Press Release
For immediate release: April 28, 2026
The Ecology Action Center has announced the recipients of the 2025 McLean County Green Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations working to improve and protect our local environment.
Deb Skillrud, Supervisor of the City of Bloomington Township and its Promoting Others to Succeed or POTS program, is the 2025 recipient of the McLean County Recycling and Waste Reduction Award. POTS is a part of the City of Bloomington Township’s workfare program and focuses on developing work skills and job training for its General Assistance participants while also providing a recycling service to the community. The program’s success is made possible through the dedicated efforts of Township staff, collaboration with the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), and the hands-on work of Township General Assistance workfare participants.
POTS collects plastic garden pots, flats, and trays that cannot be recycled within the regular curbside or drop box recycling service. With seven collection sites in the Bloomington-Normal community, POTS has recycled over 19 tons of flower pots and trays in the last two years. “This program creates meaningful impact to both those in need of assistance and work as well as a meaningful impact on our environment,” says Ivy Brog, an employee of the program.
The former garden pot recycling initiative began in 2007 through a partnership with the Ecology Action Center, McLean County Master Gardeners, and others. When the program lost its donated workspace in 2016, Deb was a critical component to getting the program back on its feet in 2018.
Patrick Dullard, president of the Friends of the Constitution Trail board, is the recipient of the Anne McGowan Making a World of Difference Award for his tree plantings efforts along the Constitution Trail.
“Under Patrick’s leadership, the Friends have been instrumental in the improvement and creation of community greenway trail corridors within McLean County”, says Bill Wasson, Vice President of the Friends of the Constitution Trail Board. Patrick has coordinated the planting of over 725 trees to locations along Historic Route 66 Trail in the rural communities of Chenoa, Lexington, Towanda, Shirley, and Funks Grove. “During Patrick’s tenure as President, the Friends also provided assistance to replace trees lost along the IC Branch of the Trail in Bloomington-Normal and have funded feasibility studies that led to the recent expansion of the Collegiate Branch along Gregory Street in Normal and making the Trail extension and connection to College Ave possible.” Patrick, who is retired from Country Companies Insurance, is also a certified Cycling Instructor, teaching bicycle safety and skills courses to youth.
More information, including POTS drop off locations can be found online at ecologyactioncenter.org. The Ecology Action Center is the nonprofit environmental sustainability agency for Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County, Illinois.
