Sharon Driscoll - Lifetime Achievement
Sharon Driscoll, Madison County Recycling Coordinator, was recognized for lifetime achievement in the recycling field for outstanding advocacy of recycling. Driscoll has spend 25 years tackling countless recycling initiatives and has made significant environmental contributions statewide, including advocating for recycling stations at NY State Thruway stops. She developed a weekly HHW disposal program which ahs been used as a model by other municipalities, a Reuse Store, and in 2004, she advocated for a ban on disposal of E-Waste in the local landfill, which was implemented long before the statewide ban went into effect.
Dan Lilkas-Rain - Recycling Leadership
Dan Lilkas-Rain, Recycling Coordinator for the Town of Bethlehem, was named top New York State recycler for 2016. From the beginning, Lilkas-Rain has been a driving force in the NYSAR3 textile recovery campaign 'Re-Clothe NY.' Collaborating with a number of reional and national groups, he helped develop an award-winning, innovative state-wide public outreach project for textile recycling, with the goal of increasing diversion of textiles from disposal. His efforts with NYSAR3's Textile Recovery working group led to the development of an innovative set of public communication resources, including an outreach toolkit, media tools and a database of collection sites that is serving as a model of excellence for other states. Lilkas-Rain also serves as an active At-Large member of NYSAR3's Board of Directors, chairs its Green Schools Committee, and participates in the the Organics Council. In his day job with the Town of Bethlehem, he encourages higher rates and better programs, for example, a recent pilot food waste program that allowed residents to drop off food scraps at collection sites around the town that will then be composted.
Vinny and Joan Gallagher - Recycling Leadership, Citizens of the Year
Vinny and Joan Gallagher are community volunteers who becamse involved with SUNY New Paltz and the Town of New Paltz Great Community Giveaway event in 2012. Since then, they have helped catalyze the collection of tons from New Paltz recycling events. With the assistance of the Gallaghers, the annual SUNY New Paltz campus cleanout has increased tons of materials diverted by 30%. This annual event involves volunteers walking through campus dorms and collecting items that students have donated. The Gallaghers' volunteerism has created a ripple effect by opening "waste reduction doors" for household goods specifically for the batter women's shelter, usable children's items such as strollers and high chairs, and the collection and distribution of non-perishable food.
Girl Scout Troop 251 in Kingston and Ulster Counties - Recycling Leadership, Youth Award
Three memebers of Girl Scout Troop 251 in Kingstong and Ulster Counites spent their summer going door to door in their city to spread the word on proper source seperation of recyclables. Inspired by their previous experience with bottle and can collection drives, Lilith Soechting, Sophia Fromson and Paige Baxter took their passion for recycling further by creating an educational campaign for city residents which included a fun and motivating 8-minute video describing correct source separation for city residents. They approached their city mayor, Steve Noble, who game them permission to undertake the project along with guidance from the city code enforcement officer who mentored the girls in their quest to get their recycling message out. The project is a showcase of collaboration between a group of volunteers desiring to make a positive environmental difference and a municipality welcoming the help and providing support.