Who We Are
Organization Overview Our Mission Goals & Strategies Houston Clean City Commission KHB Honorary Advisory Board Staff Directory

Overview
Keep Houston Beautiful is the city's leading organization in beautification, litter reduction and recycling education.

For 28 years, Keep Houston Beautiful has been reaching out to all segments of our community to educate and empower individuals to take greater responsibility for beautifying and enhancing Houston's environment. Each year's successes have created a cleaner and healthier city for all Houstonians.

 

 

Graffiti Mural

 

   

 

We Beautify


KHB organized the first anti-litter campaign in 1979


KHB reduced litter in Houston by an astonishing 77% in just ten years


KHB's, Super Bowl "Team Up to Clean Up" Campaign cleaned 26 neighborhoods and 12 public parks using 3,800 volunteers working 13, 700 hours  to collect 173,900 pounds of trash and 1,447 illegally dumped tires.


KHB's, 2004 All-Star Game cleanup ensured the area surrounding Minute Maid Park was litter-free.  1,000 motivated volunteers picked up 8.1 tons of trash mowed right-of-ways and 18 vacant lots, painted over 19 sites of graffiti, and cleaned 4 public parks near Minute Maid Park, in downtown and Midtown.

KHB's, Adopt-A-Block program has created a self-sustaining effort helping individuals and groups keep parts of our city litter-free. To date we have 83 organizations participating in this program.


KHB's partnership in the Keep 5 Alive program has helped beautify and restore the historic 5th Ward neighborhood


KHB's Great American Cleanup is a nationally recognized litter removal program where KHB lends tools and supplies for community groups to conduct their own beautification projects. In 2005, 2,574 volunteers conducted 62 events and donated 11,220 hours of their time. Participating volunteers picked up 44,195 pounds of litter and  debris, cleaned 723.8 acres of parks, planted 697 trees and collected 1,953 illegally dumped tires between March 1, and May 31 2005.


KHB is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

We Teach


Keep Houston Beautiful is at the forefront of enlightening the public. From instructing businesses on how to buy recycled products to educating community volunteers in Civic Leaders Training sessions, KHB has reached out to tens of thousands of individuals. The Keep Houston Beautiful youth programs are also valued by numerous teachers throughout the Houston area who use Keep America Beautiful, Inc.'s Waste-In-Place environmental curriculum guide.

These programs in conjunction with KHB publications help guide individuals and businesses through a variety of beautification projects. Whether you want to plant an esplanade, plan a community cleanup or stop illegal dumping in your neighborhood, Keep Houston Beautiful offers the information and resources to get the job done.

                      We Work With Youth


KHB has touched young people's lives for over 28 years with special events and environmental educational programs such as:

 

- The Youth Advisory Board works with staff to create opportunities for high school

   students to participate in projects to improve their campus environments.

- Influencing young adults through the Youth Environmental Leadership Conference
- Involving youths in the Graffiti Hurts program which transforms and beautifies

   neighborhoods while producing works of mural art.

 

Boy Scouts

We Lead


Our many years of experience working with Houston neighborhoods, city and county services and other community organizations makes us a necessary resource and the catalyst to make things happen in our city.

Our Clean Neighborhoods program is a national model for preventing urban litter, transforming neglected areas, reducing crime and revitalizing neighborhoods. We mobilize area residents and teach them how to utilize critical services and resources so that they can experience pride in the beautification of their own neighborhoods.

 

 

We Recognize Others

KHB shines a light on the true leaders and projects that help make Houston a cleaner and more beautiful city. These exemplary efforts all obtain significant recognition through:

. The Mayor's Proud Partners Awards
. The Golden Glove Awards
. The Annual Clean Neighborhoods Program Volunteer Recognition Event

We Need You
We depend on volunteers and donations of all types. Whether you want to help plant a garden on a spring weekend or want to assist in beautifying a neighborhood, we hope you'll become involved. Your time and talents are always appreciated by Keep Houston Beautiful. We also rely on financial and in-kind support from individuals, corporations and foundations. In return, you will be a partner with an organization that affects the lives of all Houstonians and works hard to make our city a place we are proud to call home.

History


The Houston Clean City Commission, d.b.a. Keep Houston Beautiful, was created in 1979 and charged with the task of creating a clean and beautiful city. As a local affiliate of the national organization, Keep America Beautiful, Keep Houston Beautiful learned that the way to lasting improvement was through education and a change of attitude by each individual as to his or her personal responsibility towards the environment. Therefore, during its 28-year history, training, positive reinforcement and recognition have been major components of all the program activities.

Encouraging and supporting cleanup and beautification projects by neighborhoods and community groups is another focus of Keep Houston Beautiful. In 1998, the City of Houston awarded a grant to Keep Houston Beautiful to operate the Clean Neighborhoods Program. This program was used as a case study to develop a best practice on Urban Partnerships to prevent litter and illegal dumping guide for the U.S. conference of Mayors and Keep America Beautiful, Inc. “Building Clean, Livable Cities” nation litter summit in 1999.

During its 28-year history, Keep Houston Beautiful has received local, regional and national recognition and has a successful track record of working with local businesses and leading Houston corporations to promote effective partnerships solutions to eliminating urban blight.

Organizational Structure


Keep Houston Beautiful is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit organization. It is governed by a 48-member Commission which is supported by a small professional staff. Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council.

The Board members serve on one of six committees- Executive Committee, Council District Commissioners Committee, Environmental Education Committee, Cleanup/Beautification Committee, Marketing/Communications Committee and Recognition Committee. The Board of Directors meets bi-monthly with each committee meeting as needed.

 

Our Vision
Our vision is for Houston to be recognized nationally as one of the cleanest, most beautiful metropolitan cities in America.

Our Mission
Through education and community partnerships, foster resident and neighborhood awareness of the important role citizens can play in preserving the natural beauty and visual amenities of our city.

                                   Goals

    • Provide continuous education and public awareness efforts that support and

    promote sound waste management activities.

    • Plan, develop and implement neighborhood-based litter cleanup programs and activities.
    • Coordinate and implement landscaping improvements.
    • Maintain fiscal sustainability and accountability.

Year 2007 Strategic Priorities

 
  • Provide continuous education and public awareness efforts that support and promote litter prevention   and  waste minimization.
  • Plan, develop and implement neighborhood-based cleanup and beautification initiatives.
  • Recognize outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations toward fulfilling the mission of Keep Houston Beautiful.
  • Conduct fund raising efforts as a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization to bring complementary funding (or in-kind good/services) for waste management education/public awareness programs and community beautification activities, above and beyond local government appropriations for such programs.

 

 


Houston Clean City Commission

Chairman
Bill Linthicum, Republic Waste Services

Chairman Emeritus
W.J. Bowen, Retired Chairman of the Board of Transco

Founder
J. Howard Rambin III, Moody Rambin Interests, Inc.

Commission Members

Chairman Emeritus - W. J. Bowen

Chairman - William C. Linthicum

Diamantina Araujo, Arajujo Consulting Services

Marie D. Arcos, M.D. Anderson Family YMCA

Keiji Asakura, Asakura Robinson Company

Linda K. Brown, Advantage Communications Consultant

Harry Hayes, City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department

Katherine Bui, AXENS, N.A.

Penny Hess Butler

Patrick Castillo

Tanaz Choudhury, Tan Ches Global Management, Inc.

Susan Cita, ASLA, TBG Partners

Nathaniel "Nick" Clayton II, CSSC, The Financial Services Company of the SouthwestRey de la Reza, FAIA, Rey de la Reza Architects, Inc.

Paul Kevin Dix

Montecella Flaniken, City of Houston Neighborhood Protection Division

Ramiro Fonseca

Mark Fowler, Toshiba International Corp.

Raymond Franks, BFI Waste Services of Texas, LP

Janice Gabriel

Robert W. Gibbs, Law Offices of Raymond W. Gibbs

Jose Griñan, Fox 26 KRIV Houston

Earl Lee Harrison

Michael Hatley

Charlotte A. Haynes, Charlotte Haynes Associates

Ruth Hurst, New Braeswood Revitalization Assoc.

Rhenel Johnson, Ebenezer United Methodist Church

Darryl L. King, Principal Partnering Group

Darryl Lambert, Abitibi Recycling

Michael Lavengco, Waste Management of Houston

Sallé Morse, HSL Enterprises of Texas

Karen North, Houston Independent School District

Donald L. Poarch, The Sprint Companies

J. Howard Rambin III, Moody Rambin Interests, Inc.

Robert A. Ridge, ConocoPhillips

Daniel Sullenbarger, Marathon Oil Company

Adriana Tamez, Houston Independent School District

Jose Armando Valdes, Tu Casa Realty

Steven L. Williams, City of Houston Health & Human Resources Department

Calvin Wills

Chris K. Wilmot, WCW International, Inc.

Carla Wyatt

Janice Gabriel, City Council District A

Theresa Carmouche-Lede, City Council District B

Janice S. Rose, City Council District C

Bessie Swindle, Office of Congressman Al Green, City Council District D

Paul Kevin Dix, B.E.D., Associate AIA, Paul Kevin Dix Associates, Inc. City Council District E

L'Tisha M. Michaels, Rapha House Outreach Center, City Council District F

Harry Phillips Jr., Timberlake Interests Inc., City Council District G

Jose A. Medrano, Farmers Insurance, City Council District H

Romero Fonseca, City Council District I

Teamwork

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Keep Houston Beautiful Honorary AdvisoryBoard

John Adkins, Strasburger & Price
John R. Breeding, Uptown Houston District
Kay Berry Crooker
Don Fitch
Glenn Grantom
Henry Groppe, Groppe, Long & Littell
Mary Margaret Hansen, Greater East End Management District
Tim Hansen
Terese "Terry" Hershey

Larry Lipton, 1960 Area Community Alliance

Clark Martinson, Energy Corridor District

Sparky Nolan, Kingwood Chamber of Commerce

Robert Taylor, BIO Landscape & Maintenance, Inc.
Louis Sklar, Hines
George W. Strake, Jr., Strake Energy
Janet Wagner, J.K. Wagner & Co., Inc.
Gary Woods

David Andrew, Goldman Sachs

Brenda Brummett

Jenny Hyun

 

  

Keep Houston Beautiful Staff


Robin Blut, Executive Director: rblut@houstonbeautiful.org

Laura Ariane, Event Coordinator: lariane@houstonbeautiful.org
Michael Aden, Warehouse Technician: info@houstonbeautiful.org

For volunteer or general information: info@houstonbeautiful.org

Keep Houston Beautiful Associates

Esther de Ipolyi, Public Relations

Dot Brooks, Bookeeping

                                                     

Keep Houston Beautiful

        3000 Richmond Avenue

Suite 350
Houston, TX 77098
Ph: (713) 839-8855
Fax: (713) 839-8880


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