SPOTLIGHT ON SYNERGY AWARD WINNERS BILL WHITE AND RICHARD LINDSAY
CEC’S tenth annual Synergy Awards will be presented at a luncheon at the Houstonian on Monday, November 5. Casey Curry, of ABC 13, will be our MC.
Mayor White will be present to accept his Synergy Award for Government. In 2004, his first year in office, White signed a Green Building Resolution that sets a target of Silver level LEED certification for certain new city buildings. Now, a dozen city projects are awaiting LEED certification. Each year of his administration has seen progress in making Houston a greener city – more trees have been planted, more clean-air enforcement actions have been taken, more bicycle trails have been built, and more than 1,300 homes have been weatherized. The city has joined ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability and the Clinton Climate Initiative.
In 2007, so far, White has partnered with Abitibi Consolidated and H-E-B Grocers to increase recycling drop-off locations and with American Leadership Forum, Houston Texans, and Houston Astros to bring recycling to sporting events; led the city in contracting for nearly 200 million kWh of renewable energy; launched a campaign to educate Houstonians about simple steps to become energy efficient; and put forth a voluntary benzene reduction plan for major point sources.
Under his leadership, the City Council has adopted ordinances to preserve historic buildings and neighborhoods and to require developers to set aside or contribute to purchasing land for parks.
Richard Lindsay, senior project executive in the Bond Fund Program Department of Houston Independent School District, is being honored with the Synergy Award for Sustainable Planning. Lindsay prompted the district to do a pilot using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) criteria as a guide for the design and construction of two schools in HISD.
One, Walnut Bend Elementary, is now open. Ruby Thompson Elementary is still under construction. It is expected that HISD will adopt LEED criteria for all future renovations and constructions.
Other Synergy Award winners are: the Arbor Day Tree Planting Project; Buffalo Bayou Partnership; Feather Fest and Morton D. Voller, President, Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council, Inc.; Friends of West 11th Street Park; Dr. Bob Randall; Transocean, SERPENT Project; and Patricia Gras, Living Smart, HoustonPBS. Luncheon tickets are $75. Member group staff and delegates receive a discount. Call us at (713) 524-4232 to reserve a seat or purchase tickets with a credit card. Call Donna at 713-524-4232 for information on table sponsorship opportunities.