Allen Grosboll, of Petersburg, Illinois, was the recipient of the 2022 Karen May Green Caucus Award in recognition of his nearly 50 years of public service protecting our communities and our environment in various leadership roles in Illinois state government and as an environmental advocate. Grosboll has served on the PRI Advisory Board since 2017.

“I am honored by this award. Working for a cleaner, safer environment is about the future, and receiving this recognition means a lot to me.” Grosboll said. Regarding PRI, he added “During the last fifty years working on environmental issues, I have utilized the expertise of the Scientific Surveys to address a multitude of environmental challenges.  Today I consider it a privilege to serve on the PRI Advisory Board.”

Each year at the annual meeting of the Illinois Environmental Council, the Illinois General Assembly’s Green Caucus, founded by former State Representative Karen May, honors an unsuspecting guest with a surprise award in recognition of their accomplishments in environmental policy at the state level. 

In selecting Grosboll for the award, Jennifer Walling, executive director for the Illinois Environmental Council and fellow PRI Advisory Board member writes, “ Al Grosboll is known for his determined, but good-humored approach to conducting legislative business and is a beloved figure at the State Capitol. From a legislative intern, to the House Speaker’s staff, to serving as Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during Governor Jim Edgar’s administration to his most recent 22-year post as the legislative director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, there likely isn’t an environmental policy that Al didn’t have some role in shaping over the last five decades.”

In early 2022, Grosboll retired from the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) after having spent 48 years in Illinois state government and public policy advocacy. During his tenure at ELPC, Grosboll focused on advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency, conserving natural resources, and enhancing environmental protections.