Bayou preservation association presents ninth annual terry hershey bayou stewardship awards may 21

Honorees include Mayor Sylvester Turner, Kevin Shanley, Jackie Young and the Honorable Ed Emmett

HOUSTON, April 29, 2019 – The Bayou Preservation Association’s ninth annual Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awards will be presented May 21 at a luncheon at the Junior League of Houston. The prestigious award, named for the late Terry Hershey, honors individuals for their outstanding commitment to aiding in the conservation, preservation, restoration or advocacy of Houston’s waterways.

Bayou Preservation Association founder Terry Hershey’s over 50-year commitment to stewardship of our region’s bayous and waterways is the inspiration of the annual Stewardship Awards. She is pictured here with Bayou Preservation Association Chairman Robert Rayburn.

This year’s awardees include: Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston (Public Sector); Kevin Shanley, President of SWA Group and former Bayou Preservation Association chairman (Private Sector) and Jackie Young, founder of Texas Health and Environment Alliance (Non-profit Sector). The Honorable Ed Emmett will receive a special recognition award.

Funds raised through the luncheon will support the Bayou Preservation Association’s mission: to Celebrate, Protect and Restore the natural richness of all our bayous and streams. Ongoing programs include stream corridor restoration, citizen science water quality, trash-free bayous, and bayou appreciation. These help ensure that our bayous are clean, healthy, and accessible for all to enjoy.

“We have a stellar group of deserving honorees selected this year,” says Sarah P. Bernhardt, president and CEO of Bayou Preservation Association. “All three have demonstrated an ongoing zeal in improving and protecting our waterways through their advocacy and their professions. They exemplify the ‘can do’ spirit of Houston in identifying community issues and coming up with innovative, yet workable, solutions to address them.”

Mayor Sylvester Turner is committed to Houston’s sustainability and resiliency and has taken significant action to restore and protect the region’s waterways. Initiatives to this end include appointing a Chief Resilience Officer, creating a recovery office after Hurricane Harvey, promoting the Adopt-A-Drain program, leading the way for Houston to join the 100 Resilient Cities Global Network and calling for a Climate Action Plan.

As principal of the global landscape architecture firm, SWA Group, and a former Bayou Preservation Association Board Chair, Kevin Shanley has helped transform public opinion about the region’s bayous through award-winning bayou park designs and successful advocacy with public agencies and elected officials.

Jackie Young is founder of the nonprofit Texas Health and Environment Alliance, created to protect water resources and safeguard public health from the harmful effects of toxic waste. Her advocacy with the San Jacinto River Coalition dramatically impacted the Superfund process for the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, resulting in the EPA’s commitment to fully remediate the toxic site along the San Jacinto River.

The Honorable Ed Emmett is being recognized for his years of service as Harris County Judge, his commitment to the health of local bayous and waterways, and his support of Bayou Preservation Association. After managing Harris County for 11 years, he is now teaching at Rice University.

Bayou Preservation Association board member Merrie Talley is chairing the Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awards luncheon, which begins at 11:30 a.m.

Sponsorship opportunities for the luncheon are available from $2,000 to $15,000. Individual tickets start at $225. For more information go to bayoupreservation.org. For tickets, go to: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/2019luncheon. You can also call 713-529-6433 for details.