RAQC Recognizes 2024 Clean Air Champions

On September 17, 2024, the Regional Air Quality Council presented awards to 11 Colorado Clean Air Champions at its second annual clean air happy hour. These RAQC board members, community members, legislative representatives, businesses, and local governments were recognized for their efforts to maintain a healthy environment and clean air for all Coloradans.

Learn more about RAQC Clean Air Champions program here. 

The RAQC would also like to thank its partners, board members, and all those who attended to celebrate and support efforts to improve air quality in the Colorado Front Range. Thank you also to event sponsor Ace Hardware, whose generous support provided drinks and snacks.

Board Champions

Alicia Johnson

Alicia Johnson is the Vice Chair of the RAQC board. She also chairs the board’s operations committee. Johnson supports the RAQC in other ways, too. She appears in commercials for Simple Steps Better Air outreach program, sits on panels with RAQC staff to communicate the programs to local governments, and is generally engaged and enthusiastic beyond what is expected.

Alicia Johnson

Brian Payer

Brian Payer is a Senior Principal of climate aligned industries at RMI, and a former RAQC board member. He served as Vice-Chair and was incredibly engaged – bringing copious energy and dedication to his role on the board. When his tenure on the RAQC board ended, Payer still went out of his way to support the launch of RAQC’s Clean Air Fund.

Brian Payer

Mike Foote

Mike Foote was the Chair of RAQC’s board for 6 years, and remains an engaged board member. He also has been a state senator and an environmental lobbyist – continuously demonstrating his commitment to improving air quality for all of Colorado’s communities.

Mike Foote

Community Champions

Amy Kenreich

Amy Kenreich dedicates much of her free time to advocating for urban design that makes Denver safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. She is organizing Denver Public Schools’ Celebrity Crossing Guard event, and partnered with the RAQC to organize Engines Off at Schools at Park Hill ementary School, where she works as a crossing guard.

Amy Kenreich

Dr. Jana Milford

Dr. Jana Milford is a former member of the Air Quality Control Commission and former RAQC board member. As a faculty member of the University of Colorado Boulder envrionmental engineering program. Dr. Milford conducted research into air quality monitoring, atmospheric chemistry, and much more. Throughout her career, Dr. Milford has contributed to the region’s knowledge of air quality, and dedicated to its improvement.

Dr. Jana Milford

Nicole McSpirit

Nicole McSpirit is a crossing guard at Lincoln Elementary School in the Denver Public School District. However, she goes above and beyond her duties, investing in cones and signs for her school, advocating for safe streets designed for bicycle and pedestrians in her community, and taking on additional volunteer projects – like partnering with the RAQC to bring the Engines Off at Schools program to Park Hill.

Nicole McSpirit

Business Champion

High Altitude Equipment

High Altitude Equipment is a retailer of lawn and garden equipment, batteries, and more. The business has been on the forefront of teaching local governments, local government staff, and community members how effective electric equipment can be. In the last year the RAQC and High Altitude Equipment met with hundreds of state and local government staff, elected officials and more to showcase electric lawn and garden equipment, partially by organizing demonstrations and educational events. The business is also supporting the new Engines Off for Food Trucks program.

High Altitude Equipment

Legislative Champions

Representative Jenny Willford

Representative Willford’s 2024 Clean Air Champion Award makes her a two-time winner, demonstrating her consistent and long-term dedication to improving air quality across the Front Range. Rep. Willford ensured that RAQC’s anti-idling bill (HB24 1341) made it all the way to the governor’s desk. Throughout Rep. Willford’s career as a public servant – serving as Mayor Pro Tem of Northglenn before becoming a representative – she has advocated on behalf of working families, clean water, and clean air.

Representative Julia Marvin

During her freshman term as a representative, Representative Marvin was an advocate for her constituents, sponsoring bills to benefit foster youth, students, and more. Rep. Marvin was also the prime sponsor of RAQC’s anti-idling bill (HB24 1341). Her dedication provided strong support for RAQC’s Engines Off program, helping the RAQC reduce air pollution for residents across the Front Range.

Senator Lisa Cutter

As the senate sponsor for RAQC’s anti-idling bill (HB24 1341), Senator Cutter continued her track record as an advocate for public health and the environment in Colorado. Senator Cutter makes air quality a priority, focusing many of her efforts on wildfire mitigation and prevention.

Left to right: RAQC Government Affairs Director David Sabados, Representative Jenny Willford and Representative Julia Marvin

Local Government Champion

The City of Louisville

The City of Louisville has been at the forefront of environemntal progress – making changes to their city that will benefit air quality and public health. For example, Louisville trash haulers are 100% electric, making them the nation’s first fully electric collection fleet. In August 2019, City Council adopted the City’s first climate action goals. Five years ahead of schedule, all municipal facilities are running on 100% carbon free electricity as of 2020. Louisville also took advantage of a RAQC grant to help electrify their lawn and garden equipment.

The City of Louisville