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Memphis, TN. - Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton received the Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club's "Outstanding Government Leadership Award" at the organization's holiday party this evening. The Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club represents 1,300 members in Memphis and West Tennessee. They advocate for policies that protect our natural environment, offer hikes and outdoor recreation for people of all ages, support environmental candidates for public office, and provide opportunities for people who want to develop leadership skills to help their community while enhancing the environment.
Wharton was selected by the Sierra Club for his commitment to making Shelby County a cleaner and greener environment, a major focus of Wharton's administration since he took office in 2002. Two recent outstanding steps towards this goal were cited by the Sierra Club when the award was presented to him. First mentioned was Wharton's signing of the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration and setting goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Shelby County in July 2007 and then Wharton's opening of the first public trail on the Nonconnah Greenway system that will someday run from Memphis to Collierville last month. While those two projects are directly related to Wharton's desire for a "Greener Shelby County", another highly visible project has been Shelby Farms Park. Under Wharton's leadership, concerned citizens and groups came together after more than 30 years of disputes and agreed to an overall plan for the Park's future. As part of that plan, Shelby Farms Conservancy, a non-profit, was created and is currently managing the day-to-day operations of Shelby Farms Park as well as keeping the public informed about their work on the "Master Plan" for the Park's future.
Wharton's personal vision is an inspiration to the Memphis and Shelby County community. To learn more about the "Greening of Shelby County" or any other initiative of Wharton's administration, go to www.shelbycountytn.gov.
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