Finalists for Sustainable Florida Best Practice Awards Announced

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sustainable Florida – Collins Center is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2010 Best Practice Awards program.

This statewide program recognizes and honors businesses, organizations and individuals whose work demonstrates that a healthy environment and a healthy economy are mutually supportive. A record 109 entries were received this year.

"We were very excited to see such a large number of nominees," said Tim Center, executive director of Sustainable Florida. "Clearly, there is a tide turning in our society. More companies, governmental agencies and organizations are moving to a new economic model that understands and takes into account the environmental and social concerns of our state."

2010 Award Finalists – Listed by Best Practice Category

Business Partnership

• Gulf Power Co. and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, Pensacola
• The University of Florida (UF) and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Extension Focus Team, Gainesville/Tallahassee
• Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc., Florida

Government

• Broward County Public Schools, Ft. Lauderdale
• Hollywood FL and RecycleBank, Hollywood
• Orange County Convention Center, Orlando

Green Building

• City of North Port Fire Rescue, North Port
• St. Johns Housing Partnership, Inc., St. Augustine
• Stanley Russell, Tampa

Large Business

• Atlas Paper Mills, Miami
• CEMEX East Aggregates Division, Davenport
• Florida Power & Light Company, Juno Beach

Leadership

• Hollywood FL and RecycleBank, Hollywood
• Michael R. Carlson, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, BD+C, Sarasota
• Stacy Ranieri, Palm City

Non-Profit

• A Gift For Teaching, Orlando
• Florida Home Partnership, Inc., Ruskin
• Learning Gate Community School, Lutz

Small Business

• Brevard's GREEN Team.org, Cocoa Beach
• Debbie Smith, Sarasota
• Florida Home Partnership, Inc., Ruskin

The finalists for the Best Practices Awards program are making a difference through a variety of initiatives, including educational programs serving small to mid-size farmers; green building efforts utilizing features such as soy insulation, solar hot water, motion sensor lighting, and rainwater harvesting; community outreach helping affordable housing communities become more environmentally and economically sustainable; and special events that educate 7th and 8th grade students on how to identify, research, and participate in developing practical solutions to important community and environmental issues.

The awards program is being held June 4, 2010, at the St. Petersburg Bayfront Hilton Hotel. The awards luncheon program will follow Green Trends – an annual conference sponsored by the Florida Green Building Coalition. For more information or to register for the Best Practices Awards luncheon, visit www.CollinsCenter.org

Sustainable Florida – Collins Center is an alliance of business, government and civic leaders and organizations committed to defining excellence for Florida's economic, environmental and social future. Sustainable Florida promotes the adoption of sustainable development principles through collaboration and education. It is a program of the Collins Center for Public Policy, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization that finds smart solutions to challenges facing Florida.

SOURCE Sustainable Florida - Collins Center

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