Marie leaves the environment in Pittsburgh literally a better place for her tireless efforts.

To name a few of her many activities: she was the guiding GASP presence which worked so effectively to discourage Sun Coke Co. from siting themselves in Hazelwood; she admirably represented GASP on the Advisory Committee to the Allegheny County Air Quality Division, the national Common Sense Initiative, the Pennsylvania Working Group on Environmental Justice and quarterly meetings with the Department of Environmental Protection. These are meetings where GASP has a chance to influence policy, but Marie has always been there for the everyday events too.

Such ongoing activities as Earth Day events, the annual GASPer Air Congress and the GASP membership events all saw Marie staffing the tables, stuffing envelopes, grocery shopping or delivering folks to the airport. She has done all this with enthusiasm, wit and poise and entirely as a volunteer.

Marie is very impressed with the door-to-door canvass' ability to raise awareness and get a response from people. She says, " You can only send out so many mailings. You can only get so many articles in the newspaper or on radio or TV. Therefore, getting your message out face to face is ideal."

She wants to focus on Citizen Action's campaigns in her community. "Since I have time to go to meetings both day and evening, I see myself as a coalition builder. I have my finger in a few pies: I'm involved with the League of Women Voters and Sierra Club, and I'm on the environmental advisory committee to the City of Cincinnati. I have the time and energy to go to meetings. I see myself as a conduit for information. I can get people informed about things if they don't have the time."