KAB website

2023 Recycle Guide

Keep America Beautiful - Topeka/Shawnee Co. promotes beautification, recycling,

and litter reduction.

Donate NOW !!

We believe in the shared American responsibility to build and maintain clean, green, and beautiful spaces. That’s why we take action every day to improve and beautify our community in Shawnee County, KS.

At Keep America Beautiful we believe everyone deserves to live in a clean, Green, and Beautiful Community.

GET INVOLVED

Keep America Beautiful envisions a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live. This is why we do what we do, and why we invite committed people like you to participate in our activities and support our programs.

We all benefit from living in cleaner, more beautiful places.

Donate TODAY

Since 1953, Keep America Beautiful has been inspiring and educating people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. We envision a country where every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live.

VOLUNTEER

Everything we do is powered by hundreds of volunteers who support our programs and mission.

to volunteer call 785-224-0446

Become A PARTNER

Our partners contribute more than financial support. They contribute their expertise and ideas, and the time and power of their volunteers, all to help us empower OUR community!

Meet our PARTNERS/ SPONSORS who help us transform lives

Businesses and fellow organizations have given their time and support to help us make a difference in our community!

Thank you to our Partners/ Sponsors!!

BRB Contractors, Inc.
Bimbo Bakeries
Community Resources Council
CoreFirst Bank
Custom Tree Care
DaVita Kidney Care
Frito-Lay
Majic 107.7
MARS
Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Topeka
Strathman Sales
Target
Topeka Audobon Society
Topeka Edward Jones Offices
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kansas
Wal-Mart
Waste Management of Kansas
13 WIBW

Team of Enthusiastic Business People Raising Arms in Work Meeting Celebrating Successful Teamwork

Diverse Colleagues Looking at a Laptop Indoors

President

Paula Hladky

Meet our 2023 Executive Board & Staff

When Paula retired from the working world, she found a perfect place to use her people skills and talents as a volunteer. She is currently volunteering for Douglas County Emergency Management, Keep America Beautiful, Perry Pride, The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center and on the Outreach Board for Domestic Violence in Jefferson County. She and her husband, Willard Epling, received President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award for their commitment to The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center. Paula lives in Perry, Kansas with her wonderful husband. They spend their free time riding bicycles and cheering on the Jayhawks. Paula has been a Silver Haired Legislature representative for Jefferson County for several years. Willard and Paula are also co-presidents of Perry Senior Citizens providing a monthly luncheon, wellness exams, and socialization for approximately 50 area senior citizens.

Vice - President

Joan Graves

Joan has been a proud member of Keep America Beautiful (KAB) since she transferred into the Shawnee County Recycling Department in 1998. While working for Shawnee County, Joan worked closely with KAB to educate the public on proper recycling and taking care of the environment. Joan was instrumental in getting curbside recycling implemented in all of Shawnee County starting in 2013. Joan was nominated for Woman of the Year in 2013, and was the recipient of the Kansas Organization of Recyclers (KOR) award in 2018. Since retiring in 2018, Joan has continued her membership with KAB, and continues to help to educate anyone she meets on the proper way to recycle, the importance of disposing of Household Hazardous Waste properly, and the benefits of composting to help our environment. Joan works tirelessly to keep her neighborhood litter free by picking up trash every day when she walks, and has encouraged neighbors to do the same.

Treasurer/ Secretary

Marcia Steinbock

Marcia joined KAB two years ago as a way to help her beloved community. As a native Topekan, she loves her town and wants to see it at its best. Marcia retired from the City of Topeka after working there over 30+ years. She worked in the City Attorney’s Office and City Manager’s Office. Her work experience attributes to her belief everyone should try to make our City better by recycling efforts and educating residents on environmental issues. She enjoys the KAB special trash pick-up events and volunteering to help with public gardens by planting and maintenance.

Marcia has been a Chamber Ambassador, a United Way fund raiser, a volleyball assistant coach, a Girl Scout leader, and held many PTO positions in the Shawnee Heights school district. Her other volunteer experiences include Habitat for Humanity, helping family members with tons of projects, and making t-shirt quilts.

Executive Director

Brittany Laughlin

Brittany is so excited to be the new Executive Director for Keep America Beautiful – Topeka/Shawnee Co. She brings to KAB a lot of knowledge on a variety of issues that are of interest to the KAB membership. Brittany majored in Graphic Design/ Social Media at The Art Institutes International of Kansas City, and has many years of working for not-for-profit corporations with an emphasis in social work. Her passion is to help others in our community! Her family has a rich history of teaching, spanning 4 generations! So, it is no surprise that teaching is her second nature, particularly her favorite is children. She was raised to be proactive in litter reduction and protective of her environment, for a healthier community. She is a solution-oriented person, so every obstacle is just another challenge to her skills in multi-tasking and problem solving. Brittany is a very creative person and can’t wait to showcase Topeka/ Shawnee County’s beauty through her hobby of photography! If you have questions, she is always happy to answer them and help anyone she can.