Bluegrass PRIDE of Lexington and Anne Weston, retired CEO of the Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road Council, have been selected as recipients of awards to be presented by the University of Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Initiative during the eighth annual Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Forum luncheon on Oct. 14 at the Lexington Convention Center.

Bluegrass PRIDE-an acronym for Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment-was selected as the winner of the 2010 Fifth Third Bank Innovative Nonprofit Award. The organization provides resources and education to empower Central Kentuckians to foster positive environmental change in their communities. In 2006, Bluegrass PRIDE launched the Live Green Lexington program in partnership with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The program currently partners with 292 businesses, 94 apartment complexes and more than 80 schools to improve water quality by reducing waste. The Live Green Lexington program was selected for the award because its partnerships with organizations in both the public and private sectors result in successful program implementation and innovative holistic approaches in developing and implementing waste reduction plans.

The Innovative Nonprofit Award was created by the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative in partnership with Fifth Third Bank to recognize a nonprofit organization implementing inventive, nontraditional programs or methods that effectively and efficiently meet community needs. The selected organization was required to demonstrate creativity and vision in finding solutions to community issues. Any registered 501(c) 3 organization located and operating in Kentucky is eligible for the award.

Weston is the recipient of the 2010 Keeneland Distinguished Nonprofit Leadership Award. Weston retired as CEO of the Wilderness Road Council in February after a more than 40-year career with the Girl Scouts. Under her leadership, the Girl Scouts of Wilderness Road Council and Licking Valley Council merged to strengthen service and make better use of available resources.

Over the past four decades, Weston served in several communities working to the betterment of Girl Scouts. Her experience culminated with her 20 years as CEO of the Wilderness Road Council. Current volunteer positions include service on the board of the Lexington Singers and the Rotary Club of Lexington. Her other volunteer positions have included United Way of the Bluegrass, Bluegrass Alliance for Women, Professional Women's Forum, Lexington Chamber Chorale, Kentucky Child Now, Commonwealth Coalition for Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention, LFUCG Partners for Youth and the Lexington Alliance for Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Health. Weston's accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards, including the 2004 Frances Hesselbein Award for Excellence and the 1999 and 1997 National Quality Recognition Award from Girl Scouts of the USA. She also completed the Wharton School's Executive Leadership Development Program and was noted as a certified Girl Scout Council Executive Director in 1996 and 2001. She was certificated in nonprofit management in 1992 from Case Western Reserve and received a certificate in corporate management from Harvard University in 1986. She was chosen for the 2010 Keeneland Distinguished Nonprofit Leadership Award for her ability to build relationships, encourage collaborations, establish a positive environment and rally all affected parties around a common cause for the betterment of the organization and communities.

The Keeneland Distinguished Nonprofit Leadership Award was created to recognize achievement in the areas of strategic leadership, community building, ethical integrity, innovation and commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector.

The Nonprofit Leadership Initiative is an outreach program of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. It serves and strengthens Kentucky's nonprofit sector through educational opportunities, consulting services, and resources for organizations and their leaders. Registration for the Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Forum is open until Oct. 8. Tickets to the award luncheon are available. Additional information is available at www.kynonprofits.org or by calling 859-257-2542.