Colversons win 2013 Postma Young Professional Medals

Sherith and Colin Colverson were presented the 2013 Postma Young Professional Medals on Friday for their outstanding accomplishments at work and in the community, a press release said.

The Postma Medal was created by the East Tennessee Economic Council to honor the accomplishments of young professionals who have made an impact and fostered a community culture in the region. Former Oak Ridge National Laboratory director Herman Postma epitomized this spirit during his life, and his wife Pat continues the tradition of service today through her involvement in the Oak Ridge community, the press release said.

Pat Postma and Tim Myrick presented the awards to the Colversons at ETEC’s annual meeting on Friday at the DoubleTree Hotel.

The press release said Colin Colverson is an attorney-adviser with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Chief Counsel who has played a critical role in crafting the Manhattan Project National Historic Park legislation, and he provides legal counsel for the environmental cleanup programs in Oak Ridge. While earning his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, Colin was the editor in chief of the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal. Colin is fluent in Spanish and has served as a translator for many organizations, including Heifer Project International and the Global Health Organization in Honduras. He also serves as a board member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee.

Sherith Covlerson has worked as a planner in South Carolina and in Washington, D.C., for the American Planning Association. Most recently, she has worked in Knoxville on a PlanET grant. Since earning a master of urban and regional planning from the University of Florida in 2009, Sherith has been heavily involved in community activities, including volunteering as a community mediator, a member of the Young Professionals of Oak Ridge, substitute teaching in Knox and Anderson counties, and several environmental projects, the press release said.

“The Colversons represent exactly the kind of young, dynamic, leaders we need in our community, people with a passion for their work, who represent the future success of Oak Ridge,” said Tim Myrick, a friend and mentor to the couple.

The Colversons are active members of the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge and have chosen to live and work in the community, the release said. The couple purchased and are renovating a home, and have recently had their first child.

The East Tennessee Economic Council is a nonprofit membership organization that focuses on bringing people together to create new opportunities for federal research, national security and environmental programs, and to support technology transfer and economic development programs.