Green Newton will present its Louise Bruyn Environmental Leadership Awards to four Newton-area climate leaders at a fundraising dinner on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Hibernian Hall in Watertown.
State Sen. Cindy Creem, Bill Ferguson, the Newton Energy Commission and Kay Masterson will receive the awards, which recognize work advancing climate action, clean energy and sustainability in Newton, according to Green Newton's announcement. The celebration runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and includes a reception, dinner, music and the awards presentation.
The event is Green Newton's largest annual fundraiser.
The nonprofit, co-founded in 1990 by Louise Bruyn, has spent more than 35 years promoting sustainability in Newton through education and advocacy. Bruyn died in December 2024 at age 94.
Creem, the Senate majority leader who represents the Norfolk and Middlesex district, also chairs the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming. She sponsored the Freedom to Move Act, a bill that would require the state to set goals for reducing vehicle miles traveled to meet Massachusetts climate targets. Transportation accounts for roughly 40 percent of the state's carbon pollution, according to testimony cited by the Boston Herald.
"The purpose of the Freedom to Move Act is to ensure that we are investing in all transportation options … to help align Massachusetts with its climate target," Creem said in a January 2026 statement to the Herald defending the bill.
Ferguson serves as co-director of sustainability for Newton city government and as a member of the Newton Energy Commission. The commission conducted Newton's greenhouse gas inventory in 2021, which found that residential buildings account for 61 percent of the city's emissions. That inventory became the foundation for Newton's Climate Action Plan 2.0, a plan for 2026–2030 that targets carbon neutrality by 2050.
Masterson co-owns Johnny's Luncheonette and Cabot's Restaurant and Ice Cream in Newton with her husband Kevin. She has been recognized by Mass Recycle for waste reduction strategies at Johnny's. She has also served on the boards of Green America, the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston and Natick Community Organic Farm.
Green Newton says seats are limited. Tickets are available on Green Newton's website.
Upcoming
- Thursday, Oct. 1: Green Newton Environmental Leadership Celebration, 6:30–9 p.m., Hibernian Hall, Watertown
