Our work is a collaborative effort among many partner organizations and individuals. Each year, our Smarty Pants Awards honor a few of those folks who are helping us build a climate smart community. Check out the latest winners, below!
2017 Smarty Pants Awards
2016 Smarty Pants Awards |
Doctorate of Dedication: Sarah Coefield, Air Quality Specialist, Missoula City/County Health Department
Sarah is dedicated to clean air - both indoors and out - more than anyone on the planet. Really. She poured herself into helping Missoula County residents stay healthy and safe during the worst wildfire smoke season ever recorded in this area. Her darkly humorous twice daily air quality reports kept us all going this past summer. And she was our primary partner in launching the HEPA air filter distribution program, which provided filters and clean air to vulnerable individuals and schools throughout Missoula County. Years ago, Sarah started thinking of a new, not-yet-tested program to give people clean air, and her dedication to working with us to figure out the pieces was key. She invested so much of herself into helping others, setting the bar for the rest of us. We cannot thank Sarah enough for her energy, smarts, and heart. We have the utmost respect for you Sarah! You can read more from and about Sarah here. Masters in the (Fine) Art of Community Building: Don, Sarah, and Chris of MMW Architects - together with Steve Nelson and Home ReSource
Our Summer Smart initiative has us creating shade for Missoula's hot summer afternoons. Trees are fantastic but why not also build shade? Though we thought this might be a good idea, it took creative and talented partners to make our first shade shelter become a reality, partners who knew how to both design something cool, but also build it. Don, Sarah and Chris with MMW architects were with us every step of the way, designing an architecturally awesome structure, helping us figure out the site, engineering, materials and more. Together, we got the design approved, moved rocks and hung rebar. Their vision of a structure that used recycled scrap wood was a perfect fit to partner directly with Steve and his work crew at Home ReSource who figured out just how to wrangle wood scraps into a shelter and then actually did it! All four of these folks are smart, fun, and generous, just what's needed to build community. And they're even up for shelter #2 in 2018! Photos and more of the story behind this amazing Shade Shelter along the Milwaukee Trail, south side of the Clark Fork River, are here. Catalyst of Change Award: Jeremy Drake, Home ReSource Community Engagement Manager
Jeremy is honored for his tremendous work to move Missoula toward Zero Waste. Waste has long been something that everyone talks about but few are bold enough to address. Not Jeremy. He and Home ReSource ED Katie Deuel led the discussion on our waste stream at a Climate Smart Community Summit and directed it toward the transformative concept of Zero Waste, which in 2015 became an official City Resolution. Fast forward 2 years and Jeremy is still leading that charge. Working with the City, we have ZERO by FIFTY: Missoula’s Pathway to Zero Waste, a forthcoming plan to reduce landfill waste 90% by 2050. Thanks to Jeremy, there’s a ton of momentum and zero waste ripples – from new compost services to Logjam’s new recycling efforts. Jeremy does this work because it’s truly his passion. He leads the education of hundreds of 5th graders in the Home ReSource ZWAP! Program, and he reminds us all “You can’t recycle your way to Zero Waste.” Jeremy is Missoula’s rock star of reduction, reverend of reuse, wrangler of recycling, catalyst of compost and overall czar of Zero Waste. Certificate of Excellence in Energy Savings: Rose Dickson
From June through November 2017, 100 Missoulians participated in our pilot Energy Smart Challenge. Each week, participants received an email with tips, tools and resources to reduce their energy use at home. Then at the end of the month, they completed a survey telling us what they did and learned, earning points each month for doing so. Rose took the lead early and was our Energy Challenge winner! Her enthusiasm showed it's possible for everyone - renters and homeowners alike - to save energy, in big and small ways. Great job, Rose, and thanks for helping make this initial round of the Challenge a success! (Stay tuned for a return of the Energy Smart Challenge in 2018...) Doctorate of Dedication: Beth Schenk, St Patrick Hospital and Climate Smart Executive Team
Masters in the (Fine) Art of Community Building: Fernanda and Robert co-owners of Imagine Nation Brewing Catalyst of Change Award: Jack Lawson, CEO, Missoula Federal Credit Union Masters in Solar: Diana Maneta, executive director, Montana Renewable Energy Association Photos and descriptions of our 2016 award winners available HERE |