Issaquah honors longtime land steward Steve Williams and student activist Mina Jun

Issaquah City Council on April 21 presented the Ruth and Dan Keys Award to long‑time land steward Steve Williams (accepted on his behalf) and the Community Environmental Award to high school senior Mina Jun for leadership in conservation and community sustainability.

Mayor Mary Lou Polly introduced the awards and said Williams "managed the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park for 20 years" and was instrumental in the Save Coal Creek initiative and multiple trail projects. Williams was not able to attend; friend and fellow trails volunteer Dave Kapler accepted and described Williams' outreach to youth and decades of stewardship.

Nut graf: The awards recognize both lifetime stewardship and newer, high‑impact youth activism: Williams for long service shaping regional wildland protections and Jun for organizing peers, advocating for a district‑wide sustainability policy and using art and partnerships to broaden participation.

Kapler told the council Williams "helped me get appointed to the then design commission" and recalled his work across cities and the county to protect and connect parklands. Mayor Polly said Williams' name will be added to the Ruth and Dan Keys award plaque in the council chamber.

The Community Environmental Award honored Mina Jun, introduced by the mayor as "a senior at Gibson Neck High School in Issaquah" who, the mayor said, "has taken steps to create lasting environmental change at an institutional level" by pushing for sustainability policy and organizing community engagement. Jun told the council she was "grateful to the city" and said she plans to continue environmental work after graduation.

Ending: The mayor thanked the sustainability board, artists and volunteers who support Issaquah's environmental programs and invited residents to connect with awardees and ongoing sustainable projects.