Two sustainability champions were recently named 2016 recipients of the Richardson Dilworth Award, which recognizes the contributions of outstanding city employees.
The 2016 Richardson Dilworth Award for Innovation in Government was awarded to Laura Cassidy, Sustainability Manager for the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. Under Laura’s leadership, the Department of Prisons has made significant strides in reducing its waste output and creating avenues for inmates to develop meaningful skills to aid them as returning citizens. In 2008, Laura helped start the Department’s first single-stream recycling program, and in 2011, she implemented Philadelphia’s first City-run captive food waste composting program.
Together, these two initiatives divert an estimated 685 tons of waste destined for landfills annually, saving the City more than $40,000 in landfill costs each year. Cassidy is also responsible for the successful implementation of the Philadelphia Prison Orchard Project—a two-acre orchard at the Philadelphia Industrial Corrections Center which houses over 200 fruit-bearing trees and bushes, making it the largest urban orchard in the City.
The 2016 Richardson Dilworth Award for Excellence in Customer Service goes to Joanne Dahme, General Manager for Public Affairs at the Philadelphia Water Department. Joanne serves as a liaison between City government and the general public on matters such as storm water management, water resource protection and the Water Department’s Green City Clean Waters plan. Joanne has forged many partnerships that transformed neglected parking lots, recreation centers and other areas into green corridors that help our rivers and improve quality of life across the City.