A legacy made stronger by New Hampshire citizens who recognized the importance of New Hampshire's landscapes
From left, Martha Prybylo of the Lewis Family Foundation; Susanne Kibler-Hacker, Forest Society vice president for development; Jane Difley, Forest Society president/forester; and Allan Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Alnoba.
President/Forester Jane A. Difley was presented with the first ever Moral Courage and Leadership Award in recognition of her work over the past eight years defending New Hampshire landscapes.
“As with many great leaders, Jane gives credit to the guts, smarts and tenacity of her team at the Forest Society,” said Alan Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Alnoba. “Jane’s legacy was cemented when she put the Forest Society front and center against the development of the Northern Pass transmission line. While she will go down in the history books for her persistence against Northern Pass, it is also Jane’s passion and dedication to New Hampshire’s landscapes and forests that will be remembered and enjoyed by those visiting the Forest Society’s 185 forest reservations.”
Alnoba is an organization dedicated to developing courageous leadership and sustainability models to help change people’s lives, create stronger communities, and a healthier planet. The First Annual Alnoba Leadership Awards were presented in October at Alnoba in Kensington, New Hampshire.
“The Forest Society may have lead the charge, but we were not alone,” Difley said in accepting the award. “Citizen activism, the support of many donors, and our success at tapping into the authentic, dedicated, generous spirit of New Hampshire citizens who recognized the real New Hampshire advantage--it’s landscapes, forests, mountains and waterways.”
Alnoba established the Moral Courage and Leadership Award to honor a visionary leader whose body of work, vision, passion, and personal example has made a meaningful and measurable difference in New England.
“When Northern Pass first proposed to cut a 192-mile scar through the middle of New Hampshire by placing towers of up to 155 feet tall from the Canadian border to Deerfield, Difley declared the Forest Society “all in” for the fight,” said Martha Prybylo in presenting the award. “Difley mobilized her team to conserve lands targeted by Northern Pass; mounted a legal challenge based on private property rights; spearheaded legislation preventing Northern Pass from gaining eminent domain access; educated landowners in the 31-town corridor; placed her staff front and center at every state and federal public hearing; and mounted formal intervention at federal and state permitting processes.”
Other honorees included the leadership team at Revision Energy (Phil Coupe, Bill Behrens, Fortunat Muelle, and Dan Clapp) who received the CEO Environmental Leadership Award, and Alex Freid, founder and co-director of Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) who received the Emerging Leader Award.
According to Lewis the three awards were presented to honor the battle-tested visionary leaders who guide us; the emerging leaders who give us hope; and the business leaders who find more purpose in their work to help each of us be part of something bigger than ourselves.
Alnoba Awards included monetary donations made in the honorees names to non-profit organizations of their choice.