Nominations now open for our 2025 CELA Awards!
Recognizing leadership in the environmental space is crucial for driving meaningful and sustained change in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation. Effective environmental leaders inspire and mobilize communities, advocate for robust policies, and implement innovative solutions that promote sustainability and conservation.
At California Greenworks, our programs align with three key areas:
- Environmental education: Providing curriculum, resources and tools to instruct youth and adults on environmental best practices, innovations and other important topics.
- Revitalizing urban open space: Planting trees, developing green space, creating green space on school grounds, adding parks and implementing projects to protect the environment in underserved, ignored areas.
- Green economics advocacy: We promote youth to explore careers in the green economy, providing tools to enter the workforce. We also engage adults and provide opportunities for furthering education in the green industry.
By highlighting and supporting leaders in the environmental space, we can amplify their impact in all three of our focus areas. Furthermore, recognizing environmental leadership helps to hold governments and corporations accountable, ensuring that environmental considerations remain at the forefront of decision-making processes. We hope that in recognizing and celebrating environmental leaders creates a ripple effect that can lead to substantial and lasting improvement in the quality of life in urban communities in Southern California.
Watch for more information about our 2025 CELA awards. If you have someone you’d like to see recognized, let us know about them!
2023 CELA Winners
First African American Astronaut Candidate Ed Dwight renowned Sculptor
We recognized Ed Dwight for his role as a leader pioneering a path for underserved communities. From his art sculptures that capture conceptual messages regarding contribution of African Americans to our society, to his earned title as the First African American Astronaut Candidate, Ed is a role model to many striving to find their way while struggling within the constraints of an underserved community. Environmental change is as much about saving the planet as it is creating climate equity for underserved communities, and inspiration from individuals like you offers a positive outlook.
Director of STEM Education Synergy Academies: Barbara Shannon, EdD
We recognize Dr. Shannon for her outstanding work in the environmental field, most specifically her work as the Director of STEM Education at Synergy Academies, and her essential role in empowering more Latino and African American students to pursue a career in the STEM field. Her work lifts those in the same underserved communities we support out of the circle of poverty, allowing them to accelerate their lives to successful careers. STEM careers will play a vital role in future environmental protections, and we are grateful for her impact in this area.
“One fault of humans is that we invent but don’t look at what our inventions can cause. In California, all new appliances are to be electric by 2026,” she said. “But energy is needed to make that electricity. Where will we get it? So, I think we need to look ahead when we come up with an idea to see who will be affected and how they will be affected.”
Executive Director of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy David McNeil
We recognize David for playing an instrumental role in many open space projects that have connected our communities with green space so that more people can enjoy the great outdoors. The Park the Playa Trail is a wonderful example of the important work that he’s done in his role, and his dedication to creating green space access for our community.
“We were the poster child for equity and putting parks where people are – it wasn’t so much a matter of saving a species or dealing with the environment, as it was providing access to communities of color to get into the environment,” David said.
Nancy Sutley, Chief Sustainability and Economic Development Officer, LADWP
We recognize Nancy Sutley for her activism for a better planet. Environmental change is as much about saving the planet as it is creating climate equity for underserved communities, as ongoing climate battles negatively and disproportionately affect the physical and mental health of low income individuals. Nancy’s voice is among those working to create change and equality in our nation.
Previous CELA award winners
- Ed Begley Jr., Actor Activist
- Autumn Burke, Former State Assembly Woman
- Blanco Rubio, Assemblywoman
- Curren Price, Los Angeles City Council Member
- Irma Munoz, Former Board President of Los Angeles Regional Water Board
ABOUT CELA
The California Greenwork’s Dr. George Washington Carver Environmental Legacy Awards is intended to serve as recognition for outstanding devotion to service, innovation, and commitment in the areas of environmental justice, equity, and humanity. Those honored and nominated for this award have distinguished themselves through service within their chosen professions to demonstrate their passion for protecting the environment and service to all mankind. Dr. George Washington Carver, an African American scientist, teacher, naturalist, visionary, conservationist, inventor and environmentalist saw it fitting to pursue a life of uplifting his community through the use of ecology and science. His vision lives with us today.