Sierra Club President To Give Keynote Address

Donna Specht	Phil Wheeler	Bob Siebert

Sierra Club President Robin Mann will be the keynote speaker at the Angeles Chapter’s Annual Awards Banquet on May 6. The event recognizes the outstanding efforts of volunteers and staff members who have shown extreme dedication and commitment to the Chapter and its important mission.

Mann, a longtime environmentalist, most recently served as the Club’s national vice president for conservation and led the organization’s national water campaigns for several years.

The awardees are listed below. For a complete list of their accomplishments, visit the chapter website and click on "About Us" and then “Chapter Awards.

Weldon Heald Conservation Award: Bob Siebert, a longtime activist in Orange County, helped develop the Orange County Global Warming Committee, worked with Plug-in America to hold the “Tailgates without Tailpipes” meet-up for electric vehicle owners last year, and has served as chair of the Orange County Conservation Committee numerous times. Siebert is also a solar energy expert and presenter at many Club events.

Phil Bernays Service Plaque: Donna Specht is a leader who has made a significant impact on the financial health of the Chapter by organizing fund-raising trips and leading the Membership Committee and newcomer/member events in L.A. and Orange counties. She has held management positions in OC Sierra Singles, was elected to the Chapter’s Executive Committee for three terms, won a National Sierra Club Award in 2010 and serves as the Chapter liaison to the national Club for international trips.

Chester Versteeg Outings Award: Phil Wheeler is singled out for his extensive service to the Chapter Safety Committee and the Leadership Training Committee as well as his decades of service to the entire Chapter outings program. Wheeler has overseen completion of a new Chapter Safety Policy and spearheaded implementation of quick-turnaround outings approval and associated website publishing. He was instrumental in the launch of the Chapter’s new Outdoor Activity Registration System (OARS). He is an I-rated leader and has been chair of the Chapter’s Safety Committee since 2008.

Lifelong Service Plaque: Bob and Maureen Cates

Linda Hoyer Staff Award: George Watland, Chapter conservation coordinator

Irene Charnock Office Service Award: Jacqelen Ruben, Chapter librarian

Political Service Plaque: Joan Jones Holtz

Citation of Merit: Water Committee, which created a “Water Conservation Measures Scorecard” ranking local cities based on their ordinances that mandate water conservation, address water use, prevent water waste and prescribe water-efficient business practices.

Additional certificates will be given to Sierra Club members who deserve special recognition for noteworthy service they rendered to the Chapter for the following:

Conservation Service: Kate Allen, Hillary Gordon, Gary Headrick, Ron Schrantz, Yvonne Watson, Gabrielle Weeks, Dave Wiggins.

Outings Service: Melody Anderson, Adrienne Benedict, Mars Bonfire, Bob Draney, Matthew Hengst, Jack Kieffer, John LaRue, Roxanna Lewis, Ed and Helen Maurer, Jose Mendez, Sofia Mohaghegh, Bill Simpson, Gerald (Jerry) Trager, Pat Vaughn, Lois Vile.

Special Service: Sandy Burnside. Charles Geller, Carol Henning, John Kaiser, Bill Lavoie, Frances Sparky Sotcher, Graeme Whitaker, Jeff Wilson.