Sustainable Blacksburg’s mission is to promote and enhance sustainability in Blacksburg and its environs. To recognize individuals who have assisted in accomplishing this mission within the New River Valley, in 2025 we established the Dave Roper Sustainable Citizen Award to be given on an annual basis in recognition of a community member who has gone above and beyond in their sustainability work, creating new paths and bringing people together.
Our inaugural recipient and namesake of the award, Dave Roper, has been a key part of sustainability initiatives in our community.
His efforts have included:
o One of the original founders of Sustainable Blacksburg and Sustainability Week
o Early citizen advocate for the Town to take action on climate
o Mayor’s Task Force on Climate Protection and Sustainability
o Tireless advocate for composting, electric vehicles and solar in the community
o Designed the Roper Solar Greenhouse at the Hale Community Garden
Dave Roper (in yellow) talking to attendees at one of the many events he organized to showcase the benefits of electric vehicles.
Dave Roper on his e-trike arriving at the 2023 Sustainable Garden Tour.
Dave Roper (seated) with artist Nikki Pynn, who created the stained glass gift presented to him in honor of his years of dedication to sustainability in our community.
Behind Dave are other founding members of Sustainability Week and Sustainable Blacksburg: (l-r) Denny Cochrane, John Randolph, Rob Lowe, Kelly Mattingly, Tim Colley and Leslie Hager-Smith.
| Dave Roper Sustainable Citizen Award nomination schedule |
| Nomination Submittal: December 5, 2025 |
| Award Announcement: January 2026 Sustainable Blacksburg Listening Session, Exact Date and Location TBD |
To learn more about the Dave Roper Sustainable Citizen Award and nominate an outstanding member of our community, download the nomination form here and return it by the deadline to sustainableblacksburgva@gmail.com, using the subject header “Dave Roper Award Nomination”
Sustainable Blacksburg’s mission is to promote and enhance sustainability in Blacksburg and environs by promoting clean energy, smart growth and mobility, ecological integrity, social equity, local food systems and reduction of waste, carbon emissions, and pollution.
We work to accomplish our mission by serving as a clearinghouse of sustainability-related information, and collaborating with the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, other community organizations and businesses to create and cross promote sustainability policies, programs, and projects.