The Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter is excited to announce the 2026 Chapter Award recipients. Each year the chapter recognizes volunteers and community members for outstanding service and accomplishments on behalf of Wisconsin’s environment. At a time when so much is at stake, it is inspiring to be reminded of all the impactful work being done, often behind the scenes, to make our world a better place. Each of these recipients is making a difference in their own, unique way. You can hear their uplifting stories during our annual, online awards event on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 pm
In addition to the virtual celebration, we'll have in-person watch parties/award acceptance in Ashland, Racine, and La Crosse.
Congratulations to the 2026 Wisconsin Chapter Award winners:
The New Activist Award recognizes those willing to leap into new roles and champion environmental issues. It is awarded to someone who has been a Sierra Club activist for less than two years, and who joins this work with enthusiasm. The New Activist Award is being presented to Klara Henry.
Klara Henry has jumped into her volunteer roles with the Chapter. She has tried a wide range of volunteer tasks and is willing to help wherever the needs are. Klara is an active member of the Lands Team where she advocates for land conservation and improved access to public lands for all Wisconsinites. Klara has expanded beyond her involvement with the team, too. She has edited blogs and newsletter articles, made calls to members of the media about events, created social media content, and co-hosted the Dark Skies, Bright Futures fundraising event earlier this year. Klara is dedicated, enthusiastic and collaborative, and she has played key roles on such a wide range of projects already!
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The Liz Wessel Wildflower Award is given to leaders within the Sierra Club Wisconsin who exemplify all that is wonderful within the Club or the environment. The 2026 awardee is Kate Mullins.
Kate has been a longtime member and supporter of Sierra Club who began lending her time and talents to the local group and chapter in recent years. Kate first became an Outings leader and Outings co-chair of the Chippewa Valley Group. Within a short time, she agreed to help co-chair the Chippewa Valley Group Executive Committee. She now serves as the group Chair and is a delegate on the chapter Executive Committee helping to guide both. Kate is respected and admired for her ability to plan ahead and get things done, making sure all the details are covered along the way. At the same time, Kate embodies the spirit of the Sierra Club by creating a welcoming atmosphere and using her enthusiasm to recruit others to get involved. Her passion for protecting the environment, along with her willingness to engage in the governance of the club have had a significant impact on both the chapter and the group, making her a perfect fit for the Wildflower Award.
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The Merit Award is given to Sierra Club leaders who are issue champions, effectively battling environmental challenges, and who are a key leader in the environmental movement. This year’s Merit Award winner is Janice Penn.
Jan is the perfect recipient for the Merit Award – someone whose knowledge runs deep and whose dedication to ecojustice and her community is unwavering. Jan knows everyone, and everyone knows Jan. For years she has been a key part of the work to protect the water from the Line 5 pipeline, and that’s included everything from storytelling and parade entries to detailed tracking of permitting, better media coverage of the issues at stake, and organizing events. So many successes of this organizing are in part because of Jan’s work and creative ideas. Through it all she puts community first and her care for her neighbors and the lands and waters we live with is apparent in everything she does. Not only does Jan take the lead in organizing for what’s right, but she helps others do the same, and somehow manages to keep a bountiful garden amid it all!
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The Keystone Volunteer Award is given to volunteers who – much like a keystone species that everything else hinges on – holds together and helps carry the weight of the work we do by working behind the scenes to keep our work moving forward. This year’s recipient is Richard Alexander.
Rick attended his first Madison Volunteer Night in 2024 and for the past two years he has attended every volunteer night, local outing and social event. Rick’s enthusiasm and friendliness has helped create a welcoming environment at the events he attends, and staff and other volunteers always look forward to seeing him. Almost immediately after joining, Rick signed up to volunteer on the Beyond Coal team and multiple support teams. He really hit the ground running and has taken on nearly every project that has been sent to any of the support teams he is on. Some of the large data entry and mailing projects he has worked on would have taken countless more hours had Rick not given so much of his time to help. Rick carries this passion and enthusiasm for the Sierra Club's work to every event and to every team he is on, and it shows in every project or task he takes on – every single time. Richard was nominated for this award for those reasons, and more.
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The LD Rockwell Award is presented to an individual who has provided exceptional service to the Wisconsin Chapter political, electoral and legislative program. This year the award will be given to Cassi Radmer.
Cassi has been a part of the Sierra Club community for a number of years, and this past legislative cycle helped us expand our legislative work in ways that haven’t been possible in past years. With so much at stake and many areas to play defense in, Cassi played an important role in the beginning of our bill review process, summarizing new legislation and tracking our positions so that we could advocate more effectively. In addition to her work on the Legislative Committee, Cassi is also a member of our Water Team, where there were notable overlaps with much needed PFAS legislation.
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The Community Steward Award is given to organizations and individuals external to Sierra Club who are championing innovative programs or processes that protect the environment. This year the Community Steward Award will be presented to Joe Bates, with special recognition to all Line 5 monitors.
Joe will be receiving the Community Steward Award for his tireless efforts to protect water, lands, wildlife and community. Joe has dedicated himself to monitoring Enbridge’s Line 5 construction and advocating for a halt to this damaging project, and so much of what’s transpired would not be known or visible to the public without Joe’s hard work. Notably, he captured footage of Enbridge’s August Line 5 rupture, showing the world billowing clouds of gas and a catastrophe that might never have been seen otherwise. Joe’s work goes so much further than monitoring though, with years of advocacy on many projects, working to protect our world, treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. He’s a community leader, a friend to so many, and continues to make a lasting impact. Special recognition is also being shared for all of the Line 5 monitors who have put in time, big and small, to watch construction, raise issues and protect the water. Through early mornings, late nights, and in all types of weather, thank you!
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The Torchbearer Award is given to organizations and individuals external to the Sierra Club, such as decision-makers that consistently promote legislation, regulations, or practices that protect the environment. This year’s awardees are the City of La Crosse’s Municipal Transit Utility (MTU) and the La Crosse Area Planning Commission for its support of public transit.
La Crosse local leaders have demonstrated a commitment to improving public transportation for years. The City of La Crosse’s Municipal Transit Utility (MTU), directed by Adam Lorentz, and City Planner Jenna Dinkel have not only provided much-needed transit service to the area, but have also worked with the Sierra Club - Coulee Region Group and local transit advocates on many educational efforts including Week Without Driving, Transit Equity Day, and World Car Free Day. The La Crosse Area Planning Commission (LAPC), staffed by director Bob Gollnik, Erin Duffer, and Travis Key, have been leaders in Wisconsin advocating for Regional Transit Authorities (RTA), a tool that would allow better regional coordination and provide local funding for transit in Wisconsin. LAPC published a feasibility study about RTAs this year, has helped share the study results with other parts of the state, and has hosted many meetings with stakeholders about regional transit in La Crosse. The leaders in La Crosse have shown deep and broad commitment to improving public transportation in their region, and they set a strong example for other agencies in Wisconsin.
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Finally, the JJ & Pat Werner Award is the chapter’s highest honor, given to Sierra Club leaders in the Wisconsin Chapter who have shown a long term commitment to its goals and mission throughout the years. This year the JJ & Pat Werner Award will be presented to Al Sommer.
Al has been the Southeast Gateway Group’s Outings Chair for the past 40 years. That level of longevity and dedication to building a stronger Sierra Club is exactly what the JJ & Pat Werner Award recognizes. Al has led countless trips to help people enjoy the outdoors, educated them about invasive species and land protection, and advocated to protect these places for future enjoyment.