Graduate School of Public Affairs
Now in its eighth year, the Wirth Chair for Environmental and Community Development Policy honors outstanding achievements in three areas: media efforts, both print and electronic, that contribute to greater public awareness of sustainable issues; sustainable community development plans, policies and projects; and businesses that promote sustainable strategies.
This year at the luncheon, the Wirth Chair will also confer distinguished service awards on Ed Marston, former publisher of the High Country News, and Bert Melcher, longtime environmental and transportation advocate. The distinguished service award highlights appreciation for outstanding achievement in sustainable development. Awards for the other three categories will be announced in mid-March.
Last year, the awards went to Colorado Matters, a production of Colorado Public Radio; Virgil Cochran, a reporter for the Lamar Daily News; Melissa Knott, sustainability director, Forest City Stapleton, Denver; the Environmental Ambassadors from Bacon Elementary School in Fort Collins; Calpine Energy; and Forest City Stapleton, Denver.
Winners in each category receive a commemorative inscribed glass plaque. Media and business winners receive scholarships to give to deserving students, and community winners receive cash prizes to assist in the continuation of their projects.
The featured speaker will be the Honorable Tim Wirth, former U.S. senator from Colorado, former undersecretary of state for global affairs, and current president of the United Nations Foundation.
The luncheon will be held in downtown Denver at the Marriott City Center, 1701 California Street, from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, April 4. The cost of the luncheon is $30 per person. For additional information, call Tom McCoy at 303-352-3766 or e-mail him at tom.mccoy@cudenver.edu. For information about the Wirth Chair and its programs, visit www.cudenver.edu/wirthchair.