Greatest American Cleanup
Photographing Jennifer Denney Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful was a special privilege. She had some exciting news to share!
“On Friday, July 19, Keep America Beautiful is launching (launched) a national campaign to prepare the country for its 250th birthday. To quote our press release,
‘Keep America Beautiful, kicked off the Greatest American Cleanup, a campaign to remove 25 billion pieces of rubbish from the American landscape by July 4, 2026.’
A recent Harris Poll reveals ‘nearly all Americans regardless of political affiliation support cleaning up litter from US parks and public spaces.’ This is wonderful news! We believe that at an hour when the country seems to be fraying, it is a perfect time to band together to beautify our country ahead of our 250th iconic birthday on July 4, 2026.
To celebrate, we’ve created a two-year challenge. We are looking for 25,000 American communities to do more including cleaning up parks and public spaces, planting trees, increasing recycling efforts and giving people information about how they can become involved. To learn more about what your community can do, please visit our new website launching (launched on) Friday, July 19 at kab.org. It’s going to take all of us to get there. But what can I do, what can you do? Every American is invited to help us pick up 25 billion pieces of litter, half of all the litter that’s out there. If every American picks up 250 pieces a year we would do it and the job would be done, not hard to do your part.
I am excited to announce that over 100 communities have started on this journey as we launch on day one! We are looking for the remaining communities to make up 25,000 to state this new declaration for a cleaner more beautiful America. To wrap up this two-year challenge and to share this historic event Keep America Beautiful will be on the steps of Independence Hall on July 4, 2026.
Keep America Beautiful is a 71-year-old organization with a network of 753 grassroots community groups from all over the US that have taken our country’s beauty to heart. We provide support for individuals and communities with ‘the expertise, programs, and resources to help people End Littering, Improve Recycling, Beautify America's public spaces, and Restore & Support resilient communities.’
Transformation for me is both a story of the times and an opportunistic outlook. I started working in marketing and advertising in the late ’80s and did fun and interesting work then moved into the non-profit sector. Soon, I realized I could devise value connecting and building non-profit and company partnerships to create social impact, we call it ESG Environment Social and Governance measures. Companies doing good and impacting social efforts was something I understood and that became my career trajectory.
Working in affordable housing I was very often at the intersection of social and what companies might do in a business context for sustainability or what their leaders may do.
That understanding of the crossroads between the two grew until I took the role of Chief Innovation Officer at Points of Light for 12 years. Then two years ago, when the CEO position at Keep America Beautiful opened, I saw that it could be the culmination of all my experience in my entire career. Understanding the power of an opportunity led me to this role. I’m good at connecting dots so I see opportunities and this one seems like it draws upon every bit of my career experience. I’m so happy to be here.
To tie it to Alissa I’ve been at Keep America Beautiful for two years, but this moment seemed like a great time for a refreshed headshot since I will be front and center. I was very anxious about the whole headshot experience. I don’t like being in front of a camera. Alissa made it wonderful from the pre-interview where we looked in my closet to the arrival right on through. Lisa, the hair and makeup stylist was phenomenal.
After the hair and makeup session when I saw myself in the mirror for the first time, it was very emotional. I never saw myself like that person before. The person in the mirror was the leader I wanted to be and didn’t realize I was. It was a very powerful experience. Alissa asked me if I was okay. I was, but I needed a moment to process who I was looking at in the mirror. Then the shoot was fun. I learned how to look better in the pictures I take.
I am grateful to Alissa who helped me to be a leader for this effort.”