Each year in December, St. Johns Riverkeeper (SJRK) distributes our annual Service Awards. These supporters have gone above-and-beyond this year to contribute to cleanups, scientific research, after-school education programs, and more. Join us in celebrating these special individuals!
Volunteer of the Year: Alex Wolf
Alex Wolf is a cleanup champion. He has attended almost all of our public cleanups this year, and even helped organize a cleanup at Blue Cypress Preserve when we saw a particular need there. Additionally, Alex has personally scouted over 20 parks on his own to report back to us about the trash levels and identify areas of particular need for our cleanup efforts. He has been an active volunteer for a long time and is very deserving of this year’s special recognition!
Educator of the Year: Georgia Smith-Miller
Georgia Smith-Miller is an teacher at John Stockton Elementary. For the past few years, she has gone above and beyond to educate her students on how to be river-friendly. She recently stepped up as lead teacher for Junior Riverkeepers (our afterschool program) and works alongside SJRK programming to provide meaningful chats and lessons with her students. On top of that, she is a huge supporter of SJRK and loves wearing our merch to school!
Advocate of the Year: Dr. Lucinda B. Sonnenberg
Dr. Sonnenberg is a retired Research Professor of Chemistry and former Research Director of the Millar Wilson Laboratory for Chemical Research at Jacksonville University. Throughout her career, she has conducted innovative research in environmental chemistry, offered rigorous and meaningful research opportunities to undergraduate students, and served as a trusted scientific resource for regional agencies and institutions – and for St. Johns Riverkeeper. She is currently a member of our Water Policy Group.
She has contributed valuable data and expertise on key issues affecting the St. Johns River, particularly in assessing sediment contamination by toxic chemicals, analyzing fecal indicator bacteria and its potential sources, evaluating nutrient and algal bloom dynamics, and informing local actions and management strategies aimed at improving the health of the Lower St. Johns River ecosystem.
Dr. Sonnenberg has been selected as our Advocate of the Year for her exceptional guidance and support, particularly in the Resilient Ribault Environmental Quality Assessment. Her foundational work, analytical expertise, and dedication have made the project’s fieldwork and interpretation possible. She is consistently supportive, an outstanding teacher, and always willing to share her knowledge. Dr. Sonnenberg has made it a priority to assist our team, not only with this project, but with any topic where her insight can strengthen our work.
Under Dr. Sonnenberg’s leadership, St. Johns Riverkeeper continues to strengthen our scientific foundation, credibility and rigorous protection for our river.
We are deeply grateful for her unwavering support and all she has contributed to advancing our mission to defend the St. Johns River and champion the river’s health for future generations.
Business Partner of the Year: Enterprise Mobility Foundation
Each year during Enterprise Mobility Foundation’s Stronger Together Community Impact Campaign, their employees get to choose a nonprofit organization to support. Since 2022, they have chosen to donate to SJRK each year – and, the foundation matches employee gifts during the campaign to amplify their impact. In this short time, Enterprise Mobility has contributed over $20,000!
We are grateful for the continued support from the Foundation and their employees. Regular financial contributions from individuals and businesses who love our river make our work possible.
Special thanks to Will Dickey for donating the beautiful photographs for our awards, and to Ryan Buckley for adding the finishing touch with framing!
Volunteer Superlatives
Friendly Face Awards: Jeremy Obach and Kat Sulimov
These two show up to a variety of events and are always ready to get to work! They are always happy to help and it’s great to see their smiling faces every time.
Ripple Effect Award – Tabler in Chief: Pete Miller
Whenever we need someone to lead an Outreach table at an event, we know we can count on Pete. He is reliable and is always very welcoming to new people interested in our organization.
Emerging Leader Award – A Rising Tide: Dan Hutto
Dan is a relatively new St. Johns Riverkeeper volunteer this year, but he has stepped up to the plate with unmatched enthusiasm. He has fearlessly led a handful of cleanups, and routinely goes out of his way to give his time and energy to support our mission.
Anchor Award – Tried and True: Daniel Kreichelt and Alicia Smith
Daniel and Alicia have been involved with St. Johns Riverkeeper for many years. In the past, they served as important leaders with Rising Tides, our young professionals group, and to this day they still show up to almost every McCoys Creek cleanup with a smile. Consistency is key and we truly appreciate Daniel and Alicia for their consistent support over the years.
Keeper of the Park Award: Toinette Wells
Toinette is a dedicated member of her community. She is reliable and invested. She routinely takes the responsibility to clean up Ribault Scenic Drive Park. It is community members like her that keep us going!
Thank You!
We are grateful for volunteers who clean up our waterways, help our events run smoothly, tell others about our mission, educate people of all ages about the river and more. If you have ever volunteered with St. Johns Riverkeeper in any capacity, we thank you for being a part of the SJRK family!
We hope you will join us in 2026 as we continue to fight for a clean, healthy river. Make sure you update your contact information so you can stay in the loop, and receive updates like our monthly volunteer newsletter.