Honorees Improve The County's Natural Environment, Benefitting All Residents
FAIRFAX, Va. – Dec. 6, 2022 – Today, the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination announced the winners of the 2022 Environmental Excellence Awards. Each year, the Environmental Excellence Awards recognize individual county residents, county employees, and organizations or businesses who advance or support the county’s environmental goals and policies, dedicate personal time and expertise beyond their normal fiscal and civic responsibilities, and demonstrate leadership within the community.
This year, the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) is issuing five awards to county residents and employees. The individual awardees have demonstrated extraordinary leadership within the community and exceptional dedication to the preservation and enhancement of the county’s natural resources.
“The 2022 Environmental Excellence Award winners are truly exemplary. Their dedication to making Fairfax County a healthier and more beautiful place to live, work and play through the preservation of our natural systems is admirable,” said Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “This year’s awardees are champions of the environment, and their actions showcase their commitment to this vital cause. We are fortunate to have leaders like this in our County who work tirelessly to improve the world we share, to everyone’s benefit.”
The 2022 Environmental Excellence Awardees are:
County Employee Category
Dr. Katherine Edwards. Dr. Edwards serves as a Wildlife Management Specialist for the Fairfax County Police Department. By proactively monitoring the white-tailed deer population in the county for the very serious threat, chronic wasting disease, Dr. Edwards is protecting both the future of the deer population and human health and safety.
Brandy Mueller. Ms. Mueller serves as the Compliance Coordinator for Fairfax County’s Land Development Services. In this role, Brandy has created new processes to prevent and remediate environmental harm from land development and vegetation removal, especially in resource protection areas within the county.
Charles Smith. Mr. Smith serves as a Project Coordinator with Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Charles has been a leading advocate for enhancing the ecological restoration of stream corridors and associated floodplains, and for promoting the use of natural landscaping using native plants and seed mixtures.
Individual County Resident Category
Will Friedman. Mr. Friedman is a rising senior at West Potomac High School, who is being recognized for his exceptional achievements and leadership efforts to better the environment. Will began participating in organized clean ups in and around Little Hunting Creek beginning in middle school. Later, his activities included working with county and school staff and community volunteers to coordinate the planting of trees at over 20 school properties. Will has been particularly active in the areas of stream monitoring, the removal of invasive plants, tree planting, and trash and recycling initiatives, even volunteering to pick up and take glass to the purple bin for incapacitated neighbors.
Elisabeth Lardner. Ms. Lardner volunteers for Chair of the Civic Association of the Hollin Hills Parks Committee since 2016. In this capacity, Elisabeth has performed two vital roles: she is a dedicated steward of over 30-plus acres of shared community parkland and is also a community liaison for two major stream restoration/storm water management projects currently underway in Hollin Hills. Woven throughout Elisabeth’s tenure as Parks Chair is her commitment to educating those in Hollin Hills about their parks and the environment.
For more information on the Environmental Excellence Awards, please visit the awards website. To connect with or interview any of the awardees, please email anthony.castrilli@fairfaxcounty.gov
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