NWF’s Andy Buchsbaum Receives Honor from Michigan Environmental Council

NWF Staff | Last Updated: December 22, 2015

We are so pleased to share the news that Andy Buchsbaum, National Wildlife Federation’s Vice President of Conservation Action, is the recipient of the 2015 Helen & William Milliken Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan Environmental Council. He will receive his award tonight in Ann Arbor.

The Helen & William Milliken Distinguished Service Award “recognizes individuals who show outstanding leadership, enduring commitment and extraordinary public service in protecting natural resources at the local, state and national levels.” Andy—who served as the Regional Executive Director for NWF’s Great Lakes office for 11 years before taking on his current role—has worked for decades to understand threats, identify solutions and build the political will needed to protect and restore the world’s greatest freshwater resource.

“Andy’s vision has guided some of the most decisive victories for the Great Lakes in the last decade. He is a true force for wildlife and all outdoor enthusiasts, and I’m proud that my good friend and colleague’s contributions are being honored with such a prestigious award.”

– Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife Federation president and chief executive officer.

As an Illinois native, serving and protecting the Great Lakes is in Andy’s DNA. He has worked for grassroots organizations such as the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM) to support legislation to hold polluters responsible for their toxic messes, and larger organizations like the National Environmental Law Center, where his major victory against Dow Chemical in 1997 has had lasting impacts on the Saginaw River watershed.

Andy’s efforts to preserve important wildlife habitats and environments keep places like Lake Michigan beautiful. Photo by ckay via Flickr Creative Commons

During his tenure at NWF, Andy has helped to lead the teams of dedicated conservationists that achieved not one, but two once-a-generation policy wins in the 2008 Great Lakes Compact and the 2009 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), including co-founding and co-chairing the Healing Our Waters® – Great Lakes Coalition, the leading nongovernmental voice for the GLRI.

His efforts have brought a regional conversation to the national stage, securing significant support and funding and bipartisan support for crucial restoration efforts.

We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Andy for this outstanding achievement, and look forward to many years of conservation successes to come.