https://whova.com/web/2n5e54-ewVpdoeB4eWeWMgyzvvjqKipxDH0CsWOh6SE%3D/

Together is Beautiful: Keep America Beautiful National Conference 2025 

How fortunate are we to have beauty at the center of all we do? In an era of real divisions, Keep America Beautiful stands as a beacon of unity. Under our banner, people from all walks of life work together for the common good of our communities and environment, transforming both the physical and the human landscapes.  

Our recent Harris Poll revealed that two-thirds of Americans view our work as a pathway to stronger communities, with nearly as many believing it fosters more neighborly relationships. Remarkably, more than a quarter of Americans believe that working together to clean up litter can even reduce political tensions. 

As we gather in Washington, D.C., in February 2025 (February 10-13 at the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW) for our national conference, our theme is clear: Together is Beautiful. 

Please note, the Washington Hilton Hotel will only guarantee the KAB rate through Wednesday, January 15, 2025; after that date we cannot confirm the negotiated rate. 

To make your reservation, please visit HERE to take advantage of the negotiated rate for the Keep America Beautiful 2025 National Conference. 

During the conference, together we will visit Capitol Hill to advocate for the importance of our mission and engage legislators in conversation about The Greatest American Cleanup. Beyond this, the conference will offer valuable opportunities to network, learn, and be inspired by esteemed plenary speakers. 

We invite affiliates and partners to share knowledge and expertise by submitting ideas in response to the 2025 National Call for Presentations. 

CTA:  What does Together is Beautiful mean to you? What stories, experiences, or insights would you like to share with us? How have you been surprised or delighted by working across differences for the betterment of your community? What unexpected relationships have you forged in this journey? Who have you brought together to make this world a better place? Would you like to submit a topic or idea for consideration? Please visit us HERE for more details and to submit. 

Together is Beautiful. We look forward to hearing from affiliates and partners and being inspired by their stories!

November 4-5, Gulf Hills Hotel + Resort

2024 Keep Mississippi Beautiful State Conference

13701 Paso Road, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564

The Keep Mississippi Beautiful State conference will be an educational training and networking forum welcoming affiliate coordinators, affiliate board members, affiliate volunteers, prospective affiliates, Keep Mississippi Beautiful community partners and business partners, state,  and local governmental agencies. Attendees can look forward to learning about proven practices and innovative programs designed to achieve a cleaner, greener and beautiful community.

You will love the history of Gulf Hills Hotel + Resort, and its beginning in 1927.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION: $25.00 per person KMB 2024 Conference Registration

This includes meals for affiliate and board members.

Other spouses, friends, family who are not a member of an affiliate who may be accompanying a affiliate member to Ocean Springs may join for meals if we have names and pre-payment for meals. Cost is 11/5 $20 breakfast, 11/4 $20 lunch, 11/4 $30 dinner. We must have pre-payment so that we have accurate count for our caterer.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINE:  October 15

HOTEL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: The conference hotel rate is $109 per night. Please book rooms ASAP to secure a room. Deadline to book at conference rate is  Oct. 12, 2024. If the room block fills up before then, we will try to add rooms, but this is not guaranteed. Let us know if you the room block appears full Please read the cancellation rules on the Conference Registration form before booking.         

Book Your Room Here!

After clicking the hotel link, enter dates Nov. 4 -Nov.  5 to pull up the block of rooms. 

Contact: Sarah Kountouris 601-853-4210

Jan Richardson 601-853-4441

Keep Mississippi Beautiful Working Agenda State Conference

Nov. 4-5, 2024, Ocean Springs

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4

11:30  Lunch

11: 45 Invocation

12:15  Opening remarks: Sarah Kountouris, Keep Mississippi Beautiful, Ex. Director

12:30 Keep America Beautiful Staff Presentations, including Regional Dir Jason Smith.

            Learning and Leveraging  KAB benefits: reporting, HUB features, webinars, PR assets

1: 45  America 250 – Keep Mississippi Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful 

2:00  Volunteer: Innovative ways to gain volunteers and improve volunteer experience

2:30  Panel: Connect with Elected Officials

3:00 Affiliate Round Table: Sharing and Discussion          

4:00-4:20 Shuttle to Downtown Ocean Springs-shopping and optional Ocean Springs tour

5:15   Downtown Ocean Springs Walking Tour      

5:20-5:45 (estimate) Shuttles  available back to the hotel                                    

6:30   Dinner                          

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5

7:30    Breakfast in the Ball Room

8:30    Brown University Study: Illegal Dumping  Studies + Reporting Tool. Dr. Erica 

             Walker

 9:00     Power of Beautification       

9:45    Alex Ballard, MS Forest Commission Tree Planting Commemorating the  

Greatest  American Cleanup Kickoff

11:00  Meeting Wrap Up

Agenda Subject to Change

Nominations for the Keep Mississippi Beautiful Awards Program are due February 29, 2024 (11:59 p.m.). The Awards Program recognizes the best of the best among our network of community-based affiliates, leading corporate partners and individual volunteers across the country who have committed to delivering cleaner, greener and more beautiful communities. Use the below nomination forms:

• Program Awards: for KMB affiliates, community groups and other entities. 
• Partnership Awards: for businesses, government entities, youth groups, schools, civic groups and others. 
• Individual Achievement Awards: for youth, mayors, law enforcement officers, educators and top volunteers.

Recipients will be recognized on April 11, 2024 at the Keep Mississippi Award Beautiful Awards Ceremony at the Country Club of Jackson.

Check out the new Do Beautiful Things podcast hosted by Keep America Beautiful President and CEO, Jennifer Lawson on Spotify.

November 15

Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, invites communities and individuals to participate in America Recycles Day® (ARD).  

ARD educates and encourages individuals to be more mindful of what they consume, where to recycle, and how to properly return valuable materials for reuse in their everyday lives. ARD is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.  

While America Recycles Day is November 15, we inspire communities to take the confusion out of recycling so we can protect our natural resources together all year round. In 2023, America Recycles Day will center on the “Recycling Reality Check” campaign, aimed at taking some of the mystery out of materials recovery and clarifying some of the myths surrounding recycling. Using the hashtag #recyclingrealitycheck, organizations and individuals have an opportunity to connect and get clarity on recycling best practices. 

“America Recycles Day is more than just a day; it’s a movement,” said Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “At Keep America Beautiful, we are dedicated to educating and inspiring people to make environmentally responsible choices. We know there is a lot of confusion around recycling, what’s working, what’s not, and how everyone can contribute in ways that preserve our natural resources.  Knowing how to recycle properly is a step in the right direction toward a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful planet for future generations.”   

Bearly Here But Building Back

Stay Tuned: The 2023 KAB National Awards Recognition Application is Coming Soon As in years past, Keep America Beautiful invites affiliates to apply for national recognition through the KAB National Awards Recognition Program. The program is designed to honor outstanding individuals and organizations who share in the mission of keeping America beautiful. The KAB 2023 Award application will be released in the KAB Affiliate Hub soon and the deadline for submissions will be mid-October. The criteria for nominations have not changed and a brief outline of each award can be found below: Eligibility Applications from nominators or nominees must be Certified Affiliates to be recognized.  Applicants are encouraged to take note of categories with specific eligibility requirements. Innovation Award Keep America Beautiful will recognize innovation in concept or in the execution of any program orproject initiative led by a local or state affiliate in the following population categories: 30,000 and under; 30,001-100,000; 100,001-250,000; 250,000 and over.  Successful applications will have creative or non-traditional ideas, methods, or approaches to solving challenges featured in the application and execution of the program or initiative. This category does not award overall organizational achievements, but new approaches to facilitate growth, activation, or activities for communities associated with an organization. Nominees must be a certified Keep America Beautiful affiliate in President’s Circle.  Lady Bird Johnson Award This category commemorates the former First Lady, “Lady Bird Johnson” wife of President Lyndon Johnson, who undertook many litter-prevention and beautification initiatives throughout her life. This is a gender-neutral recognition for an outstanding volunteer.  Nominees should have at least 10 years of service and be a volunteer with exceptional leadership of service helping their local community to become cleaner, greener, and more beautiful.  Successful nominations should include the nominee’s achievements that align with Keep America Beautiful mission. Sue Smith Professional Leadership Award This category honors Sue Smith, the former Keep America Beautiful Director of Education and Training. Nominees should be executive directors or other senior staff who have built and sustained an affiliate with exceptional success and have at least three (3) years in the role. Successful nominees will exhibit outstanding support of the Keep America Beautiful mission and Model for Change methodology, inspire other affiliate directors, implement innovative Keep America Beautiful programs and initiatives in all impact areas, provide leadership at the national level through participation in the National Conference, task forces/committees, or other leadership opportunities. Leadership may also be displayed at the state level through the state affiliate (if applicable) or other related state organizations.  State Agency Partnership Recognition This recognition will be exclusively awarded to state leaders’ partners and applicable agencies. This category recognizes the partnership and support of State Agencies. State affiliates are encouraged to nominate up to three (3) relevant partnerships/State Agencies. Recognition for partners will be exclusively offered and agreed to by Keep America Beautiful and the relevant, nominating State Leader. Please note that program Initiatives must have taken place during the 2023 calendar year.

Save the Date! Serving as the foremost annual platform for education, training, and networking, the National Conference brings together the National Affiliate Network, our partners, sponsors, and peer organizations, so mark your calendars now and while you’re at it, book your stay as well!  What:  President & CEO Jenny Lawson will kick off the meeting on Monday, February 12th at 1 PM with a Welcome Reception that evening. The conference will conclude on Wednesday, the 14th. When:  Monday, February 12 to Wednesday, February 14  Where:  The Catamaran Hotel and Resort, located at 3999 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, California.Book your room HERE. Please note the $39 Resort Fee will be waived for National Conference attendees. Check out the hotel live feed HERE.  What else:Have an idea for a session or speaker or are you interested in submitting a presentation for consideration? If so, please send an email directly to April Wennerstrom, Director of Training & National Conference HERE.