<a href="#main" class="element-invisible element-focusable">Skip to Content</a> <br><span>CU Environmental Center Director Dave Newport was awarded the 2024 Environmental Legacy Award by the Green Sports Alliance in recognition of his part in CU Athletics and the Pac-12 Conference’s global sports sustainability leadership.</span><br><span>In presenting the award, former Pac-12 Conference Deputy Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich cited Newport’s partnership with CU Athletic Director Rick George, the Green Sports Alliance and the Pac-12 Conference.</span><br><span>“I could not imagine a more worthy honoree for the GSA Environmental Legacy Award as your work with CU Athletics, Ralphie’s Green Stampede , the Pac-12 Conference, and advocating for college sports leadership in the Green Sports Alliance,” Zaninovich remarked. “Your contributions will echo through these halls and inspire many more leaders to come.”</span><br><span>George added that, “Dave is very deserving of this award from the Green Sports Alliance. His passion for sustainability and our collaboration over the years has helped make the CU Athletic Department one of the leaders in college sports.”</span><br><span>In attendance at the award presentation at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles was CU Deputy Athletic Director Jason Depaepe, who cited achievements that CU Athletics Department (CUAD) had seen stemming from the Ralphie's Green Stampede program.</span><br><span>“For nearly two decades, Dave has been an instrumental leader in helping shape the sustainability efforts of the Athletic Department,” DePaepe observed. “Dave has helped us implement programs, engage with sponsors and create meaningful change in the way we operate, while educating our fan base on how to take the practices they follow on game days into their daily lives. Dave is absolutely worthy of this recognition by the Green Sports Alliance.”</span><br><span>The 18-year span of Newport’s leadership at CU marked many sustainability wins by CU Athletics. Coming to CU from his post as the University of Florida’s first sustainability director working within the Gators’ athletics program, Newport partnered with CU Athletics to debut the NCAA’s first Division 1 sustainable athletics program. </span><br><span><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large feature-layout-callout-float-right clearfix"><div class="feature-layout-callout-inner element-max-width-padding"> <p></p><div class="image-caption image-caption-none"> <p><img alt="Angie Gilbert, Dave Newport, Jamie Zaninovich and Jason Depaepe receiving an award" class="image-medium" src="https://www.colorado.edu/today/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/article-image/ad_4nxfnrvxssndchoiycz9l-f9j5wywiimujrgxihb6d6xfeimxtnzwz0ptwb1t-pdxtzhf7ijf0fvok2wkshflq4_fhtituuyijv8clztzhn3hupzj2bhdc7d7n82wgkrqpxov8xv_vfbcsahxplw_bc99ssd_.jpg?itok=SbS9R0Ub" /></p> <p>Left to right: Angie Gilbert, Dave Newport, Jamie Zaninovich and Jason Depaepe</p> <p></p></div> <p><span></span></p></div></div></span><br><br><img alt="Angie Gilbert, Dave Newport, Jamie Zaninovich and Jason Depaepe receiving an award" class="image-medium" src="https://www.colorado.edu/today/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/article-image/ad_4nxfnrvxssndchoiycz9l-f9j5wywiimujrgxihb6d6xfeimxtnzwz0ptwb1t-pdxtzhf7ijf0fvok2wkshflq4_fhtituuyijv8clztzhn3hupzj2bhdc7d7n82wgkrqpxov8xv_vfbcsahxplw_bc99ssd_.jpg?itok=SbS9R0Ub" /><br>Left to right: Angie Gilbert, Dave Newport, Jamie Zaninovich and Jason Depaepe<br><br><span></span><br><span>Together with the Ralphie’s Green Stampede (RGS) team, CU Athletics went on to achieve:</span><br><span>“None of these or other achievements would have occurred without the leadership, dedication and hard work of RGS leaders Angie Gilbert and Robin Poley—along with a cast of literally thousands of students, faculty and community friends,” Newport remarked. </span><br><span>“The leadership and frankly the courage of Rick George stepping forward every time to open doors and commit us to global sports sustainability goals is simply unprecedented. From there, the entire Pac-12 Conference Team Green effort was born and grew up fast. The ripple effect of Rick’s leadership is not to be undervalued,” Dave concluded.</span><br><span>Newport is retiring from CU this summer. </span><br><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/subscribe-cu-boulder-today" class="button button-large button-full button-blue">Subscribe to CUBT</a><br><a href="http://alerts.colorado.edu/" class="button button-large button-full button-gold">Sign up for Alerts</a><br><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/content/submit-administrative-ememo" class="button button-large button-full button-gold">Administrative eMemos</a><br><a href="http://bulletin.colorado.edu/" class="button button-large button-full button-gold">Buff Bulletin Board</a><br><a href="https://calendar.colorado.edu/" class="button button-large button-full button-gold">Events Calendar</a><br><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/share-your-story" class="button button-gold">Submit a Story</a> <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/cu-boulder-today-editorial-guidelines" class="button button-gold">Editorial Guidelines</a><br><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/newsletter/cbt-facstaff" class="button button-regular button-blue">Faculty-Staff Email Archive</a> <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/newsletter/cbt-students" class="button button-regular button-blue">Student Email Archive</a> <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/newsletter/cbt-graduate-students" class="button button-regular button-blue">Graduate Student Email Archive</a> <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/newsletter/new-buffs" class="button button-regular button-blue">New Buffs Email Archive</a> <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/newsletter/cbt-forever" class="button button-blue">Forever Buffs Email Archive</a><br>Email your <a href="mailto:cubouldertoday@colorado.edu"><strong>feedback for CU Boulder Today</strong></a>.<br /> CU Boulder Today is created by <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/strategicrelations">Strategic Relations and Communications</a>.<br><a href="//www.colorado.edu"><img src="https://www.colorado.edu/today/profiles/express/themes/ucb/images/beboulder/be-boulder-white.svg" alt="University of Colorado Boulder" class="beboulder"/></a><br><strong><a href="http://www.colorado.edu" class="cu-boulder-homepage-link">University of Colorado Boulder</a></strong><br />© Regents of the University of Colorado<br /> <span class="required-links"><a href="http://www.colorado.edu/about/privacy-statement">Privacy</a> • <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/about/legal-trademarks">Legal & Trademarks</a> • <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/map">Campus Map</a></span><br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNvbG9yYWRvLmVkdS90b2RheS8yMDI0LzA2LzI4L3N1c3RhaW5hYmlsaXR5LWxlYWRlci1yZWNvZ25pemVkLWdyZWVuLXNwb3J0cy1hbGxpYW5jZdIBAA?oc=5">source</a>
