Sustainability Awards

John C. Steinbeck was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief on Feb. 1, 2014 having been with the Clark County Fire Department since 1990. Prior to being promoted to Deputy, Chief Steinbeck held the rank of battalion chief, captain, fire engineer and firefighter. For a large portion of his career, he specialized in Technical Rescue which includes high angle, confined space, swift water, trench, vehicle and machinery extrication, and structural collapse. Chief Steinbeck has also been with Southern Nevada’s Urban Search and Rescue team which is sponsored by FEMA. His deployments for search and rescue missions included New York City shortly after 9-11 and New Orleans for the aftermath caused by Hurricane Katrina. He also is a Structural Collapse Technician Instructor for FEMA.

Currently, Chief Steinbeck serves as Emergency Manager for Clark County and is in charge of the Office of Emergency Management. In addition, he oversees Homeland Security for the Fire Department and Nevada Task Force. Chief Steinbeck is on the Board of Nevada Child Seekers, which is an organization dedicated to protecting children in Nevada. Chief Steinbeck is on the Board of Nevada Child Seekers, which is an organization dedicated to protecting children in Nevada. He has been married to his wife, Lynette, for nearly 24 years and they have four children.

ARMAN is a multidisciplinary mental health organization supported by a network of international trauma experts, subject matter experts, medical and academic researchers and practitioners who have extensive experience treating and working with individuals who have suffered the most extreme forms of torture and trauma around the world. It is from these experiences that ARMAN’s culturally adept, multicultural values and holistic approach to healing are founded.

Leo Murrieta is the Director of Make The Road Nevada, a community organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Nevada’s immigrant and Latino communities. Leo came to the states as an infant. Arriving when he was seven-days old, he grew up in Naked City, the community next to the Stratosphere. He has dedicated much of his professional career to efforts that make our community a better place. Having been involved with youth, Latino, LGBTQ, and education equity public policy and advocacy for over a decade, Leo brings his experience to Make The Road Nevada. With Leo at the helm, Make The Road Nevada works with families, parents, students, businesses, churches, and community stakeholders to work toward creating positive and lasting change.

Arash Ghafoori is the Executive Director of Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. NPHY is the most comprehensive service provider for more than 11,000 homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through its core programs and by touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. Programs stabilize homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. They include: Outreach, Safe Place Mobile Crisis Intervention, Operation Go Home Family Reunification, Drop-In Center, Emergency Shelter, and Independent Living Program. Arash speaks passionately and compellingly about the unique issues youth face in the homelessness landscape. He is a great collaborator and a passionate voice for this voiceless component of our community.

The Conservation District of Southern Nevada. CDSN lead the way in a new area that other districts have not explored before with the Zion Garden Project. The community garden located at the Zion Methodist Church in North Las Vegas brings fresh produce to the community and teaches them how to grow and prepare their own food. It is located in a low income, low access food desert, with 11 percent of households without vehicles and distances to a supermarket more than half a mile away and is surrounded by the three highest food insecurity zones. This project has energized the community and brought them together. For area residents, the community garden is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. “I never thought that could be a garden,” said Shirley, a member of the church. “It was always just a desert full of trash and broken glass.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the Conservation District of Southern Nevada was CDSN Board Chair, and Vice President of Sustainable Facilities for MGM Resorts Corporate Sustainability Division Chris MaGee along with the project lead for The Zion Garden Project, Amber Bosket.

West Career and Technical Academy. WCTA students and staff are very committed to sustainability. The school initiated a number of programs engaging the entire school community. The school increased recycling by 300% over the past several years, by separating food and drink from recyclable items, Instituted a salad bar with items sourced 100% from green houses on campus with produce grown and harvested by students, and the school has on-campus composting to enrich growth areas. High school students teach middle and elementary students, as well as PACE/POST students. Cross-fit and functional fitness are offered as elective courses, as well as after-school classes for adults and students who cannot make the class fit in their schedules. WCTA decreased use of paper 30% by utilizing digital assignment submission and exam tools. The commitment to sustainability is not only reflected in the course work and day to day operation of the school, but is also evident in the culture included in any program hosted by the school

Gary Wood is the first ever winner of the ImpactNV lifetime achievement award. It was created to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a life-long commitment to sustainability personally and professionally as well as long term, personal, dedication to the mission, development, and success of ImpactNV as an organization.

Gary is a co-founder of ImpactNV and has been instrumental in our fundraising Committee efforts, consulted on all of our energy efficiency and solar installation projects, extensively mentored all 3 of our

Executive Directors and even volunteered to personally complete and submit our tax filings! For the past 18 years, Gary has focused on renewable energy and conservation. He is personally passionate about decreasing the homeless population in our region and is a devoted church member and committed family man. ImpactNV owes so much of its success to Gary Wood.

City of Las Vegas City Manager Elizabeth N. Fretwell was sworn in as city manager in 2009.  To ensure the city would rebound once the economy recovered from the recession, Ms. Fretwell was instrumental in implementing the Mayor and City Council’s sustainability resolutions.  Ms. Fretwell recognizes the importance of sustainability to the City of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, and has written and spoken about the City’s strategic and cost effective investments and achievements in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and recycling, which have made the City a nationally recognized leader in sustainability. She has also advocated for the City to become the first “net-zero” city in America and was instrumental in helping the City reach an agreement with NV Energy to received 100% of the City’s retail load from renewable sources.

Cheryl has worked at the Clark County School Partnership office and has helped numerous partners in the green community on projects with schools, students, and teachers. She focuses on building community partnerships in STEM and has played a part in many projects large and small. Most recently she helped to host the first annual Green School Summit this past fall. Her work with the School-Community Partnership Program is dedicated to improving academic achievement, fostering successful individuals and enriching student experiences by connecting schools with business and community resources. She works with business and community partners in many ways to bring mentors, speakers and more to our teachers and students.