Finalists announced for Sustainable NC Awards
Posted: 10-27-2009 : RALEIGH, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. - A community college in Charlotte, a global business analytics company in Cary, an eco-friendly lawn service in its rookie year, and a sustainable T-shirt printer in Burlington are among the 21 finalists announced this week for the prestigious Sustainable North Carolina Awards. Selected from more than 60 nominations, the Sustainable NC Awards recognize businesses, organizations, and individuals who have demonstrated leadership and long-term commitment to a sustainable economy and communities in the state.

Full text and photos of the nominations are available online at www.sustainnc.org/2009awards. The 2009 finalists were selected by an independent panel of judges. Winners will be revealed on November 11 at the Sustainable NC Awards ceremony.

With this year’s theme, Inspiring Innovation, the Sustainable NC Awards have taken a decidedly contemporary and local turn, first accepting nominations online only, then posting each one to make the awards more transparent, interactive, and inspiring to all. During a half-day conference on November 11, finalists will share their sustainability journeys with attendees. An evening reception will showcase three caterers who took the Sustainability Challenge to source foods locally. Cree CEO Chuck Swoboda as the keynote speaker will address innovation as well.

The 2009 Sustainable NC Awards finalists are:

Triple Bottom Line: This award recognizes initiatives by for-profit and for-benefit businesses that demonstrate the successful integration of social, environmental and economic objectives. All three elements must be fully realized and consideration will be given for incorporating additional dimensions such as ethics and culture. Evidence of committed leadership, sustained effort, and measurable results will be key in the selection of the award winner.

• Burt’s Bees
• Counter Culture Coffee
• SAS

Innovation: This award recognizes initiatives by for-profit and for-benefit businesses that demonstrate new, cutting edge technologies or business models that address societal and/or environmental issues in a meaningful way. Creativity, measurable results and the potential for broad impact will be key in the selection of the award winner.

• BreezePlay
• Columbia Forest Products
• PMI Ash Technologies

Entrepreneurship: This award recognizes small for-profit and for-benefit businesses that demonstrate a positive impact on their employees, community and environment. Creative leadership, sustained effort, and measurable results will be key in the selection of this award.

• EcoZoo
• Riley Life Industries
• Sapona Green Building Center

Catalyst: This award recognizes initiatives by non-profits, government agencies and educational institutions that demonstrate leadership in promoting and enabling sustainable practices in North Carolina. Broad positive impact, sustained effort and effective leveraging of resources will be key in the selection of this award. It is not intended for internal sustainability projects, but for outreach initiatives that accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices by others that go well beyond compliance by others. (Due to large number of highly qualified nominees, two winners will be chosen!)

• City of Raleigh
• Central Piedmont Community College
• Institute for Sustainable Development
• Natural Capital Investment Fund
• Walking Fish

Champion: This award recognizes individuals whose efforts are advancing sustainable “triple bottom line” approaches in our state’s businesses and institutions through creative leadership and dedication. Nominations were submitted by their peers.

• Kelly Boone of Chapel Hill, Director of Business Engagement at the UNC Business School’s Center for Sustainable Enterprise.
• Bill Dow of Pittsboro, the first certified organic farmer in North Carolina, owner/operator of the Ayrshire Farm, and co-founder of the Carrboro Farmers’ Market.
• Eric Henry of Burlington, co-founder of T.S. Designs, a screen-printing company that offers organic, local, and recycled cotton shirts and uses renewable energy.
• Patricia Johnson of Gastonia, director of Keep Gastonia Beautiful, which has involved more than 116,000 volunteers and educated thousands of school children on the natural environment.
• Henry McKoy of Durham, co-founder and CEO of Fourth-Sector Financial, a green banking and investments and sustainable business promoter.
• Valerie Robertson of Wilmington, advocate for community action in sustainability and publisher of Cape Fear Going Green magazine and website.
• Jonnie K. Sharp of Wilmington, a sustainable economic developer and connector of people concerned with green building, the environment, diversity, and business.

More information about the finalists, Sustainable North Carolina, and attending the Awards ceremony is available at www.sustainnc.org/2009awards or by contacting Katy Ansardi at 919.839.2111 x9304