Contact:

Anne Johnson
Media Relations, Leaders in Energy
annejhn@msn.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC, September 28 – On Thursday, October 8, 2015, Leaders in Energy will partner with Virginia Tech’s Center for Global Leadership in Sustainability, the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, and Arlington Green to sponsor a program on Urban Sustainability. The event will be held at the Virginia Tech Research Center – Arlington, 900 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22203.

Featured speakers are:

• Vincent Verweij, an urban forester with the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation;
• Janette (Jan) Davis, an Assistant Director in the Cooperative Forestry Program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service; and
• Larry Wiseman, former Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on urban and community forests and founding president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. He works with Virginia Tech’s Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability to develop strategies and tools that help municipalities sustain and expand their urban forest and green space.

Panelists will explore how planning for and expanding green infrastructure – parks, open space, street trees, planting by homeowners, green roofs – can help communities address and mitigate the impacts of climate change. To anchor the discussion, panelist will focus on a specific place – Arlington County. Speakers will describe Arlington’s built and natural environments, and then demonstrate how to assess and quantify the benefits that could accrue from enhancing its green infrastructure, in particular its urban tree canopy. Based on decision-support tools developed by Virginia Tech’s Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (CLiGS) in partnership with the National Association of Regional Councils, the panel will conclude with a group discussion on how leadership, innovation, and negotiation skills can enable local leaders to engage stakeholders in order to develop and implement a comprehensive response to climate change that works for their community.

“This program on ‘Urban Sustainability’ will show our members how urban areas such as Arlington County are working to enhance their green infrastructure such as constructed wetlands, rain gardens, and green roofs, ” says Janine Finnell, Clean Energy Ambassador and Founder. “These systems can help to manage stormwater runoff and, by cultivating a diverse collection of native plants in these areas, they can help provide food and forage for butterflies, bees, small mammals, and birds as well as improving the wellbeing of people,” says Finnell.

The presentation will be followed by a Networking Reception, which includes a cash bar and light hors d’oeuvres, from 5:00-6:00pm and a special performance by the Bowen McCauley Dance Company from 6:00-7:00pm.

Leaders in Energy

Leaders in Energy is now part of the Circular Economy Network Map which is managed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Leaders in Energy engages professionals who delight in thinking about, discussing, and collaborating on energy, environmental, and sustainability topics through online and in-person networking events. We seek to attract like-minded individuals who are passionate about dialoguing, collaborating, and seeking solutions to energy, environmental and sustainability challenges. Through its 1,700 + member LinkedIn group and monthly professional networking events in the Washington, DC area, the group collects and exchanges ideas and information to build a specialized network of professionals who are interested in making a difference through transformative leadership and actions.