Spirit of Community Awards

It is time to start nominating individuals and communities for the 2026 Spirit of Community Awards for their efforts in climate communication, resilience, and community-driven solutions across the Gulf.

Download the 2026 Nomination Form

Application deadline: Tuesday, June 30, 2026 

Questions? Contact Stephen Deal at (228) 435-9527 or [email protected].

Winners will be announced at the next Gulf Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) Annual Meeting, held November 16-18, 2026 in Beaumont, Texas.

Past Winners

Individual Category

• Doug Gregory (2012)
• Lynne Carter, LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio and Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (2013)
• Marian Hanisko, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf Coast Services Center (2014)
• Tracie Sempier, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (2015)
• Melissa Daigle, Louisiana Sea Grant Law and Policy Program (2016)
• Libby Carnahan, Florida Sea Grant, and Renee Collini, Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Coordinator/Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant (2017)
• Amanda Torres, City of Rockport, Texas (2018)
• Lannie Smith, City of Orange Beach, Alabama (2019)
• Mike Shelton, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (2020)
• Rhonda Price, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (2022)
• Niki Pace, Louisiana Sea Grant (2024)
• Elizabeth deEtte Smythe, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana (2025)

Community Category

• City of Orange Beach, Alabama (2012)
• City of Biloxi, Mississippi (2013)
• City of Corpus Christi, Texas (2014)
• Town of Delcambre, Louisiana (2015)
• Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians, Louisiana (2016)
• City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi (2017)
• Pointe-Au-Chien Tribe, Louisiana (2019)
• City of Apalachicola, Florida (2020)
• City of Foley, Alabama (2022)
• City of Pensacola, Florida (2024)
• Refugio County, Texas (2025)

Community Champion Category

• Jonathan Green and the Steps Coalition (2024)
• Jane Nguyen and Boat People SOS (2025)

Nomination instructions and criteria for the awards:
One winner in each of three categories will be selected: (1) Individual, (2) Local Community, and (3) Community Champion Award

Category 1: Individual
Desired Criteria for Individual Nominees:

• Must be an active member of the Gulf Resilience Community of Practice (attended at least one meeting).
• Demonstrates leadership in the area of climate communication and resilience.
• Works well with others to share lessons learned.
• Understands the attitudes, perceptions, and needs of Gulf communities and/or stakeholders.
• Engages communities/stakeholders with relevant climate and resilience outreach information/materials.
• Assists Gulf communities/stakeholders in climate adaptation and resilience planning.
• Promotes climate awareness and community resilience through their work.

Category 2: Local Community

Desired Criteria for Community Nominees:

• Demonstrates knowledge of climate and resilience vulnerabilities in their community and desire to take action.
• Engages community members by conveying environmental concerns and by acting upon challenges to improve local resilience.
• Promotes climate awareness and resilient activities through their work in the community.

Category 3: Community Champion Award

Desired Criteria for Community Champion Nominees:

• Commitment to Community: Nominees have a demonstrated track record of intentional actions that lead to meaningful improvements in environmental and social outcomes within their community.
• People-Centered Approach: Nominees have a proven track record of innovative, community-driven strategies that create impactful, positive change and empowers local voices. Actions taken may include volunteering, fundraising, whole community coordination, collective impact approaches, people-centered policy change, and/or integrating local leaders within stakeholder engagement opportunities.
• Collaboration: Nominees work collaboratively with a multitude of different stakeholders in the community, including residents, businesses, and government officials to drive impactful solutions.
• Connectivity: Nominees demonstrate a strong commitment to identifying community needs and increasing access to resources from public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors through stakeholder engagement that empowers community-led decision making.
• Transparency and Communication: Nominees maintain fair dealings and complete transparency, ensuring information is accessible and understandable to all community members regardless of background or technical knowledge.

Voting Process
All nominees will be contacted before placing them on the voting ballot. Voting will take place online and is open to all Gulf Resilience CoP members. Official online voting will begin on July 27, 2026, and close on September 1, 2026. All Gulf Resilience CoP members will receive an e-mail with a link to cast their vote.