ABFHA FIRST PLACE GRANT WIN – GOVERNOR KOTEK JOINS EVENT
This past week, ABA’s David Thorp joined the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for a local celebration of Portland’s first place win in the 2026 Healthy and Sustainable Communities Award Program. The event highlighted one of Portland’s waste to wellness initiatives, the Glitter Program, an effort that pairs waste reduction strategies with community wellness activities to improve environmental conditions and support healthier neighborhoods.
Gov. Kotek in middle (light colored shoes, dark suit) with Portland Mayor Keith Wilson next to her on the right.
Read Mayor Wilson’s full statement here.
ABA statement included in the Mayor’s release: “For more than a century, our success as an industry has been inseparable from the success of the communities where we operate – the places our employees and our consumers live, work and raise their families,” said Kevin Keane, president and CEO of American Beverage and president of the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America Board of Directors. “America’s beverage companies have been proud to partner with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to support cities that are turning innovative health and sustainability ideas into measurable, community-driven results. We congratulate Mayor Keith Wilson for his Waste and Wellness Package program. By working together, this program shows what’s possible when local leadership is matched with sustained investment and collaboration.”
USCM statement included in the Mayor’s release: “The partnership between the American Beverage Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors is truly one of a kind,” said USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. “For more than a decade, we’ve invested millions in programs that make a real difference on the ground — helping cities strengthen communities and improve outcomes for children and families across the nation. At a time when local leaders are being asked to do more than ever, this partnership stands as a powerful example of how public and private sectors can work together to deliver real results.”