CONTACT:

Sheila Johnson
Public Information Officer, Nebraska Environmental Trust
Phone: (402) 471-5409
Fax: (402) 471-8233
sheila.johnson@nebraska.gov

Press Release: Paul Dunn Appointed to Nebraska Environmental Trust Board Chair

Lincoln, NE –08/09/2010– Paul Dunn of Omaha was recently named Board Chair of the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board at the Third Quarter Meeting held in Kearney on July 30. A representative of the State’s second district, he was first appointed to the Board in April 1999; Mr. Dunn is currently in his second six-year term.

Mark Brohman, Executive Director for the Trust said, “The Trust has certainly gained from Mr. Dunn's knowledge, experience and commitment. He has certainly been an asset to the Trust and has a wealth of information on environmental and recycling issues. We certainly look forward to his term as the new Board Chair. Mr. Dunn has served as Trust Board Chair several times and has always done an impeccable job in his duties.”

Commenting on his recent appointment, Mr. Dunn said, “It is an honor to serve on the Nebraska Environmental Trust Board. Never has a volunteer endeavor been so enjoyable and educational. Not a meeting goes by that I don’t learn something from one of my fellow board members.”

Mr. Dunn has been the Recycling Coordinator for the City of Omaha since the fall of 1994. From 1991 to 1994, Mr. Dunn held the position of Commercial Recycling Coordinator with Orange Community Recycling in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In Omaha, his work focuses on promoting Omaha’s curbside recycling program and other environmental activities including writing and designing the City’s direct mail publication, Wasteline.  Dunn was the lead staff person in designing and developing the regional household hazardous waste facility, UnderTheSink that is owned and operated by the City of Omaha on behalf of the residents in Douglas and Sarpy Counties.  Dunn was born and raised in Lincoln and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While taking classes for a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning, he served as an intern with Lincoln’s Recycling Office. Dunn has served on the National Waste Prevention Coalition’s Junk Mail Task Force, the board of the Nebraska State Recycling Association and been a presenter at the National Recycling Congress and Exhibition, the Nebraska Safety and Health Summit and the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials. 

The Trust Board is comprised of 14 members representing the State of Nebraska and its citizens. Nine citizen representatives are appointed by the Governor to serve six year terms. Three representatives are chosen from each congressional district, serve without pay and represent a wide variety of natural resource interests. Five agency directors make up the remaining seats on the board to provide coordination with existing state resources. A staff of five handles the day-to-day activities of the organization.

The Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992.  Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided grants in excess of $157 million to over 1,200 projects across the state.  Anyone – citizens, organizations, communities, farmers and businesses – can apply for projects involving habitat, surface and ground water, waste management, air quality and soil management in Nebraska.  The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources for future generations.

For more information, you may contact Ms Sheila Johnson at 402- 471-1714.

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