I love the month of May as we begin to see buds and flowers and I love seeing our affiliates' excitement, upon receiving our recent distribution of bulbs. Our state will again be beautiful with all these blooms.

Jan and I really enjoyed the Keep America Beautiful National Conference that was held in Washington, D.C. Spending time with our amazing affiliates and bringing home a “Lady Bird Johnson Award Winner” awarded to Mrs. Doyce Deas of Tupelo, was the highlight of the conference. 

Keep Mississippi Beautiful Board of Directors are the best – we want to especially thank Sean McCarthy, with Toyota.  Toyota sponsored our Be Beautiful Grants and our GAC Supplies for our Affiliates.  

This year’s 32^nd Annual Award Luncheon had a record crowd and everyone enjoyed our guest speakers, James Starnes & Jonathan Leard, with Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and hearing about their remarkable discoveries.  I love showcasing all of our affiliate and community award winners.

Keep Mississippi Beautiful Affiliates have been really busy having remarkable Great American Cleanups – WAY TO GO TEAM! Results that we have seen are amazing.  I want to thank the Keep Byram Beautiful team for hosting our state GAC kickoff. Thanks to all the volunteers, we had a beautiful spring day and Davis Road Park and beds at a key intersection were revitalized.

May is the time for hope and wishes, and it seems to be the month for plans and projects as it is the gateway to summer. On Memorial Day, we want to remember all of our service men and women who died serving our Country. I want to wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday.

Remember KEEP MISSISSIPPI CLEAN & GREEN!

Sarah

Mississippi Honored with Keep America Beautiful National Awards

Keep America Beautiful® today announced the recipients of its 2024 National Awards, recognizing 41 individuals, state organizations, and community groups for their outstanding contributions to creating cleaner, greener, and more beautiful communities. The winners were honored during the Keep America Beautiful National Conference in Washington, D.C. 

The Lady Bird Johnson Award for outstanding volunteerism went to Doyce Deas, a community advocate and Keep Tupelo (MS) Beautiful board member. Deas spearheaded the Daffodil Project, which has planted nearly 500,000 daffodils across Tupelo, leaving a lasting legacy of beauty. Lucinda Robb, granddaughter of Lady Bird Johnson and co-chair of Keep America Beautiful’s Greatest American Cleanup, presented the award. 

“My grandmother understood that beauty has the power to change lives for the better, and I know she would be so pleased at the commitment and dedication of Keep America Beautiful volunteers like Doyce Deas,” Robb said in presenting the award. 

Innovation Award: Given in recognition of affiliates advancing Keep America Beautiful’s mission with groundbreaking ideas, new methods, and unique approaches to overcoming challenges. 

Local Program (Population 30,001 – 100,000)  

• Honoree: Keep Tupelo Beautiful (MS) Kathryn Rhea, director

State Program (Population 250,001 and over)  

• Honoree: Keep Mississippi Beautiful (MS), Brandon Garden Club, and Mississippi Agricultural and Foresty Museum
• 

State Agency Partnership Awards: Honoring state departments of transportation, environmental agencies, and other government entities that support Keep America Beautiful affiliates in local communities. 

• Mississippi Department of Transportation – Keep Mississippi Beautiful 

Keep Byram Beautiful hosts the 2025 Keep Mississippi Beautiful Great American Cleanup Kickoff

Scores of volunteers from Keep Byram Beautiful, area businesses, KMB board members as well as KMB affiliates contributed to a successful Great American Cleanup State Kickoff on May 8, 2025. Work was done at Davis Road Park as well as on several city beds in prominant locations. Thanks to sponsors, Nucor Steel, Gay Austin, Mississippi Beverage Association, Entergy, MVP Sonic, Toyota Motor North America, and Vowell's Marketplace who joined KMB in supporting the event.

Volunteers from the affiliate network include The Rez, Pearl River County, Simpson County, and Ridgeland.

Alderman Diandra Hosey, Mayor White, Sarah Kountouris, and board chair Sandy Powlett led the opening program.

72 people participated in the Byram GAC Kickoff on May 8, 2025.

Woodman Life and KMB Board Member Ron Aldridge presented flags and a new flagpole to the city.

Keep Byram Beautiful director Diandra Hosey let a team at a second site. They transformed beds at a major intersection in the city.

Building new beds in the park.

KMB board member Brandon Wynn brought a team from Nucor Steel.

City of Byram Public Works and Parks employees helped to make the kickoff a success. They staged supplies and constructed a new perimeter for the swing set.

Entergy Volunteers cleaned the park fence line.

Board chair Sandy Powlett brought a hard-working team from Entergy.

KMB Be Beautiful Grants

Keep Morton Beautiful

Keep Oxford Beautiful

Keep Pearl River County Beautiful

Keep Ripley Beautiful

Keep The Rez Beautiful

Keep Richland Beautiful

Ridgeland High School (school garden grant)

KAB Greatest American Cleanup GAC Grants

Keep Chickasaw Beautiful

Keep Meridian Beautiful/The City of Meridian MS

Keep Pearl River County Beautiful

Keep the Rez Beautiful

Many thanks to Sean McCarthy,Toyota Motor North America and board member, for providing funding for safety vests and litter grabbers for our affiliates!

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