What was the very first environmental group you joined? Think for a moment. See if you can remember the name of the group, and when it was. Do you remember why you joined that group? Was it because you were frustrated? Looking for like-minded folks? Affected by a personal experience?

Over time, I’ve seen that it is easy to join a group but hard to stick with one. “All talk and no action,” you mumble to yourself just before you decide not to attend that next board meeting. “I’m tired of banging my head against a brick wall,” you explain to a friend in exasperation. “Things will never change.” The only people who stay with an organization long enough to see results have uncommon dedication, guts, and patience.

Those of you who receive this newsletter (only about 700 people, working in non-profits, business, and government) form the core of Houston’s environmental community. As a community, we owe it to ourselves to come together once a year to recognize the dedication and success of those who have actually stuck with it and made a difference. I invite you to take a break on Wednesday, November 8, to meet the 2000 Synergy Award winners. They are normal folks like you and me who made an uncommon commitment to changing things. To see what these individuals and organizations have done is nothing short of inspiring. Many have spent decades fighting the good fight.

We are at a unique environmental crossroads here on the Gulf Coast. There is a major shift afoot, a shift from debating whether there is a problem to debating the best methods to solve our problems. At the Synergy Awards, you’ll meet some of the people who have been instrumental in bringing this shift about. Sitting in the audience will be those ready to move forward with the next step, integrating sound environmental thinking and practices into everything we do.

If you know one of the award winners, you’ll want to be there to applaud your friend. And if you don’t, you’ll want to take this opportunity to meet these outstanding individuals. Everyone is invited, and you can receive a printed invitation with a quick call or email to the CEC office. The evening will be a memorable one.