SUNY ESF
The Feinstone Environmental Awards

2025 Feinstone Environmental Awards

Thursday, October 23, 2024 | 6 pm | Gateway Center

We are thrilled to announce our 2025 Feinstone Award honorees, Phil Bousquet, founding Member of Bousquet Holstein PLLC and Ben Walsh, Mayor of Syracuse.

For sponsorship opportunities, tickets, and information, please contact foundation@esf.edu.

2025 Feinstone Environmental Award Honorees

Phillip S. Bousquet

Founding Member Bousquet Holstein PLLC

Phil Bousquet is a founding Member of Bousquet Holstein PLLC and a leading authority on New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). Since the program’s launch in 2003, Phil has been instrumental in educating stakeholders on its powerful tax incentives and potential to drive environmental and economic revitalization. With over two decades of BCP experience, he has advised developers, municipalities, investors, and financial institutions on leveraging BCP tax credits and other economic development tools. His work has supported some of the largest and most complex brownfield redevelopment projects in New York, representing over $9 billion in construction value and more than $1.5 billion in tax credits. A Syracuse native, Phil earned his A.B. from Kenyon College and holds a joint J.D. and M.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University. He is active in the local community and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology.

Ben Walsh

Mayor of Syracuse

Mayor Ben Walsh is the 54th and first independent Mayor of Syracuse, recognized for his visionary leadership in sustainability and community development. Since taking office in 2018, he has pursued a bold vision for Syracuse: to be a growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunity for all. Walsh has championed efforts to make Syracuse greener, more sustainable, and more livable. In 2025, he launched the Sustainable Syracuse Initiative to reduce emissions and combat climate change through a citywide Climate Action Plan. He also promotes inclusive growth through initiatives like Syracuse Build, which prepares residents for construction careers in anticipation of the Interstate 81 project. Walsh has prioritized affordable housing through the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative, which is building the city’s first new affordable homes at scale in decades. A graduate of Ithaca College and the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, Walsh’s public service is rooted in his West Side upbringing and deep commitment to the community. He lives in Syracuse with his wife and two daughters.

About the Feinstone Awards

One of the oldest and most-respected award programs in the environmental field, the Feinstone Awards program was established by Sol Feinstone, a widely known historian and author who was a 1915 graduate of ESF. His goal was to reward people and organizations that exemplified his belief that the best insurance for a free society lay in people’s desire to do voluntarily the things that need to be done for the good of all. The program recognizes leaders who care for the environment, encourage volunteerism and add to society’s understanding of environmental issues and their solutions. The Feinstone program has made more than 100 awards, honoring people from across the United States for their significant contributions to protecting the environment and promoting the spirit of volunteerism. Past award recipients have backgrounds in science, conservation, government, public policy, teaching and the media.