Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Texas the best place to live, work, and play by deploying resources for community improvements projects, clean-ups, and youth engagement efforts across the state. Through the Keep Texas Recycling program, they provide assistance and education to support recycling in rural and underserved communities. Founded in 1967, KTB’s work is driven by its network of nearly 300 affiliate member communities, volunteers, and supporters that reach 17 million Texans annually.
The KTB Beautify Awards recognize efforts made by individuals and organizations to enhance their communities and protect Texas’ environment. These awards range in honoring extraordinary volunteers, professionals, youth, educators, businesses, local/civic governments, organizations, and specific projects and programs.
Recently, at the KTB annual conference, Kathleen Hawkins, Keep San Saba Beautiful (KSSB) Board Director was honored with the Stan Weik Leadership Award. The Stan Weik LeadershipAward is the most prestigious award KTB presents, this once-in-alifetime professional distinction is awarded to an individual who has provided outstanding leadership in improving and enhancing the environment of their community, the state of Texas, and beyond.
Kathleen a devoted KSSB volunteer, graduated from San Saba High and majored in Business Administration at Angelo State University. After an extensive work career in the San Angelo and Dallas areas, Kathleen returns to San Saba in her current position as President of Berkly Enterprises, Inc. During her KSSB tenure, she has served as a Board Chairperson from 2016 to 2022, leading the group in several major projects to include the two retaining walls in Mill Pond Park and continues to serve as a Board Director. She has built new partnerships and recruited new supporters, for example: the SSBL funded their first KSSB project; a local business hosted two annual Christmas fundraisers with proceeds to benefit KSSB; the HS Art Class tackled downtown beautification projects; and a local rock quarry has become a great supporter of KSSB, donating materials for KSSB projects.
Kathleen’s passion for KSSB is to accomplish beautiful things for the community and San Saba. She is a dedicated, hard worker, the volunteer that is working before anyone else shows up and the last one to leave. She is the person working despite the heat or cold; the leader that if something needs to be done, she will find the resources and a way to get it done. She works in a group and/ or on her own. She helps with the community garden and city-wide cleanups, assists with the Kids' Nature Kamp, plants flowers, maintains flower beds, coordinates beautification projects, fundraising; recruiting membership and sponsors; beautifying church grounds, gathering litter on the county road going home; and being prepared to volunteer, keeping her gardening tools, trash bags, and such in her vehicle so that she is ready to help.
Kathleen is not only a leader and volunteer in the KSSB organization but has/and is a leader and volunteer in other organizations such as the San Angelo Junior League, the Sonrisas Therapeutic Riding, the West Texas Rehabilitation Center, the US Tennis Association and locally: the Pierian Study Club and the Catkins Ball Committee to name a few. She graciously gives to her community, Texas, and beyond.