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Air Resources Board 2012 Haagen-Smit awards honor achievements in
improving our air quality.
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Please consider the following news release from the California
Air Resources Board:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 6, 2012

CONTACT: Stanley Young, ARB Director of Communications

(916) 322-2990
(916) 956-9409

syoung@arb.ca.gov

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SACRAMENTO – Today the California Air Resources Board announced
the 2012 winners of the Haagen-Smit Air Awards, the premier
state-government award recognizing individuals who have made
outstanding contributions to improving air quality.

“This year’s recipients reflect the ideals and dedication that
have helped make California a pioneer in cleaning up air
pollution,” said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “They’ve driven
public policy with their innovative ideas, and educated our
communities on the importance of air quality. All three have
achieved sustained results through excellence in engaging with
the general public, stakeholders and experts to make significant
contributions to cleaner air and a healthier California.”
  
The 2012 recipients are:

Mr. Tom Cackette – for his work in the area of environmental
policy.  Mr. Cackette has been with the ARB since 1982, and
serves as its Chief Deputy Executive Officer, managing several of
ARB’s key programs. Prior to coming to ARB, Mr. Cackette served
as a legislative lobbyist for ARB and worked eight years for the
U.S. EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emissions Laboratory in a variety of
technical, management, and policy positions. He holds a Master’s
of Science degree in Engineering. Mr. Cackette is most notably
recognized for his guidance and perseverance in mobile source
control regulations for the ARB, many of which have influenced
national and international policies. These 
include Low-Emission Vehicle and Zero-Emission Vehicle
regulations, as well as establishing heavy-duty vehicle standards
with diesel manufacturers that dramatically reduced pollutants. 
Mr. Cackette was instrumental in establishing groundbreaking
funding incentives to assist in the development and success of
these regulations and standards geared to clean air vehicle
technologies that continue California’s tradition of trailblazing
clean transportation policies.  His accomplishments have
transcended geographical boundaries and his leadership and vision
are embedded in the countries and continents where clean
transportation policies carry California’s imprint. Though he is
retiring from ARB this year, his work and passion to clean up air
pollution from vehicles and improve California’s air quality will
be a long-standing legacy.

Ms. Andrea M. Hricko – for her work in the area of public
education.  Ms. Hricko is a Professor of Clinical Prevention
Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of
Southern California, as well as the Director of the Community
Outreach and Education Program of the Southern California
Environmental Health Sciences Center (a partnership between USC
and UCLA.)  Ms. Hricko also directs the Community outreach and
Translation Core of the USC/UCLA Children’s Environmental Health
Center.  She has a Masters of Public Health from the University
of North Carolina and has spent more than 40 years in the public
health field. Her professional experience includes serving as
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Mine Safety and Health Administration. She is a contributing
author for the journal Environmental Health Perspectives and an
Emmy Award winning writer/producer of consumer and environmental
stories for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. Her current work involves 
environmental justice topics surrounding public health impacts
from goods movement in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. 
Ms. Hricko serves on the U.S. EPA National Environmental Justice
Committee’s Working Group on Ports and Goods Movement, the
Governor of California’s Cabinet-Level Goods Movement Action Plan
Integrating Work Group and the Southern California Association of
Governments’ Goods Movement Task Force.  She is also the founder
of “The Impact Project” a nationwide community academic
partnership focused on reducing the health impacts of
international trade. Ms. Hricko is an inspiration for empowering
community-based organizations to educate their communities and
local policymakers about health effects of air pollution and how
to advocate for cleaner air and better land use decision making. 


Dr. Ronald O. Loveridge – for his work in the area of
environmental policy.  Dr. Loveridge has served on the Air
Resources Board for eight years.  He has been the Mayor of
Riverside since 1994 and has served on the South Coast 
Air Quality Management District Governing Board since 1995. 
Before becoming Mayor, Dr. Loveridge was a member of the
Riverside City Council from 1979 to 1994.  He is also an
Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of
California Riverside, where he has taught since 1965.  Dr.
Loveridge has a Master’s and Doctorate in political science from
Stanford University. Dr. Loveridge was President of the League of
California Cities, and a member of the Regional Council of the
Southern California Association of Governments.  He has been
honored by the American Lung Association for his leadership in
protecting public health from air pollution.  In 2005 he received
the National Association of Regional Councils Tom Bradley Award
for his outstanding leadership and commitment to 
improving transportation and maintaining the region’s preferred
quality of life.  As Mayor he implemented a Strategic Action Plan
to make Riverside a Model Clean Air City in 2002.  In 2005
Riverside was recognized with an annual award by the South Coast
AQMD as a Model Clean Air Community. In 2005 he appointed a Clean
Air Task Force for the city that in  2007 put forth a
“Sustainable Riverside Policy Statement” detailing eight main
directives including urban forestry, solar initiatives,
alternative transportation modes, green building efforts, and
water and air quality improvements. In 2009 Riverside was
officially designated the first “Emerald City” by California
Department of Conservation Director Bridgett Luther.  Dr.
Loveridge has been a long standing champion of plug-in electric
vehicles and community readiness.  As a member of both the Air
Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management
District Governing Board, he played a key role as liaison between
environmental groups, local governments, community residents and
the railroads, helping to identify mitigation measures and
resolve critical issues at high-risk rail yards.  Dr. Loveridge
is on the Advisory Board of the non-profit organization Riverside
County, Clean Air Now, which since 1969 is the oldest most
effective volunteer advocacy group for clean air in Southern
California.

The Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award was named after Dr. Arie
Haagen-Smit, ARB’s first chairman known to many as the “father”
of air pollution control.  His research concluded that most of
California’s smog resulted from photochemistry- the reaction of
sunlight with industrial and motor vehicle exhaust to create
ozone. This breakthrough became the foundation upon which today’s
air pollution standards are based. The Haagen-Smit award winners
continue this legacy of advancing air pollution science and
forging the way for effective control programs. 

 
For a list of all past award winner’s visit:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/hsawards/hscleanairawards2001-2011.pdf