From left: Mindy Lubber, President, Ceres; Bob Perciasepe, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

The Center for Environmental Policy at American University's School of Public Affairs is delighted to announce the winners of the 2016 William K. Reilly Awards for Environmental Leadership (Reilly Awards)—Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres, and Bob Perciasepe, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and previously of the US Environmental Protection Agency. The Reilly Awards honor individuals in environmental careers who demonstrate the qualities of leadership, innovation, engagement of diverse interests, effective problem solving and contributions to future generations of environmental leaders. Lubber will be presented her award for service in the non-profit sector, and Perciasepe will be presented his award for service in the public sector. These awards, named in honor of one of the most respected leaders in U.S. environmental policy, will be given in a ceremony at American University on March 31, 2016.

Dan Fiorino, director of the Center for Environmental Policy, said the quality of nominations was outstanding, making the Reilly Award Committee's job very challenging. “Both Mindy Lubber and Bob Perciasepe exemplify the Bill Reilly model of working across political and policy divisions to achieve innovative and measurable results," he said.

Mindy S. Lubber, President, Ceres

Mindy Lubber is the President of Ceres, a non-profit advocacy organization that mobilizes investor and business leadership to build a thriving, sustainable global economy. She regularly speaks about corporate and investor sustainability issues to high-level leaders at the New York Stock Exchange, United Nations, World Economic Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, American Accounting Association, American Bar Association and more than 100 Fortune 500 firms. She also directs Ceres’ Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a group of 110 institutional investors managing $13 trillion in assets focused on the business risks and opportunities of climate change. Lubber has led negotiating teams of investors, NGOs and Fortune 500 CEOs who have taken far-reaching positions on corporate practices to minimize carbon emissions, water use and other environmental impacts.

Prior to Ceres, Lubber held various leadership positions in government, financial services and the non-profit sector. She joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1995 as a senior policy advisor and was named regional administrator under President Bill Clinton in 2000. As regional administrator, she was responsible for the administration and management of the EPA’s New England Regional Office and its then-$450 million annual budget. Additional key priorities in her role included organizing aggressive cleanups of hazardous waste sites with a goal of redevelopment, new jobs and urban revitalization as well as ensuring the long-term protection of drinking water supplies. She was the founder, president and CEO of Green Century Capital Management, a family of environmentally responsible mutual funds. She also served as president of the National Environmental Law Center.

Bob Perciasepe, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

Bob Perciasepe is President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), a leading, independent voice for practical policy and action to address our climate and energy challenges.

He has been an environmental policy leader in and outside government for more than 30 years, most recently as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and has built a reputation for bringing stakeholders together to solve issues.

While Perciasepe served as Deputy Administrator from 2009 to 2014, EPA set stricter auto emissions and mileage standards, increased protections for the nation’s streams and rivers, and developed carbon emissions standards for power plants. He was previously assistant administrator for both the agency’s water and clean air programs, leading efforts improve the safety of America’s drinking water and lower sulfur levels in gasoline to reduce smog.

Perciasepe served as chief operating officer of the National Audubon Society, one of the nation’s oldest conservation organizations. He has also held top positions in state and municipal government -- as Secretary of the Environment for the state of Maryland and as a senior planning official for the city of Baltimore.