Salem's Janelle Rolke Honored For Helping Keep MA Beautiful

SALEM, MA — Janelle Rolke, whose role as Salem's Solid Waste Reduction coordinator is to reduce litter and implement sustainability initiatives in the city, was recently honored with Keep Massachusetts Beautiful's Municipal Partner of the Year Award.

The award was presented as part of the Massachusetts Clean Community Awards celebration in Framingham.

The Municipal Partner of the Year Award recognizes a municipal leader for extraordinary efforts to implement sustainable practices and clean up or protect their local environment.

Rolke took over the leadership of Keep Salem Beautiful in 2020, serving in a voluntary capacity. Since then, Keep Salem Beautiful, in conjunction with the Salem Beautification Committee, has hosted monthly litter cleanups and a city-wide cleanup each spring.

"I'm so honored to be doing this work in Salem every day," Rolke said. "All the reuse, recycle, and litter cleanup events are so successful because of our dedicated committee members and volunteers."

Rolke coordinates recycling events, book swaps, textile drives, repair cafes, recycling bin checks, and implementing composting in conjunction with the city’s public housing authority.

"Keep Salem Beautiful's success would not have been possible without Janelle's organizational and leadership skills, as well as her boundless enthusiasm for creating a cleaner, greener Salem," said Neil Rhein, executive director of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful. "Janelle is truly an inspiration and the city is fortunate to have someone with her passion and energy working to make Salem a cleaner, greener place to live, work, and visit."

Salem's Great Cleanup is set for April 20 — Earth Day — from 10 a.m. to noon. Pre-registration is required. Visit here for more information.