On October 3rd, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) will present the 2023 Environmental Awards during a breakfast at the Glastonbury Boathouse. Last year was a banner year for the environment in the legislature and CTLCV has been working hard to keep the momentum going this year. We continue to make sure our leaders uphold Connecticut’s commitment to a zero-carbon grid by 2040 and ensure climate change is a top priority. This movement requires collaboration among communities across the state and our Environmental Awards will bring together a broad and diverse audience to celebrate the achievements of our honorees.
Over the past twenty-three years, CTLCV has been honored to be a part of building a strong, vocal, and engaged environmental community in Connecticut. Each year we look back and honor a few community leaders from around the state who have shown leadership in their commitment to sustainability and conservation.
Honorees
Legislator of the Year Award Representative Christine Palm serves Connecticut's 36th General Assembly District which represents Chester, Deep River, Essex and Haddam. Elected in 2018, she currently serves as vice-chair of the Environment Committee. She has been a champion of numerous environmental initiatives, including environmental justice reform, climate change curriculum, invasive species legislation, green burial, and more. She was a 2023 winner of the prestigious National Walter Cronkite Award for Climate Education.
Before being elected, she served as women’s policy analyst for the General Assembly’s Commission on Women, Children, and Seniors (CWCS), a group that advocates for policies that enhance the safety and economic security of these three under-represented populations. Before that, she was the communications director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW). She also served as media director for the Office of the State Treasurer.
Lifetime Achievement Award David Bingham,is a retired physician (OB-GYN) who first joined the national League of Conservation Voters during the first Earth Week in 1970. He comes from a political family with elected members representing both sides of the aisle. He joined the CT LCV Board in its first year after its organization. He was a candidate for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District in 1994, on Governor Weicker's independant A Connecticut Party ticket, and has been a life-long activist on CT policy issues and electoral politics, advocating and testifying on behalf of the Sierra Club, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, Population Connection, Rivers Alliance, CT Land Conservation Council and Audubon CT. He currently serves on the boards of the Salem Land Trust and the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee. David was an elected member of the Salem CT Planning and Zoning Commission for 36 years. He also chairs CTLCV's Political Action Committee, participating in hundreds of endorsement interviews with political candidates for the CT legislature over the years.
Environmental Leader Award Louise Washer is president of the Norwalk River Watershed Association (NRWA) and has served on the board since 2010. She is a co-founder of the Pollinator Pathway and a member of its Executive Board. She also serves on the Norwalk Mayor’s Water Quality Committee, the steering committee for the Hudson to Housatonic Regional Conservation Partnership (H2H), and the board of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Louise graduated from Smith College in 1985 and her background is as a magazine editor. NRWA works to protect and restore water quality and fish and wildlife habitats in the Norwalk River Watershed. It is a nonprofit organization that engages community volunteers to help restore native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses to the riverbanks, meadows, parks, urban streets, and forests of the watershed; it works to expand community access to the river, the surrounding open space, and its trails; supports research and legislative policy that protects biodiversity, clean air, and water; and promotes education, cooperation, and action on the part of the stakeholders in the seven watershed towns in CT (Ridgefield, Redding, Wilton, New Canaan, Weston, and Norwalk) and NY (Lewisboro).
The Pollinator Pathway, founded in Wilton in 2017, is a grassroots network of over 350 communities across 20 states working to inspire, educate and support diverse communities working together to restore and connect habitat for native pollinators.
Organization of the Year Award Interreligious Eco-Justice Network's mission is to inspire and equip Connecticut’s religious communities and their spiritual allies to protect our planet through education, engagement, and advocacy.Since its founding in 2001, IREJN has advocated for issues related to environmental justice, including fossil fuel power plant and transportation emissions, energy efficiency, plastic pollution, and toxic chemicals. IREJN has assisted hundreds of congregations across Connecticut with energy efficiency measures, helping them reduce energy costs and usage, while also reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. IREJN has assisted with the implementation and expansion of community and pollinator gardens with several houses of worship, both supporting efforts to provide access to fresh produce and create healthy ecosystems for wildlife. In addition, IREJN offers numerous educational opportunities for people of faith to learn about and take action on climate change, toxic pollution, and biodiversity loss.
Committed to justice and grounded in hope, IREJN is a unifying voice for all people of faith dedicated to positive action on behalf of the planet.
Sponsors
Sponsorship Opportunities
WHY SPONSOR? The CTLCV Environmental Awards are a tremendous opportunity for sponsors to show support and engage with Connecticut’s environmental community. Sponsors also appeal to the Connecticut public at large through their association with the conservation agenda promoted at the event. As we honor environmentally conscious leaders in the state, this VIP experience provides an opportunity to promote sustainable business practices and a commitment to Connecticut’s environment. Significant exposure will be gained through digital/online promotion of the event as well as networking with a high profile audience.
The success of our 2022 Awards showcased the potential networking and exposure opportunities for our sponsors. Last year’s event saw nearly 200 people in attendance including lawmakers, key business leaders, policy makers and advocates. Our sponsors were thrilled with the recognition they received from this exclusive event.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS For sponsorship confirmation or more information, please contact Connor Yakaitis, CTLCV Development Director at (860) 236-5442 or [email protected]. Sponsors can either contribute to the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters 501(c)(4) or the CTLCV Education Fund 501(c)(3). To find out more information about CTLCV and CTLCV Education Fund, please visit our websites at www.ctlcv.org and www.conservationeducation.org.
Contributions to CTLCV Education Fund are tax-deductible. Contributions to CTLCV are not tax-deductible.
TITLE SPONSOR - $15,000 (includes 50 trees planted through One Tree Planted) ▪ Includes 15 complimentary tickets to the awards ceremony ▪ Feature from the podium ▪ Full page advertisement in the Environmental Awards program book ▪ Full slide during slideshow presentation ▪ Sponsor logo on website event page
ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION - $10,000 (includes 30 trees planted through One Tree Planted) ▪ Includes 10 complimentary tickets to the awards ceremony ▪ Mention from the podium ▪ Full page advertisement in the Environmental Awards program book ▪ Full slide during slideshow presentation ▪ Sponsor logo on website event page
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD - $5,000 (includes 20 trees planted through One Tree Planted) ▪ Includes 10 complimentary tickets to the awards ceremony ▪ Half page advertisement in the Environmental Awards program book ▪ Half slide during slideshow presentation ▪ Sponsor logo on website event page
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE - $1,000 (includes 10 trees planted through One Tree Planted) ▪ Includes 4 complimentary tickets to the awards ceremony ▪ 1⁄4 page advertisement in the Environmental Awards program book ▪ Sponsor logo during slideshow presentation ▪ Sponsor logo on website event page
ADVERTISING IN PROGRAM - PNG files preferred for best quality, includes one tree planted $250 - Includes one ticket and 1/8th page advertisement in the event program (2.75” x 4.25”) $500 - Includes 2 tickets and a 1/4 page advertisement in the event program (1.375” x 2.125”) For sponsorship confirmation or more information, please contact Connor Yakaitis, CTLCV Development Director at (860) 236-5442 or [email protected]. Sponsors can either contribute to the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters 501(c)(4) or the CTLCV Education Fund 501(c)(3). To find out more information about CTLCV and CTLCV Education Fund, please visit our websites at www.ctlcv.org and Conservationeducation.org.