Stockman, Kotcon Named Mother Jones Award Winners

by Norm Steenstra

Nearly as old as the E-Council itself is the tradition of recognizing individuals that have provided outstanding leadership and contributions to the environmental movement. Our highest award is the Mother Jones Award, beautifully crafted by artist Carol Jackson.

Ten years ago, at our first E-Day, former Speaker of the House and current Federal Judge Chuck Chambers was presented with the first Mother Jones Award. One of the highlights of our E- Day activities on Friday at the Capitol will be awarding the WVEC’s most prestigious honor to long-time activist Dr. Jim Kotcon (pronounced Smythe) and Roane County’s Vivian Stockman.

Kotcon and Stockman will be the 17th and 18th recipients of the Mother Jones, an honor that is evolving into a sort of West Virginia Green Hall of Fame. Past "MJ" winners have fallen into the categories of Long-Term Service, Technical (law and environmental science), Political, and Grassroots Impact.

Jim Kotcon is being honored for his long-time commitment to WV green issues. He is a WVEC past president as well as one of the founding Council Board members. Jim has worked on virtually every WVEC issue over the years and was a key lobby team member for several years. Pick an issue - groundwater, solid waste, air quality, mining, timbering, "brownfields", green space, Hughes River Dam, sewage sludge, etc., and Jim has been there offering scholarly advice, technical information, and timely humor to all of our causes. In Jim’s spare time, he is a professor of worms at WVU.

Vivian Stockman is a grassroots impactor. She is also an artist, newspaper reporter, and pretty much full-time agitator. "Viv" has, over the past 18 months, helped to galvanize grassroots campaigns on the Blackwater Canyon, mountaintop removal and election reform. Her energy, grace, writing skills and quick wit combine to create a wonderful package of the model grassroots organizer. In her spare time, she serves on the Roane County Solid Waste Authority, and works closely with such groups as OVEC, WV Highlands Conservancy and the Concerned Citizens of Roane Calhoun and Gilmer Counties (CCC).

This year’s honorees share common talents. They combine humor, intelligence and greenness with an incredible work ethic. Mother Jones would be proud of Vivian and Jim. Join us on E-day! to honor two of West Virginia’s finest citizen activists.