Senator John Warner - Conservationist of the Year

As a five-term member of the U.S. Senate, John Warner dutifully served the Commonwealth of Virginia over the course of three decades and through five administrations. A longtime supporter of environmental issues, Senator Warner was a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection. His most recent act of stewardship was serving as the lead co-sponsor on the climate change legislation bill, America's Climate Security Act of 2007. The bill, later reintroduced as the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008, provides today's policymakers with a sturdy framework to leverage passage of bold climate and energy legislation.

Kettle Foods – Corporate Leadership

Kettle Foods, maker of the all-natural Kettle Brand® Potato Chips, is leading the kettle-cooked category with its award-winning snack products. As much as the company is committed to producing the best quality potato chip, they are equally passionate about maintaining their long-standing commitment to coexisting in harmony with the environment and the community through sustainable business practices. Most notably, their Beloit, Wisconsin factory was the first food processing facility in the U.S. to earn LEED® Gold certification for green building. From utilizing wind and solar energy, restoring wetlands and recycling their oils for use as biofuel, Kettle Foods has developed an outstanding model for corporate environmental stewardship.

Tom Toles, The Washington Post - Communications

Tom Toles is the Editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post and recipient of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Toles began his writing career in his hometown of Buffalo, NY, working for the Buffalo Courier-Express before transferring to the Buffalo News. In 2002, he moved to The Washington Post, replacing longtime political cartoonist, Herbert Block. Toles’ cartoons have achieved syndication in nearly 200 publications nationwide. Never one to silence his opinion, Toles' cartoons offer a humorous and intelligent perspective on hot button social and political issues. Self-described as "strongly pro-environment", Toles wrote his first editorial cartoon on global warming in the 1980s in response to an obvious lack of concern from policymakers. Countless more have followed, giving a fresh and influential voice to the climate issue.

James Elder, Campaign for Environmental Literacy - Education

James Elder is the Founder and Director of the Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL), a network of national stakeholder groups advocating for enhanced federal funding for environmental education. Through Dr. Elder's leadership and innovation, CEL helped to reclaim more than $30 million in funding cuts for environmental education within two years of its inception in 2005. A fearless and tireless champion for the advancement of environmental and sustainability education, Dr. Elder was instrumental in outlining and introducing the No Child Left Inside Act in both the House and Senate, a bill promoting environmental literacy among our nation’s students in grades k-12.

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights - Organization

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is a strategy and action center working for justice, opportunity and peace in urban America. Based in Oakland, California, the group focuses on providing positive alternatives to violence through community investment. The group's programming is centered on the belief that a clean environment is an important tool for maintaining a safe and healthy community. The "Green-Collar Jobs Campaign" is working to create opportunities within the "green" economy for both poor communities and communities of color.

Keith Campbell and Verna Harrison, Campbell Foundation - Philanthropy

The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment was founded in 1998 to improve the conditions of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays. The Foundation promotes policy, advocacy, and enforcement to improve water quality, restore ecological balance, and foster an engaged citizenry within these important regions. In 2004, the Foundation expanded to include Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Watershed. Led by its namesake Keith Campbell, and Executive Director Verna Harrison, this organization has supported more than $32 million in grants in the Chesapeake and Pacific Regions since 2002.

Dr. Katey Walter, University of Alaska – Science

Dr. Katey Walter is an equatic ecologist and biogeochemist interested in carbon and nutrient cycling between terrestrial and aquatic systems, the cryosphere and atmosphere. Dr. Walter works as a Research Assistant Professor at the Water and Environmental Research Center, at the Institute of Northern Engineering & International Arctic Research Center with the University of Alaska. Her research focuses on methane emissions from arctic lakes with particular attention to thermokarst and permafrost degradation. Dr. Walter received her Ph.D in aquatic biology in 2006 from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Taylor Francis, Youth

Taylor Francis was trained personally by Al Gore as part of The Climate Project to educate about the climate crisis around the world. At 14, the high school freshman was the youngest person to receive this training, out of thousands of applicants. Now 16, he has spoken to over 12,000 people around the world. Most recently, he traveled to China to speak to thousands in both Shanghai and Beijing about steps they can take to join in the fight for our environment.