Press Release
Press Release: Morris Arboretum & Gardens Announces 2024 Honorees For Annual Moonlight & Roses Gala
Philadelphia, PA—Morris Arboretum & Gardens will celebrate its 43rd Moonlight & Roses gala on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 6 pm. The event provides a beautiful forum in which to recognize excellence and leadership in environmental stewardship. This year’s honorees are Joseph Manko, founding partner of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox LLP, and global media and technology company Comcast NBCUniversal | Environment.
The gala, held in the Morris’s stunning Rose Garden, directly supports the Morris’s work as a renowned public garden and as a center for plant-science research and educational programming for all ages. Chairing the 2024 event is Ruth Chang, vice chair of Whitpain Township’s Environmental Advisory Council.
Tickets for the gala are on sale now. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact Kristen Casalenuovo at kcasal@upenn.edu. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit MorrisArboretumGala.org.
Meet the 2024 Honorees
2024 Individual Honoree
Joseph Manko
A pioneer in environmental law, Joe Manko is a founding partner of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox LLP. Prior to founding the firm in 1989, Joe founded and chaired the
environmental department at Wolf, Block, Schorr, and Solis-Cohen. From 1973 to 1975, he served as regional counsel for the EPA. He is the past chair of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, former vice chair of the State Water Law Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and past chair of the environmental law committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Joe served on Pennsylvania’s 21st Century Environment Commission and chaired the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) from 2003 to 2012. He co-chaired Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s Sustainability Advisory Board from 2008 to 2015. Joe spent 18 years teaching environmental law courses at the University of Pennsylvania and Vermont law schools. He served for 27 years as an elected commissioner and officer on the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners. He is still active on the board of directors of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
2024 Institutional Honoree
Comcast NBCUniversal | Environment
As a global media and technology company, Comcast is taking action toward a greener future by using its content and platforms for good and reducing its carbon footprint—going carbon neutral by 2035. To meet this ambitious goal, Comcast is focused on sourcing clean and renewable energy to power its operations
and network, improving network energy efficiency, and designing environmentally friendly products and packaging. Since 2019, Comcast has reducedenterprise-wide greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 percent. Comcast’s Philadelphia headquarters include two of the tallest LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. The Comcast Center is LEED Gold certified and the Comcast Technology Center is LEED Platinum certified—the highest green building designation. Comcast is also helping drive awareness of the world’s most pressing issues and solutions for positive change. For example, TODAY Climate, led by Al Roker, is committed to covering climate change and sharing sustainable solutions with millions of viewers. The Universal Filmed Entertainment Group recently launched the GreenerLight Program, an initiative focused on embedding sustainability across the entire filmmaking process including script development, locations and set needs, and on-screen behaviors.
For more information, email Kristen Casalenuovo at kcasal@upenn.edu or call 215.247.5777 x 418.
