WASHINGTON, DC – Rachel’s Network announced that it has awarded environmental policy leader Brionté McCorkle with its inaugural Catalyst Award. The award recognizes women of color making an environmental impact in communities across the country with a $10,000 prize and networking opportunities.

Brionté is the director of Georgia Conservation Voters (GCV) where she works to elect pro-environment candidates and hold elected officials accountable. She’s dedicated her career to building partnerships that protect the environment, advance racial equity, and grow civic engagement.

In 2014, Brionté led the Georgia Sierra Club’s successful effort to expand Atlanta’s bus system to Clayton County. The vote marked the first jurisdictional expansion of Atlanta’s transit system since its inception in 1971, and restored mobility to underserved communities in a majority African American jurisdiction.

“Brionté’s winning campaign to expand MARTA addressed so many issues, from equity and health, to job accessibility and climate change,” said Rachel’s Network President Fern Shepard. “This is the way we should all see all environmental issues: as intrinsically connected to our lived experiences and human institutions. We couldn’t be happier to highlight her work as one of our Catalyst Award winners.”

“Brionté is certainly well-deserving of this wonderful award.  She has been a strong leader in the Atlanta environmental community.  And she has brought a bold vision and clarity of mission to her role as executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters. We are thrilled that Brionté is being recognized by Rachel’s Network,” said Krista Brewer, GCV board chair.

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Rachel’s Network, named after noted environmentalist Rachel Carson, is a community of women at the intersection of environmental advocacy, philanthropy, and leadership. Their mission is to promote women as impassioned leaders and agents of change dedicated to the stewardship of the earth. The Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award was established to address the underrepresentation of women of color in leadership positions in the environmental community.

For more information, email erica (at) rachelsnetwork.org.