31Jan2024

Greater Rochester Clean Cities Celebrates 25 Years of Transportation Sector Sustainability!

From 11:00AM until 2:00PM

The Strathallan Hotel and Spa

550 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

Rochester, NY – Greater Rochester Clean Cities celebrated their 25th Anniversary as a Clean Cities program, designated by the Department of Energy.

The event will be held on January 31st at the Strathallan Hotel and Spa. Speakers are expected to reminisce about the early years of the organization and how they are continuing to evolve to best serve the needs in our region, plus guests will hear from Wegmans Food Markets, a previous Green Fleet Leadership awardee, and from RTS about their experience with alternative fuels and their move towards a fleet of hydrogen-powered buses.

An awards ceremony will be held as part of the celebration, with the following recognized for their contributions to sustainability in transportation:
Green Fleet Leadership Award: the City of Rochester
Lifetime Achievement for an Organization: Harbec Plastics
Lifetime Achievement for an Individual: Melvin Rose
Founders Award: Bob Barker
Founders Award: Paul Heaney
Outstanding Contributor Award: Dave Whitlock

Reflecting on the history of the organization, David Keefe shared that “over the past 25 years, the Greater Rochester Clean Cities coalition has delivered on the mission of the US Department of Energy (USDOE) Clean Cities program. In the true sense of what a coalition should be, this has been achieved through partnerships with a wide variety of individuals and organizations . These include private companies, governmental organizations and nonprofits. This reflects the vision and intent of the USDOE . The programs and initiatives have always reflected the needs and interests of our stakeholders.”

GRCC is excited to continue supporting the region as the transportation sector moves away from a reliance on fossil fuels and towards being electric, hydrogen, and biofuel-powered.

”As fleet manager for Monroe County in the mid-1990s, I was very fortunate to have the full  support and encouragement from the county administration as well as the Monroe County Legislature. This enabled me to develop alternative fuel vehicle programs as part of the US Department of Energy Clean Cities program. The local Clean Cities coalition provided support, access to resources as well as participation within a network of dedicated folks who shared our interest in reducing petroleum use in the transportation sector. Fortunately Monroe County has continued its leadership in sustainability, air quality improvement and petroleum reduction strategies over the last 25 years” said board member and awardee Bob Barker.

For more information about Greater Rochester Clean Cities (GRCC), visit: GRCC.us