The Friends of The Tom Ridge Environmental Center are pleased to present the 2012 John C. Oliver Environmental Leadership Award to Sister Pat Lupo, Dr. Ed Masteller, with a special recognition award for Eugene Comoss.

The awards will be presented at a special sunset celebration at the Center on October 26 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Sr. Pat Lupo

For Sr. Pat educating youth is the key to ensuring a promising future.  Sr. Pat has practiced this belief since entering her first elementary school classroom.  She believes that letting youth define the problem, investigate solutions, and develop the project results in action that benefits the environment, educates others, and develops a lifetime appreciation and commitment to nature and the environment. 

You could truly say that Sister Pat has committed her entire life to enhancing our environmental legacy.

Dr. Ed Masteller

The existence and high quality of the Natural History Museum at TREC is due to the vision, persistence and dogged determination of Dr. Masteller.   His goal of making collections of organisms in the area and listing them on the up-to-date Dynamic Dunes website helps others now and in the future make good environmental decisions. 

His former students carry on his enthusiasm for biology and are transferring that enthusiasm to others.  The Erie community has benefited by Ed’s involvement in many projects over the years.

Mr. Eugene Comoss

Selected by the Friends of TREC Board of Directors to posthumously receive a John C. Oliver Environmental Leadership Special Recognition Award at the 2012 Sunset Celebration, Mr. Comoss served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for four decades and created a lasting impact for Presque Isle State Park and the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.

His dedicated service on projects propelled Presque Isle to be named one the best restored beaches in the United States in 2011 and the best restored park beach in 2012 by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association. Mr. Comoss' vision was essential in the development of TREC which has educated over 780,000 individuals. He passed away on March 31, 2012. Thank you Gene, we miss you!

The Award is named in honor of John C. Oliver, the first Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the first Board Chair of the Friends of TREC, and lifelong environmental leader.

The award recipient is selected by the Friends of TREC Board of Directors, to recognize significant environmental leadership at location(s) such as The Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Presque Isle, the Erie Bay, and on the PA Lake Erie shoreline.

For more information and a list of past winners, visit the John C. Oliver Conservation Leadership Award webpage.

10/15/2012