SENATOR CORY McCRAY – 2021 LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR

Sen. McCray, a member of the Budget and Tax Committee, has represented Maryland’s 45th legislative district since 2018 and also serves as vice-chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. He will receive Maryland LCV’s Legislator of the Year award in recognition of his leadership as lead Senate sponsor of the Transit Safety and Investment Act (SB199/HB 114).

“The Transportation Safety and Investment Act was inarguably the most significant environmental win of the 2021 legislative session,” said Maryland LCV Executive Director Kim Coble. “Senator McCray’s skillful and passionate floor leadership brought the bill across the finish line with strong, bipartisan majority support.”
“It is an honor to receive the Legislator of the Year Award from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters,” said Senator Cory McCray. “The pleasure has been all mine to work with Maryland LCV during my time in the General Assembly.”

“Right here in Maryland we are making strides to sustain our environment, one that we take pride in leaving for our children,” Senator McCray continued. “I am very proud that a major bill I sponsored, the Transit Safety and Investment Act, was passed out of the General Assembly with bi-partisan support. Step-by-step we continue to make progress on climate change, and I look forward to continuing to work with Maryland LCV to shape policy that protects our state’s natural resources — and Marylanders.”

Senator McCray has a 97 percent lifetime environmental score from Maryland LCV through his seven years in office, including four as a member of the House Environment and Transportation Committee. During a session where advocates were limited by remote access, Senator McCray became the chief advocate in the Budget and Taxation Committee and, working with leadership, assured a unanimous vote out of the committee for the key environmental bill.

Maryland LCV’s Legislator of the Year awardees are selected based on leadership and commitment to promote and pass equitable laws and policies for clean water, healthy air, and a resilient climate. Previous awardees include Senator Paul Pinsky, Delegate Marc Korman, and Delegate Brooke Lierman, among others.

DR. SACOBY WILSON – 2021 KABLER ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP AWARD

Dr. Sacoby Wilson is an associate professor with the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Health. Dr. Wilson has 15 years of experience as an environmental health scientist and has partnered with community-based organizations across the country on environmental justice issues including environmental racism.

“Dr. Wilson has worked tirelessly to build environmental justice organizations and coalitions,” said Coble. “He has been an essential advisor and partner to Maryland LCV in a number of projects aimed at raising awareness and eliminating environmental and public health disparities among Latinx communities. He and his team have assisted in assessing environmental health and air pollution issues in Latinx communities, and in designing and delivering workshops, roundtables, and stakeholder events that build community capacity to address environmental injustice and environmental health disparities.”

Dr. Wilson will receive the John V. Kabler Memorial Award, which is presented by Maryland LCV to recognize an outstanding environmental leader or organization. Previous winners include such Maryland environmental luminaries as Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (2008) and DNR Secretary John Griffin (2012).