SPOTLIGHT ON SYNERGY AWARD WINNERS RANDALL AND VOLLER
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.Bob Randall, PhD, will receive the Lifetime Achivement Award. He founded Urban Harvest, which is dedicated to strengthening communities through shared gardens and orchards, in 1994. Randall was one of the first in our area to promote sustainable land use and earth-friendly, efficient, horticulture practices. His book, Year Round Vegetables Fruits and Flowers for Metro Houston, convinced many area gardeners to try new crops and be organic gardeners. Urban Harvest works with more than 150 gardens, offers year-round classes, hosts a farmers’ market two days a week, and has an organic horticulture business association. In 2006, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities gave Randall its Community Leadership Award.
Mort Voller, from Galveston, will receive the Army and Sarah Emmott Environmental Conservation Award. Voller founded the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council and created a unique birding festival, Feather Fest. Feather Fest is four days of birding opportunities on foot, by kayak and by tour boat and by auto. It also includes opportunities to have VIP visits to some of Galveston’s storied historic homes and buildings. Voller’s other projects include helping the Trust for Public Land raise funds for local purchases and serving on the East End Preserve Steering Committee.
Other Synergy Award winners are: the Arbor Day Tree Planting Project; Buffalo Bayou Partnership; Friends of West 11th Street Park; Transocean, SERPENT Project; and Patricia Gras, Living Smart, HoustonPBS, and Richard Lindsay, HISD. The Founders’ Award will go to Linda Shead. BP America and Kirksey are sponsors of the event.
Our readers are invited to join us at this event. Luncheon tickets are $75. Member group staff and delegates receive a discount. Call us at (713) 524-4232 for reservations.