Milwaukee Riverwalk District: To honor MMSD Executive Director Kevin Shafer with 3rd Annual Daniel Burnham Visionary Award

The Milwaukee Riverwalk District will honor Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Executive Director Kevin Shafer with the third annual Daniel Burnham Visionary award at the District’s annual RiverCelebration dinner Friday, September 20th at Schlitz Park. Past recipients include former Mayor John Norquist and philanthropist Michael Cudahy.

“Kevin’s leadership and passion has made a tremendous impact on the region’s water quality and management,” said Milwaukee Riverwalk District Board Chair Gary Grunau. “Like Daniel Burnham and our previous award recipients, Kevin has shown he is a true visionary with accomplishments such as the development of Green Infrastructure and Greenseams® programs, creation of the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust and implementation of a Regional Stormwater Rule.”

In 2012, the University of Wisconsin’s LaFollette School of Public Affairs recognized Shafer’s career of innovations and commitment to a green infrastructure with the Lloyd D. Gladfelter Award. Additionally, the U.S. Water Alliance honored MMSD as part of the 2012 class of U.S. Water Prize winners for MMSD’s watershed-based approaches toward water sustainability. Alliance President Ben Grumbles described the winners as “six water champions are showing America how to innovate, integrate, and educate for water sustainability and economic success.”

“That’s a perfect description of Kevin and honoring him here at home is long overdue,” added Marsha Sehler, Milwaukee Riverwalk District Board vice chair. “We look forward to highlighting Kevin’s work and what he means to southeast Wisconsin at our RiverCelebration dinner. The Milwaukee Riverwalk will be the place to be that weekend.”

The RiverCelebration Dinner is part of a three-day series of events along the Riverwalk starting with the Salus Schlitz Park Corporate Challenge on Thursday, September 19th and culminating with the 13th annual Milwaukee River Challenge featuring dozens of collegiate and club rowing teams on Saturday, September 21st.

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Pam Kassner, Super Pear Strategies, LLC

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