Pro H2O Raises Awarenss on Water Issues in Iowa

IEC Event Raises Awareness on Water Issues in Iowa

Des Moines -- Nearly 200 Iowans gathered on June 13 to raise awareness of the need for clean water in Iowa and celebrate individuals whose work is making a difference to clean up the water in our state.

Pro H2O is the largest fundraising event annual for the Iowa Environmental Council, a nonpartisan alliance of individuals and diverse organizations working together to protect and preserve Iowa’s environment.

Attendees enjoyed appetizers, beverages, and music from area musician Andrew Hoyt while engaging with like-minded water advocates. Event emcee Sid Juwarker,  local comedian and representative for IEC member organization Terracon, roused the crowd with anecdotes as he introduced staff, including IEC’s new water program director Ingrid Gronstal Anderson.

Following remarks from Gronstal Anderson and IEC Executive Director Jennifer Terry, six Iowans received awards from the Council for their work that benefits water in the state.

Innovation Awards

Joe Bolick, Green Brewery Program Manager, and Jenny Trent, Waste Reduction Specialist, with the Iowa Green Brewing Certification Program at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center received honors for the innovative and successful approach they launched in 2017 with the Green Brewing Certification program. The program works directly with Iowa breweries to minimize their environmental impact. Water Quality and Conservation is one of four key pillars of the program, and helps craft brewers to save money by reducing water use and reducing wastewater fee costs. Since its launch, 27 breweries in Iowa have earned their certification.  

Leaders in Business Awards

Dave Moore, Director of Operations at Big Grove Brewery received honors during the evening. Dave oversees the sustainability efforts of Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in Iowa City and Big Grove Brewpub in Solon. The brewery earned their Gold level Green Brewing Certification in 2018. 

Rachel Beck is the Sustainability Coordinator and Social Media Manager with SingleSpeed Brewing Company in Waterloo. Prior to this position, Rachel interned with the Iowa Waste Reduction Center and had the opportunity to assist with SingleSpeed's sustainability initiatives before becoming an employee of the brewery. The brewery earned Platinum level Green Brewing Certification in 2017.  

Joe and Jennifer at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center nominated the breweries for the award for having gone “above and beyond, both in their actions and in their industry leadership, to promote environmental stewardship among all Iowa breweries.”

Mollie Aronowitz of Peoples Company was also recognized as a leader in business for her work raising awareness about how conservation and producer profitability go hand-in-hand, as well as Peoples innovative cover crop incentive program, which helps landowners maximize productive acres while reducing environmental impact. Mollie has served as a Land Manager with Peoples since 2013 and serves as one of just a few accredited female land managers in the country. 

Tenacity & Youth Awards

Courtney Wolken, high school A.P. Biology teacher at Newton Community School District, and Steve Hopkins, Nonpoint Source Coordinator with the IDNR, were honored for their work and leadership on a project with Cardinal Creek. In 2016, Courtney and Steve partnered to increase student engagement and awareness of the water body with their work to rename Sewer Creek to Cardinal Creek. By encouraging students to take ownership in the project and encouraging them to have the tenacity to navigate local, state and federal agencies, Courtney and Steve have helped create a new generation of informed environmental activists in Iowa.

View our photos from the evening and join us in celebrating these Iowans - and you - for your efforts support to preserve and protect Iowa’s environment.

We’ll hope you’ll make plans to join us in 2020!

Thank you to our generous event sponsors.

CHAMPION

Charlotte & Fred Hubbell

ADVOCATE

The Big Apple Orchard
Central Bank
Prairie Meadows
Sustainable Environmental Consultants

PARTNER
Campbell's Nutrition
Cultivating Compassion - The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation
Des Moines Water Works 
Riley Resource Group

SUPPORTER

Linda Appelgate
Jamie Beyer
David and Deborah Burgraff
Ted and Linda Corrigan
Frederique and David Courard-Hauri
Katie Cownie and Damien Lock
Tom and Tina Hadden
Foth
Neil and Khanh Hamilton
Trudy Holman Hurd
Houston Engineering
Josh and Katherine Mandelbaum
John and Patsy Shors
Carl and Susan Voss
Raccoon River Watershed Association
Wren Telecom
WHY! Company 

FRIEND

BNIM
Cerne Calcium
EOR Iowa
The Graham Group
Jack Hatch
Iowa Association of Water Agencies
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Iowa Policy Project
Kemin Industries
Kum & Go
Leopold Center
Cyril and John Mandelbaum
Lorraine and Tom May
Mark and Janet Rosenbury
Martha and Stephen Stephenson
NCP, Inc. 
Rod & Rivet
UnityPoint Health
UICCU
Virtual IT
Deb Wiley and John Schmidt
West Bank