ABOUT US
Sustainable Boonsboro is the name of Boonsboro's initiative to become certified in the Sustainable Maryland program.
Using the best practices in resource areas like water, energy, planning, health, food, and economy, a municipality can earn points toward sustainability certification. The program is open to all municipalities in the state and helps them choose a direction for their sustainability efforts by facilitating their chosen actions with program tools, trainings, case studies, and other resources.
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To become certified, a municipality must:
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Adopt a town resolution for participating in Sustainable Maryland (Resolution 2013-01)
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Create a Green Team to coordinate efforts
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Develop an Action Plan
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Earn a minimum of 150 points required for certification by implementing projects that promote sustainability.
All of the above goals were met and the Town of Boonsboro was initially certified in October 2014. Since then, the Town has been re-certified twice (2017 certification, 2020 certification) when more community-based initiatives were included.
OUR MISSION
Sustainable Boonsboro demonstrates environmentally sound practices that encourage town leaders and residents to live sustainably in our thriving historic community.
OUR VISION
Sustainable Boonsboro encourages residents to maintain a lifestyle that enhances the town’s natural and human resources for future generations through education, planning, and sustainable actions.
GREEN TEAM
Kathy Vesely was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but has lived in Boonsboro for 22 years. She was a
“career” military wife and lived in many places—California, New York, England, and Maryland. She
became involved with a dedicated group of environmentally-conscious women in Boonsboro and was a
founding member of both the Boonsboro Green Fest and the Boonsboro Environmental Commission
(the first environmental commission in the county). She has been an anti-fracking activist and is the past Chairperson of the Boonsboro Environmental Commission. She continues to fight for the environment any way she can.
Barbara Blass Wetzel has lived in Washington County since 1973 and in Boonsboro since 1985. She first became
active in community issues when she joined the grassroots effort in 2007 to bring curbside recycling to Boonsboro residents. Besides being a founding member of the Recycling Task Force, she also has been a member of the Boonsboro Green Fest Committee since its inception in 2009, a member of the Boonsboro Town Council from 2008-16, and a
current member of the Boonsboro Environmental Commission (since 2019) and the Tree Board. A native Michigander, Barbara graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in journalism and worked for several daily and
weekly newspapers. Later she held positions in public information and marketing and, along with her family, operated two local businesses.
Kim Pruitt was born outside of Denver, Colorado where she lived for 5 years before moving to Maryland. She has resided in Boonsboro for the past 8 years with her husband and her 3 sons. All of her sons graduated from Boonsboro High School. The youngest will be attending Hagerstown Community College. She graduated with a B.S. in Multimedia Design and Development from American University, in Washington, D.C. She currently works at FedEx.. She enjoys hiking on the Appalachian Trail with her two dogs, cooking, photography, and reading as much as possible. She is interested in preserving and creating a more sustainable environment and thought it would be interesting and educational to join the small group, to give back to the community, and learn at the same time. She enjoys the history of Boonsboro, living near the mountains and Potomac River, and wants the area it to stay sustainable for years to come.
Andy Watson has called Boonsboro home since 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Biotechnology and a minor in Chemistry from Frostburg State University where he was a member of the Cross Country and Track teams. As an owner and passionate advocate for electric vehicles, he has attended multiple meetups for National Drive Electric Week and loves to give test-drives to interested people. Andy likes to find ways to reduce his carbon footprint and make life better for his son and future generations. In his free time, Andy enjoys doing outdoor activities with his wife, kids, and dog.
Cassandra Ladino is a Boonsboro native. She recently moved back to Boonsboro with her family and wanted to reconnect with the local community and environment. The Boonsboro Environmental Commission gives her the opportunity to work with others and make a difference in our town. Her family enjoys Shafer Park and other local green spaces in the area and they want to help do our part to preserve these spaces. She hopes to teach her son environmental stewardship and the value of community engagement. As a child, she was taught to value local natural resources and later obtained degrees in Geography and Environmental Science and Geographic Information Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She has also worked at the U.S. Geological Survey for 20 years and has had the opportunity to engage with many dedicated environmental scientists of all science disciplines over the years.