At 4' 9", Ruby Dillon may be small in stature, but this Richland Hills volunteer stands tall as a community servant. Over the past 20 years, she's given more than 56,000 hours of volunteer service, and her efforts on behalf of the environment continually touch new lives.

In 2007, this 80-year-old dynamo encouraged more than 1,600 young people to participate in environmental camps, fairs, and cleanups. Together they collected 2,000 pounds of trash and more than 3 tons of paper. Mrs. Dillon has also helped local Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups fulfill their goals on environmental activities, community service, and volunteerism. She may be best known, however, for her service as the volunteer Executive Director of Keep Richland Hills Beautiful from 1990 to April 2007. During her tenure, Mrs. Dillon was awarded numerous grants on projects ranging from a community butterfly garden to an educational environmental activity book.

Mrs. Dillon's long history of service on the boards of at least 11 different community organizations has enabled her to establish partnerships between Keep Richland Hills Beautiful and 21 different boards and agencies. Through these, she's active in environmental education efforts, including the area's local Enviro-Fair and Enviro-Camp held annually. She also leads students on field trips, and has established a Junior Master Gardener program at the Birdville Independent School District.

This legacy of committed environmental education has literally changed the face of her community, from the beautification and cleanup projects to the lessons learned by thousands of area schoolchildren. Ruby Dillon offers a testimonial to the rewards that come when we tirelessly pursue our passion.