1996 Recognition Awards
The businesses/organizations listed below were recipients of the 1996 Recognition Award for Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air. In addition to these winners, three organizations that distinguished themselves through their efforts received "Honorable Mention" consideration: Liturgical Publications Inc., Washington County, and the Waukesha Engine Division of Dresser Industries.
American TV
Program Coordinator: Pat Billeb (414-548-8327)
- Awards employees with a "ticket" for each day that they execute a "clean commute". Tickets then are raffled in monthly drawings for cash.
- As part of the School + Business = Clean Air program, American TV displayed student's posters about clean air and "clean commuting" alternatives. It is estimated that 50 people per hour viewed the posters.
- Notified the media of the children's posters, which resulted in an article and related picture in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Went to a school and made a presentation on clean air and commuting to the students.
The City of Brookfield
Program Coordinator: Nancy Davenport (414-796-6715)
- Helped to form a joint transportation committee with the city's Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Bureau.
- Has prioritized the construction of bike paths and, since this effort began three years ago, has built 10-11 miles of bike-path per year.
- Offered the option of compressed work-weeks to all departments.
- Provided informational materials on Ozone Action Days and air quality issues to all city departments.
- Linked its efforts with those of the Elmbrook Schools.
- Sponsored a Bike to Work! Day
The Hartford Area Transportation Management Association
Program Coordinator: Doreen Weibel (414-673-7002)
- Worked in a collaborative effort to develop a bike/foot path route which will link the industrial park, area schools, the downtown area, and parks.
- Has worked to educate both the business community and area residents on the importance of reducing ozone-forming pollutants.
- Submitted several articles about the bike path and various Partners-related information to its local newspaper.
- Ran numerous articles on the efforts of the Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air program in the Chamber's newsletter, and has even enclosed a pledge form to encourage additional participation.
The Kitzinger Cooperage Corporation
Program Coordinator: Dave Sopolinski (414-483-8800)
- Educates its employees on the benefits of ride-sharing and public transportation. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of its employees get to work in these ways.
- Adopted "loading-dock" and other monitoring practices which help to reduce the formation of ozone-forming pollutants.
- Increased the frequency with which it changes filters.
- Reorganized production hours on certain operations to minimize ozone-formation.
- Altered many solvents to water-based ones.
The Ozaukee County Transportation Management Association
Program Coordinator: Kit Keller (414-375-6180)
The OCTMA Created a very successful transit pilot project called the "Ozaukee Express."
- The Express connects Milwaukee's downtown and central city with Park-and-Ride lots in Ozaukee County; shuttle-van service is then provided for bus riders to employment centers.
- Ridership averages over 200 riders/day.
The Racine Area Manufacturers & Commerce, the Racine media, Racine City Bus service, and the Racine Transportation Management Association.
Program Coordinator: Roger Caron (414-634-1931)
Through a collaborative effort, these organizations developed a comprehensive, community-wide marketing program to heighten the awareness of the general public on air quality and transportation demand management issues. Examples include:
- Kicked off its marketing campaign with an event in which 50,000 tree seedlings were given away.
- Placed its educational ad campaign in a local newspaper.
- Distributed an informational newspaper insert to subscribers, libraries, schools, and other community organizations. Instituted radio ad campaign and public service announcements.
- A "Weatherline" forecast message incorporated an Ozone Action! Days alert when necessary.
- Distributed 2,000 posters in Racine with tie-in message.
Serigraph Printing
Program Coordinator: Cheryl Weslager (414-335-7615)
- A biking-and-walking program saved 750 vehicle trips during the 1996 ozone season.
- Delayed landscape maintenance, suspended can crushing, and gave prior notification to employees on Ozone Action Days. Also provided suggestions to employees and their families on how to help reduce ozone pollution.
- Its monthly newsletter contains an Employee Environmental Awareness page that offers tips on health-related issues, cost-effective commuting, pollution reduction, and other air quality issues.
- A skit was presented at its quarterly employee meeting depicting what future living conditions may be like if ozone-forming pollutants aren't reduced.
- Conducted a bio-filter pilot operation to control its VOC emissions during the manufacturing process.
The U.S. Postal Service
Program Coordinator: Dave Alfvin (414-287-2526)
- A public transportation program which keeps about 12,000 vehicles per year off the road;
- A van-pool program reduces another 1,400 vehicles; and
- An employee-education program that includes a newsletter, training for new employees, support of Ozone Action! Days, an environmental reading library, and transportation-related fairs.
- Furthermore, its coordinator has been a major motivating force behind development of the Downtown Transportation Management Association. As the executive director, he has organized a transportation fair at Grand Avenue Mall and hopes to be Internet-ready in time to provide vital information for the Highway I-94 repaving project.