Mary Hess Honored as 2025 Hoosier Resilience Hero

The Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) named SWICQL President Mary Hess as a 2020 Hoosier Resilience Hero.

Read what ERI had to say about our work:

When Mary Hess heard about a proposed $2.5 billion coal-to-diesel plant to be constructed a mile from her home in southwest Indiana, she organized her community to oppose the plant and its likely negative impact on public health and quality of life. In 2018, she formed Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life and served as the organization’s president, making numerous trips to the Indiana State House and Washington DC to share local concerns with decision makers. Over the next five years, Hess attended more than 300 meetings with stakeholders, town and county councils, and even the White House Council for Environmental Quality. Her persistence contributed to the state’s decision to revoke the plant’s permit in 2023. Hess continues to advocate for the health of southwestern Indiana residents, notably by addressing the American Public Health Association’s annual conference and by pursuing water-air monitoring and cancer research funding in the pollution-burdened region.

https://eri.iu.edu/programs/hoosier-resilience-heroes/2025-hoosier-resilience-heroes.html