Awards recognize champions that improve Virginia’s environment

RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin today recognizes the winners of the 2024 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards at the Environment Virginia Symposium. Held at the Virginia Military Institute, 12 award winners were recognized for their efforts to improve Virginia’s environment. Recipients represent a broad range of sectors, including manufacturers, industry, non-profits, higher education and government entities, all with a common goal of leaving a positive impact on the Commonwealth’s environment.  

“The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards recognize Virginia’s environmental leaders. The programs and projects implemented by those recognized demonstrate that balanced economic development and the protection of our environment go hand in hand,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin.  

These annual awards, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, highlight environmental sustainability and land conservation.  

The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards Gold Medal Winners are:

Cabinetworks Group – This Shenandoah Valley facility implemented a solvent reclamation program which allowed the company to grow while reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds by 42% and saving the facility up to $10,000 each month.  
Church & Dwight Co. Inc. – For nearly a decade, Church & Dwight Co. Inc., worked to modify the manufacturing process of certain personal hygiene products, reducing the use of hundreds of thousands of pounds of ammonia and phosphorus products while reducing production costs by 65%.
MYR Energy Services Inc., DESRI and Nevados – Project partners reduced the amount of land grading needed to install the Bartonsville Energy Facility, a solar installation, at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains in Frederick County. By using articulating mounts for solar panels, soil disturbance was reduced, enhancing the facility’s ability to control erosion, flooding and runoff while reducing project costs.  
Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation, Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation and Virginia Outdoors Foundation – A 600-acre easement was placed on Red Hill, the home of Patrick Henry, enhancing educational opportunities and preserving the land’s ecological value.   
RTX - Raytheon Sustainability – Raytheon, a major business unit within RTX, has exemplified RTX’s corporate sustainability through a broad range of projects that reduced the business unit’s environmental impacts, including reductions in water use, waste generation and air pollutant emissions.  

Information about the silver and bronze award winners is available on the DEQ website.