Sustainable North Carolina honors Award Winners
Posted: 11-16-2009 : RALEIGH, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Winners of the prestigious 2009 Sustainable North Carolina Awards were announced November 11 in Raleigh. The SNC Awards honor businesses, organizations, and individuals who have demonstrated leadership in promoting a sustainable economy in the state.

This year’s theme of “Inspiring Innovation” was evident in a powerful speech by Cree CEO Chuck Swoboda, the new audience-choice SParK Award, and the Marbles Museum venue, where children explore and create without boundaries.

“We are highlighting the need to invest in North Carolina’s innovators with this year’s program. Nothing short of a second industrial revolution is needed to meet our needs in ways that sustain natural systems and prosperity for all,” said Katy Ansardi, Sustainable North Carolina’s president. “North Carolinians have the vision, intellectual resources, and entrepreneurial spirit to make our state a world leader in creating a new economy. We’re thrilled to honor those who are making it happen.”

The 2009 award winners in five categories were selected by a panel of distinguished judges from business, state government, and academia.

SAS won the Triple Bottom Line Award, which recognizes initiatives that demonstrate the successful integration of social, environmental and economic objectives. SAS, a global business analytics company with headquarters in Cary, is taking a long-term view of sustainability through three pillars – its employees, educational philanthropy, and the environment.

BreezePlay, LLC received the Innovation Award , which recognizes initiatives that demonstrate new, cutting edge technologies or business models that address societal and/or environmental issues in a meaningful way. BreezePlay, based in Charlotte, has combined a real-time energy usage technology, called the EnviroScope Energy management System, with social media and community programs to effect behavioral change around energy use.

Riley Life Industries won the Entrepreneurship Award, which recognizes small for-profit businesses that demonstrate a positive impact on their employees, community and environment. Riley Life Industries, working in Research Triangle Park, provides order fulfillment, warehousing and product distribution services while pursuing community service and environmentally sound practices, and mentoring other companies.

Two winners received the Catalyst Award, which recognizes initiatives by non-profits, government agencies and educational institutions that demonstrate leadership in promoting and enabling sustainable practices with broad reach and impact, not merely internal sustainability projects.

Central Piedmont Community College’s Center for Sustainability is a regional leader for environmental education with the state’s first degree program for community colleges, and serves as the regional go-to place for green jobs technology training.

The Natural Capital Investment Fund, based in Chapel Hill is the nation’s only community development financial institution that invests 100% of its funds in sustainable natural resource-based businesses.

Two individuals were selected as Sustainability Champion, an honor which recognizes individuals whose efforts are advancing sustainable “triple bottom line” approaches through creative leadership and dedication. Nominations were submitted by their peers.

Eric Henry of Burlington is the co-founder of T.S. Designs, a screen-printing company that offers organic, local, and recycled cotton shirts and uses renewable energy. Upon accepting his award, Eric declared “North Carolina is fourth in the nation in cotton production. Let’s bring textiles and furniture industry back to our state.”

Patricia Johnson of Gastonia is the director of Keep Gastonia Beautiful. During her thank you speech, Patricia shared numerous successes and her pride in working with more than 116,000 volunteers and educating thousands of school children on the natural environment.

In the half-day conference prior to the Awards ceremony, finalists presented their sustainability journeys. The audience was invited to vote for the most inspirational finalist for the new SParK Award. The winner was Walking Fish, a community-supported fisheries initiative founded by Duke’s subchapter of American Fisheries Society. In its first year of operation, Walking Fish launched a program that delivers North Carolina fish to Durham consumers.

The SNC awards were sponsored by SAS, K&L Gates, McGuire Woods, NC GreenPower and Duke Energy. Profiles all of the nominees and information about Sustainable North Carolina are available at www.sustainnc.org/2009awards.

About Sustainable North Carolina and the SNC Business Council
Sustainable North Carolina is a non-profit organization that works as a catalyst for a sustainable economy through professional education, networking, implementation assistance and recognition. Its primary vehicle, the SNC Business Council, is a member-directed organization that provides a forum for business people to network, collaborate, access information and resources, and create awareness to promote an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable future.