The Mahtomedi Area Green Initiative (MAGI) is pleased to announce that Davis Grilley is the recipient of the 2014 Mahtomedi Area Green Initiative Environmental Leadership Award. MAGI representative Jeff Ledermann presented the award May 14 at Mahtomedi High School’s Senior Scholarship Night.

Students have played a big role in MAGI projects, particularly the Zephyr Wind Project, which has been producing the equivalent of two homes’ worth of clean energy at the stadium for over two years now and was built entirely with community donations and grants. Inspired by the outreach and fundraising efforts of Mahtomedi High School students on the wind turbine project, community members Si and Vicki Ford provided the seed money to create the Mahtomedi Area Green Initiative Environmental Leadership Award in 2011. Several other community members have added their contributions to the award, which provides a $1,000 scholarship to one MHS graduating senior who has demonstrated a commitment to school and community sustainability activities and is interested in pursuing a career in environment-related issues.

The third recipient of MAGI’s Environmental Leadership Award, Davis Grilley has demonstrated a long history of involvement in activities that have benefited our community, including presenting at and organizing Mahtomedi’s highly successful TedX talks and providing leadership in promoting better transportation options. He was instrumental in helping the school district receive a significant grant to plan safer biking and walking to our schools. Davis also “walks the talk” — or, more accurately, “bikes the talk” — as he can be seen regularly biking to school. His interest in better transportation (don’t call it “alternative”!) is taking him next fall to Washington D.C. and George Washington University. Congratulations, Davis!

Photo of Jeff Ledermann presenting award to Davis Grilley courtesy of Jeff Ledermann