April 17, 2024
William K. Reilly Awards
6:30pm - 7:45pm I Reception to Follow
American University, Washington College of Law (WCL), Ceremonial Classroom
Join the Center for Environmental Policy, American University School of Public Affairs, for the William K. Reilly Awards for Environmental Leadership on April 17, 2024, at American University. The winners are George McGraw, Founder and CEO of DigDeep, and Environmental Justice Pioneer, Vernice Miller-Travis.
George McGraw is a leading expert on the human right to water and sanitation in the U.S. and around the world. Mr. McGraw serves as founder and CEO of digdeep.org, the only water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) organization solely focused on the United States. DigDeep develops education, research and infrastructure programs aimed at extending clean, running water to the two million Americans who still lack it. In this capacity, Mr. McGraw works with local government officials, policymakers and utility providers to innovate solutions to water challenges across the nation. Mr. McGraw is also a Water and Power Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, where he and his fellow board members direct the nation’s largest municipal utility. He is an Ashoka Fellow, a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and former Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Stanford University. He holds a Masters in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes from the United Nations University for Peace.
Vernice Miller-Travis began her career as a research assistant for the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, she helped write and publish Toxic Wastes and Race in the U.S., a landmark report from 1987. She is a co-founder of WeACT for Environmental Justice, a group focused on promoting environmental health efforts for communities of color through policies and community efforts. She also served as a delegate to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit as a part of the drafting committee that wrote the Principles of Environmental Justice. Ms. Miller-Travis also served as the first Director of Environmental Justice at the Natural Resources Defense Council where she advised the Clinton Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency on groundbreaking programs and initiatives. She also launched the first Environmental Justice grantmaking portfolio for the Ford Foundation where she served as a Program Officer.
Among her many accolades, Ms. Miller-Travis was featured in the 2023 exhibit “To Live and Breathe: Women and Environmental Justice in Washington D.C.” at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum.
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