Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 5:00pm
Woodlands Inn & Resort, Rte 315, Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Keynote Speaker: Michael Krancer, Secretary, PA Dept. of Environmental Protection
Guest Commentary: Richard Allan, Secretary, PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
Master of Ceremonies: Thomas Makowski, Borton Lawson

Six (6) recipients of the Environmental Partnership Award and the Thomas P. Shelburne Environmental Leadership Award Recipient will be honored.

Click here to view or print the invitation
To RSVP, please click here to print and mail the response card.

For more information, call the Pennsylvania Environmental Council at 570-718-6507.

Earth Conservancy, Luzerne County – Huber III Reclamation Project, Luzerne County: The Earth Conservancy is being honored for the reclamation of the Huber III mine land project, an 82 acre site, which presented environmental hazards of acid mine drainage (AMD) to the Solomon Creek Watershed. The reclamation of this dormant culm-laden site now no longer contributes AMD to the environment and can be responsibly reutilized for purposes that will improve the local economy and quality of life.

Joseph Orlowsky, Schuylkill County: Mr. Orlowsky is being honored for his contribution and commitment to improving the streetscape and parks in his community for the past decade. Through Mr. Orlowsky’s leadership over 500 trees have been planted along the streets of Pottsville. He has dedicated many hours above and beyond his chairmanship of the Shade Tree Commission to spearhead tree planting education and initiatives in his and neighboring communities.

SEEDS of NEPA, Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support, Wayne County: SEEDS of NEPA is being honored for its efforts to build demand and infrastructure for renewable energy and to encourage sustainable living through energy conservation. SEEDS partnered with Northampton Community College, Wayne County Conservation office, Workforce Wayne, PPL-Electric Utilities as well as many other organizations to provide education, training and recognition regarding alternative energy choices and options.

Robert Skulsky, Luzerne County: Mr. Skulsky is being honored for his leadership and commitment to enhance the environment of Northeastern Pennsylvania through his work as the Executive Director of the Greater Hazleton Area Civic Partnership. Mr. Skulsky has been integral in developing the first four miles of the Greater Hazleton Rail to Trail (GHRT). Mr. Skulsky has partnered with many organizations including Leadership Hazleton to promote environmental education, the Greater Hazleton Wellness Center, Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership and Live Well Luzerne to promote healthy living.

Bonnie Smith, Lackawanna County: Ms. Smith is being honored for her efforts and advocacy for environmental and land protection. Ms. Smith shares her legal expertise with others to champion environmental protection throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Ms. Smith has partnered with many organizations, such as, North Pocono C.A.R.E., Anthracite Scenic Trails Association, Endless Mountains Nature Center and Stoddartsville Preservation Society among others, to protect area waterways and conserve land. Her efforts have a lasting impression on a myriad of non-profit organizations that have benefitted from her guidance.

South Branch Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Coalition, Lackawanna County: The South Branch Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Coalition is being honored for their activities to protect and maintain the health of the nearly 100 square mile area of the South Branch Tunkhannock Creek Watershed. The Coalition works to educate, promote and sustain the health of the Watershed. The Coalition has partnered with the Lackawanna County Conservation District to conduct dumpsite cleanups, Lackawanna State Park to provide environmental educational forums for area residents; and the Keystone College Willary Water Resource Center and the Countryside Conservancy to support their water quality monitoring program.

The Seventeenth Annual Thomas P. Shelburne Environmental Leadership Award will be presented this year to: Dorrance Belin, Lackawanna County: Mr. Belin is being honored for his dedication, leadership and commitment to preserving and protecting the environment of Northeastern Pennsylvania. For four decades Mr. Belin has been a leader in the environmental arena through his unique combination of vision and organizational skills, quiet, diplomatic persistence, legal expertise and ability to identify and inspire the human and financial resources so critical to the conservation movement. Mr. Belin was a founding member of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Nature Conservancy as well as the Countryside Conservancy. Mr. Belin has been a steadfast, highly effective leader for the environment for the last forty years utilizing his abilities and expertise to foster partnerships and inspire others to action.

This year’s Keynote address will be given by Secretary Michael Krancer, PA DEP. Michael Krancer was nominated by Governor Tom Corbett to be the Secretary of Environment Protection (DEP) on January 18, 2011. The nomination was confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate on April 26, 2011

Until he was nominated by Governor Tom Corbett to be Pennsylvania's Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Mike Krancer was a Judge on the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB). The EHB is the state-wide trial/appellate court for environmental cases which tries appeals from actions of the DEP. He was first nominated to serve as a Judge on the EHB by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge in October 1999. The Senate of Pennsylvania confirmed the nomination and Mr. Krancer took the oath of office in November 1999. In February 2003, Judge Krancer was named by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell as Chief Judge and Chairman. Before becoming a Judge, Mr. Krancer was a litigation partner at the Dilworth and Blank Rome law firms in Philadelphia. His practice involved complex commercial, white collar criminal and environmental litigation. Judge Krancer stepped down from the EHB in April 2007 to devote full time to his candidacy for Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Secretary Krancer became an Assistant General Counsel for the Exelon Corporation in June 2008. While with Exelon he provided legal counsel in the areas of environmental, health and safety compliance and litigation. He also worked on energy policy matters and with the company's government relations team. He was asked by Governor Rendell to return to the EHB as a Judge in 2009.

Secretary Krancer serves on the Board of Directors of Inn Dwelling, a non-profit faith-based initiative corporation associated with St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, whose mission is capacity-building among disadvantaged families in the Germantown and Northeast sections of Philadelphia. Judge Krancer worked with Inn Dwelling high school students as a volunteer writing skills coach. Judge Krancer also currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Neumann University, a private, Catholic, co-educational University in the Franciscan tradition, located in Aston, Delaware County and is emeritus on the Boards of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, the Brodsky Institute for Blood Diseases and Cancer, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Jewish Publication Group, the Jewish Publication Society and Riverbend Environmental Education Center. At Riverbend he served as Vice President. He and his wife, Barbara, served as Chairs of the Harvest Ball for the Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Secretary Krancer is an active member of the Montgomery Bar Association (MBA) and he has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the MBA commencing in 2005. He is a former Chairman of the Environmental Law Committee and is an active member of the Municipal Law and Government Relations Committees. He also served on the MBA Judiciary Committee and is a mentor in the MBA mentoring program. He is a frequent faculty lecturer for various Continuing Legal Education programs on various topics including the Pennsylvania Judges' and Attorneys' Code of Civility and lobbying law and practice

Secretary Krancer is an avid student of Hebrew and Christian Biblical Canon and he has pursued undergraduate and graduate level coursework in theology and biblical studies and exegesis at Villanova University. He is also a student of naval history, especially naval aviation from its dawning through its heyday, the World War II Pacific Campaign. He is a member of the United States Naval Institute and the Navy League of the United States. He is also a Civil War Re-enactor. He is proud to be a Private of the 20th Maine Volunteers, Company E (Army of the Potomac, Fifth Corps, First Division, Vincent's Brigade). He has seen "action" at Gettysburg, Stanardsville and Cedar Creek among other engagements.

Special Commentary will be given by Secretary Richard Allan, PA DCNR. Governor Tom Corbett nominated Richard J. Allan as DCNR secretary on March 23, 2011. The state Senate confirmed that nomination June 13, 2011 by a vote of 50-0.

Since 1991, Allan has served as executive director for the Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware members of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the national trade association that represents the recycling industry. Since 2005, he has also been a consultant to energy producers in the electric, wind, solar and coal sectors.

Allan, 57, has served on the boards of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Pennsylvania Resources Council since 2000. Allan was also a member of the energy and environmental committees for Governor Corbett's transition team.

Allan has long been involved in environmental interests. He was a founding member of Back Mountain Recreation, Inc., a recreation and environmental facility in Luzerne County. He was also a founding member of the North Branch Land Trust, which provides management to more than 10,000 acres of land in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He has also worked with the LACAWAC Sanctuary Foundation.

Allan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences/Biology from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre in 1976. He was vice president and general manager of Allan Industries from 1975 to 1991.

Allan and his wife, Patricia, live in Camp Hill, Cumberland County, and have two adult daughters.

Thomas Makowski, Esq., Vice President, Business Development and Marketing at Borton Lawson will be the Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Makowski, Esq. has over 30 years of experience in public relations, business development and law. Most recently, he joined Borton-Lawson as Vice President of Business Development/Marketing in 2010. Prior to this, he was employed with Sallie Mae, focusing on Business Development/Government Relations.

Tom has served as Luzerne County Commissioner, has managed a private law practice and is an active participant within many community organizations. One of Tom’s key accomplishments was his involvement in the Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties Open Space, Greenways and Outdoor Recreation Master Plan, which was the first open space and recreation program in the Commonwealth. This effort set the stage for key conservation efforts of significant acreage of former watershed land, including the county’s number one priority, Crystal Lake.

Tom currently resides in Hanover with his wife, Karen, and their two children.

About the Awards:
The Environmental Partnership Awards and Dinner is an annual event. In presenting these awards, the Partners: Wilkes University, Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s NE Office, Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, PPL Corporation, PA DEP and PA DCNR join together to recognize outstanding accomplishments and teamwork in achieving excellence in environmental protection or conservation in NEPA.

The Awards are open to any group, individual, company, program, or organization located in Northeastern Pennsylvania - or whose work has had a positive impact on the environment of the Northeastern Pennsylvania community of the following counties: Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne & Wyoming.