Rob Hutsel
Award: Greening
Rob Hutsel is the President and CEO of the San Diego River Park Foundation (The Foundation), a nonprofit now in its 23rd year. The Foundation serves a 52-mile-long linkage of open spaces, trails, and parks along the San Diego River. Since the Foundation's inception, he has brought together 78 non-governmental agencies and organizations dedicated to the San Diego River. He serves on the California Watershed Network, the Statewide Steering Committee of the California Urban Streams Partnership, and the County of San Diego's Park Advisory Board.
Melissa Ward
Award: Water
Melissa Ward received her PhD from San Diego State University in marine ecology in 2020. After a Fulbright Fellowship and a postdoctoral position at the University of Oxford, she returned in 2021 to serve as adjunct faculty at San Diego State University and started her own business, Windward Sciences. Her business aims to rally behind nature and community-driven initiatives to tackle environmental challenges. Melissa Ward now works with partners across San Diego and California to discover the potential of ocean-based solutions in combating climate change.
Tara Hammond
Award: Air
Tara Hammond is the Founder and Executive Director of Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, where she drives tangible climate solutions for a just and livable future. Before her current role, Tara Hammond was the Sustainability Commissioner at San Diego State University and worked in community development for the region's top solar company. There, she regularly defended rooftop solar against SDG&E's attacks, led educational clean energy campaigns, and established partnerships to make solar more accessible.
Phillip Musegaas
Award: Wetlands
Phillip Musegaas is the Executive Director and Waterkeeper for San Diego Coastkeeper, where he leads and directs their legal, policy, and advocacy work. For over a decade, he has worked on protecting the public’s right to clean water. Phillip Musegaas has worked on successful legislative campaigns that significantly reduced urban sewage pollution and agricultural runoff in community-led water quality monitoring programs.
Fay Crevoshay
Award: Environmental Justice
Fay Crevoshay is the Communications and Policy Director of WILDCOAST. Originally from Mexico City, Fay Crevoshay has spent the last 25 years carrying out high-impact ocean conservation campaigns in California and Mexico for WILDCOAST. Thanks to funding from the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at UC Santa Barbara, Fay Crevoshay has been leading a project in Tijuana since 2000 with help from Culligan Water, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and the San Diego Foundation. The project aims to establish a community-based movement to clean up marine debris and minimize the impact of cross-border pollution.
Mario Ordoñez-Calderon
Award: Unsung Hero
Mario Ordoñez-Calderon has dedicated his career to empowering underserved communities through education and mentorship. As the Executive Director of Un Mar de Colores, he leads transformative programs that connect youth to the ocean, fostering the next generation of stewards. Through a lens of justice and equity, Mario Ordoñez-Calderon is breaking down barriers to coastal access while promoting both mental wellness and conservation. His work inspires change and builds resilient communities across the San Diego and Baja regions. Mario Ordoñez-Calderon is also an environmental justice advisor for the Ocean Protection Council and a United States Navy Veteran.
Jason Anderson
Award: Innovation
Jason Anderson is President and CEO of Cleantech San Diego, a business organization that positions the greater San Diego region as a global leader in the cleantech economy. Cleantech San Diego’s members include more than 120 businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits committed to advancing sustainable solutions to benefit the economy, the environment, and all community members. Before joining Cleantech San Diego in 2010, Jason Anderson was Vice President of Business Development for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Before EDC, Jason Anderson worked as a Legislative Director for a state senator. He serves on the San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition, CONNECT, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, and Equality California.
Charlotte Sach
Award: Rising Star
Charlotte Sach is a senior at Torrey Pines High School. She started “Camp Footprint,” a free environmental education summer camp for 2nd-5th graders. So far, 48 children have been through her camp. Charlotte Sach is an author of two environmental education books, President of “Urth Club” at her high school, and volunteers with many local organizations that strive to improve sustainability in her community and beyond. She is interning at the City of Del Mar to gain experience in environmental policy.
Trisha Vasanadu
Award: Rising Star
Trisha Vasanadu is a senior at Canyon Crest Academy. She is the Co-Founder of Go Greenish, an environmental nonprofit working to bridge student empowerment and environmentalism through advocacy and youth-led policy. Go Greenish envisions a world where youth voices are involved in climate policy and innovation.
Daniel Vinegrad
Award: Rising Star
Daniel (Danny) Vinegrad is a junior at Coronado High School. As one of the top students in his class, Danny Vinegrad has received many academic excellence awards and the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. He is a member of National Honors Society, Junior Optimist, and Hike Club. He is the Founder and President of Stop the Sewage Club where he engages in environmental activism and political outreach. Danny Vinegrad plans to major in environmental engineering with a minor in business.