Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission receives Governor’s Circle recognition

By Janell Williams

The Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission (KCBC) recently received a 2023 Governor’s Circle Award for its community beautification and environmental sustainability achievements. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF) presented the award to KCBC Executive Director Lisa Thomas-Cutts, recognizing outstanding performance in litter reduction, waste minimization and community greening.

To qualify for the Governor’s Circle Award, affiliates must be certified and in good standing with Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the national nonprofit that oversees state and local programming. Additionally, the affiliate must be an active member of the KGBF network. Certified KAB affiliates are required to effect meaningful, positive and lasting change by directly addressing community needs in the areas of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction and beautification.

“We believe everyone deserves to live in a clean, green and beautiful environment,” said Natalie Johnston-Russell, executive director of the KGBF. “The recipients of this award have made a tremendous effort to achieve that vision, and we’re thrilled to recognize their achievements.”

Mayor Skip Henderson said, “We are very proud of Lisa Thomas-Cutts and her team for this outstanding achievement. The City of Columbus understands you cannot have a vibrant community if you don’t keep the environment clean. We are grateful to Keep Georgia Beautiful for recognizing the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission’s hard work with the Governor’s Circle Award.”

The KCBC’s mission is to engage and educate individuals to take greater responsibility for enhancing beautification, protecting the environment and eliminating litter and blight. The KCBC was created by ordinance in December 1986. In January 1988, the commission was certified as an affiliate program of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., and has maintained this certification to date.

Today, KCBC works with the City of Columbus along with various local organizations, groups and individuals for the annual Help the Hooch Cleanup, the KCBC’s Mayor’s Golf Tournament, the MLK Serve-A-Thon, the Arbor Day Celebration, the Shoe Recycling Campaign and other events.

The KGBF has a 46-year history of doing little things that make a big difference in Georgia’s communities. Established in 1978, the foundation aims to educate and inspire Georgians to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environments. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation supports more than 70 local affiliates across the state, and its programs represent 80% of Georgia’s population. We also strive to engage new communities and individuals in our efforts to end littering, promote recycling and waste reduction, and

beautify communities. For more information, visit www.kgbf.org