More than 350 people jammed into the Grand Ballroom at the Hotel InterContinental Chicago for the Illinois Environmental Council’s seventh annual Leadership Dinner on September 24th. It was a night to enjoy a delicious green-tini, snap photos with Governor Pat Quinn, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and push for stronger environmental legislation from Congress and the General Assembly. 

The IEC’s event of the year brought together community, business, government and non-profit leaders who all showed their commitment to continued environmental progress in Illinois and across the country. Governor Pat Quinn, who opened the event, pleased the crowd with stories that reminded everyone of his long-standing passion for protecting the environment. Later in the evening, Sharon Feigon noted that the Governor was among the first I-GO Car Sharing customers. 

The star-studded line-up of speakers included Ginger Zee, local NBC meteorologist and environmental reporter, who served as emcee for the event. The White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Chief of Staff Jon Carson was the featured speaker. He fondly recalled his time in Chicago working on President Barack Obama’s campaign. 

In a special tribute to President Obama, IEC board president Rob Kelter reminded everyone of a commitment the President made as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, when he was the featured speaker at IEC’s annual dinner in 2004. That promise was fulfilled this year when the President, shortly after being sworn into office, issued an order to increase fuel economy standards for cars and trucks for the first time in more than a decade.

Attendees also heard from IEC’s new executive director Charles Jackson about the challenges and priorities for the Council in the year ahead. Annual Environmental Leadership Awards were presented to Julie Hamos, State Representative and sponsor of energy efficiency building standards legislation; Healthy Schools Campaign - Austin Wide Parent Network, parents-activists promoting environmental health in schools and I-GO Car Sharing, a successful social enterprise that is reducing the individual and the societal costs of driving.

IEC thanks the event sponsors: Abbott, the Boeing Company, ComEd, Constellation NewEnergy, the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago, Liberty Prairie Foundation, Nalco Company, Resolute Consulting, Sara and James Star, Vulcan Materials Company, Walgreens, Walmart, and Waste Management.