Agenda [ Program ] [ Directions ] [ Map ]

8:30 AM - Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM - Welcome

Marvin Krislov, President, Oberlin College

David Sonner, Mayor/President of Council, City of Oberlin

9:15 AM - Oberlin 2020: A Post-Carbon Economy

David Orr, Special Assistant to the President on Sustainability; Paul Sears Professor of Environmental Studies, Oberlin College

10:00 AM - Climate Change: Envisioning a Low-Carbon Future for Northeast Ohio

Climate change will change everything. In Northeast Ohio, the GreenCityBlueLake Institute of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is calculating the region’s carbon footprint and developing transition plans for the major sectors of greenhouse gas emissions, including buildings, transportation, and power generation. The goal is to help cities, businesses, and other organizations seize the opportunity to create a low-carbon future – a future characterized by innovation, prosperity, and health.

David Beach, Director, GreenCityBlueLake Institute

10:45 AM - Break

11:00 AM - Local Government Initiatives Panel

Local government success stories of combating climate change while simultaneously pursuing robust economic growth.

MODERATOR: Amy Malick, Midwest Regional Director, ICLEI

CITY OF OBERLIN: David Sonner, Mayor/President of Council

CITY OF CLEVELAND: Andrew Watterson, Sustainability Director

CITY OF AKRON: Brad Beckert, Special Projects Manager, Department of Engineering

12:00 PM - Lunch Buffet

Includes vegetarian options.

12:45 PM - Tour of the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies (AJLC)

The AJLC is a working laboratory for environmental education and one of the most advanced examples of ecological architecture in America.

John Petersen, Director, Environmental Studies Program; Associate Professor, Environmental Studies and Biology, Oberlin College

1:30 PM - Our Regional Economic Action Plan: Implications for Our Environment

Regions are the central economic unit of the 21st century and must be able to compete for sustainable business development in the global economy.

Brad Whitehead, President, Fund for Our Economic Future

2:30 PM - Break

2:45 PM - Economic Development Panel

Learn what organizations are doing to increase the use of alternative energy and "green building" techniques and how this work will increase innovation and job creation.

MODERATOR: Mike Challender, Executive Director, Lorain Growth Corporation

DEVELOPMENT: Jennifer Ruggles, Regional Economic Development Director, Ohio Department of Development

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Holly Harlan, President and Founder, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability

GREEN BUILDING: Michael Hynds, Principal and Founder, Metropolitan Architecture Studio

CLEAN ENERGY: Sherry Hubbard, Chief, Ohio Energy Office, Ohio Department of Development

3:45 PM - Local Government Solutions Workshops

Applying lessons learned in your community

SMALL CITIES

Daniel Gardner, President, Communergy, LLC

Nathan Engstrom, Coordinator, Office of Environmental Sustainability, Oberlin College

BIG CITIES

Andrew Watterson, Sustainability Director, City of Cleveland

Amy Malick, Midwest Regional Director, ICLEI

4:30 PM - Reception