2008 Evelyn G Ullman Innovative Leadership Award Winner
Sally Bethea
Executive Director and Riverkeeper
Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
The 2008 Evelyn G. Ullman Innovative Leadership Award was presented at the 17th annual Georgia Nonprofit Summit during the Awards Luncheon on Tuesday May 6, 2008.
Award Criteria and Selection Process
This award, a check in the amount of $15,000 to the recipient’s nonprofit organization, is presented every other year at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits’annual Nonprofit Summit to an outstanding nonprofit leader who meets critical community needs.
To help guide selection, we determined clear judging criteria:
Innovation--creativity in solving a tough problem
Impact--what the project or program actually achieved
Strategic thinking--methodical planning, with a long range view
Entrepreneurship--finding a way to build effective programs that in part, at least, fund themselves
Collaboration--working with other organizations or programs to leverage knowledge and work
Replicability--programs that could be replicated or used as models for other programs
About Sally Bethea and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
After much discussion, and careful deliberation, this committee selected Sally Bethea, Executive Director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper as the 2008 winner of the Evelyn G. Ullman Innovative Leadership Award.
Sally Bethea, director of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, exemplifies dedication to community. A mother who volunteered in conservation work as she raised two sons, Sally stepped forward when an opportunity arose to create an organization to address one of Georgia’s most chronic environmental and health problems—the aging Atlanta sewer system that had long polluted local waterways. Her success in resolving this problem continues to unfold as the city invests billions to clean up the Chattahoochee and neighborhood streams. Now focused on Atlanta’s water crisis, Sally is developing solutions to ensure we’ll have enough clean water for future generations.
Under Sally’s leadership since 1994, the Upper Chattachoochee Riverkeeper has made a profound, measurable improvement in the quality of the drinking water for 3.5 million Georgians in metro Atlanta and throughout the Chattahoochee watershed. With a 12-person staff, thousands of members and volunteers, and an annual budget of $1.2 million, they have stopped hundreds of illegal discharges into the Chattahoochee and helped local governments and industries comply with clean water laws.
Whether on river patrols, at the State Capitol, in the courtroom, or in the classroom, Sally serves her community and its river with intelligence and passion.
Examples representing the impact of Sally's innovative, strategic and progressive thinking on the community include:
*Reduction in sewage spills throughout Atlanta—from over 1,000 to 286 in 2007 as a result of legal action
* Permanent protection of 1,887 acres of green space along urban streams
* Uncovering signficant pollution problems in Lake Lanier resulting in a well-funded cleanup program now underway
* Creation of the only floating classroom program for Georgia’s youth
* Addressing the single largest source of pollution in the Chattahoochee watershed—eroded soil and sediment from uncontrolled land disturbing activities through the Get the Dirt Out (GTDO) Campaign
Sally has built a strong local organization that has been used as a model for five riverkeeper groups established in Georgia in the past decade. She is frequently sought as an advisor to local, regional and national organizations for help with the development of environmental programs.
Congratulations to Sally on a job well done. And congratulations to all this years' Ullman award nominees for their leadership and hard work!
About Evelyn G. Ullman and the Award Fund
An Atlanta resident for much of her life, Evelyn G. Ullman has dedicated her life to service and has made a powerful impact on the Atlanta community and those around her. During the AIDS crisis of the early 1980s, Evelyn saw a gap in services available to address the resulting human needs.
Rather than rely on others to address it, Evelyn responded by starting Jerusalem House, a nurturing and supporting environment for homeless men, women and children with AIDS.
Pulling on her personal resources, relationships and her drive to make a difference, Evelyn succeeded in engaging others in this important endeavor. Jerusalem House continues its mission today, and stands as a testament to her innovative and strategic leadership, as well as her willingness to use her time, talent and treasure to solve an unmet need in her community.
Not only is Evelyn Ullman a leader in her own right, she is also now a patron to other leaders. Through her generous contribution of $75,000, she and the Georgia Center for Nonprofits have established an awards program that celebrates exceptional and innovative nonprofit leadership.
The Evelyn G. Ullman Innovative Leadership Award will be given every other year, over the next 10 years, to an outstanding individual who has shown superior leadership in addressing a community issue.
The recipient's organization will receive a check for $15,000--again, made available by the Evelyn G. Ullman family.
The Georgia Center for Nonprofits is honored to administer this prestigious award, and we thank Evelyn and her family--not only for their generous financial contribution, but also for their commitment to encouraging and rewarding outstanding leadership in the nonprofit sector.