Posted on Nov 15, 2024 | Blog,News
KLB’s Annual Conference Draws Over 300 to Talk About Litter, Recycling, & Beautification
Last month, on October 23-24, over 300 people from three states, 80 cities, and 40 parishes attended the annual Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) State Conference at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge. The conference is an annual educational training and networking forum welcoming all individuals, Keep America Beautiful Affiliates, universities, state and local governmental agencies, community and business partners, and non-profit organizations. Forty presenters discussed best practices for litter prevention, recycling, beautification, and sustainability.
Keep Tiger Town Beautiful
This year, KLB introduced a new conference format with breakout sessions, allowing attendees to create customized learning experiences that met their unique interests and educational objectives. Attendees learned about topics such as:
– Turning Litter Data into Solutions
– Transforming Waste for Resilient Waterways: Glass, Shells, and Trees
– Roots of Change: The Power of Organic Land Management
– Conducting a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
– Integrating Native Plants into Your Beautification Project
– Louisiana’s Outdoor Events Geaux Green to Reduce Waste
– Microplastics in Our Waterways and the Impact of Plastic Litter
– Main Street Beautification and Revitalization
– And more!
The full agenda is available here. You can also visit this page to download pdfs of the speakers’ presentations.
Keynote speakers included Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, KLB Executive Director Susan Russell, and Jay Dardenne, former Louisiana Commissioner of Administration. Dardenne presented on the subject matter of his film and documentary companion book, both titled “Why Louisiana Ain’t Mississippi… or Any Place Else!”
Susan Russell, KLB Executive Director
During the first luncheon, KLB was pleased to recognize the 2024 Circle of Excellence recipients and new Affiliates.
29 Community Affiliates met the requirements for the 2024 KLB Circle of Excellence: Abbeville, Abita, Algiers, Ascension, Baker, Bossier, Calcasieu, Covington, Desoto, DeRidder, Eunice, French Quarter, Hammond, Jefferson, Lacombe, Lafayette, Livingston, Mandeville, Monroe, Ouachita, Shreveport, Slidell, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, West Baton Rouge, and West Monroe.
Keep West Monroe Beautiful accepting a Circle of Excellence award.
New Community Affiliates included Lafourche Parish, St. Bernard Parish, and St. Charles Parish. The new University Affiliates included Dillard University and Southeastern Louisiana University.
To end the first day, attendees networked at a poolside happy hour sponsored by Waste Management. This time served as a valuable opportunity for organizations from across the state to mingle and exchange ideas.
Attendees networked with exhibitors.
This year, KLB welcomed more exhibitors than ever, with 17 businesses, non-profits, and state agencies. Attendees visited with Baton Rouge Green, Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council, Clean Earth Environmental Solutions, Coca-Cola, LDEQ, LA Beverage Assoc., LA Office of Tourism, LA Recycling Coalition, LA State Parks, Osprey Initiative, Phoenix Waste Solutions, Republic Services, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Assoc., Valen Surveillance & Security, Volunteer LA, and Waste Pro of LA. KLB introduced an exhibitor passport, encouraging attendees to visit each exhibitor booth for a stamp. Completed passports were turned in for a drawing.
Our University Affiliates received several Everyday Hero Awards.
The conference concluded with the annual Everyday Hero Awards, a special event that recognizes those going the extra mile to keep Louisiana beautiful. LSU Baseball Coach Jay Johnson served as the keynote, delivering a motivational speech.
The 2024 Everyday Heroes included:
– The Brighton School Senior Beta Club (Rocksey’s Young Leadership Award)
– Corporal Kenny Robertson (Litter Enforcement Award)
– Restore Grand Isle (Community Improvement Award)
– Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (Clean Biz Leadership Award)
– LyondellBasell (Clean Biz Leadership Award)
– Jeff Davis Chamber of Commerce (Chamber Clean Biz Leadership Award)
– Keep Livingston Beautiful (Outstanding Community Affiliate Award)
– Keep UNO Beautiful (Outstanding University Affiliate Award)
– Katie Buc, Loyola University (Collegiate Environmental Steward Award)
– Dr. Gretchen L. Vanicor & University of Louisiana at Lafayette Office of Sustainability (Leaders Against Litter Award)
– Frances Guillory (Let Louisiana Shine Volunteer Award)
– Devin Schexnayder (Let Louisiana Shine Volunteer Award)
– Venise Ortego (Alice Foster Award)
Susan Russell, KLB Executive Director; Venise Ortego, Alice Foster Award Winner; and the Lt. Governor
Sponsors of the KLB State Conference and Everyday Hero Awards included Artmasters Screen Printing, Evangeline Specialties, Louisiana Beverage Association, Osprey Initiative, Mele Printing, Red Six Media, and Waste Management.
Thank you to everyone who attended the KLB State Conference and Everyday Hero Awards. We hope you will join us again next year. You can find photos from the conference on the KLB Facebook page.
