Since 1994, the Keystone Policy Center has proudly honored exemplary leaders and decision-makers who embody Keystone’s mission in action. Honorees are selected for their leadership, vision, outstanding problem-solving skills, and efforts to seek collaborative solutions to challenging issues.
The awards are presented annually at a dinner ceremony in Washington, D.C., attended by prominent leaders from industry, government, and the NGO community.
2024
- Hon. Michael S. Regan, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Rob Schwartz, President and CEO, Anterix
- Jennifer Griffin, Chief National Security Correspondent, FOX News
- Jonathan Pershing, Program Director of Environment, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
2023
- Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), U.S. House of Representatives
- Jay Faison, Founder, ClearPath
- Duane Highley, CEO, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
- Norah O’Donnell, Anchor and Managing Editor, CBS Evening News
- Hon. Willie Phillips, Chairman, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
2022
- Wolf Blitzer, CNN Anchor
- Scott Gottlieb, MD, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Diane Regas, President and CEO, Trust for Public Land
- Frederick W. Smith, Executive Chairman, FedEx
- Sen. Debbie Stabenow, United States Senator, Michigan
2021
- Ben Fowke, Executive Chairman, Xcel Energy
- Paula R. Glover, President, Alliance to Save Energy
- Steve Mitnick, Executive Editor, Public Utilities Fortnightly
- Bob Woodward, Associate Editor, The Washington Post
2020
- Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Martha Raddatz, Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, ABC News
- The Honorable, Jeanne Shaheen, United States Senator, New Hampshire
- Victoria Vasques, Founder and CEO, Tribal Tech
- World Central Kitchen
2019
- Senator Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senate (R-Alaska)
- Thomas R. Kuhn, President, Edison Electric Institute
- Bianna Golodryga, Contributor, CNN
- Luis Benitez, Vice President, Government Affairs & Global Impact, VF Corporation (Former Director, Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry)
2018
- The Hon. John Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana
- Paula Gold-Williams, President and CEO of CPS Energy
- Andrea Mitchell, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News
- Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute
2017
- U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
- Kees Kruythoff, President, Unilever North America
- Anne Pramaggiore, President and CEO, ComEd
- Mark Tercek, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy
- Chris Wallace, Anchor, Fox News Sunday
2016
- Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
- John Echohawk, Native American Rights Fund
- Judy Woodruff, PBS News Hour
- The 51st State– an Initiative of SEPA, Wildlife Habitat Council, General Motors, Toyota
North America
2015
- Doyle Beneby, CPS Energy
- Governor Jack Markell (D-DE)
- The Honorable Ernest Moniz, U.S. Department of Energy
- Ariela Rozman, The New Teacher Project
- Chuck Todd, NBC’s Meet the Press
- Cargill, Greenpeace and McDonald’s
2014
- Jennifer Howse, March of Dimes
- Muhtar Kent, The Coca-Cola Company
- Tom King, National Grid
- Anthony Malkin, Empire State Realty Trust
- Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)
2013
- Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)
- Sandy Reisky de Dubnic, Apex Wind Energy
- Paul Hudson, AstraZeneca
- Arne Sorenson, Marriott International
2012
- Drew Altman, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
- Marilyn Black, Air Quality Sciences, Inc. & GREEN
- GUARD Environmental Institute
- Louis R. Chênevert, United Technologies
- Robert N. Downey, Goldman Sachs
- Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
2011
- Christine Eibs-Singer, E + Co
- Administrator Lisa Jackson, U.S. EPA
- Joel I. Klein, News Corporation
- John W. Rowe, Exelon
- Clinton A. Vince, SNR Denton
2010
- Terrance Carroll, Speaker of the House
- Michael T. Duke, Wal-Mart Stores
- Gwen Ifill, Washington Week
- Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
- Robert Socolow, Princeton University
2009
- Hugh Grant, Monsanto
- David Rockefeller, Sailors for the Sea
- George Stephanopoulos, ABC News
- Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)
2008
- Paul W. Hansen, The Nature Conservancy
- Jim Lehrer, PBS
- Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD)
- Jeffry Sterba, PNM Resources
- Gerald Wheeler, National Science Teachers Association
2007
- John Hofmeister, Shell Oil Company
- Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
- Carlo Parravano, Merck Institute for Science Education
- Peter A. Seligmann, Conservation International
2006
- John H. Adams, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Rodger Bybee, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study
- Peter A. Darbee, PG&E Corporation
- Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
- Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-KA)
2005
- Anne H. Ehrlich, Stanford University
- Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT)
- Jane Nelson, Harvard University
- Nicholas L. Reding
- James E. Rogers, Cinergy
2004
- Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
- Jonathan Lash, World Resources Institute
- Ralph Peterson, CH2M HILL Companies
2003
- Thomas C. Jorling, International Paper
- Teresa Heinz Kerry, Heinz Family Philanthropies
- Congressman James L. Oberstar (DFL-MN)
- William K. Reilly, Aqua International Partners
2002
- Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
- Daniel Ritchie, University of Denver
- Paul V. Tebo, DuPont
- Russell E. Train, World Wildlife Fund
- Marilyn Ware, American Water Works
2001
- Archie Dunham, Conoco
- Edward M. Gabriel, Former Ambassador to Morocco
- Patrick F. Noonan, The Conservation Fund
- Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA)
- Helge Wehmeier, Bayer USA
2000
- Bruce Alberts, President, National Academy of Sciences
- George Archibald, International Crane Foundation
- Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI)
- Responsible Care Initiative of the Chemical Manufacturers Association
1999
- Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
- John Brown, BP Amoco Corporation
- Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund
- Sidney Taurel, Eli Lilly & Company
1998
- Kathryn S. Fuller, World Wildlife Fund
- Senator John Glenn (D-OH)
- Donald Kennedy, Stanford University
- Stephan Schmidheiny, ANOVA Holding Ag
- John F. Smith, Jr., General Motors Corporation
1997
- Bob Burt, FMC Corporation
- Senator John Chafee
- Mildred McClain, Citizens for Environmental Justice
1996
- Mayor Norman Rice (Seattle, WA)
- John Sawhill, The Nature Conservancy
- Congressman William J. Tauzin (R-LA)
- Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont
1995
- Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
- H. Laurance Fuller, Amoco Corporation
- Professor Florence Taylor Robinson
1994
- Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary
- Frank Popoff, Dow Chemical
- Gustave Speth, U.N. Development Administrator


Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, became the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack is focusing on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
Shelby Coffey III is a distinguished journalist, media executive, and thought leader whose career has helped shape the landscape of American news and public discourse. Over several decades, Coffey has held some of the most influential roles in journalism, including serving as editor of the Los Angeles Times, executive vice president of ABC News, and deputy managing editor of The Washington Post. His editorial leadership extended to key roles as president of CNN Financial News, editor of the Dallas Times Herald, and U.S. News & World Report.
Jerry Steiner has spent 40 years involved in agriculture following growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. He began his career with Monsanto, in multiple business leadership roles. From 2003-2013 he served as a member of the Executive team, as the company’s Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs. He led the company’s global Government, Public and Industry Affairs teams across the 70 countries where Monsanto conducts business. This experience got Jerry connected to the Keystones centers work in agriculture. Key among his responsibilities were shaping the company’s public policy and building partnerships aimed at helping farmers around the world produce more food, while conserving valuable resources like water and energy. Two unique partnership that developed under his leadership were drought tolerant corn with 5 African countries, CIMMYT and the Gates foundation, and a building a sustainable business model in Brazil with the value chain leading to significant multi-company investment and soybean varieties that can protected themselves.
Jennifer Morris is the Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, leading a team of nearly 6,000 staff working in more than 80 countries and territories tackling the dual crises of the
Congressman Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2018, becoming the first Black Member of Congress in Colorado history. In December 2022, Rep. Neguse was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), becoming the first Coloradan to serve in a senior elected leadership role in the House in over 85 years. He serves on the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees, and was also appointed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to serve as one of four Democrats on the prestigious Rules Committee. Rep. Neguse serves as Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, which he previously Chaired in the 117th Congress.
Llewellyn King was born in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He went into journalism as soon as he turned 16, stringing for Time magazine and United Press in Africa.
Steven Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America, overseeing a more than $48 billion business that spans PepsiCo’s Foods and Beverage operating units. His leadership encompasses more than 125,000 associates and over 900 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Steven joined PepsiCo in 2001 as part of PepsiCo’s acquisition of the Quaker Oats Company, which he joined in 1997, and has held leadership positions of increased responsibility since.