2006 Founders Awards

At the 2006 ECOS Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, Dennis Treacy was recognized with a Founders Award for his contributions to the organization. Dennis served as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s ECOS Commissioner from 1998 through 2001. Dennis made significant contributions in many areas of ECOS: he served as the Chair of the Cross Media Committee, as a member of the Executive Committee (as both the Primary and Alternate for Region III), and he was involved in several of the workgroups and forums. (Dennis still talks fondly and with great pride about his service on the “Committee on Committees!”) While he was Chair of the Cross Media Committee, Dennis was instrumental in broadening ECOS’ involvement in the promotion of innovation. He helped to organize the first-ever workshop on innovation, which was one of the first opportunities for state Commissioners and program managers to engage in frank discussions with senior managers of EPA and representatives of the regulated community about the necessity for developing a process to allow for regulatory flexibility for innovations. This workshop led to the creation of the Innovations Agreement Team, the precursor to the current Cross Media Committee (CMC)/EPA Innovation Action Council (IAC). Dennis focused considerable attention on promoting participation of all states in the “Innovations Agreement” with EPA. Working in conjunction with the ECOS Regulatory Innovations Work Group, Dennis led the development of the many of ECOS policies on innovation including the “Once In, Always In” Resolution (No. 00-12). He also encouraged finding solutions to environmental problems through the formation of partnerships and forward-looking initiatives such Environmental Management Systems and Pollution Prevention. After leaving public service in 2001, Dennis was one of the founding members of the ECOS Alumni Association, where he serves as the unofficial leader of the group.