capturing, cleaning and purifying via on-site, constructed wetlands. The one-third acre wetland is planted with 20 species of native grasses, creating a flourishing wildlife habitat in the Russian River watershed. The clean water is used for vineyard irrigation and frost protection. This system saves the winery 4 million gallons of water annually and is a model for the thousands of wineries in our water-scarce state.

An accomplished and surefooted leader, Tim is focused on the advancement of Mendocino County and the "greening" of Parducci Wine Cellars. His favorite saying is, "Sustainability is a not a destination, but an active journey. We will always find room for improvement."

Nominated by: Laura Duran
Parducci Wine Cellars
Mendocino County, Calif.

Suzanne Clary, President of the Jay Heritage Center

My Mom, Suzanne Clary, puts her heart and soul into her volunteer work, donating over 70 hours a week as the president of a local non-profit in Rye, the Jay Heritage Center, where she has created new programs for local schools around the theme, "Historic Preservation Is Green." Thanks to her, the recently restored 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House is the oldest National Historic Landmark building in New York State with a geothermal heating and cooling system. This 172-year-old house is becoming a role model and an innovative classroom of adaptive re-use for other museums, educational sites and older community schools and public buildings. A green touchscreen demonstrates how the system works as part of an educational program she designed called "Stewardship through Smart Choices." Hundreds of kids have participated in the program that promotes energy saving, using low-VOC paints and recycled materials, planting native trees for shade and saving water.

She was recently complimented by the Journal News for challenging Westchester County's government for dumping pesticide and arsenic contaminated soil in a state park and wildlife habitat on Long Island Sound where she is spearheading a plan to see organic community gardens created for children and seniors. She is campaigning for removal of invasive species and restoration of the oldest man-managed meadow in New York State to bring back native species of grassland birds and preserve a 10,000-year-old habitat and vista. She is passionate about green living and deserves the Heart of Green Award.

Nominated by: Taryn Clary
Rye, N.Y.

Robina Suwol, Founder of California Safe Schools

A true visionary and champion for children's rights, Robina Suwol is the Founder & Executive Director of California Safe Schools (CSS), a celebrated children's environmental health & environmental justice nonprofit coalition of over 50 organizations located in Southern California. CSS is committed to the health and safety of children, staff and community members who reside near school sites.

CSS is internationally recognized for spearheading the most stringent pesticide policy in the nation at Los Angeles Unified School District (2nd largest in the nation). This policy called Integrated Pest Management Policy (IPM), uses low-risk methods to eliminate pest and weeds. The policy was the first in the United States to embrace the Precautionary Principle and Parents Right to Know about pesticides used on school campuses. Today it has become the model for school districts and communities internationally.

October 6, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 405 (Montanez) sponsored by California Safe Schools. This law closes a loophole protecting more than 6 million California K-12 public school students, and hundreds of thousands of teachers and school employees from exposure to experimental pesticides whose health effects are unknown. An articulate and compelling speaker, Suwol gives frequent presentations on safety to parents, students, school officials and legislators.

Nominated by: Donna Inglima

Billiam van Roestenberg, Farmer at Liberty View Farm

Billiam van Roestenberg's "rent a chicken" and "lease a apple tree" programs may be as unique and creative as he is! A transplanted NYC person, Billiam preaches the values of sustainable agriculture to local customers of his Liberty View Farm and also to his many contacts in New York City.

My take on Billiam's mission: Make local agriculture accessible and sensible to customers, and rewarding to both the farmer and their customers. One of Billiam's slogans that illustrates this is: "Do you know who your farmer is?"

I've never met a man with as many ideas about how to change the world as Billiam has! Last year, Billiam won Huffington Post's "Hottest Farmer" contest. And more recently, The Sundance Channel produced a short featuring Billiam and his farm (it's embedded on his homepage).

Nominated by Daniel Clark
Kingston, N.Y.

Christy Hemenway, Beekeeper Teacher and Founder of Gold Star Honeybees

Christy Hemenway passionately advocates for saving honeybees. Her green certified Maine business, Gold Star Honeybees, advances natural beekeeping to allow bees to live as closely as they would in the wild. Her motto is "It's not about the honey, Honey, it's about the bees."

Christy gives frequent free workshops throughout Maine and New England, promoting the use of a natural beekeeping system utilizing top bar hives. This system addresses many of the theorized causes of bee population decline. At a local school garden, at farmers markets, or at beekeeping association meetings, she invites kids and adults to start thinking about beekeeping naturally.

Christy's message is that we are over manipulating honeybees. She advocates that we must stop moving bees in boxes to single crop farms that cannot support a bee for more than a short period per year; to stop feeding bees sugary food when we could let them feed off their own honey; to eliminate the application of chemicals to help bees be artificially healthy. Many widely used methods of beekeeping do not make long-term sense for bees nor for the planet.

Whether one chooses to buy her hives or not, Christy helps people understand that we are responsible for honeybees and we can do more to help bees: buy locally, sustainably grown food; allow bees to make their own natural beeswax with no chemicals; harvest honey in the spring after the bees have had what they need to make it through winter.

She has dedicated herself and her business to help honeybees. She is a honeybee hero.

Nominated by Chris Hendricks
Phippsburg, Maine

Linda Lannon, Co-Founder of PeopleTowels

I would like to nominate Linda Lannon, co-founder of PeopleTowels for the Heart of Green Awards. Linda is working hard to bring the "eco-habit" of using personal reusable hand towels in public restroom to American culture.

PeopleTowels are the newest concept in sustainability – pocket-sized organic cotton hand towels that can be used in place of paper towels in public restrooms, which are used once and then thrown away. Japanese men and women have carried a similar item with them every day for decades and paper products in public restrooms aren't even an option.

As the day-to-day operator of the PeopleTowels business, Linda works tirelessly to spread the word about PeopleTowels and get Americans to give up their dependence on paper towels in public restroom – one person, business, or school at a time. She can envision a world where paper towel waste is eliminated.

Linda has a long-held concern for the harmful effects of the American "throw-away culture." She believes that often times what's old is new and that by recycling ideas we can simplify our lives and have less of an impact on the environment. Linda left her career in senior management with leading companies in education, consumer software, and children's book publishing to follow her passion with PeopleTowels, and introduce Americans to one small lifestyle change that can have a big impact on the environment. For over a year, on nights and weekends, Linda and her partner Mary Wallace planned the strategy for the business that became PeopleTowels, while managing their full-time executive day jobs. With much help and encouragement from their families, the business became a reality in late 2009. For both, PeopleTowels has turned a passion for the environment into a labor of love. It is their hope that the adoption of PeopleTowels will have a positive and lasting impact on the planet for generations to come.

I think you'll agree that Linda Lannon has a "heart of green."

Nominated by: Pamela Coddington
Double Forte, for People Towels

Steven Satterfield, Chef of Miller Union

One of Atlanta's culinary leaders, Chef Steven Satterfield, realized his dream in 2009 by partnering to open Miller Union, a fresh approach to sustainable restaurant dining. Steven is a naturally intuitive chef motivated by a powerful commitment to local ingredients and to emphasizing sustainability through Miller Union's cuisine, design and operations – earning the restaurant notable accolades including a semifinalist nod for the 2010 James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant Award.

Steven is a creative force and a compelling advocate who has established Miller Union as a unique leader in the local food movement and Atlanta dining community, firmly founded on the partnership between chef and farmer. He works tirelessly to source all of Miller Union's ingredients from local, sustainable and ethical farms, building an evolving menu that is wholly defined by the seasonal ingredients available.

Promoting sustainability is of utmost importance to Steven, and it emanates from his words and actions with the restaurant or local green cuisine. He inspires others to share slow food with family-style, four-course Harvest Dinners at Miller Union, a monthly tradition that highlights seasonal ingredients and celebrates where food comes from – together among friends, family and farmers. In addition, Steven has helped incorporate reclaimed and recycled materials into the restaurant's design and implemented a composting system that has diverted more than three tons of waste in its first two months. He remains actively engaged with Slow Food Atlanta, Georgia Organics, Southern Foodways Alliance and Green Foodservice Alliance.

From Miller Union to his home kitchen, Steven is advancing the sustainable food movement, strengthening his partnerships with local farmers and sharing the natural flavors of fresh, local ingredients with the Atlanta dining community.

Nominated by: The Reynolds Group, for Miller Union

Ally Maize, founder of Green Youth Movement

After becoming impassioned toward the eco-system's plight when researching cars at the tender age of 15, Ally Maize decided she would take it upon herself to do something good for the environment.

She began slowly by employing reusable grocery bags instead of using plastic, changing her hot water heating system inside her house to tankless, and adding solar panels on the roof. What followed these personal improvements was nothing short of incredible for a 15-year-old, newly set out to save the world: the creation of the Green Youth Movement (GYM), an organization to educate kids and teens about global warming and pressing environmental issues.

GYM promotes a thoughtful mindset that values the earth and our future in hopes of inspiring awareness and giving a broad and easily applicable understanding of what it means to "live green."

In the two years since its inception, GYM has made incredible strides in the education and participation of adolescents by making a name for itself among green Los Angeles nonprofits. From simple (but important!) plantings to hosting an upcoming eco-friendly fashion show during LA's Fashion Week to presenting their 2009 "Inspiration Award" to former Vice President Al Gore, GYM is increasingly visible and influential to its target audience.

Ally Maize deserves to be recognized for bringing the green message to LA's next generation of consuming adults – arguably the most important and yet least reached-out-to demographic. Ally and her GYM "green teens" are looking toward the future when many are stuck only paying attention to the present.

Nominated by Spencer Bernstein

Rev. Diane Walker, Chaplain at Rockynol Retirement Community

I would like to nominate Rockynol Retirement Community's Chaplain, Rev. Diane Walker (photo unavailable). She has spearheaded a "Go Green" group of interested employees and has taken our group beyond our expectations of recycling. Rev. Diane has been our leader and has taken the initial steps to contact a paper recycling company that actually pays us money for our paper items. We have saved money as a non-profit company by not having the paper volume included in our waste that we pay for to be hauled away.

Diane has educated the staff to think about reducing, reusing and recycling. We have switched to almost a complete reduction in paper goods in our dining services areas. We are in the process of seeking ways to save water by installing aerator's on the faucets in our public and resident areas. We are looking into options for motion-sensor lighting in areas such as restroom, hallways, etc. Public safety and resident safety are the primary concern here. Diane has been a beacon of light for all of our 300 employees, and 275-plus residents. She is our leader, teaching us how to conserve and help our planet be sustainable for seven generations. Yes, it does matter. Yes, without Rev. Diane taking this leadership role, we would still be tossing office paper in the trash, copying one sided, using paper copies instead of power point presentations for meetings, to name a few changes. Her next project is creating a mug wall in our employee break room so we don't use of paper cups. She has made arrangements with our Culinary Services department to wash the cups.

Diane has really made a difference in employees and residents lives, as well as our working environment. Thank you Diane for all your diligence and your efforts, YOU are a remarkable person!!

Nominated by: Karen Bakita
Rockynol Retirement Community
Akron, Ohio

Jessica Arinella, Creator of the What You Can Do Video Series

Actor and producer Jessica Arinella envisioned a documentary project to inspire positive action, rather than desperation, for important environmental and social issues. After watching a thought-provoking documentary that left her feeling overwhelmed and powerless, she dreamed up the What You Can Do series. Jessica and her colleagues at On the Leesh Productions developed the series to provide viewers with simple ways to make a positive impact on issues including climate change, water conservation, wildlife preservation, world hunger and more. On the Leesh is an independent New York City company that produces film, Web series and corporate video.

For this project, Jessica works with local and national organizations such as City Harvest, Defenders of Wildlife and The Ocean Conservancy to spotlight powerful ideas for green living and social change. Most episodes are produced in New York City, with cast and crew donating their time or working at a highly discounted rate.

The On the Leesh team would like to nominate Jessica as a "hero next door" for her determination to start a grassroots movement of action and volunteerism. She inspires us each day with her belief that presenting tangible solutions to global challenges is a first step toward real progress.

The What You Can Do 365 series premiered last fall with the broadcast of 21 episodes on New York public television WLIW21. On January 1, 2010, the series launched a year of episodes online.

Nominated by: Julie Tortorici
Writer, On the Leesh
New York City

Spencer Brown, Founder of Rent-a-Green Box

Spencer is a forward thinking entrepreneur with a high level of integrity and moral ethics. Five years ago, Spencer embraced an issue that most people only talk about, overflowing landfills, and decided to personally do something positive to directly impact the future of our planet. He created Rent-a-Green Box after visiting a landfill and witnessing the appalling amount of trash we all contribute to on a daily basis. Spencer is committed to detoxing our landfills and has received numerous awards for his efforts, including the Governor's Economic Environmental Leadership award in 2009. His message is simple, trash is a viable resource, and he's determined to share that vision and change the way we carelessly use and discard valuable resources. His relentless focus has made him a highly sought after keynote speaker. From the USC MBA program to the graduating class of the Art Institute to the Girl Scouts USA, Spencer enthusiastically talks trash with future generations. Spencer has become an industry expert and has been approached to be a consultant for one of the largest office supply companies leading the industry in sustainability. His knowledge, unwavering commitment to excellence and groundbreaking creativity set him apart as an industry expert. His passion for personally making a difference in the future of our planet makes him an easy nominee for The Heart of Green Award. (I attended a conference on sustainability and Mr. Brown was speaking. We met in one of the focus groups and I was so impressed I've carried his message forward and believe he is the perfect candidate for this award.)

Nominated by: Cynthia Gotoski
Global Accounts Manager, Office Depot Business Solutions

It is with great pleasure and honor that I nominate Spencer Brown, founder and CEO of Earth Friendly Moving, aka Rent-a-Green-Box, for the Heart of Green awards. Spencer is truly an amazing person with an amazing service. While it appears to be very simple on the surface – renting plastic bins to people moving – there is more to it than meets the eye.

These are not ordinary plastic bins that are available in stores; these are special bins that are custom made from recycled plastics, thus diverting tons of plastic from already crowded landfills. These brightly colored green bins are sturdy, have hinged lids, and are stackable. There is no sealing tape used, the bottom will not split open at the seams, and the contents will not be crushed when another box is put on top of it or bumps into it. I know all of this first-hand, as I have used these bins for two moves, my office about a year ago and my home more recently. They made it so easy to pack and move my large collection of books, as well as all the other items in my office and home.

Spencer was not content to provide these great plastic moving boxes, as there are other things involved in moving. He provides biodegradable packing "peanuts" that you can dump in your garden when you are finished with them and he makes sustainable "bubble wrap" out of recycled cardboard with a contraption in the back of his fleet of veggie diesel delivery trucks. The bins are stacked on plastic pallets – affectionately known as "poopie pallets" - made from recycled disposable diapers.

As both an economist and environmentalist, I am very impressed by Earth Friendly Moving. Using Rent-a-Green-Box for moving is economical and efficient for the customer and it utilizes a product that is sustainable from start to finish. This is the perfect combination for environmentally challenged world.

In my role as Chair of the Sustainable Campus Task Force at Woodbury University in Burbank, I am constantly on the lookout for speakers for our Sustainability Speaker Series. When I came across Earth Friendly Moving and read about Spencer, I just knew that he would be a terrific speaker. Although he is busy running his company and thinking of the next big idea, he agreed to speak to our campus community last spring.

Spencer's passion for the environment came across loud and clear to the audience made up of Woodbury students, faculty and staff. The three main aspects of the concept, entrepreneurship, look and feel, and sustainability had great appeal to those interested in business, design, or the environment, respectively. It was difficult to not be inspired by the simplicity of the concept – one of those "Why didn't I think of it?" products or services – that can have such a large, positive impact on the environment. In addition to diverting plastic from landfills, imagine how many trees have been spared from being turned into cardboard boxes, which are often used only once before heading for the landfill.

In Los Angeles, we talk about die-hard baseball fans bleeding Dodger blue. I'm guessing that Spencer Brown bleeds the same shade of green as his Rent-a-Green-Boxes, and that it is pumped through his veins and arteries by his Heart of Green.

Nominated by: E.B. Gendel, Ph.D.
Chair, Sustainable Campus Task Force
Woodbury University, Burbank, Calif.

David and Renate Jakupca, founders of the International Center for Environmental Arts

The International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA) was founded by David and Renate Jakupca in 1987 to meet the compelling needs of ordinary citizens for access to current, balanced, understandable information about complex global issues. ICEA is a force for socially responsible activity. ICEA's mission is ICEAlity, that is to "Assist in understanding of the relationship between Humans and their Environment through the Arts ultimately promoting a sustainable global Culture of Peace."

ICEA participated in the 1992 Earth Summit, and with the approval of U.S. Delegation Leaders Geraldine Ferraro and President Jimmy Carter, ICEA has been recycling all major World Conferences ever since. David and Renate Jakupca and the ICEA exhibits have received international critical acclaim in the environmental arts.

The historic ARK in Berea, Ohio helped inaugurate the green building trend that is now sweeping America. In 2000, "because of their heightened talent to match ability with vision," David and Renate were appointed American Cultural Ambassadors to help lead the Nation into the next Millennium when they spent six months in Europe at EXPO2000, the World's Fair in Hannover, Germany.

Over the years, ICEA has under David and Renate gained a reputation for excellence based upon a unique library of specialized, current information on global importance and a wide range of imaginative programming and collaborations with other organizations to meet the needs of a broad constituency — including the ART AID Auction for Haiti and the World Children Peace Movement.

Nominated by: Bev Miko, a part-time volunteer for ICEA
Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Lauren Selman, Founder of Reel Green Media

I would take this opportunity to nominate Lauren Selman, founder of Reel Green Media for the 2010 Heart of Green award. I met Lauren, who was all of 22 at the time, when I worked as an executive at motion picture studio and we have been in contact ever since. We have no mutual business or financial interests.

Lauren Selman's commitment to the environment is more than evident and I must admit tremendously inspiring. She had asked me for a meeting to pitch the services of her company, which offers much-needed assistance to the film community on how to green their productions. After all getting the studios to change the way they shoot movies—diesel and fuel used for traveling, going through hundreds of disposable water bottles each day, building and discarding entire sets—there is certainly much work to do.

In just three short years, Lauren has worked with the major motion pictures studios, independent productions across the country, Fortune 500 companies and film offices around the globe. She has given seminars and lectures about waste reduction and sustainability in film production for the United Nations, National Alliance Hazardous Waste Managers, Association of International Film Commissioners and other acclaimed institutions and panels. Together with costume designer Kresta Lins, she has produced an international education campaign, The Sustainable Sirens that has been featured in trade publications, the cover of Costume Designer Magazine, in a store front on Sunset Blvd and at Paramount Pictures and was highlighted on the BBC. Furthermore, their film, made in partnership with Ambush Entertainment, Greenlit has been accepted to film festivals around the country and will be premiering in Austin, TX in just 2 weeks to spread the message about sustainable production and entertainment. Everyone who goes to Hollywood is trying to make it big. Lauren Selman is no different; only she is trying to make "it" – the big screen that is – more sustainable. For this role there are no Oscars, no Palme d'or. For Lauren, the reward is seeing business pick up and carbon emissions go down--and receiving the Heart of Green Award would be a worthy honor!

Nominated by: Chris Essel

I am a retired Canadian Attorney and have known Lauren Selman since 2004. I am not related or in business with her although have provided some professional services to her firm.

Lauren's lifelong passion for environmentalism has been put into action in a way that touches not only all who come in contact with her. After graduating from Berkley Lauren immediately launched Reel Green Media based on her college thesis.

Since graduation, Lauren has worked with major motion pictures studios, independent productions across the country and Fortune 500 companies. She has given seminars and lectures about waste reduction and sustainability in film production for the United Nations, National Alliance Hazardous Waste Managers, Association of International Film Commissioners and other acclaimed institutions and panels. She has ridden her bike across the USA and other events to raise substantial money and awareness of environmental and social issues.

In 2010, Lauren was the writer/producer of a feature length documentary film "Greenlit". This is a film showing behind the scene realities of Lauren and her team trying to ensure another feature film (The River Why) was done with greening principles taught by Lauren. The film was made in partnership with Ambush Entertainment. Greenlit has been accepted in two film festivals so far around the country and will be premiering in Austin, TX in just 2 weeks.

Capitalizing on her knowledge of the film industry, Lauren became a champion for the The Sustainable Sirens international education campaign and art display. This was a creative use of the "waste" products of the film industry, by using these products to design a period costume which has been featured on the cover of Costume Designer Magazine.

Nominated by: Darlene Patrick

Paul Dolan, Author and Winemaker

As a fourth-generation winemaker, Paul Dolan dedicated his 35-year career to promoting sustainable agriculture, inspiring and assisting local growers to become certified organic farmers, and advancing widespread adoption of ecologically sound farming practices. Paul, my boss, is my nominee for the 2010 Heart of Green Local Hero Award.

Paul and his family nurture their Biodynamic ranch, Dark Horse, as a balanced, living entity. Restoring and preserving the land for future generations, they raise wine grapes, olives, livestock and vegetables.

A community leader, Paul leads by example as co-chair and host of Pure Mendocino, a celebration of our local, organically grown foods and wines which benefits Mendocino’s Cancer Resource Center.

Paul believes our greatest challenge in the world today is global warming. As an industry leader, winemaker, farmer and father, he asks all of us to do everything we can to meet this challenge. Paul inspired and supported my efforts to transform our winery, one of the oldest in the county, into the Nation’s first carbon neutral winery.

Paul makes the case in his book, True to Our Roots: Fermenting a Business Revolution, that sustainability is not only good for the earth, it is an economic advantage. He takes this message to numerous business schools, entrepreneurship programs and farm organizations in the United States, Canada and Europe through his motivational speaking.

“A sustainable business should … have integrity. It must aspire to do what is right, not just for the bottom line, not just from a legal standpoint, but from a moral and ethical standpoint. It’s not only accountable, it’s responsible.” (My favorite quote from Paul’s book.)

Nominated by: Kelly Lentz
Marketing & Sales Coordinator, Parducci Wine Cellars & Paul Dolan Vineyards
Mendocino County, Calif.

Mary Jo Graham, Environmental Educator

For over 30 years, Mary Jo Graham (pictured far left) has had a fascination with our natural world. An environmental activist and advocate, she is a Naturalist for Earth Spirit Educational Services teacher, educating area students and the general public. She recently graduated with honors from the University at Buffalo with a degree in Environmental Studies. Currently, MJ is researching homesteading and self-sufficiency, applying some of these practices in her daily life.

Mary Jo has also brought much to Buffalo State College's Winterim program, a series of staff development seminars. She classes on topics such as Earthly Cleaning, Beginning Cheese Making, Make your Own Groceries, as well as bringing in Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of great Predators, a documentary that was attended by over 100 people, a Winterim record.

Earth Spirit is another place where Mary Jo helps provide diverse educational programs to schools, community groups and the public. She is there for most events whether it is a snowshoe hike through the woods or maple sugaring techniques you can always expect to see Mary Jo's smiling face.

She helps people change the way they think about nature and their role in it good or bad. She is always available and spreads the word not only verbally but by her very lifestyle. You can find her in the spring stirring a pot of maple sap making her own syrup. She is an avid bird enthusiast and someone I am very happy to call friend. No one deserves this honor more than she.

Nominated by: Susan M. Jaworski

Karen Solomon, Creator of Opportunity Green

Karen Solomon had a vision to create a platform that would lead the advancement of sustainable entrepreneurship, raise awareness of the importance of the triple bottom line and build strategic partnerships between global corporations, social entrepreneurs and the next generation of Thought Leadership. So she and her partner, Mike Flynn, created a small conference called Opportunity Green in 2007, hosted at UCLA. Since then, Opportunity Green has become one of the most successful green business conferences on the West Coast and continues to grow rapidly. Karen's vision has brought a much needed green focus to Los Angeles – a city that had the desire, talent and finances to become one of the greenest cities in the nation but lacked the direction necessary to achieve that goal. What started as a local event has now become a definite destination for business leaders, artists, technology pioneers and students from all over the world. I have worked with Karen as a volunteer for the conference over the last 3 years. She has made a profound impact on my life as well as hundreds of other Los Angelinos and I am so proud to say that I am a part of the Opportunity Green family. I hope you will accept her as a nominee for the Local Hero Award.

Nominated by: Julie Hayes
Opportunity Green Program Editor and Director

Marty Metro, Founder of UsedCardboardBoxes.com

I would like to nominate Marty Metro, CEO and founder of UsedCardboardBoxes.com for a Heart of Green Award. Metro is a passionate, green entrepreneur who is committed to reducing the amount of cardboard that is consumed and wasted. UsedCardboardBoxes.com has seen steady growth and now sells MILLIONS of used cardboard boxes to consumers and large corporations across the US and Canada.

The box manufacturing process exploits natural resources, uses chemicals, dyes and inks, consumes energy and harms the environment. Used boxes are usually discarded in a landfill or shipped out of the country on large freighters to be made into another cardboard box. The alternative is used cardboard boxes! UsedCardboardBoxes.com has been successful by selling pre-packaged, "moving and storage kits" for homes, offices and apartments and working with large corporations to incorporate used cardboard boxes into their supply chain. The company also has proprietary software that matches used boxes with companies that need boxes.

By reducing the amount of new cardboard boxes being produced and increasing the number of used boxes being recycled by consumers and companies, Marty Metro's UsedCardboardBoxes.com is thinking locally and leading globally.

Nominated by: Daryl Wise
Streetwise PR, for UsedCardboardBoxes.com

Jamie Pritscher, Founder of That's Caring

Two years ago when the opportunity to start a brand new company presented itself, Jamie jumped on it. Jamie choose to create a company that would make a difference and positively effect the lives of others as well as the environment, hence the companies name, That's Caring. That's Caring provides eco-friendly gift options for consumers and purchases products from local non-profits to support their worthy missions. Since inception Jamie has worked hard to further the "green" message of That's Caring by sharing her story at schools, universities and during her time as semi-finalist in the Alibaba Newpreneur competition.

In the past year Jamie has upgraded the eco-friendly packaging and expanded the gift basket line to include over 100 gifts ready to be shipped nationwide. Each gift is packaged and shipped environmentally friendly, for every gift sent carbon offsets are purchased through TerraPass.

At the end of the day Jamie still finds time to volunteer with local organizations such as Chicago Gateway Green and Friends of the Parks. Last Earth Day Jamie organized over 100 volunteers to clean up a local forest preserve. The event was a success! This year Jamie plans on at least doubling the amount of volunteers. She is already well on her way to that goal. In all of Jamie's endeavors she is consistently "that caring" and has created a business that will help to sustain the earth and the communities in which it serves.

Nominated by: Jacquelyn Tausend
teacher, and Jamie Pritscher's sister

Julie Naylon, founder of No Wire Hangers

Julie Naylon truly has a heart of green. Since founding her green home organizing business No Wire Hangers in 2008, she has worked tirelessly to help the people of Los Angeles streamline and green their homes, and even more importantly, to rethink their entire approach to life. The Los Angeles Organizing Awards rewarded her for her work with "The Green Award for the most Eco-friendly Organizing Business” in 2009. Reminding clients and friends alike to buy smarter, repurpose more often, recycle everything (even ex-boyfriends — Julie has put several of hers to work while establishing No Wire Hangers), Naylon is launching a revolution one eco-clothes hanger at a time. The more she learns, the more she strives to teach others about how our choices impact the planet. She’s devoted herself to spreading the word about how we can, quite literally, save the world by taking easy but crucial steps to keep our unwanted possessions out of landfills and stop the deluge of junk mail to our homes. Whether she’s touring a local garbage dump in order to see where our stuff really goes, volunteering at local green expos, donating her time to local charities, recycling all matter of found material into stylish home furnishings (which she blogs about at julienaylon.blogspot.com), or teaching workshops in New York City and Los Angeles about living a greater, greener existence, she’s quickly becoming the go-to green girl from coast to coast.

Nominated by: Sarah Tomlinson

Robert Meinke, owner of Greener Country

Greener Country, Long Island's center for environmentally conscious living, in Jericho, NY, is the passion of Robert Meinke, 52, of Shirley, N.Y., with support from his wife, Maria Brandis. Mr. Meinke was born, raised and educated on Long Island. He graduated from Seaford High School in 1976, earned his undergraduate degree in business management from Adelphi University in 1980, and an MBA from Dowling College in 2006. The mission of the Website and the store is to help consumers to find ways to lower their carbon footprints by reducing energy consumption, conserving water, managing waste, eliminating household and office toxins, and supporting local organic agriculture. At the Jericho store (LEED certification is pending), with over 500 products and services available, consumers and businesses can learn about environmentally preferable choices from a reliable, knowledgeable source. Mr. Meinke's store holds educational events about once a month. He participates in local environmental affairs to raise awareness and is a member of several green environmental organizations.

The spark for the idea happened in April 2007 when Mr. Meinke and Ms. Brandis attended a national Green Festival in Chicago. It was there that the couple thought it was time to give Long Islanders and New Yorkers a place to shop where the environmental always matters. They felt a pent-up demand existed for this type of store and sought out a path to meet this need. The web site was functional in early 2008 and has received hundreds of orders from around the country. The storefront's grand opening was last March 2009. They have been growing the business ever since.

Nominated by: Beth Fiteni

Jack Johnson, Founder of Blue Iguana Software

We would like to nominate our CEO, Jack Jackson (photo unavailable). He is a consummate fighter for all things green. He is the President and Founder of Blue Iguana Software, a company that helps businesses go green. He requires that all his employees volunteer in the community, and he personally spends hours of his work week working in the local communities teaching about green. He also sits on the board of a local charity and donates proceeds of sales to the Arbor Day Foundation and a local charter school for impoverished kids. He is truly what it means to be green.

Nominated by: Fabiola Acevedo
Manager, Blue Iguana Software

Gordian Raacke, founder of Renewable Energy Long Island

Gordian Raacke is the founder and executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization promoting clean and sustainable energy use and generation on Long Island. RELI is the only membership-supported organization with an exclusive focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy, working to protect Long Island's environment, economy and public health and to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Prior to his present position, Mr. Raacke served as executive director of the federal court-appointed Citizens Advisory Panel since 1993. The Long Island-based energy watchdog group was established as a result of a settlement of a class action lawsuit against the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) in 1989 to represent and protect the interests of Long Island's electric ratepayers.

Mr. Raacke is regarded as an important player in Long Island energy policy, highly respected by the public, the media and elected officials. Mr. Raacke has testified before local and state legislative bodies and before the New York State Public Service Commission on numerous occasions. He has worked as a consultant on energy issues to the Suffolk County Legislature and Long Island Power Authority, participated in the development of New York State energy plans and in proceedings before the NY Public Service Commission, including rate cases, the proceeding on restructuring electric utilities, and the establishment of a statewide Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires that 25% of New York State's electricity come from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass by 2013.

He founded the Long Island Solar Roofs Initiative and has coordinated public outreach and education efforts on solar energy in conjunction with the Long Island Power Authority's Clean Energy Initiative. He was instrumental in establishing WindWorks Long Island, a coalition of environmental groups which initiated and supports the concept of a Long Island Offshore Wind Park. In 2007, Mr. Raacke was selected as a Climate Change Messenger to participate in a rigorous training program led by former Vice President Al Gore to spread the message about the threat of and solutions to global warming.

Mr. Raacke serves on the board of directors of Environmental Advocates of New York and is a founding board member of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.

Mr. Raacke holds a degree in Civil Engineering and lives in his energy-efficient and solar-powered home in East Hampton, N.Y.

Nominated by: Beth Fiteni

Greg Perry, 2009 Local Hero

Greg Perry, the 2009 Local Hero, inspired an audience of 200 at the Heart of Green Awards ceremony in New York City. His his acceptance speech brought the crowd to its feet. (Watch it!) A high school teacher in Ohio, he not only inspired his marketing class to create the largest green products expo in Ohio, and not only used the proceeds to build the model Ultimate Green Classroom, but he did much of it while battling cancer. A year later, he's doing great, and ready to bestow the Local Hero honor on another deserving individual.