The mission of the premier green awards program in Greater Columbus is: To recognize and honor businesses, individuals, nonprofit organizations, communities and schools for their commitment to recycling, waste reduction, litter prevention, environmental education and leadership in sustainable initiatives.
This year’s Emerald award luncheon was held May 7, 2008 at the Hilton Inn at Easton starting at 11:30am with featured speaker, actor Ed Begley Jr., sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Ohio/Kentucky. Anheuser-Busch of Columbus was this year’s sponsor of the Emerald trophies
When
it comes to taking personal responsibility for the environment, few
individuals can match the record of actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr.
Known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, he has served
as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica
Mountains Conservancy. He serves on the boards of organizations
including the Thoreau Institute, the Earth Communications Office, Tree
People and Friends of the Earth. His work has earned awards from
numerous environmental groups including the California League of
Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the
Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay, the Santa Monica Baykeeper and
the Southern California Gas Company. Currently, he is the co-star of
the hit HGTV series
Living with Ed,
a look at the day-to-day realities of “living green” with his not so
environmentalist wife Rachelle Carson. The series has currently just
finished airing its 2nd season.
Inspired by the works of his
Academy Award-winning father, Begley became an actor. He first came to
audiences’ attention for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the
long-running hit television series St. Elsewhere, for which he received
six Emmy nominations. Since then, Begley has moved easily between
feature films, television and theatre projects. Begley has appeared in
A Mighty Wind, the follow-up to the American Comedy Award-winning film
Best In Show starring Christopher Guest, Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy. He can also be seen in the most recent Christopher Guest film
For Your Consideration. Other feature film credits include
Batman Forever, The
Accidental Tourist and
The Inlaws. In 2008, Begley will have supporting roles in the theatrical comedy
Pineapple Express penned by Seth Rogan, and the HBO feature Recount starring Kevin Spacey.
On television, Begley has had recurring roles on
Six Feet Under and
Arrested Development. He has also guest starred on such series as
The West Wing and
The Practice, in addition to David E. Kelly’s latest show
Boston Legal. Most recently, Begley was featured in
Veronica Mars and
CSI: Miami.
Begley also starred in the West Coast premiere of David Mamet’s
Cryptogram
at the Geffen Playhouse, in a role that he first performed in Boston
and then in New York. He also starred in Mr. Mamet’s production of
Romance at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
This talented actor has also directed several episodes of the hit TV series
NYPD Blue as well as a stage play that he wrote called
Cesar and Ruben that won a Nos Otros Award and four Valley Theater League awards.
Begley
lives in Studio City, CA in a small, energy efficient home with his
wife and co-star Rachelle Carson and their daughter Hayden.
2008 Emerald Planning Committee Members Eric Olsavsky, Columbus Crew
Susan Ashbrook, City of Columbus
Neil Drobny, Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance
Terry Mitchell, Limited Brands
LeRoy Edwards III, Coca Cola
Dennis Sevin, Anheuser Busch
Catherine Girves, Community Activist and Consultant, University Area Commission
Kristi Michels, SWACO
John Remy, SWACO
Al Iosue, SWACO
Brittany Perkins, SWACO
Larry Spencer, SWACO, Chair
A separate committee of judges independent of the planning committee reviews the nominations and selects the winners.