2024 Chapter Awards Virtual Celebration Register

Date and Time:
Wed, Nov 20, 2024; 7:30 PM (Central)

Organized By: Wisconsin Chapter

Location: Virtual

Event Organizers:
Jadine Sonoda
   jadine.sonoda@sierraclub.org

At a time when we need inspiring stories more than ever, we're announcing our 2024 Sierra Club Wisconsin Award winners!  We'll highlight stories like the 'David and Goliath' fight the City of Superior took on (and won!) to protect Lake Superior and a nearby cemetery from Dairyland's proposed gas plant and uplift like high schoolers coming together to host walk-puts and lobby legislators demanding climate action.

We're pleased to announce our 2024 Award winners:

Dana Herman will receive the New Activist Award for embracing her role on the Wildlife Team. She advocates for the protection of wolves and beavers and focuses on ethical hunting practices related to lead and killing contests.

Jake Johnson is a tree planting champion who volunteers with the Sierra Club Four Lakes Group. He is receiving the New Activist Award. Jake has organized multiple tree plantings and established partnerships with other groups to improve the tree cover in neighborhoods and communities where it was needed.

Leland Pan will receive the Wildflower Award. The Wildflower is given to leaders within the chapter who exemplify all that is wonderful in the environment and the club, a perfect fit for Leland. Leland helped build a connection between Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter and Friends of Valley Park, a neighborhood that would be one of the most impacted by the proposed I94 expansion project. He currently serves on the chapter’s Executive Committee and has also shared his leadership and expertise as a Dane County Supervisor, union organizer and community organizer in Milwaukee and Madison.

Pat Bowne is the recipient of this year’s Merit Award for her efforts on the chapter Water Team. Pat has been a core member of our Water Team for several years, and in addition to this also sits on a Factory Farms / CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) subcommittee of the Sierra Club Grassroots Network Food and Agriculture Team. In addition to her willingness to take on this challenging work, she provides inspiration and motivation to her fellow team members.

Susan Priebe & Sage are co-recipients of the LD Rockwell Award for their incredible work organizing the March for Democracy. They took the event to another level, understanding how essential it is to bring diverse voices and people from various backgrounds and abilities together. Their belief that we all have a role in this important work, and their vision of a more inclusive movement was reflected in their commitment to building meaningful connections.

Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE) is being recognized with the Good Citizen Award. ACE, under the leadership of Marco Marquez, is engaged in organizing youth to take effective climate action and advocate for environmental and racial justice. ACE has been an invaluable partner to Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter. They have shown up with busloads of volunteers to advocate for climate action and clean energy. They have also stood up to support indigenous rights in the tar sands Line 5 battle. They bring an energy and enthusiasm to this work and Marco and the youth engaged in this effort are most worthy of this award.

City of Superior Mayor Jim Paine and Councilors Jenny Van Sickle, Nick Ledin, Garner Moffat, Ruth Ludwig and Lindsey Graskey will be recognized with the Torchbearer Award. These Superior leaders have spent countless hours fighting for a clean, healthy, just community for themselves and their neighbors. The proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) threatens climate, health, a neighboring Indigenous burial grounds, the Nemaji River, and more. These leaders have spoken up and opposed NTEC by voting against local permits for the gas plant earlier this spring, a huge blow to the project and a win for Superior residents and Wisconsinites across the state.

Cathy Van Maren will be honored with the JJ and Pat Werner Award for her tireless advocacy to make the coulee region a better plan. As a leader of the Coulee Region Group, Cathy has helped behind the scenes with things like meeting organization and newsletter creation and has been in the lead on important issues like getting more solar in the region and better transit in La Crosse. 

Congratulations to all these winners. Their work deserves to be celebrated as we are reminded about the great people working to make our communities better.