Winners of the 2018 Shoal Creek Awards
April 10, 2018 | By Shoal Creek Conservancy
We are pleased to announce the winners of our 4th Annual Shoal Creek Awards! We are honored to celebrate these individuals and organizations who continuously work to improve our community, within the Shoal Creek watershed and beyond. Awardees will be recognized at a community celebration the evening of May 8th at Cirrus Logic in downtown Austin.
Winners of the 2018 Shoal Creek Awards
Bob Armstrong Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation – Jim Marston
This award is named after Robert Landis “Bob” Armstrong, the 24th Texas Land Commissioner. Mr. Armstrong inspired this award because of his distinguished career devoted to public service. His environmental activism at the state and federal levels impacted millions, including his work in the creation of Big Bend Ranch State Park. Each year at the Shoal Creek Awards, we honor an individual with this award who has made a lifetime commitment to conservation in the spirit of Bob Armstrong.
In 2018, we are very pleased to honor Jim Marston, the founding director of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). As EDF’s State Climate Initiatives director from 2002 until 2009, he helped direct a wide-range of legislation to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that then led to the passage of the first state legislation with a cap on statewide emissions of greenhouse gases.
In 2006, he led the successful fight to stop TXU Energy from building a dozen coal plants in Texas and ultimately negotiated a first-of-its-kind deal with private equity buyers that secured more than a dozen aggressive commitments on climate change. In addition to his work at EDF, Mr. Marston is also a leader of the Pecan Street, Inc., a partnership that includes Austin Energy, the University of Texas, the Chamber of Commerce, and several large high tech and clean tech companies aimed at making fundamental changes in the nation’s electricity grid.
Join us in congratulating Jim Marston and celebrating the great work he has accomplished in conservation.
Keystone Award – John Gillum
The Keystone Award is presented to a business or organization who serves as a cornerstone of the Shoal Creek community, through making a major, tangible impact on the health and beauty of Shoal Creek. This year’s recipient is John Gillum, Facilities Process Manager with the Austin Public Library (APL), for leading the development of the New Central Library on the banks of Shoal Creek in downtown Austin.
The New Central Library was one of six libraries across the country recognized with a Library Building Award for excellence in architectural design from the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association. The library and its beautiful landscape are drawing more people than ever to lower Shoal Creek, helping this stretch of the creek and trail become a vibrant and welcoming outdoor destination. He also had a leadership role in the development of two other APL branches on Shoal Creek: the Yarborough Branch Library in the North Loop neighborhood, and the North Village Branch Library in the North Shoal Creek neighborhood.
Mr. Gillum has thirty-seven years experience in the planning, design, construction and management of public libraries primarily in the City of Austin. His dual role of planner and facility manager for this major, urban library system has enabled him to plan and manage library buildings which are first and foremost aesthetically engaging, but also functional and sustainable. He has also been involved with coordinating a metropolitan-wide library remodeling program that included architectural modifications to comply with Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards and engineering retrofits to achieve greater energy efficiency.
Good Neighbor Award – North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association
This year, the Good Neighbor Award goes to the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association for developing the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Plan, which emphasizes walkability, connectivity, and access to green space. When completed, this plan will offer recommendations to guide North Shoal Creek into becoming a more Complete Community: one which provides access to employment, shopping, and other amenities and services, accommodates people of all ages, and is easy to travel about and to local destinations.
Formulation of the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Plan involved outreach to residents, property owners, businesses, institutions, and families of students at a local school. Initial outreach included an emailed survey to all Austin utility account holders, a meeting with the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association, and postcards sent to almost 3,000 residents, property owners, and businesses. Following the initial survey, the City held six community workshops at Pillow Elementary School.
The Plan’s priority actions recommended by stakeholders include calls to:
- Create a public greenbelt along the west side of Shoal Creek from Anderson Lane to Steck Avenue
- Construct a safe crossing for walking and bicycling from Shoal Creek Blvd to the sidewalk and bicycle network north of US 183
- In partnership with Shoal Creek Conservancy, connect the Shoal Creek Trail through the planning area with enhanced pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure
- Construct an off-street path for bicyclists from Shoal Creek Blvd to Burnet Road along Research Blvd
- Construct sidewalks on Shoal Creek Blvd from Steck Avenue to Crosscreek Drive
- Encourage parkland dedication through redevelopment on Shoal Creek Blvd to provide public access to Shoal Creek
- Create a sense of place/identity around the neighborhood through unique public art on the Steck bridge over Shoal Creek
- Promote an Adopt-a-Creek program for North Shoal Creek
People’s Choice Award Nominees for Best Shoal Creek Eats
The 2018 People’s Choice Award celebrates restaurants in the Shoal Creek watershed. Members of the public have the opportunity to vote on their favorite watershed eatery on the Shoal Creek Awards page. Voting closes at 5pm on April 30, 2018. You may vote as many times as you like.
The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen
800 West Sixth Street #100, Austin, TX 78701
The Grove currently has four locations around Austin and has been in business for nearly a decade. They buy produce from local farms and take pride in the fact that they cook with mainly organic ingredients. Their team is able to cater to a wide variety of dietary needs with their vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Stop by and enjoy a meal with a nice glass of wine while sitting on their beautiful outdoor patio overlooking Shoal Creek!
Barley Swine
6555 Burnet Road #400, Austin, TX 78757
Barley Swine opened in 2010 with a commitment to support regional farmers and ranchers. They offer shared plate and tasting menu options that are seasonal and catered towards local ingredients. The Barley Swine team is dedicated to creating visually stunning and delicious food. Food offerings for happy hour from 5:00-6:30pm change daily, so you can keep going back for a new experience each time!
Frank and Angie’s
508 West Avenue, Austin, TX 78701
Established in 1995, Frank and Angie’s say they have a quintessential and no frills approach to dining. They source high quality East Coast ingredients, and all dough, focaccia, and sauces are made in house. Their specialty is Sicilian-American food that features family recipes. Don’t miss out on their daily specials, and enjoy a slice of pizza while sitting on their patio that overlooks Shoal Creek!
Please join us in congratulating all of this year’s winners and nominees! We thank them for their significant contributions to the community.
The 2018 Shoal Creek Awards will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at the Cirrus Logic Conference Space located at 700 West Avenue, Austin, TX 78701. A VIP reception runs from 5:00pm to 5:30pm, and the main reception runs from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
Regular tickets, which provide access to the main reception, are $40. VIP tickets, which provide access to both the VIP reception and main reception, are $100. Tickets and event sponsors information is found on our events page.
