ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon 2023

Upstate Forever’s ForeverGreen Annual Awards Luncheon celebrates individuals and organizations for significant contributions in fields related to conservation and sustainable growth.

2023 HONOREES

This year’s award recipients are:

TOMMY WYCHE LAND CONSERVATION CHAMPION AWARD

Glenn Hilliard, for his tireless advocacy for trails, green spaces, and natural places in the Upstate, for his determined quest for excellence in conservation outcomes, and for his leadership in the Saluda Grade initiative.

CLEAN WATER CHAMPION AWARD

Ben Duncan, South Carolina Chief Resilience Officer, for his determined advocacy at the state level for enhanced water quality and smart approaches to resource protection.

PUBLIC SERVANT OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Honorable Chandra E. Dillard, for her consistent voice in support of important land and water protection issues in the Upstate and statewide, and for her leadership as a voice for conservation statewide.

BRAD WYCHE EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dr. Joe Lesesne, for a lifetime of dedicated service to the natural world; for his conservation efforts in the Upstate and beyond; for his dedicated service to Upstate Forever as an advocate, board member and board chair; and for his leadership throughout the state as a voice for common-sense approaches to land and water conservation.

View the digital program

In lieu of printed programs and in an effort to conserve natural resources, the event program containing the agenda, award recipient information, and more is now available in a digital format. Download the PDF

Watch the honoree videos

Award nominators, Upstate Forever staff, and award recipients reflect on the contributions of this year's honorees. Watch the videos on YouTube

VIEW LUNCHEON PHOTOS

Re-live the celebration by flipping through our 2023 ForeverGreen photo album. View the photos on Flickr

Thank you, Sponsors

This annual celebration of conservation leaders is made possible by the generosity of these sponsors.

- EMERALD SPONSORS -

- SPRUCE SPONSORS -

- CEDAR SPONSORS -