Affiliate Volunteers of the Year
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful believes that by engaging volunteers, we extend the reach of our educational efforts and multiply the impact of our actions.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s ‘Affiliate Volunteers of the Year Program’ is a recognition program for KPB and local KAB Affiliates. Through this statewide program, each affiliate can honor an outstanding volunteer. Each volunteer is presented with a personally engraved walking stick at the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s 2011 Affiliate Volunteers of the Year!
Allegheny CleanWays – Dave Limbacher
Dave Limbacher has volunteered with Allegheny CleanWays for several years at our annual Tireless Project cleanup of Duck Hollow - a popular fishing, hiking, biking, and partying area along the Monongahela River. This year, he became part of the DumpBusters crew that spent every weekend this winter removing more than 150 tons of illegally dumped debris and completely cleaning 17 acres of riverfront land in Duck Hollow. He continues to steward the site regularly, visiting it 3-4 times weekly to monitor and pick up litter or any new dumping that has occurred. Dave also continues to regularly volunteer with DumpBusters on the weekends.
Keep Bedford County Beautiful – Joe Kahl
Joel Kahl played a vital role in the success of our Bedford County Stream Sweeps in 2010 and 2011, as part of the planning committee and as a crew leader during the events. His crews have tackled the toughest portions of the Raystown Branch cleanup, retrieving many tires and other bulky items from the riverbed. Additionally, he helps to retrieve the bags and trash post-cleanup from the streamside and roadside caches for delivery to the roll-offs which has been above and beyond volunteer duties.
Tri-County CleanWays (Butler, Lawrence, & Mercer) - Evelyn Genkinger
Evelyn Genkinger remembers getting involved with PA CleanWays seven years ago when she responded to an article in the local New Castle paper soliciting volunteers for the cleanup of a section of the Neshannock River. Then a nursing student, Evelyn looked forward to engaging in hard, physical work that cleanups require with the satisfaction of knowing that it was also helping to improve the environment. Evelyn has been a regular at affiliate events ever since. She is known for her passion for the environment as well as the local community. Evelyn also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.
Clinton County CleanScapes - Gregory Delker
Gregory Delker is a certified scuba diver that has participated in Clinton County CleanScapes river cleanup events since 2005. Each event is unique - he may be diving, snorkeling, or wading with youth or working beside retired citizens as they pull silt laden tires and man-made debris from our local rivers. Even during the most physically challenging of times he remains motivated, jovial, and determined to assist all ages and abilities in safely removing debris from our waterways. We are very fortunate to have him on our team!
PA CleanWays of Cumberland County - Diane and Darwin Hollinger
Diane and Darwin Hollinger have been involved with PA CleanWays since 2002 and were among the inaugural members of the Cumberland County affiliate. They have both participated in many illegal dump cleanups as well as roadside litter cleanups. Darwin worked his entire career as a biologist for a pharmaceutical company in the midstate area. Diane had been a microbiologist at a midstate pharmaceutical company and has more recently worked at a local municipality in the Planning/Zoning Department where she served as Recycling Coordinator. Their concern for the environment led to their involvement with PA CleanWays.
PA CleanWays of Fayette County - C.I.T.O Geocachers
C.I.T.O. Geocachers is an outdoor sporting group with members from Southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. They have been a blessing for the affiliate, providing volunteers for at least one major cleanup in each of the last five years. The Geocacher members have gathered over 33 tons of trash and 1,700 tires during this time period. A family-type group, C.I.T.O. (Cache in Trash Out) enjoys their Saturday cleanups, working together with other volunteers and socializing afterwards during a late lunch. Geocachers use GPS to seek out “caches”, a finders log and trinkets that are hidden in an area. As an added benefit, they enjoy nature and exercise in an adventuresome way.
Keep Huntingdon County Beautiful - Carl Jaymes
Carl Jaymes has been volunteering with the Huntingdon affiliate since the first cleanup on McMullen Road, (before we became an official affiliate) where he donated and operated a loader tractor. He has continued to be active with affiliate events ever since, including the massive cleanup at Ridge Road last year. Carl hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2007/2008 and has volunteered doing trail care with Keystone Trails Association on the Mid State Trail and Standing Stone Trail for the last couple years.
Keep Lancaster County Beautiful - Econ Refuse Service LLC
Econ Refuse LLC provides curbside residential refuse and recycling collection in the rural southeastern portion of Lancaster County where there aren’t any mandated programs. They develop and print recycling educational brochures and pamphlets and provide them to their customers. In 2011, Econ set up a recycling program at the Solanco Fair in Quarryville which was a first for this community event. Econ is a driving force in this area of Lancaster County and for these and other contributions to the community, they deserve recognition for keeping Lancaster County beautiful.
PA CleanWays of McKean County - Jeff Tanner
Jeff Tanner has served as President of the PA CleanWays of McKean County affiliate for over seven years. He is a leader in the McKean County Community, serving on the Smethport Borough Council, the Smethport Tree Commission, and the Penn State Extension McKean County Executive Board. He has actively participated in 99% of the affiliate’s activities. As a professional forester and talented heavy equipment operator, he has identified illegal dumps and landowners in the county, and operated forklifts for tire and electronic recycling events. Jeff and his wife Jennifer adopted a rural road which they clean annually with their church youth group. Jeff’s positive “can do” attitude is the key reason that the McKean affiliate has been so successful. It is a pleasure to recognize and thank Jeff Tanner for his service, dedication, and commitment to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful!
PA CleanWays of Mifflin County - Mindy Williams
Mindy Williams is a lifetime resident of Mifflin County who serves as Secretary for the Mifflin County affiliate. She also serves on the affiliates recycling committee and as a judge for our Recycle Poster Contest. As a retired school teacher, she helps with the affiliate’s many education events. Mindy’s other volunteer activites include: Secretary of the Ellen Chapel church, church blood drives, County Memories Day, the Garden Club, and the Mifflin County Historical Society. PA CleanWays of Mifflin County unanimously nominates Mindy Williams for Volunteer of the Year 2011.
Keep Perry County Beautiful - Evelyn D'elia
Evelyn was selected for her dedication to recycling and her willingness to help at the affiliates Tire and Electronics Recycling Collection events. All we have to do is call her, tell her the date of the collection, and she is there to help. Our affiliate doesn’t know what we would have done without her assistance over the years. She has been our “cashier” for the 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 e-cycling events and 2010 and 2011 tire collections. All of them! She is recently retired from the PA Department of Environmental Protection after 23 years of employment working with their recycling program.
Keep Philadelphia County Beautiful - Mike Cormany
Mike Cormany is a tireless community organizer, whose efforts have renovated a community green and play space called Clara Muhammad Square that has 5 schools and places of worship surrounding the park. He brought the park in Philadelphia from a community hazard to a community asset in just 4 years. Mike’s efforts have included educating people about proper disposal of litter and helping patrol the area to make sure crime stays away.
Keep Royal Gardens Beautiful - Les Fitchett
Les Fitchett has been a dedicated volunteer Project Manager for the Royal Gardens affiliate over the past year. He has never missed an event and has been dedicated to numerous responsibilities. Les maintains the grounds of the park and ball fields during ball games and practice hours, keeping them free of litter at all times. Les has been a terrific addition to our growing affiliate.
Westmoreland Cleanways - Nicole McMaster
Nicole McMaster, by her own decision, chose Westmoreland Cleanways as her Greensburg Salem HS senior community service project. Nicole spent a part of every day, from January through the end of May, working at Westmoreland Cleanways’ office, answering phones, doing research, packing recyclables, and whatever else had to be done. Nicole was always thinking of ways to promote Westmoreland Cleanways; one of her friends told her about a Verizon Wireless fundraising program for which they were looking for a partner. Nicole brought us together and the Verizon Wireless/Westmoreland Cleanways partnership was launched. We liked Nicole so much we hired her as a summer intern. When she realized we were going to need additional passes for our volunteers to work the Westmoreland Cleanways’ display at the Westmoreland Fair, she used her own connections to get 10 extra FREE passes, a value of $70. Nicole is now a freshman at St. Vincent College, but promises to be back when we need her and her schedule permits.