California Greenworks to Honor Assemblywoman Autumn Burke with the Environmental Pioneer Award

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - LOS ANGELES - Aug 07, 2017 - Assembly Member Autumn Burke will be honored with the Environmental Pioneer Award for her work to protect California natural resources. Ms. Burke is the only African American woman who has led the charge to help protect California air and place measures to reduce climate change for all Californian’s.

“As an African American led nonprofit, we want to come together and honor her as the first honoree of this award which recognizes women in the environment who are making an impact to protect and conserve our natural resources,” says Mike Meador, Founder/CEO of California Greenworks.

California Greenworks will also be presenting former Culver City Mayor, now city council member Meghan Sahli-Wells, for her efforts to make Culver City a green city. The award she will be receiving is the Environmental Champion Award.  Following the awards presentation, swag bags will be given to guests.  The event will begin at 6 PM, August 11, 2017 at the historic Culver Hotel 9400 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232.

 In 2017, Autumn. R. Burke introduced a landmark bill to End Child Poverty in California and has made expanding health care access and economic opportunity the centerpiece of her legislative career. During her first term, she became well- known as a champion for reproductive rights, environmental justice and health care. Burke authored bills that established Transformative Climate Communities to help struggling neighborhoods, ease access to maternal health care, and create more accountability and transparency across government levels. Burke has also secured $900 million in funding for career technical education programs and advocated for new investments in affordable housing and transportation infrastructure. She has authored AB 151 which would strengthen California’s ‘Cap and Trade’ program to continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions that significantly contribute to global warming and climate change. Burke is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus, Legislative Environmental Caucus, and the Legislative Women’s Caucus.  She represents the cities of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, and Gardena, the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Venice, and Del Rey, and the communities of Del Aire, West Athens, Lennox, Westmont, and Marina del Rey.

Meghan Sahli-Wells, Culver City Councilwoman and former major, has championed initiatives to improve the lives of children, and has led efforts to address climate change, active transportation, affordable housing, homeless services, government transparency, health and environmental impacts of oil drilling. She is the Chair of the Council’s Sustainability Sub-Committee, and serves on the City Council/School Board Liaison Committee and Oil Drilling Sub-Committee. In addition to her City Council duties, she is on the national board of Local Progress. At the same time, she’s a Board Director of the Westside Cities Council of Governments and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the nation’s largest metropolitan planning association. She also served on the Board of Directors of the highly successful Metro Expo Line Construction Authority during the build-out between Culver City and Santa Monica. Prior to being elected to the City Council in 2012, Sahli-Wells led many community initiatives and held multiple community leadership roles. Notably, she co-founded what is now known as Bike Culver City and Transition Culver City, part of the international Transition Network.

The mission of California Greenworks (http://www.californiagreenworks.org/) is to provide environmental programs to urban schools, revitalize urban open space, and advocate for green economic development.   California Greenworks is a non-profit organization chartered to promote environmental protection to urban watersheds, community revitalization, and economic development throughout southern California urban communities.  The organization’s motto, “Greening Communities one Neighborhood at a Time,” reflects their efforts to help grow environmental outreach and educational programs that improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

For more information on the event, or for press wishing to cover it, contact: Mike Meador mmeador@californiagreenworks.org