Dominic Massa / Eyewitness News
Three Destrehan middle school students were among a large group of Louisianians honored Tuesday at the White House for their work in the community on a wide range of issues.
The awards are part of President Obama’s Champions of Change initiative, which honors Americans from all walks of life for their service to the community and rising to meet challenges confronting the environment and economy.
Three students from Harry Hurst Middle School, as well as their teacher, Julie Rexford, were honored for initiating a recycling program on their school campus and collecting over 16,000 gallons of recyclables during this past school year. Courtney Crane, Collin Duffel and Sean Walsh represented the school’s 35-member “Green Team” at the White House Tuesday.
Two other local honorees were recognized for their work building energy-efficient homes: Will Bradshaw, president of Green Coast Enterprises; and Beth Galante, director of Global Green.
Byron Bishop, the director of Workforce Works, was recognized for programs providing “green” job training for young people in the lower Ninth Ward, according to a news release.
Carlton Dufrechou, general manager of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and former executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, was honored for his decades of work on behalf of improving the health of Lake Pontchartrain.
Businessman Harlon Pearce was recognized for his advocacy work on behalf of the local seafood industry. Pearce, owner of Harlon's LA Fish distributor, is chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.
