
The Minnesota Climate Adaptation Awards, presented annually since 2014, celebrate exceptional achievements in leadership, education, research, policies, and practices that improve resilience or climate justice through the development, advancement, or implementation of climate adaptation strategies. We know that celebrating success and showcasing the actions and leadership of our peers can help to accelerate adaptation across Minnesota, and beyond. Past recipients have developed cutting-edge adaptation plans for their communities, supported project-specific implementation of adaptation investments, or served as leaders championing adaptation across their organizations.
The 2022 Awards Program, with awardee information, can be downloaded here:
The 2022 Awards are for the following categories:

- Individual Adaptation Award - Any individual who has offered significant leadership, provided education, developed or implemented strategies, conducted research, or otherwise made an impact in the field of climate adaptation in Minnesota. Leaders can be either emerging or established, with depth in one focus area or across a breadth of audiences or disciplines.
- Collaborative Adaptation Award - Any collection of individuals, organizations or businesses that have worked together to achieve significant progress in climate adaptation or have implemented practices or projects that advance climate adaptation in Minnesota.
- Organization Adaptation Award - Any non-profit, community of faith, youth group, neighborhood association, local government unit, state or federal agency, tribal nation, educational institution, or similar entity that has achieved significant progress or implemented practices that advance climate adaptation in Minnesota.
- Business Adaptation Award - Any private sector, for-profit business or company of any size that has implemented significant practices, programs, projects, or policies to advance climate adaptation across its lines of business and in Minnesota communities.
- Climate Communication Award - Any individual, organization, community group, or collection of individuals with a track record of successful climate change- and adaptation-related communication and engagement. This may include using traditional media, social media, informal educational events, community convenings and engagement, or other creative communication and approaches to engage, inspire and/or educate Minnesotans about climate change, its local impacts, and adaptation strategies.
2022 award recipients
MCAP 2022 Awards Committee

Kenneth ("Kenny") Blumenfeld
Committee Chair
Senior Climatologist
Minnesota State Climate Office

Heidi Roop
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist
University of Minnesota
Director
Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership

Suzanna (Suzi) Clark
PostDoctoral Associate
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership

Leslie Brandt
Climate Change Specialist
Northern Institute of Applied Climate Sciences
Troy Goodnough
Sustainability Director
University of Minnesota Morris

Camilla Correll
Water Resources Engineer
EOR Inc.

Howard Creel
Senior Government R&D Specialist
3M

Amie Hedblom
Manager - Corporate Sustainability Marketing
Ecolab
A history of celebrating climate achievements
View past award recipients
2021 recipients
- Partnership: City of Rochester Sustainability and Resilience Task Force
- Organization: South Washington Watershed District
- Individual: Dr. Meredith Cornett, The Nature Conservancy
2020 recipients
- Business: The Guardian Building
- Organization: Mississippi Park Connection and the Science Museum of Minnesota for their Plant for the Future project
- Institution: Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management and U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota, Duluth for the 2019 State Hazard Mitigation Plan
- Individual: Paul Huttner, MPR News
2018 recipients
- Business: Room & Board
- Institution: Metropolitan Council
- Individual: Paul Moss