TRENTON, NJ – The Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette today announced the winners of the 26th annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, New Jersey’s premier awards program that recognizes outstanding environmental achievements, programs and projects across the state. The awards were presented during a ceremony at the Historic Masonic Temple in Trenton.
“On behalf of the Governor, DEP and the I-Bank are proud to honor all of this year’s awardees for their spirited dedication to protecting the environment we all share and the health of our communities,” Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “Their passion and dedication serve as an inspiration to us all and exemplifies why New Jersey is a national leader in environmental protection.”
The annual awards are given to individuals, businesses, organizations and communities that make exceptional efforts to protect the environment and advance solutions across diverse environmental matters, including environmental justice, climate change, sustainability and education. Deputy Commissioner Kati Angarone and I-Bank Executive Director David Zimmer presented the awards.
Richard J. Sullivan Award
Named for New Jersey’s first Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, the Richard J. Sullivan Award is given to a person who demonstrates exceptional leadership and outstanding accomplishments in safeguarding public health and protecting and enhancing the state’s environment and resources.
This year’s Sullivan Award was given to Joseph Seebode, Deputy District Engineer for the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who has dedicated more than 35 years to advancing coastal resilience, environmental restoration and sustainable water management.
Seebode’s leadership helped guide post-Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts and other major projects such as the deepening of the Port of New York and New Jersey. A lifelong steward of waterways, Seebode exemplifies collaboration, innovation, and dedication to making the region safer, more resilient, and environmentally sound.
2025 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award Winners
James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader: Landon Hoberman
Landon Hoberman is the founder of the Student Environmental Ambassador (SEA) Program, a youth-led initiative empowering students to reduce plastic waste and promote civic engagement. Since 2023, SEA has reached more than 50,000 students with over 725 ambassadors across 14 states and three countries. Through initiatives like #reducebyrequest, SEA has prevented over 1.8 million single-use utensils from entering the environment, saved local restaurants more than $45,000, and inspired state legislation.
Climate Change Mitigation: Duke Farms
Duke Farms, a 2,700-acre center of the Doris Duke Foundation, is transforming its campus through its Natural Systems Energy Project to sharply reduce emissions and sequester carbon through reforestation and natural climate solutions. The project also includes a new solar energy system for powering the campus and aims to support an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.
Climate Resilience: City of Newark Office of Sustainability, Resilience & Community Transformation
The City of Newark Office of Sustainability, Resilience & Community Transformation leads initiatives to enhance climate resilience, focusing on the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities. In the past year, the office expanded its “Beat the Heat” campaign and implemented urban cooling strategies including tree planting, pocket parks, and cool roof projects.
Environmental Justice: Montclair State University PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies
The Montclair State University PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies’ Green Teams Internship Program empowers diverse student teams to support communities facing disproportionate climate impacts. In 2025, ten teams partnered with nonprofits and municipalities—including Newark, Paterson, Montclair, and West Orange — to deliver projects that improved air and water quality, expanded tree canopies, strengthened food security, and advanced nature-based flood and heat resilience measures.
Healthy Communities: Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC)
ANJEC empowers New Jersey communities to protect natural resources and promote healthy, resilient environments. In the past year, ANJEC advanced this work through the restoration of the Parvin-Tarkiln Watershed in Vineland, adding tree pits, rain gardens, and riparian buffers that enhance local water quality and stormwater management.
Healthy Ecosystems and Habitats: Hunters Helping the Hungry
Hunters Helping the Hungry is a nonprofit organization that connects deer hunters, inspected processors, and food banks to provide venison to families in need. The organization supports responsible deer management that restores forest health, protects biodiversity, and strengthens food security. Recently, partnerships with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and New Jersey Farm Bureau eliminated processing fees and increased processor payments, boosting deer donations and meal distribution statewide.
Sustainability and Waste Reduction: Table to Table
Table to Table, New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue organization, delivers surplus fresh food to those in need. In the past year alone, the organization rescued more than 23 million pounds of food and expanded its data-driven network to reach the most food-insecure areas. Since its founding, Table to Table has prevented more than 240 million pounds of food waste and significantly reduced methane emissions.
Watershed Management and Water Resources: PolyGone Systems (in partnership with Atlantic County Utilities Authority)
PolyGone Systems, a Princeton University spinoff cleantech company, is pioneering technology to remove microplastics from waterways. In partnership with the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, PolyGone launched the world’s first municipal-scale microplastic removal pilot in 2024 and successfully captured millions of microplastic particles from wastewater.
Environmental Education: Erin Colfax, Unity Charter School
Erin Colfax is a Science Integrationist at Unity Charter School in Morristown and brings sustainability to life through hands-on, inquiry-based science education for grades K–8. Colfax engages students in real-world projects like water quality monitoring and biodiversity studies and led a project to transform the school’s lower field into a living classroom that deepens environmental literacy and stewardship.
About the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards
The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards has been New Jersey’s premier environmental awards program since 2000. The DEP, New Jersey Infrastructure Bank and the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology sponsor the program.
A panel of judges evaluate nominations for their impact on the environment, actions to address the needs of New Jersey, leadership and innovation, and use of outreach and educational activities to make an impact in their community. To learn more about the program, visit dep.nj.gov/awards.
###
About Table to Table
Table to Table (http://www.tabletotable.org) is New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue nonprofit, bridging the gap between food being wasted and people facing food insecurity. We work with food businesses of all types to rescue fresh, nutritious surplus food, and deliver it for free to 300+ social service organizations, pantries, shelters, community produce markets and centralized distribution hubs. Through our community partnerships, Table to Table reaches families, children, veterans, older adults, and others in need, improving food security, nutritional access, and better health. Since 1999 we have rescued more than 120,700 tons of nutritious food — enough for 241,400,846 million meals — and delivered it to our neighbors in need, while also saving over 544 metric tons of methane from impacting climate change by preventing food waste.
