The Greater Tacoma Peace Prize is honored to announce Dr. Sheri Tonn as the 2026 Laureate. Dr. Tonn has committed her career, volunteerism, and life to environmental justice, demonstrating an exceptional dedication to community health, conservation, and peace-building throughout the Puget Sound and beyond.

The selection committee was deeply inspired by Dr. Tonn’s enduring work connecting environmental stewardship directly with durable peace. Environmental justice supports peace initiatives by addressing the root causes of conflict – resource scarcity, inequality, and environmental degradation. As peace efforts increasingly incorporate natural resource management to ensure long-term stability and equity, Dr. Tonn’s life’s work serves as a powerful model of grassroots and institutional leadership.

A professor emerita from Pacific Lutheran University, where she served on the chemistry faculty from 1979 to 2019, Dr. Tonn has long focused on cleaning up hazardous chemicals from the marine environment of Puget Sound. In 1990, she co-founded Communities for a Healthy Bay, where she continues to chair the Policy and Technical Committee while serving on the board. In 1991, she was on the founding board of People for Puget Sound (now a program of Washington Conservation Action).

Beyond her scientific and environmental advocacy, Dr. Tonn has provided vital leadership and resources across local, state, and national organizations. Her extensive service and volunteer leadership include:

• Tacoma–Pierce County American Leadership Forum (Board Member and Treasurer)
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (Founding Board Chair)
• Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (Board Chair)
• American Chemical Society, (Puget Sound Section Executive Committee Chair and Treasurer)
• Washington State Board of Pilotage Commissioners (Chair for the past 10 years)

Dr. Tonn’s contributions have been widely celebrated by her peers and community. In 2021, she received the State Association for Women in Science Award for Science and Leadership, and in 2025, she was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the American Chemical Society Puget Sound Section.

“She cares deeply about the environmental and physical health of this community.”

– Diane Powers, who nominated Sheri

The Greater Tacoma Peace Prize recognizes Dr. Sheri Tonn for her profound care for the environmental and physical health of our community, her visionary leadership, and her lifelong dedication to building a healthier, more peaceful world.