Manna Jo Greene – Ulster County Environmental Hero
by Emilie Hauser, Secretary of LWVMHR
Manna Jo Greene was honored in April for her lifetime achievements. Manna Jo and I, along with others, joined the League in the 1980s because of our passion for recycling and our concern in preventing a waste incinerator in Ulster County.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater recognized her with Lifetime Contribution Award at the annual gala on April 7. The Ulster County Legislature presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her decades of environmental stewardship on April 16. The County Legislature mentioned her environmental advocacy through her role in the campaign to close the Indian Point nuclear power plant, advocacy work around the remediation of the Hudson River from General Electric’s PCB contamination, dedication to shaping and advancing Clearwater’s mission, and tireless efforts in the Ulster County Legislature.
Manna began her advocacy as a teenager in the Civil Rights movement working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others. She encountered Clearwater as a teenager at a Pete Seeger concert, and years later became Clearwater’s Environmental Action Director for over 20 years. Besides her activities with closing Indian Point nuclear power plant and remediation of the PCBs in the upper Hudson River, she has been involved in watershed organizations including the Hudson River, Rondout, and Fallkill, among many other achievements. She was the Ulster County’s Recycling Coordinator/Educator for a decade, after a career as a registered critical care nurse. She was a Rosendale Town Council member from 2006-2013 and has been a member of the Ulster County Legislature since 2014.
Manna’s next project is working with Ulster County municipalities to create an implementation plan to achieve the NYS Climate Act goal of 70% Renewable Energy Generation by 2030. Read more about her achievements at https://e.givesmart.com/events/Ap9/page/honorees/
Manna Jo Greene embodies the spirit of community and sustainability. We congratulate her for the awards and thank her for her advocacy and dedication to the environment and Hudson River.
Manna Jo Greene with family members, receiving honors from Ulster County Legislators for her work as a Legislator and Environmentalist