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Partners for the Environment

Working together for a more healthy, sustainable region.

Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment is supported by SOCHE.

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The Partners for the Environment is an alliance of environmental organizations, government and civic organizations, and public and private educational institutions. These organizations share the common goal of protecting, restoring, preserving, and promoting the environmental and agricultural resources of the Great Miami River and Little Miami River Watersheds – an 18 county region in southwest Ohio.

Action Teams

The Partners for the Environment Action Teams work to improve, support, and protect their respective environments or subject of focus.

Leader Program

The Partners for the Environment Leader Development Program trains people on environmental issues, challenges, and opportunities, while buiding strong networks.

Awards

The Partners for the Environment Awards recognizes counties in the Miami Valley as outstanding leaders in environmental protection in our community.

Action Teams

The Partners for the Environment Action Teams work to improve, support, and protect their respective environments or subject of focus. Whether an expert or not, everyone is welcome to join one or more action teams.

About The Greater Dayton Environmental Leader Development Program

The program is a year-long cohort-based training program to recruit, educate, and engage early-career community members to become leaders who will understand natural resources and regional assets and take action to advocate for and to improve and protect the environment.

The quality of life in our community depends on clean air and water, places to live, work, and play, and a mix of land for urban development and productive farmland. Making wise choices to ensure these things are here for the future is critical to a thriving economy. If our local leaders and influencers understand the importance of the environment to health and safety and economic development, they will take action to protect our natural resources.

The program is for people who want to learn about local, state, and federal environmental issues, challenges and opportunities to develop leadership and collaboration skills, and build strong networks.

You will be partnered with a mentor. The mentors are carefully selected because of their experience, expertise, and area of interest.

Apply for the Leader Program

We are looking for leaders! Do you care about the environment?

Contact Partners for the Environment at admin@gdpartners.org for application and more information.

PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The Partners for the Environment’s Partner of the Year Awards celebrate those who work to protect, preserve, and restore the environmental and agricultural resources of the Great Miami River and Little Miami River watersheds. The Awards recognize some of our victories and honors those who provide us with leadership and inspiration.

The Partner of the Year Award
Wright Memorial Public Library

The Individual of the Year Award
Jennifer Wentzel

The Sustainable Community Award
City of Fairborn

The Lifetime Achievement Award
Douglas “Dusty” Hall & Tom Allen

Become a Partner

Participation in the Partners for the Environment is open to any organization that works to protect, restore, preserve, and promote the environmental and agricultural resources in the Great Miami River and Little Miami River watersheds and is interested in leveraging and maximizing their resources to further those goals. 

The Partner organizations include community-based organizations, local and regional governments, educational institutions and private and business interests that work within the great Miami River and Little Miami River watersheds. 

Partnership Levels 
     Partner: $50 annually
     Supporting Partner: $500 annually
Supporting Partners receive recognition at events, on websites, and in media materials.

Benefits of Partnership

  • Eligibility to apply for grant funds from the Greater Dayton Conservation Fund
  • Discounts on trainings
  • Eligibility for Annual Awards recognition
  • Assistance researching grant funding
  • Opportunities for networking and partnering
  • Participation in regional advocacy

 

DONATE

Why Donate?

The Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment is a component fund of The Dayton Foundation. Donate today and help us accomplish our goals! Your donations help us:

  • Recruit and train new environmental leaders
  • Host the Fall Awards Event
  • Honor recipients of the Partner of the Year Awards
  • Facilitate Action Teams
  • Host training and development workshops

Click the button to make your donation through our online giving page at The Dayton Foundation.

current Partners

Our partners include members of community-based organizations, local and regional
governments, educational institutions, and private and business interests. Our current
members include: 

• Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions
• Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm
• Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
• Brukner Nature Center
• Butler SWCD
• B-W Greenway Community Land Trust
• Cardno
• City of Dayton- Water
• Clark County Park District
• Five Rivers MetroParks
• Glen Helen Association
• Global Wellbeing Institute
• Greater Dayton Christian Connection
• Hall Hunger Initiative
• Learning Tree Farm
• Little Miami Conservancy
• Little Miami Watershed Network
• Marianist Environmental Education Center
• Miami County Park District
• Miami Conservancy District
• Middle Great Miami River Watershed Alliance
• MVRPC
• Ohio Naturally
• Ohio Odonata Society
• Preservation Dayton, Inc.
• Tecumseh Land Trust
• The Conservationist
• The Nature Center Association of Caesar’s Creek
• Three Valley Conservation Trust
• Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Warren SWCD
• Katherine Arnett
• Lucy Baker
• Marilyn Baumer
• Steven Carne
• Grace Dietsch
• Wendy Dyer
• Scott Eardley
• AJ Ferguson
• Meredith Florkey
• Cinda Hanbuch-Pinkerton
• Jim Heeg
• Bonita Heeg
• Bob Jurick
• Leslie King
• Maureen McCormick
• Michael Parks
• Elizabeth Ross
• Aaron Rourke
• Bill Schieman
• Charlie Shoemaker
• Georgie Woessner
• Sara Woodhul

 

 

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a monthly email about Partners for the Environment news and activities.

Award Winners

Partner of the Year Award

2021 – CO-OP Dayton – Gem City Market
2020 – Brukner Nature Center
2019 – Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District
2018 – YSI – Xylem
2017 – Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside
2016 – Upper River Fund
2015 – Glen Helen & Tecumseh Land Trust Partnership
2014 – University of Dayton
2013 – Beavercreek Wetlands Association
2012 – Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm
2011 – Hamilton Soil and Water Conservation District

 

The Individual of the Year Award

2021 – Matthew Lawson
2020 – Jess Evans
2020 – Meredith Florkey
2019 – Alexis Faust
2018 – Terry Staley
2017 – Stephen Mackell
2016 – Terry Lavy
2016 – Jim Mason
2015 – Bill Schieman
2014 – David Fisher
2013 – Larry Frimerman
2012 – Cal Conrad
2011 – Aaron Rourke

The Sustainable Community Award

2021 – City of Dayton
2020 – Village of Yellow Springs
2019 – No award given
2018 – Montgomery County
2017 – No award given
2016 – Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission
2015 – Warren County Regional Planning Commission

The Lifetime Achievement Award

2021 – Krista Magaw
2021 – Dansen Brown
2020 – Hope Taft
2019 – Jo Granzow
2018 – Jean Bindeman
2018 – Bob Jurick
2018 – Dave Nolin
2017 – Ralph Dull
2017 – Dan Jackson (posthumous)
2016 – Barbara Rion
2015 – Irv Bieser
2014 – Charity Krueger
2013 – Jim Amon
2012 – Julia Cady
2011 – Dane Mutter
2011 – Don Geiger

Councils & Committees

SOCHE is dedicated to advancing higher education through active collaboration, resource and knowledge building, and effective professional development programs. To accomplish this, SOCHE administers 16 active Councils and Committees. The purpose of a SOCHE Council or Committee is to provide an opportunity for representatives from higher education to be a resource for one another, share information and best practices, identify common challenges, and, ultimately, broaden awareness of the resources, services, and activities in higher education. SOCHE is also dependent upon the Councils and Committees for substantial input on annual professional development programs.