White House Highlights Dr. Jackie Cole
as a Leader in Greening our Cities and Towns and as a “Champion of Change”
WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, April 25th, the White House will highlight Dr. Jackie Cole as one of nine individuals who are Champions of Change for greening our cities and towns. The event will honor leaders who are using innovative approaches to promote energy efficiency, revitalize outdoor spaces, encourage transportation options, and improve quality of life in our cities and towns.
“Healthy, sustainable communities support a strong economy and better quality of life for Americans,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “The leaders we’ve selected as Champions of Change are finding creative ways to make their communities healthier places to live, work and play, and demonstrating how a healthy environment and strong economy go hand in hand.”
The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.
To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 12:45 pm ET on April 25th.
Dr. Jackie Cole, Galveston, TX
Dr. Jackie Cole, a veterinarian, led dedicated volunteers in Galveston to start reforesting after Hurricane Ike in 2008 flooded more than 75 percent of the buildings half of all the trees on the Island. A former City Council member in Galveston and long-time environmental activist, Cole founded the non-profit Galveston Island Tree Conservancy to educate citizens and raise funds for replanting. In partnership with the Texas Forest Service, City staff, and volunteers, assessments were done and plans made to replace the 100- year-old trees that had graced the historical neighborhoods of Galveston. Through Cole’s efforts and the efforts of other tree conservancy programs, more than 8000 trees have been planted, with plans for another 3000 trees this year.
Under Cole’s leadership, the Galveston Island Tree Conservancy has won the Arbor Day Foundation 2011 Excellence in Partnership Award, The Texas Forest Service 2010 Gold Leaf Award, Clean Galveston 2010 Quality of Life Award, and first place in the Tom’s of Maine 2011 Good Community Sponsorship.