Recognizing Member Excellence
The ESAA Industry Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes member excellence in the areas of environmental innovation and community involvement. The program is open to all ESAA member organizations with the winners announced and awarded each year at the RemTech Symposium held in October. As part of the recognition process, winners will be featured in a short promotional video showcasing their companies. The videos will then be available to the winning companies following Remtech to use for their own promotional material.
The winner of the Environmental Industry Award is Husky Energy!
The winner of the Community Service Award is Waterline Resources!
The ESAA Lifetime Achievement Award
n 2019, ESAA introduced a new award, ‘The ESAA Lifetime Achievement Award” . It is awarded to an individual who has made far-reaching and long-lasting contributions to both the environment industry and ESAA over their career. The award is presented at the discretion of the Board and via recommendations from ESAA Management.
Presidenta2019 ESAA Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Gord Nelson
Gord Nelson graduated from the University of Regina in 1982 with a B.Sc. in Chemistry. He started his career in the environment industry working for Environment Canada as a Project Chemist working on trace organics. In 1985, he joined the newly formed Alberta based laboratory ETL as their second employee before becoming an owner in 1990. Gord helped grow ETL to over 500 employees before it was purchased by ALS Laboratories in 2006. He worked through the transition period with ALS Laboratories before moving to Osprey Scientific to provide his expertise. In 2009, Gord joined AGAT Laboratories and held a number of leadership positions including President, COO and CEO.
During his time at AGAT, he served as a member of the ESAA Board of Directors, holding the position of treasurer for four of those years. Gord was instrumental in guiding ESAA through tough financial times ensuring the Association could remain a strong voice for the industry and its members. Gord’s significant impact on both the environment industry and ESAA is undeniable.
In his spare time – when not cheering for the Saskatchewan Roughriders or watching Marvel movies- is spent with his dog Harvey or enjoying a glass of wine with his wife Roxanne.
Judging Process Information
Award Eligibility
All ESAA member organizations are eligible to participate in the ESAA Industry Awards program and must be a member in good standing at the time the award recipients are announced. Applicants are allowed to apply in both categories but are permitted only one entry per category.
Applicant Screening
All applications will be screened by the ESAA’s program manager for incomplete or ineligible ESAA applications. Applications not meeting the criteria will not be given to the ESAA Industry Awards Committee.
ESAA Industry Awards Judging Committee
The volunteer ESAA Industry Awards Judging Committee will review all complete and eligible applications. The committee receives the complete applications from the program manager once the due date for accepting applications has passed. The committee members then have two weeks to review the applications and complete the judging rubric found at the back of the application package. Please refer to the rubric as you complete your application to ensure you provide all the necessary information.
NOTE: (1) ESAA reserves the right not to give out an award in any given year if no applications meet the criteria (2) ESAA’s project manager may contact applicants with follow-up questions on behalf of the judging committee as needed.
Winner(s) Announcement
Once the winner(s) are chosen by the committee, they will be notified by the program manager. Only winning applications will be contacted. The program manager will work closely with the award winner(s) to produce their promotional video. The official announcement of the winner(s) will be at RemTech in October of each year.
Award Categories
The two categories for the ESAA Industry Awards are outlined below:
1) Environmental Industry Award
Awarded to a member of Alberta’s Environmental Industry that has shown leadership in the area of environmental innovation.
Award Criteria
The Environmental Industry Award recognizes an individual or companies’ innovative efforts designed and executed to support and contribute to the environmental industry. The award may be given in recognition of individuals or companies who implemented or completed an innovative technology, procedure or project that increased efficiencies; minimized waste or eliminated duplication of efforts, processes or systems; contributed to significant cost savings; and contributed to a positive environmental outcome.
2) Community Service Award
Awarded to an ESAA member organization that has shown an outstanding commitment to bettering their community through active fundraising and community involvement.
Award Criteria
The Community Service Award recognizes a member organization that is an active community leader demonstrated through: volunteering significant time and corporate resources to work with charitable, educational, and/or environmental organization, or community service group; or may have participated in significant community project/program that increases awareness of the importance of the environmental industry among students and the general public or improves the quality of life in the community.
Any questions can be directed to dryden@esaa.org.