David Goldhagen of Goldhagen Art Glass in Hayesville, NC, was commissioned to create the 2009 Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award (pictured above).

The Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award was created by the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition in 2008 to honor the person or group that has done the most to advance HRWC’s mission of facilitating water quality improvements in the upper Hiwassee River watershed.  The award was presented for the first time on January 17, 2009 at the inaugural Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award Banquet & Silent Auction. The HRWC Board of Directors holds this event annually to celebrate the relatively good water quality still being measured in the Hiwassee River and its tributaries, while reminding us of the critical need to act now to prevent further degradation.

The award is named for Bill Holman, who is currently Director of State Policy at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University.  HRWC was honored to have Mr. Holman deliver remarks at the inaugural Holman Water Quality Stewardship Banquet, which he attended with his wife, Stephanie Bass. Click here to learn more about Bill Holman.

The late James W. Dobson of Union County, Ga. was the first Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award winner.  One of HRWC's own founding board members, Jim was selected from a slate of nine excellent candidates to receive the award.  Click here to learn more about previous award winners.

Nine nominations were received for the 2012 Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award. They are (listed in alphabetical order): Roger Edwards, Lucy Cole Gratton, Marisue Hilliard, John Kay, Bill Kendall, Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, Gil Nicolson, Kenneth Parr, Wanda Payne. The board is expected to announce its decision following a November meeting; the award will be presented at the banquet on March 24, 2012 at The Ridges Resort and Club, Lake Chatuge.