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DOEE Announces Washington Spirit Player Anna Heilferty as District’s First-Ever Sustainable DC Ambassador

Thursday, May 12, 2022

CONTACT:
Nicole Goines, Public Information Officer, [email protected]; (202) 536-7666;
Sam Pittman (Washington Spirit), [email protected]

(WASHINGTON, DC) – May 12, 2022 – Today, the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) announced that second-year Washington Spirit soccer player Anna Heilferty will become the first-ever Ambassador for Sustainable DC, a mayoral initiative centered on environmentalism and sustainable planning.

By way of this partnership, Anna will have the opportunity to work with and learn from a variety of DOEE experts. Anna’s ambassadorship will be primarily focused on project development and promotional planning as she raises general awareness and response to environmental issues facing the nation’s capital as well as the rest of the world. DOEE is currently in the midst of implementing Mayor Bowser’s Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan.

“Anna will raise awareness of Mayor Bowser’s leadership in sustainability and help engage members of the public in greening the District,” said DOEE Director Tommy Wells. “We know that Anna is a champion on the field, and we couldn’t be more pleased that off the field, she will now be a champion for equity, environmental protection, and sustainability.”

Anna Heilferty, a Boston University alumna and a native of Falls Church, joined the Washington Spirit following the 2021 NWSL College Draft. During her college career, she was named to the All Patriot League First Team, the All-Patriot League Second Team twice, was a member of the All-Patriot League Tournament team, and earned the Patriot League Tournament MVP. Anna played 893 minutes during her first season with the Washington Spirit in 2021 and started 8 games throughout the Spirit's Championship run.

“This groundbreaking ambassadorship sets the foundation for continued collaboration between DC’s professional sports teams and environmental initiatives that serve the greater community,” said Washington Spirit VP of Communications Jonna Valente. “Anna is deeply committed to environmental advocacy, and we are honored to support her in this new role.”

In the Mayor’s FY22 Fair Shot Budget, her investments for a sustainable environment included $71 million to support healthier homes and schools through expanded weatherization and energy efficiency retrofits, lead paint and mold remediation, lead pipe replacement, drinking water filtration, and solar energy installations.

The Mayor’s FY23 Budget proposes additional investments including $2.6 million to help residents in flood prone areas (especially in Wards 7 and 8) retrofit their homes to reduce risk of damage, $8.3 million to support the Green Infrastructure Maintenance project, and an additional $30 million to support various Building Energy Performance projects. Furthermore, $25 million has been budgeted for hazardous material remediation of the Anacostia River, Poplar Point, and Kenilworth Park, while another $10 million is slated to make home energy-efficiency improvements and remediate lead and mold hazards.