Community Excellence Awards

Nine Texas communities Receive

Governor’s Community Achievement Awards

Presented by Keep Texas Beautiful

 Click here for a full list of winners

(Austin, Texas) – Nine Texas communities received Governor’s Community Achievement Awards (GCAA) for outstanding community improvement today. Lindsay, Muenster, Whitehouse, Woodway, Brownwood, Lufkin, North Richland Hills, McAllen,and El Paso were each designated to receive one of the most prestigious annual environmental awards in Texas. The winners are selected by Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. and receive a share of one million dollars for landscaping projects on state rights-of-way in their communities.

The winning communities, one from each of nine population categories, were chosen for their achievements in community leadership and coordination, education, public awareness, litter prevention and cleanup, illegal dumping enforcement, beautification and property improvement, and solid waste management.

“It is a pleasure to acknowledge each of these communities with this great honor,” said Joanne Weik, Keep Texas Beautiful President. “These winners are an example to every Texan of what can be accomplished when citizens, businesses, local government, and youth work together to improve the appearance of their communities. It is always amazing to see what volunteer efforts can achieve.”

Any city or county in Texas, regardless of size, is eligible to apply for the GCAA award. The smallest population category (under 1,000) receives $60,000 in projects; the largest population (over a quarter of a million) receives $265,000 worth of landscaping. The money for the landscaping projects is provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

The GCAA program has recognized outstanding communities for 36 consecutive years, with TxDOT providing prize funds since 1985. The Awards will be formally presented to the winners during the 38 th Annual Keep Texas Beautiful Conference on June 30 at the Renaissance Houston Hotel Greenway Plaza.

Keep Texas Beautiful , the statewide grassroots community improvement and environmental organization and affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, strives to empower Texans through education to take responsibility for enhancing their community environment. KTB works with government, businesses, civic groups, and volunteers to ensure that every Texan has the opportunity to take individual responsibility for making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation. For more information on the GCAA and other KTB programs and events, call 1-800-CLEAN-TX or visit the website at www.ktb.org.