For immediate release
April 6, 2022
Contact: Molly Kestner, PEC
DCNR Sec. Dunn Recognized for Lifetime Achievement
Pittsburgh — The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) announced today that the Hon. Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), will receive PEC’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes outstanding contributions over the course of a career in the environmental, conservation, or outdoor recreation fields. It will be presented on May 18, 2022, at the annual PEC Western Pennsylvania Dinner.
“We at PEC have been lucky enough to work with Cindy since the early 1990s. During that time she has been a trusted partner, advocate, PEC board member, and source of inspiration,” said PEC President Davitt Woodwell. “Whether participating in deliberations on shale gas practices, paddling during a river sojourn, or inspiring a new generation of conservation stewards, Cindy has always held the promise of Pennsylvania and its environmental and conservation values at the forefront. We are thrilled to be able to recognize her leadership with our Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Cindy Dunn was appointed Secretary by Governor Tom Wolf in 2015, having previously held leadership roles within DCNR under governors Ed Rendell, Tom Corbett, and Tom Ridge. While at DCNR she has worked to advance water quality and watershed restoration work through a variety of initiatives including riparian buffer grants and the popular Pennsylvania River Sojourns program. She helped to launch the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps, which provides youth with training and employment opportunities in conservation, and pioneered the Conservation Landscapes approach to place-based community economic development centered on public lands and recreational assets. More recently, Dunn presided over the development of Pennsylvania’s nationally-recognized Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), with the goal of ensuring equitable access to the outdoors for all Pennsylvanians.
A biologist by training, Dunn came to state government by way of the nonprofit sector, where she ran the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Pennsylvania program for ten years. She has also served as Executive Director of Audubon Pennsylvania, and most recently as President and CEO of PennFuture. She served on the PEC Board of Directors from 1999 to 2001.
The 2022 Western Pennsylvania Dinner will be the first held in person since 2019, returning to the Westin Pittsburgh after two years of virtual-only events. Tickets and more information are available at pecpa.org/wpd2022.
About the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council is a statewide organization that brings people, government, and business together to find real-world solutions for environmental challenges. These solutions bring about sustainable communities, protect our water resources, and address energy and climate issues. PEC was founded in 1970 and serves the entire state through offices in Luzerne, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and State College.