Governor Kim Reynolds Proclaims April as Keep Iowa Beautiful Month and Keep Iowa Beautiful Announces 2025 Award and Scholarship Winners at Annual Ceremony

DES MOINES, Iowa (April 25, 2025) – Governor Kim Reynolds has officially proclaimed April as Keep Iowa Beautiful Month, continuing a longstanding tradition that highlights the importance of community pride and environmental stewardship. The proclamation encourages all Iowans to participate in local programs that promote cleanliness, beautification, and sustainability in their communities and across the state. For over a decade, Iowa governors have honored April Keep Iowa Beautiful Month, urging residents to take action in preserving the natural beauty of the state through community-led efforts.

This month serves as a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to care for and protect the places we live, work, and play, said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. From small towns to larger cities, every act of beautification contributes to the vibrancy and health of our communities.

Keep Iowa Beautiful Month, named after the statewide nonprofit Keep Iowa Beautiful, reflects a broader mission to foster civic pride and environmental awareness. As a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful for 25 years, the organization works to build meaningful partnerships with government agencies, businesses, communities, counties, and service groups. Its statewide initiatives focus on litter prevention, recycling, beautification, landscape enhancement, volunteerism, and waste reduction.

Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer joined Keep Iowa Beautiful at the Iowa State Capitol on Wednesday, April 23, to commemorate the occasion during the organizations annual awards and scholarships ceremony.

The recipients of the 2025 Keep Iowa Beautiful Annual Awards honor individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses that demonstrate exceptional commitment to enhancing the beauty, sustainability, and livability of Iowas communities.

Keep Iowa Beautiful also announced the recipients of the 2025 Keep Iowa Beautiful Scholarship Awards, recognizing three outstanding Iowa high school seniors for their dedication to improving their communities through service, leadership, and environmental stewardship. Each student received a $1,000 scholarship to support their continued education at an Iowa college or university. Since its inception, the Keep Iowa Beautiful Scholarship Program has awarded $63,000 in scholarships to 73 students. This years program drew 145 applications from across the state, showcasing the passion and potential of Iowas next generation of leaders.

Keep Iowa Beautiful 2025 award recipients:

* Robert D. Ray Community Award for Excellence: Presented to the City of DeWitt in recognition of their continued efforts to enhance the beauty, cleanliness, and overall appeal of their community. DeWitt has a legacy of improvement and community pride through dedication to beautification, sustainability, and collaboration.

* Keep Iowa Beautiful Organization Award for Excellence: Awarded to AARP Iowa for their impactful work in helping communities across Iowa plan and implement programs that improve livability and promote healthy, vibrant places to live. AARP Iowa helps foster livable communities that prioritize accessibility, sustainability, and inclusivity for residents of all ages.

* Keep Iowa Beautiful Corporate Award for Excellence: Presented to Alliant Energy for their ongoing investment and leadership in strengthening the quality of life in communities throughout Iowa. Alliant Energy has made a profound and meaningful difference in Iowas quality of life by empowering communities with resources, expertise, and leadership to thrive.

* Donald F. Lamberti Hometown Pride Vision Award: Awarded to the City of Delaware Hometown Pride Committee for their long-standing dedication to improving the quality of life in their community and making rural Iowa a better place to live and raise a family. The Delaware Hometown Pride Committee is a small but mighty group with a high level of community involvement, a sense of pride, and a can-do spirit in making an impact on their community.

* Keep Iowa Beautiful Service Award: Awarded to Doug Shull for his dedicated service to Keep Iowa Beautiful and its mission for 25 years. Shull is one of the founders of Keep Iowa Beautiful, has served on the board since the organizations inception, and is the current Board Chair. His leadership has guided and sustained the organization from the ground up, ensuring that Keep Iowa Beautiful remains a strong and impactful force for good across the state.

Keep Iowa Beautiful 2025 scholarship recipients:

* Maranda Wood of Baldwin received the Fultz Communications & Marketing Scholarship. She plans to attend Iowa State University to study Agricultural Communications. This scholarship is named in honor of Bill Fultz, a founding board member of Keep Iowa Beautiful and a visionary in agricultural marketing whose work had global impact.

* Kelsey Hoeger of Earlville was awarded the Schnepf Community Service Scholarship. Hoeger also plans to attend Iowa State University, majoring in Agricultural Communications. The scholarship honors Gerry Schnepf, Keep Iowa Beautifuls founding Executive Director, whose five-decade career helped shape Iowa into a cleaner, more beautiful place to live and work.

* Parker Messerich of Charlotte is the recipient of the Byers Environmental Scholarship. Messerich plans to attend the University of Dubuque to study Environmental Science. This scholarship honors the legacy of Bob Byers, a longtime educator whose passion for youth development and environmental advocacy inspired generations of young Iowans.