Salem’s Janelle Rolke Named KMB Municipal Partner of the Year
Janelle Rolke, the City of Salem’s Solid Waste Reduction coordinator, was recently honored with Keep Massachusetts Beautiful’s Municipal Partner of the Year Award.
The award was presented at the Massachusetts Clean Community Awards celebration in Framingham on March 21, which was hosted by WCVB Chief Meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon.
The Municipal Partner of the Year Award recognizes a municipal leader for extraordinary efforts to implement sustainable practices and clean up or protect their local environment.
Rolke took over the leadership of Keep Salem Beautiful in 2020, serving in a voluntary capacity. Since then, Keep Salem Beautiful, in conjunction with the Salem Beautification Committee, has hosted monthly litter cleanups in addition to a city-wide cleanup each spring. Collectively, these efforts have removed many tons of trash and litter from Salem’s downtown, residential neighborhoods, beaches, and public parks.
As Salem’s Waste Reduction Coordinator, Rolke also focuses on reducing the sources of litter. This includes hosting recycling events, book swaps, textile drives, repair cafes, recycling bin checks, and implementing composting in conjunction with the city’s public housing authority.
“Keep Salem Beautiful’s success would not have been possible without Janelle’s organizational and leadership skills, as well as her boundless enthusiasm for creating a cleaner, greener Salem,” said Neil Rhein, executive director of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful. “Janelle is truly an inspiration and the city is fortunate to have someone with her passion and energy working to make Salem a cleaner, greener place to live, work, and visit.”
“I’m so honored to be doing this work in Salem every day. All the reuse, recycle, and litter cleanup events are so successful because of our dedicated committee members and volunteers. Thank you all for your passion and hard work. To celebrate Earth Month, I hope you’ll join us for the 3rd annual Great Salem Cleanup on Saturday April 20th!” said Rolke.
Keep Salem Beautiful is one of 40 local chapters across the state that are organized under the umbrella of the statewide nonprofit Keep Massachusetts Beautiful. Communities that are interested in launching a local chapter can learn more at www.keepmassbeautiful.org/join.
Join the Great Salem Cleanup on Saturday April 20 from 10 am to 12 pm
Along with the Salem Beautification Committee, Keep Salem Beautiful is hosting the 3rd Annual Great Salem Cleanup on April 20th. Pre-registration is required. Please visit www.keepmassbeautiful.org and select the April events calendar for more information.
About Keep Salem Beautiful
Keep Salem Beautiful is a volunteer-led organization that is working to clean up and green up Salem in partnership with local businesses, the Salem Beautification Committee, and the Salem Department of Public Services. Learn more at www.keepmassbeautiful.org/chapters or follow Keep Salem Beautiful on Instagram and Facebook.
About Keep Massachusetts Beautiful
Keep Massachusetts Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that is taking action to make Massachusetts a cleaner, greener, place to live, work, and play. Learn more at www.keepmassbeautiful.org.