BALTIMORE (July 25, 2024) — On July 24th, 2024, World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative presented five awards for electric school bus and transportation equity leadership during the Roadmap to 100 Gala in Baltimore, hosted by the ESB Initiative and Bezos Earth Fund.
Descriptions of the awardees follow.
2024 Electric School Bus Career Legacy Award: Representative Tony Cárdenas
Presented by Senator Alex Padilla on behalf of the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative and the Alliance for Electric School Buses
In recognition of substantive contributions to equitable school bus electrification by Representative Cárdenas (CA-29) during his 12-year tenure in Congress, the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative and the Alliance for Electric School Buses are awarding him the 2024 Electric School Bus Career Legacy Award.
Representative Cárdenas is well recognized as being a leading champion for children’s health in Congress, and his efforts to advance school bus electrification were critical to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program. Thanks to Representative Cárdenas’ strong and steadfast leadership, the Clean School Bus Program was established under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The $5 billion program has already funded the replacement of 8,651 diesel-burning school buses, providing students in 1,290 school districts nationwide a cleaner ride to school. As Representative Cárdenas prepares to retire from Congress at the end of the 118th Congress, in January 2025, the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative and the Alliance for Electric School Buses honor his invaluable contributions toward school bus electrification and his commitment to securing a healthy ride to school for every child.
The Electric School Bus Trailblazer Award: The Alliance for Electric School Buses
Since 2017, the Alliance for Electric School Buses has been the leading voice advocating across the country for an equitable transition to electric school buses that prioritizes the communities most harmed by air pollution and creates well-paying jobs for U.S. workers. Founded by Chispa, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club and VEIC, the Alliance has brought parents, students, health professionals, labor unions, community leaders and decision makers to the movement for a clean ride for kids.
The Alliance played a central role in shaping the Clean School Bus Act, upon which the $5 billion clean school bus investment in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act was modeled and which helped advance other electric school bus incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Alliance members have successfully advocated for electric school bus policies and secured millions of dollars for deployments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Today, over two dozen Alliance member organizations continue to be a voice for an equitable transition at legislative sessions, school board meetings, regulatory hearings, community workshops, meetings with decision makers, tours and rallies.
The full impact of the Alliance for Electric School Buses is immeasurable. In addition to the many direct benefits to the students and communities who have left diesel-burning school buses behind, the Alliance has developed an enduring movement and tremendous momentum. The Alliance continuously centers the voices and priorities of underserved communities, steering the electric school bus transition toward equity.
Transportation Equity Award: Robert Blake, Executive Director, Native Sun Community Power Development and Founder & Owner, Solar Bear
Bob Blake, a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation, is a visionary leader and advocate for renewable energy and enhancing diversity in the renewable energy workforce. He is on a mission to have electric vehicles, buses and renewable energy deployed throughout Tribal country as a strategy to reduce health disparities like high asthma rates. As the Executive Director of Native Sun Community Power Development (CPD), he leads initiatives to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy and an equitable energy transition through education, workforce training and demonstration. CPD’s ElectricNation™ program is a Native-led public-private partnership working to purchase electric vehicles for Tribal fleets, install EV supply equipment, and provide equitable access to clean, affordable transportation in rural, underserved Tribal communities, while growing public familiarity with clean transportation options and connecting communities with key medical, educational and retail destinations. With the broader vision to connect tribes across the Midwest through an EV network, Native Sun and its partners are working together to electrify highways serving local Tribal communities, as well as add EV chargers to the Native American National and State Scenic Byway and other routes that are heavily traveled by Native communities.
In addition, Bob is the founder and owner of Solar Bear, pronounced Gizis-o-makwa in Ojibwe, a solar installation company in Minneapolis. Solar Bear projects include the solar panel installation on Oshkiimaajtadah job training building and the Government Center in Red Lake Nation. Their Just Solar Returning Citizens Initiative is a groundbreaking program that provides training in solar installation and site evaluation to formerly incarcerated individuals, empowering them with the necessary skills to pursue careers in the solar industry upon their release. By challenging the existing prison-industrial complex, Bob and Solar Bear are not only offering a pathway to a renewable future but also contributing to the positive reintegration of returning citizens into society.
Transportation Equity Award: Charles T. Brown, Founder and Principal, Equitable Cities
Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused on the intersection of transportation, health and equity. As a researcher with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, he authored several groundbreaking national and local studies that redefined how experts analyze the role of race and racism in transportation and mobility. As an educator and trainer, he has instructed courses on introductory and advanced environmental justice for the National Transit Institute, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration and CDC’s Walkability Action Institute.
A luminary in sustainable transportation, Charles is an esteemed member of the Joint Office of the Electric Vehicle Working Group, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the electric mobility landscape, driving the adoption of electric vehicles and paving the road towards a greener, more efficient transportation future. Notably, Charles was handpicked to serve as a distinguished member of the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity for the US Department of Transportation, solidifying his reputation as a trusted advisor and influencer in addressing transportation disparities and fostering inclusivity.
Transportation Equity Award: Carol Tyson, Government Affairs Liaison, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
Carol Tyson has been a pivotal figure in advocating for equitable transportation, particularly for the disability community. As the Government Affairs Liaison for the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), they engage with Congressional and federal agency staff on policy issues, participate in coalitions and advisory groups, and promote legislation that benefits people with disabilities. Before their tenure at DREDF, Carol served as the Director of Disability Policy for the United Spinal Association, and as a researcher in the labor movement in the United States and Australia. Carol has played an instrumental role in various task forces and working groups aimed at eliminating barriers to rail, on-demand and public transportation, and enhancing bicycle and pedestrian safety. Carol’s commitment to equitable mobility was recognized in 2014 when they received the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Dr. Rosalyn Simon Award.
Carol's work is characterized by their dedication to intersectional advocacy, focusing on the full integration of people with disabilities by collaborating both within and outside the disability community. Carol’s policy efforts are directed towards following and amplifying the voices of those most impacted and addressing critical issues such as environmental justice, ending the school-to-prison pipeline and attacks on LGBTQI+ students, and ensuring access to supports and services needed to remain and thrive in the community, including safe, equitable mobility.