The Tennessee Department of Transportation recently presented 18 Keep Tennessee Beautiful Awards of Excellence Grants totaling $54,000. The awards ceremony was held during the 2025 Biennial Conference, when TDOT and KTnB honored 13 environmental leaders from across the state, with some organizations receiving multiple awards.
The 2025 award-winners include Keep Sevier Beautiful; Keep The Tennessee River Beautiful; Memphis City Beautiful; Collierville Rotary Club; Keep Chester County Beautiful; Greene County Partnership; Jennifer Wilder, Greene County Partnership; Keep Knoxville Beautiful; Keeping The Valley Beautiful; Keep Wayne County Beautiful; Lisa Bryant, Keep Sevier Beautiful; Sheriff Michael Hodges, Sevier County; Jessica Hernandez, Keep Tipton County Beautiful. The six categories designated for grants are Public Education, Public Participation, Leadership, TDOT County Litter Grant Programs, Keep America Beautiful TN Affiliate Award, and Keep Tennessee Beautiful State Level Affiliate Award.
The Biennial Conference was held at Murfreesboroâs Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center. Executive Director Missy Marshall hosted the two-day event, with the theme âThe Heart of a Great Community: Connecting, Cultivating and Celebrating Impact.â Acclaimed speaker and author Derek Young brought the keynote address at the awards luncheon.
Steve Allen, director of Local Programs and Community Investments Division, TDOT, represented TDOT Commissioner Will Reid in presenting the awards. Recipients included affiliates and non-affiliates from the three grand divisions of the state whose work helps improve the lives of all Tennesseans.
âThis gathering of industry leaders, service providers and stakeholders is always invigorating and inspiring,â Marshall said. âI am grateful to TDOT for their generous support of our Awards of Excellence Grant program. The grant recipients are some of the most dedicated people I know, passionate about truly making a difference in their communities. Iâm also thankful for the commitment of our KTnB team to educate our citizens about clean, green, healthy and safe living.â
Sponsors for KTnBâs 2025 Biennial Conference included Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Beverage Association/PepsiCo, Food City, and Tennessee Fuel & Convenience Store Association. The event spotlighted the accomplishments of the past two years, celebrating the success of TDOTâs âNobody Trashes Tennesseeâ initiative and KTnBâs national award-winning âTrasherciseâ campaign, both aggressive statewide programs.