News Release -- Rochester to become a Keep America Beautiful Affiliate City

City of Rochester News Release

(Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018) – The City of Rochester is the first city in Western New York to join the affiliate network of Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic nonprofit community improvement organization, Mayor Lovely A. Warren and Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Helen Lowman announced today.

“The city of Rochester is fortunate to have dozens of parks and green spaces, and natural resources that other cities can only dream of,” Mayor Warren said. “These resources are crucial to the quality of life here in our city and central to our efforts of creating more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities. The Keep America Beautiful designation will give us a vast network of expertise and knowledge that will help us keep Rochester clean and beautiful and leave our public spaces in better shape for future generations.”

“As part of our Keep America Beautiful Network, Keep Rochester Beautiful will act as a catalyst for positive community change, with a goal of improving the quality of life for every resident of Rochester,” said Lowman. “We know that Keep Rochester Beautiful will help transform your public spaces into beautiful places as an important representative of our national affiliate movement.”

Keep Rochester Beautiful joins more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, including 27 state affiliates, and a number of international affiliates.

The Keep America Beautiful Network mobilizes more than 3.5 million volunteers each year to take positive action on community improvement concerns. As a result, litter is being reduced; solid waste is being managed responsibly; citizens are improving vacant lots, highways and other public spaces; trees and flowers are being planted; and recycling and composting efforts are expanding.

As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, the City has access to a wealth of resources and knowledge, along with potential grant funding. In April, the City received a grant through KAB and Coca-Cola to expand recycling at public events and festivals.

Locally, a seven member board of directors will work with the City to build off existing efforts like Clean Sweep and the Mixed Recycling Program to reduce litter, promote recycling, preserve the city’s natural resources and public spaces and develop new initiatives to create a culture of environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Collectively, the Keep Rochester Beautiful Board of Directors have a deep reach into the community, representing the non-profit, private and academic sectors. Members are:

•            Akweta Kamau, resident of Frost Avenue

•            Shirley Boone, chief of staff, Northeast Area Development

•            Veronica Dasher, Manager for Regional Outreach and Development, RG&E

•            Matt Flanigan, Chief Executive Officer, Flower City Habitat for Humanity

•            Andy Boslett, URMC postdoctoral researcher in environmental health

•            Arleen Thaler, local photographer

•            James Napier, principal, Napier and Napier.

Morgan Barron, a former AmeriCorps member who now works for the City’s Department of Environmental Services, will serve as executive director.

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Media contacts:

City of Rochester: Press Officer Jessica Alaimo, (585) 428-7135

Keep America Beautiful: Director of Communications Larry Kaufman, (203) 659-3014