Overview

The Congress of Cities and Exposition held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from November 28th through December 1st will bring together local leaders from cities across the United States. Conference participants will find a range of learning and networking opportunities highlighting successful programs from the City of Boston and communities across the country.

The Congress of Cities program will focus on three overarching strategies for cities: Promoting Strong Local Economies, Building Sustainable Communities and Strengthening Neighborhoods and Families. Each of the strategies will be explored through keynote addresses, workshops, peer networking sessions, mobile workshops, leadership training seminars, the City Showcase, and the Exhibit Hall. Before and after the main conference programming NLC will offer the traditional governance activities, state municipal league activities and meetings of NLC committees, councils and constituency groups.  

• Promote Strong Local Economies by learning how to promote 21st century workforce skills and to spur, support, attract and retain businesses.  
• Build Sustainable Communities by learning how to develop the partnerships and strategies to go beyond standalone investments in a city's built environment and move toward integrated approaches that facilitate connected, intelligent and sustainable communities.  
• Strengthen Neighborhoods and Families by fostering supportive families, homes and neighborhoods, to provide critical opportunities for individuals to grow, learn and prosper.

Full Program and Exposition Guide

Dynamic Workshops

A wide ranging selection of workshops are designed to engage participants and share the most promising skills, strategies, and best practices to continue to keep the nation's cities and towns prosperous.

Mobile Workshops

Host city Boston is offering off-site workshops, free of charge to registered delegates, to showcase collaborative solutions to issues facing local government.

Governance Activities

Throughout the conference, NLC member-city officials will participate in the important work of governing the association.  Most of the governance meetings listed are open to the public and you are encouraged to stop in to observe and consider how you might become involved.

Leadership Training Seminars

Educational seminars are crafted so participants obtain current resources, develop strategies, build skills, and engage in small group discussions and exercises with their peers from other communities.

Spouse & Guest Tours

Special tours created each year by the host city offer spouses and guests the chance to explore the city for its educational value.

Exhibit Hall Opportunities

Exhibitors can increase their visibility among attendees by investing in an exhibit hall opportunity. These opportunities, exclusive to exhibitors, will give your company/organization expanded recognition during the two days of the exposition.

Schedule

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

• 3:00 pm
  Registration

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

• 8:00 am
  Registration

• 9:00 AM
  L01: Youth Master Planning: Achieving Collective Impact for Children and Youth (Show details)

  Elizabeth Gaines - The Forum for Youth Investment
  Garret L. Nancolas - City of Caldwell
  Ronnie Steine - City of Nashville-Davidson
  

  Registration Fee: $190
  Competency: Catalyst/Collaborator

   

  When children and youth grow up ready for college, work and life, cities are safer, more engaged, and more attractive to employers and residents. But city officials cannot achieve these objectives alone or through piecemeal community efforts. Local youth master plans represent an increasingly common approach in which municipal officials, school district leaders, community partners and young people work together to align services, supports and opportunities for young people. Learn why more than 50 cities, large and small, are using the Forum for Youth Investments’ Ready by 21 framework to guide the development of comprehensive youth master plans, and how these communities are attaining better outcomes for youth. Through this seminar, participants will articulate clear objectives for local action and build skills related to leading multi-sector partnerships, aligning policies, improving systems, making data-driven decisions, building public will, and engaging residents of all ages.

• 9:00 am
  Aviation Noise Help

• 9:30 am
  The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (Show details)

  The Greenway is Boston’s mile-long ribbon of parks and green that curves around the city, and inter- connects several of Boston’s oldest, most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. Visit 2 unique fountains; see specialized lighting structures, interactive public art, a carousel, a modern Asian garden and so much more! The Greenway is Boston’s largest organically-maintained park, and once you see it for yourself, you won’t believe it used to be a six-lane elevated highway. Wear your walking shoes!  (Up to 2 buses)

• 9:30 am
  On a Roll: Bicycling in Boston (Show details)

  Mobile Workshop: Discover the challenges and opportunities of sharing the road with human powered transportation for an older city like Boston with narrow streets and walkways and learn about Boston's public bike share program. (1 bus)

• 10:00 am
  Quack-Quack!! Boston Duck Tour (Show details)

  Truly Boston’s most unique tour experience is on our famous Duck boats! Your Duck, a World War II amphibious vehicle traverses past historic sites including the State House, Boston Common, and Government Center, fashionable Newbury Street and so much more!

   

  Then, it’s into the Charles River you go for breathtaking views of the Boston and Cambridge skylines — unique vistas you can’t get anywhere else! Each conDUCKtor is a unique character in costume, bringing to you Boston’s history laced with lore and legends.

   

  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person:    $53.00
  Tour length:            75 – 90 minutes
  

   

  Note:  Wear practical clothing; you will likely get splashed in the river.  Tours go rain or shine.  Fun for all ages!

   

  Register

• 11:30 am
  Boston’s Black Heritage Trail (Show details)

  This is one of the most informative tours in Boston! The first Africans arrived in Boston in February of 1638, eight years after the city was founded. They were brought as slaves, purchased in Providence Isle, a Puritan colony off the coast of Central America. By 1705, there were over 400 slaves in Boston and the beginnings of a free black community in the North End.

   

  One of Boston’s BEST walking tours, the 1.6-mile Black Heritage Trail encompasses 15 pre-Civil War structures relating to the history of Boston's 19th century African-American community, including the African Meeting House, the oldest standing African-American church in the United States.

   

  TOUR INFORMATION

  Cost per person:        $42.00
  Tour length:                4 hours
  

   

  Note:  This tour has considerable walking, some over cobblestone streets. Sensible footwear recommended.  

   

  Register

• 12:00 pm
  Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO) Business Meeting

• 12:00 pm
  Municipal Data Sharing Peer Networking Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Community and Economic Development Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Information Technology and Communications Policy and Advocacy Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Human Development Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Transportation Infrastructure and Services Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Building Peace in Boston (Show details)

  Mobile Workshop: Learn about Boston's nationally recognized comprehensive violence prevention and intervention strategy including BCYF Street workers, neighborhood, public health, & community partners together with law enforcement. (1 bus )

• 1:00 pm
  Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Policy and Advocacy Committee

• 1:00 pm
  Growing the Next Generation of Business: The Innovation District (Show details)

  Come tour the South Boston Waterfront in Boston's Innovation District. From a company that designs and manufactures commercial, custom mosaics with robots; to Dana Farber Cancer Institute's manufacturing facility, to recycling iPhones, the District is rapidly becoming a hub of urban innovation companies. In nearly three years, over 150 new companies and over 3,000 jobs have made it home. See for yourself, how Boston is combining spectacular water views and the re-use of old industrial warehouses to propel job growth in the 21st century.  (Up to 2 buses )

• 1:00 pm
  Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Boston's Main Streets (Show details)

  Join us as we tour 4 distinct Boston Main Streets districts, Washington Gateway, Dudley Square and Egleston Square, ending in a walking tour of Roslindale Village Main Street the first of Boston’s 20 Urban Main Street districts, created by Mayor Thomas Menino in 1995. This tour will give you a glimpse of why Boston is renowned for its neighborhoods and these neighborhoods based economic development programs.  (1 bus)

• 1:30 pm
  L03: Engaging the public on Sustainability: Effectively communicating the concepts, benefits and opportunities (Show details)

  Mike Crowley - Institute for Sustainable Communities
  Steve Nicholas - Institute for Sustainable Communities
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Communicator/Catalyst

   

  Increasingly cities across the country are pursuing strategies and initiatives that promote sustainability. Such actions have been found to produce economic savings, protect environmental resources, and even contribute to public health and safety. Yet these actions have not been without question or controversy, and establishing community support for these actions can be challenging. While many cities have encountered some form of resistance, some have even experienced direct and at times aggressive push-back from groups opposed to sustainability principles. In this interactive workshop participants will learn about frameworks, tools, and techniques to effectively engage the public on sustainability and climate change issues and solutions, and work with peers to develop effective communications strategies.

• 1:30 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) International Cities Cooperation Forum

• 1:30 PM
  L02: Latest Tools for Strengthening Local Democracy: From Model Ordinances to Online Games (Show details)

  Bruce Meyerson - American Bar Association
  Eric Gordon - Engagement Game Lab, Emerson College
  Matt Leighninger - Deliberative Democracy Consortium
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Collaborator/Competent Practitioner

   

  This seminar will explore the frontiers of public engagement and help local officials begin thinking about how to create comprehensive, cross-sector plans to strengthen democracy in their cities. Experts and practitioners on civic and online engagement will walk the participants through a number of new technologies for participation, address the typical legal challenges to public engagement, present a new model ordinance for participation, and describe how cities can adapt these tools to their own needs. Participants will add their own input to an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of public engagement as it is typically practiced today. They will use a series of key questions and potential building blocks presented in NLC’s guide to Planning for Stronger Local Democracy, provided as part of the program, as fodder for their discussion and as a resource to their planning efforts after the conference.

• 1:30 PM
  L04: Strategizing for Economic Development Finance (Show details)

  Dan Marsh - National Development Council
  Kevin Gremse - National Development Council
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Competent Practitioner

   

  Financing economic development projects often requires collaboration with local government. This session will help you better understand when and why the public sector should get involved for economic development purposes. It will provide basic insight and practical information needed to critically understand how economic development is financed and the tools, strategies, and techniques used to build strong communities. This fast-paced seminar explores economic development activities as part of a community’s overall economic development finance strategy, the financing resources available for job creation projects, and the skills essential for the successful practice of economic and community development. Topics covered include: business credit and real estate finance analysis techniques, negotiating and problem solving skills, deal structuring techniques, and federal, state and local resources.

• 2:30 pm
  Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Nominations Hearing and Board of Directors Meeting

• 4:30 pm
  New Member/First-Time Attendee Session

• 4:30 pm
  Aviation Noise Reception (Show details)

  LIST IN PROGRAM: Reception Style.

• 5:00 pm
  League of Minnesota Welcoming Reception

• 6:00 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Nominations Hearing & Board of Directors Meeting

• 6:00 pm
  Texas Municipal League Reception

Thursday, November 29, 2012

• 7:00 am
  Registration

• 7:00 am
  State League Presidents/Executive Directors Breakfast

• 7:30 am
  Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTO) Business Meeting

• 7:30 am
  Lousiana Municipal Association Delegates Breakfast

• 8:30 am
  NLC Board of Directors Meeting

• 8:30 am
  Closing Access and Achievement Gaps (Show details)

  Boston has established a wide range of educational options that have increased graduation rates and better prepared our students for college. We have developed a portfolio of schools that meet the needs of diverse learners. Visit the Boston Public Schools Re-Engagement Center and a successful Turnaround School, and learn about innovative strategies to close achievement gaps.  (1 bus)

• 8:30 am
  Greenovating Boston (Show details)

  Join leading experts from the City of Boston as they highlight the City’s green building achievements from skyscrapers to artists’ studios. Learn how the City has used zoning and other tools to incentivize green buildings. The City’s policies have resulted in over 100 LEED certified buildings that are not only good for the environment, but are also driving economic development in the vibrant Innovation District and have increased public access. The tour will also showcase the next iteration of City of Boston planning including climate preparedness and district wide sustainability planning.” The Greenovating Boston mobile workshop will visit innovative green buildings near the convention center including Atlantic Wharf, Macallen Building and Artists for Humanity.  (Up to 2 buses)

• 8:30 am
  Corporate Partners Leadership Council Meeting

• 9:00 am
  JFK Tour - Harvard University & John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum (Show details)

  It is a short ride then stroll Harvard University as your guide points out the historic architecture of the oldest university in the country, where John F. Kennedy lived and studied in his younger years.

   

  You’ll have time to browse the unique shops, boutiques and bookstores of Harvard Square before heading off to Dorchester to tour the magnificent John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

   

  On arrival at the museum, visitors are invited to view a 17-minute film introducing John F Kennedy, In the museum’s three theaters, period settings and 25 dramatic multimedia exhibits, you enter the recreated world of the Kennedy Presidency for a first-hand experience of John F. Kennedy’s life, legacy, and leadership.

   

  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person:       $50.00
  Tour length:              4  hours
  
  Note:  This tour has considerable walking; sensible footwear recommended.  Not suitable for children under 5 years of age.
  

   

  Register

• 9:00 am
  Exposition Hall and City Showcase Open

• 9:00 am
  Behind the Scenes at Fenway Park! (Show details)

  Come enjoy this behind-the-scenes tour of Boston’s famous Fenway Park! No other professional baseball park captures the spirit and triggers emotion like Fenway Park. Named for the famous “Fens” area of Boston where it stands, Fenway Park has been a Boston landmark since 1912 — a standing monument to America’s favorite pastime. Come experience Fenway Park up-close and personal. This is the park where the Babe pitched, The Kid hit, Yaz dazzled and Ortiz still thrills young fans today.

   

  After your tour of Boston’s hallowed shrine, free time will be afforded to shop for sports apparel and souvenirs.

   

  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person:   $43.00
  Tour length:          2 - 3 hours
  
  

  Note: This tour has a fair amount of walking. Great fun for all ages!

   

  Register

• 9:00 AM
  L10: Social Media Promising Practices (Show details)

  Lauren Hirshon - Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Communicator

   

  This session will highlight promising practices from, The Rise of Social Government, a report from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, based on a survey of over 100 cities and 20 in-depth interviews with government administrators about their uses of social media. This research will be brought to life through real-life examples and case studies, engaging discussion, and interactive exercises.  Participants are expected to gain: A deeper understanding of how and why different cities employ particular social media tools; Insight into the new ways social media is being used to improve emergency management, public participation in local issues, and stimulate economic development and; Best practices on how to use, manage, and monitor social media in the most effective ways, and more.

• 9:00 AM
  L07: Implementing STAR: The Sustainability Framework Built By and For Local Governments (Show details)

  Claudia Hernandez - STAR Communities
  Daniella Hirschfeld - STAR Communities
  Hilari Varnadore - STAR Communities
  

  Registration Fee: $125

  Competency: Competent Practitioner

   

  For years, there has been no common way of defining and measuring sustainability. This fall, STAR Communities launches the STAR Community Index Version 1.0, the nation’s first framework for evaluating, quantifying, and improving the livability and sustainability of communities. STAR uniquely combines: a common framework for sustainability encompassing the social, economic and environmental dimensions of community; a rating system that drives continuous improvement and fosters competition; and an online performance management system that organizes and analyzes data. During this seminar, city leaders will learn about the STAR framework, hear about cities that have been involved in its development, and see a demonstration of the STAR Online Reporting Tool. Participants will leave with an understanding of how STAR can help develop existing strategic or sustainability plans; strategies to collect and track data required for the tool; and learn how various partners such as universities or local NGOs can get involved.

• 9:00 AM
  L05: Achieving Fiscal Health and Wellness through Priority Based Budgeting (Show details)

  Chris Fabian - Center for Priority Based Budgeting
  Jon Johnson - Center for Priority Based Budgeting
  Kathie Novak - Center for Priority Based Budgeting
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Cornerstone

   

  Communities today struggle to develop meaningful and fiscally prudent budgets under financial pressures previously unknown. Most organizations believe that the responses they have made to the current financial crisis represent a permanent change in the way they will approach their budgeting processes. This session will explore innovative and proven tools and techniques needed to achieve both short-term relief and long-term sustainability through a unique and creative process called priority-based budgeting. Where traditional responses like across-the-board cuts, tax increases, asset sales, pay freezes, and furloughs have not provided adequate solutions, this session will discuss how local leaders across the country have turned to priority-based budgeting to help align budgets and resources with the goals of their communities. Drawing on case studies of 30 organizations, the seminar will help you focus on your city's core functions, align resources, and present a clearer vision about budget priorities.

• 9:00 AM
  L09: Supporting Growth-Oriented Small Businesses as a Community Economic Development Strategy (Show details)

  Christine Hamilton- Pennell - Growing Local Economies, Inc.
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Catalyst

   

  Studies show that the majority of sustained job growth and long-term economic impact in a community is generated by the expansion of existing businesses. Growth-oriented small businesses bring wealth into a community by selling their products and services to external markets. How can your city help your growth-oriented companies succeed? Entrepreneurial economic development strategies such as “economic gardening” emphasize the importance of providing “market intelligence” services—high-level technical assistance and market research—to enable these companies find and reach external markets. Learn why growth-oriented small companies are important to your community economic development strategy, how to identify and reach these companies, and how to leverage assets to provide services. Participants will examine best practices and policies in other locations, explore market intelligence strategies through a hands-on case study approach, and create a practical plan to move your community forward. This session is designed for both elected officials and practitioners.

• 9:00 AM
  L06: Creating Housing Opportunities for Working Families (Show details)

  Jeff Lubell - National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Cornerstone/Collaborator

   

  The purchase of a modest American home remains out of reach for millions of families, including senior citizens and others on fixed incomes, and the nation’s teachers, police officers, public works employees, retail clerks, service workers and small entrepreneurs. But, local government decisions on land use and zoning can increase access to rental housing and ownership opportunities that are affordable and sustainable overtime. This seminar will focus on how your city can preserve and upgrade its existing housing stock and create more affordable housing choices for the individuals and families in your community. The seminar will explore partnerships across city departments and across sectors and will explore options for ensuring an effective mix of rental and ownership options in the community. Topics to be covered include expanding development opportunities, reducing government red tape, capitalizing on market activities, generating capital, preserving and recycling resources, and helping residents succeed.

• 9:00 AM
  L08: Open Data - Innovating Through Creative Public-Private Partnerships (Show details)

  Jeff Friedman - City of Philadelphia
  Mark Headd - Code for America
  

  Registration Fee: $125
  Competency: Catalyst

   

  Municipal data is a largely untapped resource with tremendous potential value to cities and their residents. Learn how leading cities are partnering with entrepreneurs, civic hackers, and foundations to change the way they deliver information to the public and build new, innovative apps and services. Team up with coders to create an app during this session. Leave with the tools and resources to begin implementing open data strategies at home.

• 9:30 am
  NLC Advisory Council Meeting

• 9:30 am
  Discover Roxbury's Development Gems (Show details)

  Mobile Workshop: See Boston's approach to revitalizing Dudley Square, a transit anchored historic district. Today's repurposed buildings and a strong neighborhood identity help drive $1 billion in public and private investment in the heart of Boston's African American Community. (1 bus)

• 10:00 am
  Good 360 Community Service Project

• 10:00 AM
  Supporting Local Food Systems: Roundtable Discussion (Show details)

  During this informal roundtable local government leaders will have the opportunity to discuss their experiences, interests and challenges in promoting a healthy and sustainable food system in their communities. Topics will range from strategies to support local production, increase access, and thoughts about regional collaboration. Feedback collected at this session will be used to help guide the work of NLC’s Sustainability Program, specifically the development of new food related resources within the Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI).

• 10:00 am
  Predictions of Overwhelming Waste Production Call for Next Generation PAYT Waste Reduction (Show details)

  Carolyn A. Kirk - City of Gloucester
  Mark Dancy - WasteZero
  

  The amount of world’s trash—and the costs to manage it all—are predicted to double in just more than a decade. Our current best-effort waste reduction programs, which reduce waste by 22% at best, will no longer be enough. Next generation PAYT programs (turnkey, proven and comprehensive) can deliver more than twice the results—clocking in an average 44% reduction in waste in just the first year of implementation. In this session, learn from Mayor Carolyn Kirk of Gloucester, Massachusetts , who saw her city’s municipal solid waste decrease 37%, savings increase to $163,000, and recycling rate skyrocket to the fifth highest in the region after implementing next generation PAYT.
   

  Presented by: WasteZero

• 10:00 am
  Clean Community Energy Systems: A Guide to Planning, Development & Implementation (Show details)

  Robert Thornton - International District Energy Association
  

  Local clean energy projects attract new businesses and residents, enhance economic resiliency and energy security, stabilize energy costs and reduce emissions. Efficient, reliable and sustainable district energy and combined heat and power systems can help communities utilize local resources, spend energy dollars locally and address the demands of growing downtown populations. Based on “Community Energy: Planning, Development and Delivery,” a new guidebook for city leaders and staff, this session will discuss energy mapping, densification and system optimization and how to integrate local district energy into sustainable planning. Attendees will receive a free copy of the publication.
   

  Presented by: International District Energy Association, an NLC Associate Member

• 10:00 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) New Member Orientation

• 11:00 am
  Virginia Municipal League Congressional Issues Briefing

• 11:00 am
  Creating Economic Synergies between Your Community and Your Military Base (Show details)

  Hans Uslar - City of Monterey
  Linda Balcom - Weston Solutions
  Tim Ford - Association of Defense Communities
  

  Public/private partnerships are just one of the economic engines explored in this session. In fact, if you’re like many communities, you may not even be aware of the myriad of opportunities available. A team of experts will share the tips and tools you need to partner and collaborate with your local base. Discover how to create win/win scenarios that will help drive true economic value for your community. From uncovering leasing and land use options to finding out how to share infrastructure resources drive efficiencies, and generate savings, this session will highlight the tools you need to preposition your community for success, no matter how the future unfolds.

• 11:00 am
  Innovative Service Delivery through Public-Private Collaboration (Show details)

  Marilu Goodyear - University of Kansas
  Rick Norment - The National Council for Public-Private Partnerships
  Susan Mays - CH2M HILL
  

  In today’s economy, a common challenge has emerged for cities: the need to deliver better services to citizens despite shrinking resources. Cutting services, hours and staff are last resorts, so communities are looking to new service delivery models. Regionalization, shared services and public-private partnership are all options, but many communities aren’t sure where to begin. Following brief presentations from the University of Kansas and the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships on the latest in academic research and local government practices, attendees will engage in a dialogue about creating the right environment for successful public-private collaboration for the delivery of municipal services.
   

  Presented by: CH2M HILL, an NLC Corporate Partner

• 11:30 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Membership Luncheon & Awards Program *Ticketed Event*

• 12:00 pm
  A.S.K. A Corporate Partner: Consultations for Answers, Solutions and Knowledge

• 12:00 pm
  Untying the Yellow Ribbon: Community-based Solutions to Support Today’s Military Coming Home (Show details)

  Gretchen Martens - Homeward Deployed
  

  Much of the burden of care for our three million post-9/11 military and their families will fall to America’s communities, seriously impacting already overstressed community systems.  Still reeling from ongoing fiscally constrained environments, cities and counties need free and low cost integrated solutions that respect a community’s sense of place while aligning with a national network to support these young transitioning military so that they become engaged stakeholders in building thriving communities.  This session will feature case studies that show how communities have mobilized to support transitioning military, provide access to practical tools and resources, and present an innovative national network emerging to support community leaders in helping today’s young Veterans.

• 12:00 pm
  Leadership Luncheon

• 12:00 pm
  Solutions for Municipalities: Where Recycling Fits (Show details)

  Todd Ellis - Call2Recycle
  

  Despite enormous and growing solid waste disposal needs, municipalities are increasingly recognizing that recycling can be cost-effective. Proper disposal of solid waste can represent a net savings or, in some cases, help offset the cost of program management at the local level.  Municipalities such as Austin, Texas, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are employing innovative techniques, smart partnerships and wide-reaching communications efforts to earn “best practice” status for successfully diverting solid waste to recycling.  This session offers solutions cities and counties are implementing to achieve increased recycling success, as well as which trends are expected to impact municipal recycling.
   

  Presented by: Call2Recycle

• 12:00 pm
  Youth Delegate Orientation

• 12:00 pm
  Explore Boston Tour (Show details)

  This is the essential tour to take when you come to Boston! 
  
  Your tour takes you through Boston’s beautiful Victorian Back Bay area, built entirely upon reclaimed wetlands and home to two architectural masterpieces, Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library.

   

  Next, drive through the prestigious Beacon Hill neighborhood, as you hear about it’s rich history and it’s famous neighbors. Several photo stops at key locations in Boston’s and our Nation’s history are hi-lites as well as a brief walk into Boston’s renowned North End.
  
  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person: $30.00
  Tour length:        4 hours
  
  

  Please note: Some walking on cobblestone streets; sensible footwear recommended.  Not suitable as is for children under 5 years of age – customized tour available for children.

   

  Register

• 12:00 pm
  Boston Moves for Health (Show details)

  Mobile Workshop: Learn about Mayor Menino's new campaign aimed at improving the health and fitness of the City of Boston. As part of the initiative, the mayor has challenged residents to lose one million pounds and move (walk, run, hop, swim, skip) 10 million miles. (1 bus)

• 12:00 pm
  Delegates Lunch in the Exhibit Hall

• 12:00 pm
  Using Technology to Engage Residents & Improve Service Delivery (Show details)

  Mobile Workshop: Learn about Citizen's Connect, the Boston One Card, Technology Goes Home, Bostrax, and other programs that Boston is piloting to empower residents to re-shape the city and take advantage of all that Boston has to offer. (1 bus)

• 12:00 pm
  Food Policy for the City’s Social & Economic Health (Show details)

  See how Boston is creating a comprehensive food policy which, in several years , has brought a new wave of food-based initiatives - from mobile food trucks with healthy offerings to urban agriculture and small business incubators to the Boston Bounty Bucks program - which puts more healthy foods on inner-city family tables.  (Up to 2 buses)

• 1:00 pm
  Faster, Cheaper, Better Government – Why Document Management Matters for Cities (Show details)

  Terri Jones - Hyland Software, Inc.
  

  As cities continue to respond to smaller staffs and budgets, some communities have embraced document management as a way to deliver better constituent services even as they save time and money. In this session, learn how document management is being used by cities and how it created cost and staff time savings while meeting transparency, mobile and other key constituent needs. The session will feature lessons from over 1,100 OnBase government end users.
  
  Presented by: Hyland Software, Inc., an NLC Corporate Partner

• 1:00 pm
  New Opportunities in Health and Wellness within the Restaurant Industry (Show details)

  Joy Dubost - National Restaurant Association
  

  The restaurant industry plays a critical role in a healthy lifestyle by serving as many as 130 million meals a day. This session will provide an overview on how the restaurant industry is addressing health and wellness, including the industry’s commitment to offer healthful options to kids. The National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program is a first of its kind, voluntary program, which has generated support from state and local leaders across the country.  Learn more about bringing this award-winning program to your city.
  
  Presented by: National Restaurant Association, an NLC Corporate Partner

• 1:15 pm
  First Tier Suburbs Steering Committee Meeting

• 1:15 pm
  Military Communities Peer Network

• 1:15 pm
  International Council Meeting

• 1:15 pm
  University Communities Council Meeting

• 1:15 pm
  Large Cities Council

• 1:15 pm
  Small Cities Council Meeting

• 1:30 pm
  Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) Business and Nominations Meeting

• 1:30 PM
  Council on Youth, Education, and Families Meeting

• 1:30 pm
  Resolutions Committee

• 1:45 pm
  Lets Move! Cities, Towns and Counties: Get Started, Take Action and See Progress

• 2:00 pm
  Operational Efficiency - A Water Utility's Best Friend (Show details)

  Brandon Segrest - Neptune Technology Group, Inc.
  

  Utilities of all sizes face fundamental challenges in managing their water resources — from aging infrastructure to budgetary constraints to conservation initiatives. One thing that remains constant is the utility’s goal to operate efficiently. Neptune’s AMR/AMI systems complete with no lead water meters and solid state absolute encoders enable a utility to improve its operational efficiency while improving water conservation and providing proactive customer service. As a partner, Neptune meets utilities where their needs are and helps them to keep moving forward from there — operational efficiency is not a dream; it is a reality.
  
  Presented by: Neptune Technology Group, Inc., an NLC Associate Member

• 2:00 pm
  Leadership Training Council Meeting

• 2:00 pm
  Sustaining Essential Public Services Without Busting the Budget (Show details)

  Michael Ragone - American Medical Response
  Stewart McGehee - American Medical Response
  

  Nationwide, city managers are facing difficult cuts to public safety services as they address growing budget deficits. New service delivery models need to evolve to enable cities to sustain appropriate levels of service in a more economically efficient manner while maintaining public safety. Join retired San Jose Fire Battalion Chief Stewart McGehee and American Medical Response Director of Emergency Management  System Design Mike Ragone as they offer alternative partnering models and options that cities and fire departments can evaluate, incorporate, and create new efficiencies, redirect revenue streams, and minimize reductions in public safety.
  
  Presented by: American Medical Response

• 3:15 pm
  Opening General Session (Show details)

  Jen Pahlka - Code for America
  Wes Moore - Beyond Belief
  William Taylor - Washington Speakers Bureau
  

• 5:30 pm
  Welcoming Reception in Exhibit Hall

• 5:30 pm
  Democratic Municipal Officials State Chapter Chairs Meeting

• 6:30 pm
  League of California Cities Reception

• 6:30 pm
  NLC Nominating Committee Public Hearing

• 7:00 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Night Out (Off-Site) *Ticketed Event*

Friday, November 30, 2012

• 7:00 am
  Registration

• 7:00 am
  Republican Mayors and Local Officials Breakast

• 7:30 am
  Democratic Municipal Officials Breakfast

• 7:30 am
  State League Legislative Briefing Breakfast

• 8:00 AM
  Maryland Municipal League Breakfast Briefing

• 9:00 am
  Beyond Skills Mismatch: Connecting Workforce and Economic Development (Show details)

  Carl Brewer - City of Wichita
  Fred Dedrick - National Fund for Workforce Solutions
  John Sampson - Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
  Kathleen Randolph - WorkOne Northeast
  

  Your city’s economic competitiveness hinges on the skills of its workforce. This workshop will focus on ways cities are bridging workforce and economic development efforts to grow an economy with a pipeline of talent and tobetter meet current and future employer needs.

• 9:00 am
  Democratic Municipal Officials Board Meeting

• 9:00 am
  Supporting Start-ups and Entrepreneurs (Show details)

  Benjamin P. Teague - Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
  Jeremy Bersin - MassChallenge
  Lisa Hemmerle - City of Boston
  Marc San Soucie - City of Beaverton
  Pam Lewis - Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition
  Dr. Reshma Shetty - Ginkgo BioWorks
  

  As the primary job creators in the U.S., new businesses are essential to strengthening your local economy. This workshop will focus on ways cities can foster entrepreneurship. A panel of leaders and practitioners from both the public and private sectors will explore how to enable communication and a positive policy environment, how to strategically support accelerators and incubators, and how to engage partners who can provide expertise, resources and growth opportunities to start-ups and entrepreneurs.

• 9:00 am
  The Just City (Show details)

  Susan Fainstein - Harvard University
  

  The concept behind the Just City is the belief that a focus on global economic competitiveness is compatible with promoting fairness and equity in order to lift the lives of all citizens. This plenary session will demonstrate that cities that embrace diversity, democracy and equity, in fact do emerge as more livable, exciting and dynamic cities. In fact, successful cities are ones which seek to match attention to economic growth with a process which ensures that every resident, regardless of race, class, educational attainment, or lifestyle, benefits from the spatial, political, economic, and financial resources of the city in which they live.

• 9:00 am
  Comprehending Comprehensiveness: Getting Started with Sustainability (Show details)

  Jamie Kidwell - City of Ann Arbor
  Joseph Schilling - Virginia Tech
  Peter Brandom - City of Hillsboro
  

  Community-wide sustainability is difficult to define and is often less about the individual topics - energy, transportation, waste, or water – and more about the intersections and interactions among them. In this session you'll hear about the tangled, complex, and dynamic world of community sustainability and identify strategies to approach and navigate through a planning process that sees the forest and the trees.

• 9:00 am
  Energizing your Energy Efficiency Program (Show details)

  Alex Dews - City of Philadelphia
  Amy Bolten - Applied Solutions
  Chuck Clinton - National Association of State Energy Officials
  Henrietta Davis - City of Cambridge
  Kurt W. Roth, Ph.D. - Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE
  Satya Rhodes-Conway - City of Madison
  

  Energy efficiency is often cited as the quickest and cheapest method for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and shrinking utility bills. While many communities have already taken steps towards greater energy efficiency, continual advances in technology and innovative approaches mean there is always room for more savings. This workshop will examine four specific ways communities can further their energy efficiency goals and yield community-wide benefits: Energy Disclosure Policies; Residential Energy Efficiency; Net-Zero Buildings; and Working directly with State Energy Offices.

• 9:30 am
  Institute of Contemporary Art & Newbury Street Art Galleries (Show details)

  After seventy years at the leading edge of art in the city, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) has opened a new, visionary building poised to capture the stimulation of contemporary culture and the excitement of a revitalized waterfront area. The building was conceived both "from the sky down," as a contemplative space for experiencing contemporary art, and "from the ground up," providing dynamic areas for public enjoyment. The design weaves together interior and exterior space, producing shifting perspectives of the waterfront throughout the museum's galleries and public spaces.

   

  Your Boston art tour continues to fashionable Newbury Street, where connoisseurs will visit three of Boston’s prominent galleries: the Vose Gallery, the Guild of Boston Artists and the Copley Society. A representative at each respective gallery will be on hand to speak with your guests about the paintings and art on exhibit.

   

  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person       $75.00
  Tour length               4 hours    

   

  Register

• 10:30 am
  Exposition Hall and City Showcase Open

• 10:45 am
  Placemaking: Successful Strategies to Integrate Transportation and Land Use (Show details)

  Brian Crimmins - City of Houston
  Daniel P. Gilmartin - Michigan Municipal League
  Josh McManus - Little Things Lab
  Matt Zone - City of Cleveland
  

  As complex and dynamic systems, demands on cities’ transportation and land use infrastructure is constantly in flux. Through small- and large-scale city examples, this session will emphasize the importance of thoughtfully designing and integrating land use and transportation decisions, creating vibrant city spaces that increase the quality of life for all residents in your community.

• 10:45 am
  Supporting Families and Neighborhoods Through Strong Multi-Sector Partnerships (Show details)

  A.C. Wharton - City of Memphis
  Dr. Douglas Scarboro - City of Memphis
  Joe Garlick - NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley
  

  City leaders can't fully support neighborhoods and families alone. Success requires collaborations with other public agencies, private partners, and community based organizations and you can provide the tools and resources necessary to build a strong community. In this workshop you will learn how innovative approaches to structure, operation, and evaluation of collaborative partnerships are working in cities across the country.

• 10:45 am
  Coping with Community Transformations and Population Shifts (Show details)

  Allen Joines - City of Winston-Salem
  Cheng Imm Tan - City of Boston
  Mr. Jeffrey Joneal Lunde - City of Brooklyn Park
  

  Change is unavoidable whether in the diversity of the population or the purpose of land and buildings. A dramatic shift in these conditions is just as often a source for opportunity as it is a source of panic. This session will explore ways your city can plan for and respond to changes in the community’s needs resulting from economic or demographic shifts, including goal-setting and community engagement.

• 10:45 am
  Economic Gardening: Unleashing the Export Potential of Growth-Oriented Companies (Show details)

  Brad Power - City of Longmont
  Christine Hamilton- Pennell - Growing Local Economies, Inc.
  Pablo Diaz - Grenada Economic Development District
  

  Businesses that export help the community create wealth and jobs by bringing in new dollars from outside municipal borders verses circulating and replacing local spending. Cities can help growth-oriented companies find and reach external markets by providing market research assistance. Participants in this interactive session will learn about the key elements of a “market intelligence” strategy, which is one component of the economic gardening approach to economic development. They will also learn about the characteristics of growth-oriented businesses, how market research and high level technical assistance can assist these companies in reaching external markets, tips on how to connect with businesses with growth and export potential, and how to partner to provide services and assistance.

• 10:45 am
  Moving Past the Smokestack: A Discussion on Business Attraction (Show details)

  Greg LeRoy - Good Jobs First
  Susan Liberty - McGuireWoods Consulting
  Tracey Nichols - City of Cleveland
  

  Business attraction has been and continues to be a primary economic development focus for many communities. Yet, it can also be the most controversial, especially as the public calls for greater transparency and accountability with public funds. This workshop will discuss the trends and challenges and opportunities of business attraction, and explore strategies and accountability measures that can help your city.

• 10:45 am
  Utilizing Performance Tools to Measure Your Cities’ Sustainability Efforts (Show details)

  Gayle Prest - City of Minneapolis
  Katherine Carttar - City of Kansas City
  Mark Yamarone - City of Pasadena
  R. Michael Kasperzak Jr. - City of Mountain View
  

  Tracking sustainability performance is vital for your city to ensure it is meeting its stated goals. However, in light of complex social, economic, and environmental factors, accurately and effectively tracking progress can be a daunting and challenging task.  In this session, you will learn about how to establish sustainability indicators that reflect your community’s priorities; the process to dynamically manage long-term sustainability goals; and the types of tools that are most useful to measure and track success.

• 11:30 am
  Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Newbury Street Shopping (Show details)

  Isabella Stewart Gardner first welcomed visitors to her palazzo museum on New Year's Day, 1903. On that evening guests listened to the music of Bach, Mozart, and Schumann, gazed in wonder at the courtyard full of flowers, and viewed one of the nation's finest collections of art. Today, visitors have much the same experience, as the Gardner Museum has remained essentially unchanged since its founder's death in 1924. Unchanged but certainly not stagnant; its three floors of galleries surround a garden courtyard blooming with life in every season.

   

  Following your tour of Mrs. Gardner’s treasure-laden palazzo your guests will be escorted to the city’s most enchanting avenue, Newbury Street. This is the place to see and be seen in Boston, with its one-of-a-kind boutiques, salons, antique shops, art galleries and cafes. Boston's Newbury Street has something for everyone!

   

  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person:    $53.00
  Tour length:           4 hours
  

   

  Register

• 12:00 pm
  Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Leadership Award Luncheon and Membership Meeting with WIMG Award Program *Ticketed Event*

• 12:00 pm
  The Freedom Trail (Show details)

  Your comfortable motor coach transports you to beautiful Boston Common to begin your walk along the Freedom Trail! From here, your guide leads you on a 90-minute walking tour back to colonial times, concluding at Faneuil Hall.

   

  Boston's 2 ½ - mile walk through history follows the red brick road to 16 historic sites: Boston Common, The Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King's Chapel, Ben Franklin's statue, Old South Meeting House, Old Corner Bookstore, Old State House, Boston Massacre Site, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Copps Hill Burying Ground, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument. Your walking tour will end in Boston’s historical Faneiul Hall, where you will have time to browse the Marketplace’s food hall and plethora of shops!

   

  TOUR INFORMATION
  Cost per person:         $31.00
  Tour length:                4 hours
  

   

  Note: This tour is mostly walking, some on cobblestone streets. Sensible footwear recommended.  Not suitable for children under five years of age.

   

  Register

• 12:00 pm
  Afterschool Policy Advisors Network Meeting

• 12:15 pm
  Youth Delegate and Local Elected Official Lunch

• 1:30 pm
  Strengthening Career Pathways for Workforce Development (Show details)

  Conny Doty - City of Boston
  Dr. James Applegate - Lumina Foundation
  Tanya Moore - City of Berkeley
  

  Cities continue to innovate in the ways that they engage with partners to create career pathways, including building connections between K-12 and post-secondary education; encouraging and supporting adults to return to school; and providing education and employment opportunities for youth. In this workshop, city leaders using comprehensive approaches will foster discussions designed to help you adopt similar approaches for your city.

• 1:30 pm
  Integrating Green Infrastructure in Your Community (Show details)

  Hon. Jan Marcason - City of Kansas City
  Kevin L. Shafer, P.E. - Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
  Mark A. Focht - City of Philadelphia
  Robert Cantoreggi - Town of Franklin
  

  Stormwater management and overburdened infrastructure systems are pressing issues for cities of all sizes.  This session will identify successful green infrastructure technologies and strategies, such as low-impact development and green roofs, to help your city conserve and protect water resources and reduce overall infrastructure costs. Additionally, the session will highlight cities- small and large- that are integrating green infrastructure techniques into their watershed planning frameworks.

• 1:30 pm
  Harnessing the Power of Technology and Information (Show details)

  Daphne Griffin - City of Boston
  Stephen Goldsmith - Harvard University
  

  Data is helping city leaders understand community needs and implement successful strategies that strengthen human capital, engage citizens in solving public problems and deliver services more effectively. This program will focus on helping you ask the right policy questions, build effective partnerships across sectors, and embrace a new model of problem solving that includes citizens and other non-government experts.

• 1:30 pm
  Making Your City More Business Friendly (Show details)

  Barry Bluestone - Northeastern University
  Danielle Casey - City of Maricopa
  Kevin Dow - City of Philadelphia
  Pablo Diaz - Grenada Economic Development District
  Susan Connelly - Darden
  

  A central piece of economic development is ensuring businesses want to stay and grow within your community and region. This workshop will focus strategic efforts to retain local businesses and support their expansion and growth.

• 1:30 pm
  Youth Delegate Forum

• 1:30 pm
  Closing the Gap: Addressing Disparities in Access to Critical Goods and Services (Show details)

  Elisabeth Mason - Single Stop USA
  Kelley Dunne - Novation Broadband
  Marice Ashe, J.D. - ChangeLab Solutions
  Tina Lentz - Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government
  

  Studies show that low-income families often lack access to goods and services that most families take for granted: healthy food, health care services, critical work supports, safe and affordable financial services and broadband internet. The resulting disparities in health, workforce participation and financial security serve as barriers to the middle class. Without access to these types of opportunity, families struggle and neighborhoods suffer. This session will provide a rapid overview of five replicable strategies to tackle these systemic inequalities and reduce the high cost of being poor. Following the presentations, participants will have the opportunity to break into discussion groups for deeper exploration of these models.

• 1:30 pm
  Building a Big Tent: Developing and Strengthening Partnerships to Advance Sustainability Goals (Show details)

  Mrs. Cristina Pasa Gibson - Coastal Health District
  Heather McMann - Groundwork Lawrence
  James Barnes - City of Lawrence
  Kate O'Brien - Groundwork USA
  Honorable Van R Johnson - City of Savannah
  Zach Baumer - City of Austin
  

  You can play a critical role in advancing sustainability initiatives by building strong partnerships within the community and using coordinated approaches across internal city operations. During this engaging session you will hear first-hand about creative partnerships between cities and a range of stakeholders – including local businesses, community organizations, health departments, and more. Participants will gain insight into successful practices, lessons learned, and new ideas to build support for and involvement in sustainability efforts.

• 2:45 pm
  Networking Break

• 3:00 pm
  Western Municipal Association Meeting

• 3:15 PM
  Innovation Lab: Provocative Points of View and Discussion (Show details)

  In this session, participants will view a selection of filmed presentations from thought leaders which focus on city challenges and opportunities in the areas technology, innovation and growth.  Through thought provoking insights these talks will challenge participants to think creatively about ways to build sustainable communities, promote local economies, and strength neighborhoods and families.  A moderated discussion will follow each talk allowing participants to identify ways to apply these approaches and strategies in their communities.

• 3:15 pm
  World Cafe: Creative Approaches to Financing (Show details)

  Through a series of 25-minute rotations, participants will explore the tools and strategies available to cities and towns for generating new funds and making better use of existing revenues and resources – in short, how to pay for projects and initiatives. This session will allow participants to engage in facilitated small group discussions with both topic experts and peers in municipal government.
  

  • Creating Public Buy-In for Transportation Fees
  • Technology Investments to Maximize Resources  
  • Energy Finance After EECBG
  • Finding the Green for Green Infrastructure
  • Kickstarting Community Development
  • Financing Healthy Foods
  • Regional Talent Development
  • Financing Your Entrepreneurship Support Initiative
    
  • Financing Economic Attraction
  • Balancing Public Interest with Economic Growth
  • Financing Economic Development in Rural Areas
  • Broad-Based Partnerships for Family Supports
  • Blending and Braiding Funding for Violence Prevention
  • Dedicated Revenue for Children and Youth
  • Social Impact Bonds
  • Housing and Mortgage Finance
  • Community Foundations and Locally Grown Assets
    
    

• 5:00 pm
  Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTO) Reception

• 5:00 pm
  Indiana Reception Honoring NLC President, Mayor Ted Ellis

• 5:00 pm
  Digital Cities Survey Awards Reception (Show details)

  Reception style with theater seating. Bar. Riser with standing lectern with a light on it. Place lectern on one side of the stage. (2) 6' tables pushed to back of the riser. Stairs on each side of the stage. Black pipe and drape behind stage with uplights. Theater seating for 50 in front of the stage. Will have a backdrop that is 9'10" long, 7'4" tall, 24" deep that will go next to the stage for photos.

• 5:00 pm
  Oregon/Washington Reception

• 5:00 pm
  Iowa League of Cities Reception

• 5:00 pm
  State League Presidents Reception

• 5:00 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Regional Directors Nominations Sessions

• 5:30 PM
  North Carolina League of Municipalities Reception

• 5:30 pm
  Florida League of Cities Reception

• 5:30 pm
  Alabama League of Municipalities Reception

• 5:30 pm
  Massachusetts Municipal Association Reception

• 6:00 PM
  Colorado/Wyoming Reception

• 6:00 pm
  Youth Delegate Social

• 6:00 pm
  League of Arizona Cities & Towns Reception in honoring NLC President-Elect, the Hon. Marie Lopez-Rogers

• 6:30 pm
  Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Dutch Treat Dinner

• 6:30 pm
  Tennessee Municipal League Reception

• 6:30 pm
  APAMO-HELO-WIMG Joint Reception

Saturday, December 01, 2012

• 7:30 am
  Registration

• 8:30 am
  Small Cities Council Steering Committee Meeting

• 9:00 AM
  Retooling Public Pensions and the Future of Public Work (Show details)

  Elizabeth Kellar - Center for State and Local Government Excellence
  Kathie Novak - Center for Priority Based Budgeting
  Hon. Pete Constant - City of San Jose
  

  Current fiscal conditions, along with changing demographics and employment structures, are prompting many local governments to reexamine their retirement systems. This session will explore fiscal realities and local decision making landscape, a national perspective on public pension reforms, and the experiences of how one city successfully navigated retirement security and pension reform.

• 9:00 am
  Film Session: Lessons from the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (Show details)

  John Barros - Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
  Kelly Thomson - Vital Pictures, Inc.
  Llewellyn Smith - Vital Pictures, Inc.
  

  Gaining Ground, a film documenting the grassroots efforts of Boston’s Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, offers lessons from this highly acclaimed neighborhood revitalization effort. Following a viewing of portions of this film, a facilitator will lead a discussion bringing together key themes from the conference – partnerships, data, creative financing, community change, and equitable access – in a conversation about on-the-ground successes and challenges.

• 9:00 am
  Growing Your Local Food Economy (Show details)

  Edith Murnane - City of Boston
  Jenita McGowan - City of Cleveland
  Theresa Zawacki - Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government
  

  Across the country city leaders are recognizing how strong local food systems can support strong local economies. This workshop will help you grow your local food economy by exploring how three communities are building markets for healthy foods and connecting local and regional food systems to support production, processing, distribution, and retail enterprises.

• 9:00 am
  Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Promoting Community Resilience (Show details)

  Doug Bellomo - Federal Emergency Management Agency
  Melodee Colbert-Kean - City of Joplin
  Dr. Nancy Kete - The Rockefeller Foundation
  Stephanie Smith - City of Flagstaff
  

  Extreme weather events are making it increasingly important for city leaders and their communities to plan and be prepared to protect citizens and key infrastructure. Disaster preparedness considerations should factor into long-term plans involving land use and the development of transportation and water infrastructure. This workshop will examine key steps your city can take to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters.

• 9:00 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) General Membership Meeting

• 9:00 am
  Stabilizing Families and Communities through Financial Empowerment (Show details)

  Daniel Dodd - Step Up Savannah
  Heidi Goldberg - National League of Cities
  Jose Cisneros - City of San Francisco
  Timothy Flacke - Doorways to Dreams
  

  A vibrant local economy is directly connected to the financial stability of its residents. Too often, a large proportion of a city’s families lack the savings and credit needed to make day to day financial transactions. In this workshop, you will learn about strategies that promote financial stability and empower families to connect to their local economies.

• 9:00 am
  Youth Delegates Wrap-Up Session

• 10:30 am
  Strenghthening Neighborhoods and Families: Round Table Discussion on Education (Show details)

  Share insights from the conference and your own community about how to develop strong multi-sector partnerships, address equity and diversity, and use data to improve educational outcomes for residents across the full educational continuum: early childhood, K-12, afterschool, and post-secondary education. This roundtable will also draw lessons from sessions offered in the economic development conference.

• 10:30 am
  Strengthening Neighborhoods and Families: Round Table Discussion on Financial Empowerment (Show details)

  Examine how issues of financial security affect – and are influenced by – neighborhoods and discuss creative strategies for building bridges to the middle class for financially insecure families. This roundtable will also draw lessons from sessions offered in the economic development conference.

• 10:30 am
  Strengthening Neighborhoods and Families: Round Table Discussion on Public Safety (Show details)

  Discuss the important role of public safety in strengthening neighborhoods and families, and identify effective approaches used in Boston, the cities highlighted throughout the conference, and participants’ home communities blending violence prevention, intervention, and enforcement.

• 10:30 am
  Boston's Creative Public-Private Partnerships (Show details)

  Loh-Sze Leung - The Boston Foundation
  Neil Sullivan - Boston Private Industry Council
  Rebekah Splaine Salwasser - Boston Scholar Athletes
  Thomas Crohan - John Hancock Financial Services
  Wanda McClain - Brigham & Women’s Hospital
  Yvonne Tang - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
  

  Boston is home to a range of creative public – private partnerships designed to create better opportunities in the areas of youth, job opportunities, education and family development. Hear from representatives of the public, private and non-profit sectors of Boston how these collaborations were developed, how they are serving the community and how other communities might consider initiating similar partnerships.

• 10:30 am
  Strengthening Neighborhoods and Families: Round Table Discussion on Health (Show details)

  Exchange ideas with peers about how to foster a healthier community in which residents are connected to medical homes, have access to healthy food, and can be physically active. This roundtable will also draw lessons from the sessions offered in the sustainability conference.

• 10:30 am
  Revitalizing Your Downtown (Show details)

  Brandon Palanker - Renaissance Downtowns LLC
  David Sander - City of Rancho Cordova
  Neil Montgomery - City of Garland
  Rafael Carbonell - City of Boston
  

  Downtowns have the potential to be a unique focal point of a community, a gathering place for citizens and a thriving environment for businesses. This workshop will focus on how your city can develop existing main streets and downtown districts into more dense, vibrant community destinations.

• 10:30 am
  Technology Solutions for Sustainable Infrastructure (Show details)

  Nigel Jacob - City of Boston
  The Honorable Pam OConnor - City of Santa Monica
  Richard Leadbeater - Esri
  

  The development and management of sustainable communities is becoming increasingly easier to address through the proliferation of new and innovative technologies. These emerging technologies can lower costs and improve services, while maintaining infrastructure and other community assets for future needs. This session will look at how cities can use a variety of technological resources to create efficiencies in various infrastructure systems while working to improve citizen engagement.

• 10:30 am
  Strengthening Neighborhoods and Families: Round Table Discussion on Housing and Community Development (Show details)

  Identify best practices and apply lessons related to addressing foreclosures, changing demographics, the housing needs of unique populations, and the integration of transportation and employment into new developments.

• 11:00 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) New Board Orientation

• 12:00 pm
  Credential's Committee Room

• 12:15 pm
  Closing General Session and Delegates Lunch (Show details)

  Mark Halperin - Washington Speakers Bureau
  

• 2:30 pm
  Annual Business Meeting

• 6:00 pm
  City of Boston Closing Event

Hotel/Travel

Boston Convention & Exposition Center
Boston, MA
(617)954-2800

Hotels

Book your room

Presenters

1. Applegate, James

   Lumina Foundation
   James L. Applegate serves as Vice President for Program Development at the Lumina Foundation. In this role, he leads in development of the Foundation’s funding programs supporting achievement of “Goal 2025” to dramatically increase educational attainment in the U.S, especially for low income, first generation, minority, and adult students. That work includes strategic implementation of effective practices and policies supporting increases in the number of prepared students entering higher education, the number of students succeeding in college, and in the productivity and capacity of the system to provide many more people high quality credentials.
2. Ashe, Marice

   ChangeLab Solutions
   Marice Ashe is the Executive Director of ChangeLab Solutions (formerly Public Health Law & Policy), a nonprofit national technical assistance center offering public health leaders access to high quality legal resources for public health campaigns related to both chronic and communicable disease control. In this position she has launched and directs multiple pioneering efforts to improve public health outcomes through the use of law and policy. Marice directs the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network (NPLAN) to Prevent Childhood Obesity, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of its $500 million commitment to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015. She directs Planning for Healthy Places, which integrates built environment and economic development strategies into public health practice. She also directs the Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC), funded by the California Department of Public Health to provide legal technical assistance to tobacco control advocates statewide. ChangeLab Solutions is a national technical assistance provider to the Center for Disease Control’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work and Community Transformation Grants initiatives. Marice is a frequent speaker at public health conferences throughout the nation, and she consults with federal and state agencies on how best to incorporate legal and policy tools into public health strategies. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and received her MPH and JD from the University of California at Berkeley.
3. Balcom, Linda

   Weston Solutions
   Ms. Balcom is a Community Redevelopment Lead for WESTON and has extensive experience with former military base and Brownfield property redevelopment and infrastructure issues. As the Community Redevelopment program leader within WESTON, she is responsible for identifying and coordinating the environmental and engineering review in support of redevelopment programs as well as working with communities to identify grant programs to support economic redevelopment. Her community redevelopment/Brownfield experience includes: City of Riverbank, CA; Village of Rantoul, IL; Ingleside, TX; City of Vallejo, CA; Horsham Township, PA; Irvine, CA; Ceiba, Puerto Rico; Stapleton Airport, Denver, CO; City of San Diego, CA, and McClellan Development Authority, Anniston, AL.
4. Barnes, James

   City of Lawrence
   James Barnes has been Director of the Community Development Department in the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts since September 2008. Reporting to the Mayor he directs a staff of 15 in administration of Federal and State community development and housing grants. Prior to joining the City Mr. Barnes was Deputy Regional Administrator in the Boston Office of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In that capacity he served as chief of staff and principal advisor to the Regional Administrator for the New England region. In his 36-year career at HUD Mr. Barnes worked in leadership positions throughout the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston. Before HUD, Mr. Barnes was a VISTA volunteer in a non-profit housing corporation in Milwaukee. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a B.A. in economics in 1969, and received his MBA from DePaul University in l986. In 2003 Mr. Barnes was a fellow in the Council for Excellence in Government leadership program, Washington, DC.
5. Barros, John

   Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
   John Barros is a lifelong Dudley Street area resident. He was elected Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI)'s Executive Director in 2000. Mr. Barros was born in Roxbury. In 1991, at age 17, he was the first young person elected to the DSNI Board of Directors, triggering a more visible, active presence of youth across the organization. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1996, Mr. Barros served as Vice President of the DSNI Board and of Dudley Neighbors, Inc., the community land trust created to assure permanent affordable housing.
6. Baumer, Zach

   City of Austin
   Zach manages the Austin Climate Protection Program in the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability where he oversees the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies across the City. He holds an MBA from the Presidio Graduate School and undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from Purdue University.
7. Bellomo, Doug

   Federal Emergency Management Agency
   Doug Bellomo, P.E. is a civil engineer with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, DC. He is currently the Director of the Risk Analysis Division within the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration at FEMA. Division responsibilities include flood hazard mapping as part of the National Flood Insurance Program, Natural Hazard Risk Assessment, Mitigation Planning, as well as implementing the National Dam Safety program. Mr. Bellomo is a professional engineer and holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering. He has been working in the fields of flood hazard identification, risk management, and mitigation since 1993.
8. Bersin, Jeremy

   MassChallenge
   Jeremy Bersin is the Marketing Coordinator at MassChallenge. In his role, he works with the Marketing team to plan, create and distribute marketing content both internally and externally through multiple distribution channels. Additionally, Jeremy leads various special projects to improve internal operations at MassChallenge. Prior to MassChallenge, Jeremy has worked with many startups in the web and mobile space. His passion has always been in the healthcare space, specific to mental health and personal tracking systems. Since 2002, Jeremy has worked as a mental health advocate, after co-founding a program dedicated to educating his community about the warning signs of suicide and depression. He has sat on numerous state and national advisory boards dedicated to suicide and substance abuse prevention. Jeremy graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in political science and sociology and has worked on projects with actress Glenn Close, BringChange2Mind and DailyFeats.
9. Bluestone, Barry

   Northeastern University
   Barry Bluestone is the Stearns Trustee Professor of Political Economy, the founding director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy (CURP), and the Founding Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. The Center is a “think and do tank” devoted to research and policy in the areas of housing, workforce development, local economic development, manufacturing, and transportation. The public policy school has been designed to more closely link Northeastern with the broader community, focusing on many of the critical challenges facing the city, the region, and the nation. Bluestone is author of hundreds of articles and monographs and co-author of eleven books. He received his BA, MA, and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan.
10. Bolten, Amy

    Applied Solutions
    Amy Bolten is an integral member of the Energy Resources Group at Sonoma County Water Agency which is focused on realizing the Agency’s goal of delivering Carbon Free Water by 2015. She is responsible for the external coordination of the Agency’s portfolio of renewable energy and sustainability projects. Additionally she is working with a team across the nation to build Applied Solutions, a national coalition of local governments working to develop tools and mechanisms for clean energy and water-efficient public systems. Prior to Sonoma County Water Agency, Amy worked at Christopherson Homes to develop residential green building standards and as a researcher and project manager at Chiron Corporation. Amy has earned a B.S. in Chemistry from California State University at Chico, an M.S. in Chemistry from the University of San Francisco and an M.B.A. from University of San Francisco.
11. Brandom, Peter

    City of Hillsboro
    The City of Hillsboro Oregon hired Peter Brandom as its first Sustainability Manager in 2008. He has worked in sustainability and environmental policy development and implementation since 1997. Peter has helped the City of Hillsboro establish its first comprehensive Sustainability Plan encompassing 13 departments. Key work has included establishment of city-wide sustainability governance, the City’s first inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, long term sustainability goals, and various specific engagements and incentives for city residents and businesses. The city has achieved significant improvements in facility energy and other efficiencies and cost savings, and is leading public/private sustainability efforts for the Hillsboro community. Peter was born and raised in Colorado where he completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Denver in 1995. He also completed a Master of Science with Distinction at the University of Edinburgh in 2001.
12. Brewer, Carl

    City of Wichita
    Mayor Carl Brewer is a native of Wichita, Kansas. Carl has served the community as a member of the Wichita City Council, representing District 1 from 2001 to 2007. Carl now serves as the first African American elected Mayor for the City of Wichita. He is a member of the NLC Board.
13. Cantoreggi, Robert

    Town of Franklin
    Robert Cantoreggi has been the Director of the Department of Public Works in Franklin, MA since 2005. He is directly accountable to the Town Manager and City Council for all operations of the Department of Public Works in the following areas: Engineering, Highways, Grounds, Solid Waste, Recycling Station, Street Lighting, and Water and Sewer. Prior to joining Franklin, Mr. Cantoreggi was the Director of the Department of Public Works in Millis, MA. Mr. Cantoreggi has also worked for the Town of Norwood MA and the City of Cambridge MA and has been the Chairman of the Town Planning Board in Millis, MA since 2003. He was a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1989 to 1993 stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey, CA. Mr. Cantoreggi has a Bachelor of Science Degree(s) in Business and in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is licensed in Water Distribution and Water Treatment. Mr. Cantoreggi was selected to testify on EPA National Stormwater rulemaking in Washington D.C., where he represented communities with populations of less than 100,000. Mr. Cantoreggi has spoken locally, regionally and nationally on stormwater, water conservation and union employee / management operations. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Coalition for Resources Stewardship and Norfolk Bristol Middlesex Highwaymen’s Association. Mr. Cantoreggi resides in Millis, MA where he is also a Farmer.
14. Carbonell, Rafael

    City of Boston
    Rafael Carbonell has served Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development as Deputy Director for the Office of Business Development since Sept. 2009. He oversees a number of programs and initiatives designed to create jobs, and encourage new and existing businesses that enhance the vitality of Boston’s neighborhoods. Mr. Carbonell also oversees the nationally recognized Boston Main Streets program that Mayor Thomas M. Menino brought to the City in 1995. Prior to his work with the City of Boston, Mr. Carbonell launched and ran Thrive, a start-up, regional economic development enterprise for the eight-county region of Madison, Wisconsin (pop. 1 million). As Executive Vice President, he oversaw the strategic planning and project implementation for Thrive’s $1.2 million annual budget, assisted with the recruitment and oversight of the organization’s 20-member board and staff, and guided a $4.6 million fundraising campaign. Prior to Thrive, Mr. Carbonell served as Director of Regional Economic Development for the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. And he also spent three years in Buenos Aires, Argentina as a founding member of the management team and the Director of Business Development & Marketing for Livra, a successful technology start-up that now employs over 60 people with expanded operations in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. Rafael was born in Boston and raised in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he learned to appreciate the realities and excitement of being an entrepreneur thanks to his parents, their small business and several family start-ups. He holds a B.S. in Marketing from Boston College with a focus on Spanish and International Business, and studied abroad at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. Rafael was also a Fellow for the Ford Foundation’s Regional Sustainable Development Fellowship and is currently a “Connector” with Boston World Partnerships, which promotes Boston globally. His wife Sol is from Buenos Aires and they live in Boston’s beautiful Savin Hill neighborhood in Dorchester with their newborn daughter Sofia and high-energy pooch Sani.
15. Carttar, Katherine

    City of Kansas City
    Katherine Carttar is a Cookingham-Noll Fellow in the City of Kansas City, Missouri’s Office of the City Manager, where she works to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of city services through data-driven performance analysis. In addition to her work in municipal management, Carttar has public sector experience in nonprofit fundraising and program design, and international development through her service in the Peace Corps. She received Bachelor of the Arts degrees in economics and history from Boston College and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.
16. Casey, Danielle

    City of Maricopa
    As the Assistant City Manager for the City of Maricopa, Ms. Casey manages and oversees the Economic Development, Community Services, and Development Services Departments as well as the Marketing and Communications Division. She previously served as the City’s Economic Development Director. Ms. Casey has managed a number of noteworthy tasks in the establishment of the City’s economic development office, including the creation and implementation of the City’s Business Retention and Expansion Program and a City-wide branding initiative and Economic Development Strategic Plan. The creation of the City’s Redevelopment District Area Plan was also developed under her purview, receiving multiple grant awards in its first year. Prior to joining the City of Maricopa, Ms. Casey attained significant experience in the non-profit sector working in fundraising, marketing, and event and membership management. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Arizona State University and Master’s of Administration from Northern Arizona University, serves as Vice President for the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) as well as a certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP).
17. Cisneros, Jose

    City of San Francisco
18. Clinton, Chuck

    National Association of State Energy Officials
    Chuck Clinton serves as Senior Advisor and Lead Regional Coordinator for NASEO, an organization of which he was a founding officer and a long time board member. At NASEO, his responsibilities include assisting states and localities in both spending their State Energy Program (SEP) funds wisely and in searching out other revenue streams to expand their programmatic reach to achieve energy efficiency in the state. Previously he started and led the DC Energy Office as its director for twenty nine years. While DCEO director, he served as national chair of the NLC Conference of Local Energy Officials, a board member of the Urban Consortium Energy Task Force, and a member for several terms of the State Energy Advisory Board.
19. Colbert-Kean, Melodee

    City of Joplin
    Melodee Colbert Kean is president of Prayerful Portions, LLC, a small business consulting firm. Together with her husband, William, they assist small businesses with income growth strategies and sustainable operations. She is also a MO Licensed Realtor with Charles Burt Realtors. As an elected official since April 2006, Melodee is committed to community and civic services. She is the Mayor of Joplin on the Joplin Missouri City Council. She has been instrumental in ensuring Joplin is represented on the federal level by being an active board member of the National League of Cities, an organization which advocates and promotes cities agendas to White House Administration and congressional reps. Melodee serves on the Missouri Municipal Leagues Economic Development & Human Resources Board and is also a Governors Appointee to the Missouri Women’s Council, which assists women interested in starting a business, as well as being a resource for those already running a business. She also serves the educational sector by being on the Missouri Southern State University Robert Plaster School of Business Advisory Board, helping to develop policy and program initiatives to grow the business school. As VP of Joplin Metro Credit Union Board, a member of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce Board, the N.A.A.C.P Joplin Branch, the Discover Downtown Alliance and VP of the Joplin Emancipation Committee, Melodee remains focused on growing the economic environment and developing the cultural and arts entertainment offering in Joplin. A graduate of Missouri Southern State University with a Marketing Degree, Melodee’s career experience includes managerial and business development, negotiations, retail management, budgeting, customer service, leadership and motivational speaking. A lifelong Joplin resident, Melodee and her husband William Kean Jr., have two daughters in college, a son in the Marine Corps, and a daughter in first grade. Melodee is a member of Unity Missionary Baptist Church serving as Assistant Recording Secretary.
20. Connelly, Susan

    Darden
    Darden Restaurants, Inc., the world's largest full-service restaurant company, owns and operates more than 1,900 restaurants that generate over $8 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida and employing 180,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2012, Darden was named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the second year in a row. Our restaurant brands - Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Eddie V's - reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. In her role, Susan leads Darden’s efforts to build crucial relationships with key state and local office holders, administrative agencies and regulators. Additionally, she represents Darden before state legislative organizations and serves as Darden’s primary contact with state and local associations and allies. Susan brings more than a decade of related experience to her role at Darden. Most recently, she was Government Relations Manager for McDonald’s USA where she directed state and local advocacy for the Eastern United States. Prior to that, she was Director of State Affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, serving as their primary legislative and regulatory advocate in the Northeast. She also has worked for the Office of State Rep. David T. Donnelly, Chairman of the Massachusetts House Committee on the Judiciary. There, she managed a professional staff of 15, advised the Chairman on legislative initiatives, and researched and drafted testimony for committee hearings and floor debates. Susan earned her M.B.A. in Finance and Organizational Behavior at Suffolk University in Boston and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH.
21. Constant, Pete

    City of San Jose
    San José Councilmember Pete Constant represents Council District 1, the region of West San José bordering Santa Clara, Saratoga, Cupertino and Campbell. Re-elected in June 2010, he first took office in January 2007 and has since focused on public safety, economic development, open government, and regional land planning. Councilmember Constant is currently appointed to the Rules and Open Government, Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support, and Neighborhood Services and Education Committees for the City of San José. Prior to serving as a San José Councilmember, Constant served for 14 years as a San José Police Officer. After suffering a career-ending injury during an undercover operation, he continued his public service on the San José Appeals Hearing Board and as a neighborhood association leader. He is vice chair of NLC’s PSCP Committee.
22. Crimmins, Brian

    City of Houston
    Brian graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning. During college he worked for Michigan Department of Transportation before coming to Houston. In Houston, he has had the opportunity to help revise “one size fits all” type of ordinances and developing rules that recognize the uniqueness of areas without drawing zoning type boundaries. His most recent work efforts include Houston’s parking ordinance revisions and land development code. In his private time, Brian is involved with BikeHouston, a non-profit organization that works to secure equitable access for bicyclists to regional facilities, lands and roads; educates members of the public and policymakers about rights and responsibilities of bicyclists; and promotes public awareness of the personal and community benefits of cycling. In addition, he also has been involved in “Better Block” which is a project that provides a one-day living workshop of how a “Complete Street‟ works, by actively engaging the community, helping them to visualize better outcomes for the future, and empowering them to provide feedback in real time.
23. Crohan, Thomas

    John Hancock Financial Services
    Tom Crohan is Assistant Vice President & Counsel for Corporate Responsibility & Government Relations at John Hancock Financial. In this role, he oversees the company’s overall corporate responsibility strategy, directs its philanthropic-giving programs, and provides counsel on federal, state and city government relations. Prior to joining John Hancock, Tom worked for the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) for eight years, and briefly for interim Sen. Paul Kirk (D-Mass.). He is a cofounder and Vice President of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund and serves on the Board of Directors of the Boston Public Library Foundation. Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Boards of the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, the Home Base Program and Camp Harbor View. He is a member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Future Leaders Class of 2010 and was recently named one of the Chamber’s Ten Outstanding Young Leaders. Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science & Communication from the University of New Hampshire, and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.
24. Crowley, Mike

    Institute for Sustainable Communities
    Michael Crowley joined the ISC in January 2011 as Senior Program Officer with the U.S. Climate & Environment team. Previously he was the Sustainability Program Manager at Environmental Health & Engineering (EH&E), an environmental consulting firm in Needham, MA. In that role, he helped clients develop robust institutional sustainability programs, and provided technical support ranging from change management to climate action planning and green building programming. Prior to his position at EH&E, Michael was the Assistant Director of the Harvard University Green Campus Initiative (now the Office for Sustainability), where he established a green building program, managed a $12 million revolving loan fund for energy conservation projects, and led the strategic planning effort to develop a greenhouse gas reduction commitment for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Michael Crowley currently co-teaches the course “Planning for Carbon Neutrality: Practical Methods for Greenhouse Gas Reduction” at the Harvard University Extension School. Michael Crowley holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont, and an MSc. in Environmental Science from Schumacher College/University of Plymouth.
25. Dancy, Mark

    WasteZero
    Mark Dancy is the president of WasteZero, the nation’s leading firm in delivering programs that reduce waste, improve recycling rates, and generate revenue. Prior to his role as WasteZero’s president, Mr. Dancy served the firm as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and as General Manager of Manufacturing. As an industry leader, Mr. Dancy frequently speaks at solid waste, recycling, and environmental programs and seminars nationwide and is considered to be one of the most knowledgeable hands-on trash metering executives in the country. Mr. Dancy earned a BA in economics from the George Washington University in Washington DC, and his MBA from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.
26. Davis, Henrietta

    City of Cambridge
    In February 2012, Henrietta Davis was elected Mayor of the City of Cambridge. She previously served eight terms on the Cambridge City Council, and as the City’s Vice Mayor. She has also served four terms on the Cambridge School Committee. During her time as an elected official, Mayor Davis has focused on children and families, energy and the environment, non-auto transportation, neighborhood preservation, and aging in Cambridge. Mayor Davis serves as chair of the Cambridge School Committee, chair of the city’s coordinating council on children and families (the Kid’s Council) and for many years has been co-chair of the award winning Healthy Children Task Force, focusing on prevention efforts. For many years she was the Chair of the Council’s Environment Committee and she led the Council to adopt a Green Building policy for all new city buildings. She counts as significant accomplishments the commitment of Cambridge to purchase 20% renewable energy for its municipal needs. Mayor Davis is a member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association Energy and Environmental Policy Committee. She is the current chair of the NLC International Council. Mayor Davis has also served as the past Chair of the National League of Cities’ Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee. She is proud to say that Cambridge is the 2012 #1 Walking City in the U.S, according to Prevention Magazine.
27. Dedrick, Fred

    National Fund for Workforce Solutions
    Fred Dedrick is the first executive director of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS), which supports local funding collaboratives investing in workforce partnerships that recruit, train, place, retain, and advance new and incumbent workers in key industry sectors.

 Mr. Dedrick has more than 30 years of experience in addressing local and regional needs, including improving workforce development through partnerships. Most recently, he served as Pennsylvania’s deputy secretary for workforce development, overseeing roughly $150 million in federal and state workforce funding. He also served on the executive committee of JOIN, Philadelphia’s regional collaborative supported by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

 Prior to his tenure as deputy secretary, Mr. Dedrick was the executive director of Pennsylvania’s statewide Workforce Investment Board, developing recommendations for Governor Ed Rendell regarding workforce policy and strategy. He also has held various leadership roles statewide and in Philadelphia that involved attracting new businesses, developing industry-specific education programs, and engaging in other workforce-related activities.
28. Dews, Alex

    City of Philadelphia
    Alex Dews is Policy and Program Manager for the City of Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Sustainability. Alex focuses on project implementation and progress tracking for Greenworks Philadelphia, the city's comprehensive sustainability framework. In addition, he manages green building policy and greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation planning efforts. Alex holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Design from Philadelphia University, where he is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Architecture.
29. Diaz, Pablo

    Grenada Economic Development District
    In August of 2009, Pablo Diaz was named Executive Director of the Grenada County Economic Development District. Pablo holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Yucatan, a Masters degree in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi, he is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute by the University of Oklahoma, and he is a Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council.Pablo has extensive experience working for local and regional economic development organizations. Pablo was formerly employed as Business Retention and Expansion Manager in Martin County, Florida, where he created and implemented a retention and expansion program named among the top 10 programs in the U.S. and Canada in 2006. Before moving to Florida, Pablo worked for the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation in Meridian, Mississippi. Pablo and his wife Amber have one child and reside in Grenada, Mississippi.
30. Dodd, Daniel

    Step Up Savannah
31. Doty, Conny

    City of Boston
    The Mayor’s Office of Jobs and Community Services (JCS) is an agency within the City’s Economic Development Cabinet, which manages $25+ million in Federal, State and local funds investing in upgrading the skills and education of Boston residents enhancing their ability to access family-sustaining wage jobs, continue their education, and support Boston employers’ needs for high quality workers. Providing workforce development grants management, program development, direct service and community convening, JCS also works closely with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to coordinate workforce with economic development projects. Additionally, JCS manages several city-wide grant programs including: a collaboration with the State for Adult Literacy; the Human Services portion of Boston’s CDBG funding; a regional VITA grant from the IRS for tax preparation for EITC eligible residents; a new USDoL grant designed to training and connect area residents to Lab Technician positions; and oversees Boston’s state youth summer/year-round employment programming. JCS also provides direct service programming through: ReadBoston – a children’s (0 to 3rd grade) literacy program; WriteBoston – a teacher coaching, and direct student support for writing in Boston’s public high schools; and Youth Options Unlimited, a youth re-entry program providing case management, transitional jobs and alternative education for court and gang involved youth. A graduate of Braintree MA public schools, Ms. Doty is an honors graduate of Boston College, with a major in Social Sciences. Participant in the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program for Management Development, Spring 1994.
32. Dow, Kevin

    City of Philadelphia
    Kevin Dow was appointed by Mayor Michael A. Nutter as the Chief Operating Officer of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce in June 2009. He also serves as the Deputy Director of Commerce for Neighborhood and Business Services. In this senior management role, Mr. Dow leads a team dedicated to coordinating the work of related agencies to develop business friendly strategies to help attract and retain both small businesses and major corporations in Philadelphia, as well as to spur growth across key industry sectors. As of July 2012, his leadership responsibilities were expanded to include the integration of the Labor Standards Unit into the Commerce Department, which is charged with the monitoring and compliance of “prevailing wages” on all publicly funded real estate projects. Mr. Dow’s career started in the private sector and encompassed almost 20 years. Prior to his appointment at the Commerce Department, he was Vice President of Community Affairs for Wachovia Bank, where he was responsible for directing the corporate philanthropic and employee engagement strategies for the northern region of the company. This region included over 11,000 employees within seven states between Connecticut and Virginia, as well as Washington D.C. and encompassed over $13 million in annual community investments primarily through the Wachovia Foundation. Currently, Mr. Dow is the Chairman and President of the Vine Memorial Federal Credit Union, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Philadelphia Academies Inc., and serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Philadelphia Advisory Board for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress. Additionally, he serves as a Mayoral appointee in several capacities including, the Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success, the Philadelphia International Airport Advisory Board, the Office of Economic Opportunity Advisory Board, the Mayor’s Commission on Construction Industry Diversity and the Philadelphia Community Development Corporation. Mr. Dow earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Finance from Morehouse College and a Masters in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University. He is certified as a Diversity Practitioner as well. Mr. Dow is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and is a native Philadelphian, currently residing in the Mount Airy neighborhood with his wife Kim and their two children.
33. Dubost, Joy

    National Restaurant Association
34. Dunne, Kelley

    Novation Broadband
    Kelley Dunne, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Novation Broadband has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and is recognized as an industry pioneer in deploying some of the first 4G broadband wireless capacities across the country. Kelley’s career journey has always been grounded in his deep sense of purpose. His unique combination of telecommunications expertise, business acumen and commitment to service will allow Novation Broadband to expand its impact in underserved communities around the world. Prior to joining Novation Broadband, Kelley was CEO of One Economy Corporation, a 12 year old global non-profit that brings broadband and technology to low income communities in the United States and in 14 countries around the world. Kelley was also founder and CEO of Digital Bridge Communications Corporation, a provider of broadband wireless to small and medium-sized communities. He has also held leadership positions with One Point Communications, AT&T Bell Labs and Verizon, where he launched Verizon’s Rural Broadband Initiative, leading some of the most innovative broadband wireless deployments in rural markets, Native American reservations, low-income housing areas and U.S. military bases. Kelley who grew up in a military family also served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as both an enlisted service member and an officer. Kelley received his BS degree in Communications Systems Management from Ohio University and his MS degree in Information and Communications Sciences from Ball State University.
35. Ellis, Todd

    Call2Recycle
    Todd Ellis serves as an Account Manager for Call2Recycle®, managing relationships with hundreds of municipalities, public agencies, institutions and businesses to help them to achieve their sustainability and recycling goals. Mr. Ellis has worked in the recycling industry for nearly 15 years and his extensive background includes work as a Recycling Planner for the State of New Hampshire, Assistant Director for the Northeast Resource Recovery Association and General Manager of Operations for Sprint Recycling. Mr. Ellis graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in Resource Economics.
36. Fabian, Chris

    Center for Priority Based Budgeting
    Chris co-founded the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, an incubator project with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) located in Denver, CO. During his career, Chris has provided consulting and advisory services to numerous local governments across the country. His consulting experience has focused on public entities at all levels, advising top municipal managers, department heads and program directors from over 60 organizations concerning the fundamental business issues of local government. Of most significance, his work has centered on the budget process as a lever to produce results, accountability and change; performance and outcome-based management; purpose, productivity, and efficiency in operations; and rigorous financial analysis and strategy. Pursing the objectives of “Budgeting for Outcomes” (BFO), Chris was a partner of the consulting team that implemented BFO in Ft. Collins, Colorado, one of the leading organizations using this approach and is now assisting with their conversion to the Priority Based Budgeting model he developed in partnership with Jon. Most recently Chris has served as a budget practitioner with Jefferson County, Colorado, where he incorporated the lessons learned from BFO into the development of the Priority Based Budgeting process. He holds a B.S. in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.
37. Fainstein, Susan

    Harvard University
    Susan S. Fainstein is a Senior Research Fellow in the Harvard Graduate School of Design; she joined the faculty in 2006 as a professor of urban planning and retired from teaching in 2012. Her latest book The Just City was published in 2010 by Cornell University Press. Her research interests include planning theory, urban theory, urban redevelopment, and comparative urban policy focusing on the United States, Europe, and East Asia. She received the Distinguished Educator Award of the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), which recognizes lifetime career achievement.
38. Flacke, Timothy

    Doorways to Dreams
39. Focht, Mark

    City of Philadelphia
    As First Deputy Commissioner, Parks & Facilities, Mr. Focht is responsible for operations, maintenance, planning, capital, property management, urban forestry, ecosystem management and security for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR). PPR is a 10,100 acre system comprised of 197 passive parks, 55 recreation centers, 97 playgrounds and 71 outdoor swimming pools. Mr. Focht holds Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees in landscape architecture from Pennsylvania State University and the University of Massachusetts, respectively, and is a PA licensed landscape architect. Prior appointments include Executive Director of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park System; Director of the park’s Environment, Stewardship & Education Division and Director of Capital Projects for the Center City District (Philadelphia, PA), a private sector business improvements district. Additionally, Mr. Focht has over ten years experience with two multi-disciplinary design firms and was an adjunct professor in Temple University’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture from1989-2010.
40. Ford, Tim

    Association of Defense Communities
    Tim Ford has served since 2010 as CEO of the Association of Defense Communities (ADC), the nation’s leading organization connecting the military, communities and industry. A familiar face to ADC, Mr. Ford served as the organization’s Executive Director from 2004-2007 and Deputy Director from 1999-2003. Credited with guiding ADC’s hundreds of member communities and related organizations through BRAC 2005, he also nearly tripled the size of the organization during his seven years leading the association. Mr. Ford is a nationally recognized expert on military-community relations, the impacts of base closure/realignment and community-military partnerships.
41. Friedman, Jeff

    City of Philadelphia
    Jeff Friedman is the Co-Director of the recently launched Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, an in-house civic idea incubator that prototypes and pilots innovative, entrepreneurial projects in the civic space.  Previously, Jeff was the Manager of Civic Innovation & Participation for the City of Philadelphia in the Office of Michael A. Nutter. He has led various initiatives to make City government (and urban governance generally) more open, participatory, transparent, and innovative.  Projects include OpenDataPhilly, Code for America, Philly in Focus, and Change by Us Philly, all advanced by the OpenAccessPhilly movement, a government initiated movement of people working at the intersection of civic participation, technology, and innovation.  Previously, Friedman was the Chief of Staff to the Chief Technology Officer in the Division of Technology, and Deputy Director of Performance Management/Project Manager for Philly311 implementation for the City of Philadelphia. Friedman earned his undergraduate degree from Temple University, where he also earned a law degree.
42. Gaines, Elizabeth

    The Forum for Youth Investment
    Elizabeth helps executive and legislative policymakers improve youth policy in communities and states around the country. She oversees the Forum’s work on state and local policy issues; manages national partnerships and policy networks, including the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet Network; and is recognized as the nation’s leading expert on children’s cabinets and councils. Her writings include the YouthCount report, the Adding It Up Guide to Mapping Public Resources for Children, Youth and Families, and the Forum series of papers on state children’s cabinets and councils. By the time she joined the Forum in 2005, Elizabeth had already built a career advocating for youth – a commitment that began when she spent seven years leading after-school and community-based programs for youth at the Atwood Community Center in Madison, Wis. She later served as youth policy analyst for Citizens for Missouri’s Children, a child and youth advocacy organization, where she lobbied state lawmakers, convened a youth development network and led the “Invest in Missouri’s Children” Campaign to secure tobacco settlement dollars for child and youth development activities. A native of St. Louis, Mo., she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
43. Garlick, Joe

    NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley
    Joe Garlick has been the Executive Director of NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley since 1994. Prior to joining NWBRV, Joe worked in the Planning Department for the City of Woonsocket. He has a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University and a Bachelors Degree in Humanities from Providence College.
44. Gibson, Cristina

    Coastal Health District
    Cristina Gibson is the Director of the Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Branch of the Coastal Health District, which is the umbrella organization over the 8 County Health Departments along the coast of Georgia. She is also Chair of the Healthy Savannah Steering Committee, an adjunct professor for the Health Sciences Department at Armstrong Atlantic State University and a hip-hop dance instructor for Memorial Health University Medical Center’s Fitness One. She received her undergraduate biology/chemistry/pre-med degree from Immaculata College (now University!) and earned her Master in Public Health from Armstrong Atlantic State University.
45. Gilmartin, Daniel

    Michigan Municipal League
46. Goldberg, Heidi

    National League of Cities
47. Goldsmith, Stephen

    Harvard University
    Stephen Goldsmith is the Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government and the Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He currently directs the Mayoral Performance Analytics Initiative at Harvard, a project to highlight local government efforts to use new technologies that connect breakthroughs in the use of big data analytics with community input to reshape the relationship between government and citizen and create large-scale governance reforms. He previously served as Deputy Mayor of New York and Mayor of Indianapolis, where he earned a reputation as one of the country's leaders in public-private partnerships, competition, and privatization. Stephen was also the chief domestic policy advisor to the George W. Bush campaign in 2000, the Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the district attorney for Marion County, Indiana from 1979 to 1990. He has written the The Power of Social Innovation; Governing by Network: the New Shape of the Public Sector; Putting Faith in Neighborhoods: Making Cities Work through Grassroots Citizenship and The Twenty-First Century City: Resurrecting Urban America.
48. Goodyear, Marilu

    University of Kansas
    Marilu Goodyear is the Director of the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas. Her teaching and research areas focus on collaboration, organizational change, information technology, and mentoring. Dr. Goodyear is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and has served as a consultant to many universities and federal agencies. Formally, she held the position of Vice Provost for Information Services and Chief Information Officer at the University in which she led all campus-wide software, hardware and networking technology services, printing services and the KU libraries.
49. Gordon, Eric

    Engagement Game Lab, Emerson College
    Eric Gordon, PhD, Director, studies civic media, location-based media, and urban design. He is an associate professor in the department of Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College where he focuses on the design and research of digital games and social software that foster local civic engagement. He is the co-author of a new book about location-based media called Net Locality: Why Location Matters in a Networked World (Blackwell Publishing, 2011) and the author of The Urban Spectator: American Concept Cities From Kodak to Google (Dartmouth, 2010).
50. Gremse, Kevin

    National Development Council
    Kevin Gremse is an economic development entrepreneur with two decades of experience in community economic development finance. Mr. Gremse has a full working knowledge of financial underwriting for business credit, commercial real estate, and residential development with a broad range of federal, local and state programs. He has assisted with the financial structuring of completed transactions exceeding $500 million. As Director at National Development Council (NDC), Mr. Gremse has coordinated and delivered a multi-disciplined set of economic and housing development services, including technical assistance, training, and financial services to public and private sector clients, consisting of municipal economic development offices, community development corporations, and national financial institutions. Mr. Gremse is also a seasoned instructor for many of NDC’s economic and housing development finance courses and professional development program. Mr. Gremse is a graduate of the University of Scranton and earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government. He serves on the board of directors for Catholic Charities of Fairfield County and the Community Capital Fund, a community development financial institution (CDFI). He lives in Connecticut with his wife and four children.
51. Griffin, Daphne

    City of Boston
    As the Chief of Human Services for the City of Boston, Daphne Griffin is the first Latino-American appointed to serve in this capacity. She oversees six city departments with a combined budget of $34 million. Griffin is responsible for departments including Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), The Boston Youth Fund, and The Commission on Affairs of the Elderly, Veterans Services, The Office of Civil Rights, Disabilities Commission and The Women’s Commission. In addition to Daphne’s duties as Chief, she continues to serve as the Executive Director of Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF.) BCYF is Boston’s largest youth and human service agency, overseeing 33 community centers which serve 90,000 residents annually and are located in nearly every neighborhood in Boston. Among the many programs offered by BCYF are the City’s Recreation programming, many after and out-of-school time programs; adult education and the Streetworkers Program, a national model for effective youth prevention and intervention services. Prior to her appointment by the Mayor, Daphne Griffin was the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Blue Hill Club and for over 10 years worked for Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston in various capacities serving youth throughout the City. During this time she served on several national advisory boards for Boys & Girls Clubs of America and consulted with many Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Ms. Griffin also serves on a variety of local and national boards that focus on youth development, education, and technology.
52. Halperin, Mark

    Washington Speakers Bureau
53. Hamilton- Pennell, Christine

    Growing Local Economies, Inc.
    An accomplished speaker and trainer, Christine has a background in both economic development and business research services. Her workshop topics include Supporting Local Entrepreneurs as an Economic Development Strategy, Starting an Economic Gardening Project, Meeting the Research Needs of Small and Growing Businesses, and The Role of Public Libraries in Economic Development. Over the past five years, she has made dozens of presentations to local, state, national, and international groups. Christine has also provided consulting services to large and small communities to assist them in implementing an entrepreneurship support program. Recent clients have included the Association of Regional Economic Development Partners in Portland, Oregon; the Economic Development department of Douglas County, Colorado; and the Economic Develoment department of Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. Previously, she served as the Economic Intelligence Specialist for the Business/Industry Affairs department of the City of Littleton, Colorado. In this position she provided strategic consulting, competitive intelligence, marketing support, and customized research to businesses within the city as part of their Economic Gardening project. Prior to joining the City of Littleton, she owned an independent research company for five years and directed the professional Resource Center at the Colorado Department of Education for eleven years. Since Christine's expertise encompasses both economic development and business research services, she is uniquely qualified to assist communities in implementing a local economic development project. Her particular passion and expertise is Economic Gardening, an entrepreneurial approach to economic development that seeks to support local entrepreneurs by focusing on the three pillars of information, infrastructure, and connections. She is also very interested in linking local and regional community economic development efforts with public, community college, and university libraries. Christine holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from UCLA and a master’s degree in religion and ethics from The Iliff School of Theology. She also holds a graduate certificate in Developing Web-Based Learning Environments from the University of Colorado, Denver, and has created and facilitated several online courses on marketing and developing internal locus of control, as well as an online tutorial on scholarly publishing. Her article, “CI for Small Businesses: The City of Littleton’s Economic Gardening Program,” was published in the December 2004 issue of Competitive Intelligence magazine. She was profiled by the Special Libraries Association in the article, “Growing Businesses in a Colorado Garden,” Information Outlook, April, 2007. Christine's articles have also appeared in magazines and journals such as FreePint, the Rural Research Report, Library Journal, and CyberSkeptic.
54. Headd, Mark

    Code for America
    Mark is a writer, speaker and thought leader on communication technologies and open government. Self taught in programming, he has been developing telephone, mobile and speech recognition applications for almost 10 years, and is a certified developer with the VoiceXML forum. In August 2012, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter selected Mark as the City's first ever Chief Data Officer to oversee open data and transparency initiatives. He served for three years as the chief policy and budget advisor for the State of Delaware’s Department of Technology and Information. He has also served as Director of the Delaware Government Information Center, as Technology Adviser to former Delaware Governor Thomas R. Carper, and in the New York State Senate as a budget and finance analyst. Mark has built open government software applications for the District of Columbia, the Sunlight Foundation, the New York State Senate, and the cities of New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Baltimore and Philadelphia. He is an organizer and participant in civic hacking events across the country. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and is a former adjunct instructor at the University of Delaware teaching a course in electronic government.
55. Hemmerle, Lisa

    City of Boston
    Lisa Hemmerle, CPA, MPA is the Deputy Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), Boston’s urban planning and economic development agency. Lisa is a highly skilled economic development professional with a strong track record in strategic planning, business development, and project management. She currently supervises and manages a team charged with developing, promoting, and implementing strategies to attract new business to Boston and retain existing Boston businesses. Prior to working for the BRA, Lisa founded a nonprofit in New Hampshire and worked for KPMG LLP as a consultant on trillion dollar international banking clients. Lisa graduated summa cum laude from both Northeastern University in 1996 and Harvard Kennedy School in 2007. Lisa is a 2007 Lucius N. Littauer Fellow, recognizing academic achievement at Harvard Kennedy School, and a 2010 Boston Business Journal “40 Under 40” Honoree, recognizing emerging leaders in Boston.
56. Hernandez, Claudia

    STAR Communities
    Before moving to the U.S. in 2009 Claudia worked for 10 years on public policy design and implementation in Colombia for both government and non-government agencies (National Planning Department, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy). Her experience involves research, Policy planning and enforcement in fields such as environmental sustainability, urban planning and technologies of information and communication. She has also taught and coordinated academic programs at different universities in Bogotá and Seattle. As Senior Program Officer Claudia has managed the progress of STAR Technical Advisory Committees addressing economic prosperity and equity and empowerment priorities by facilitating committee deliberations, conducting research, present findings and recommendations, and finalizing documents to meet program milestones. Claudia was born and raised in Bogotá. She moved in 2009 to Seattle, WA and lived and worked there until recently, when she moved to Amherst, MA with her husband and newborn. She holds masters degrees in Environmental and Natural Resources Economics from Universidad de Los Andes and in Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
57. Hirschfeld, Daniella

    STAR Communities
    Daniella Hirschfeld, the technical manager at STAR Communities, has helped to build the national framework and rating system for sustainable communities. Previously, Daniella specialized in climate change adaptation building tools and creating trainings for local governments throughout the country as a program officer at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and as a NOAA Coastal Zone Management fellow. Daniella holds a Masters of Environmental Management (MEM) from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and a BA from Dartmouth College.
58. Hirshon, Lauren

    Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania
    Lauren Hirshon is a digital native and was the 5,934th user to join Facebook. Currently, she directs the Research & Consulting practice affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate program in public policy and public administration - the Fels Institute of Government. In this capacity, she works with governments, public institutions, civic groups and nonprofits to enhance their effectiveness and impact. Prior to joining Fels, Ms. Hirshon spent close to six years at the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, where she led a nationally-recognized campaign to advance adult workforce literacy levels and directed the organization’s communications strategies. Ms. Hirshon received her B.A. from Harvard College in Psychology, with a minor in French, and has taken over a half-dozen courses at the University of Pennsylvania on Organizational Dynamics. In 2008, she was identified as one of Philadelphia’s Emerging Connectors by Leadership Philadelphia and in April of 2010 she was selected to represent the Philadelphia Rotary Club in a Group Study Exchange to Greece. Outside of the office, Ms. Hirshon plays on four different touch football teams, and a basketball team.
59. Jacob, Nigel

    City of Boston
    With an extensive background in collaborative, citizen-facing technology projects, Nigel Jacob co-founded the Office of New Urban Mechanics - a civic innovation incubator within Boston’s City Hall. Nigel also serves as Mayor Menino's advisor on emerging technologies. In both of these roles, Nigel works to develop new models of innovation for cities in the 21st century. Prior to joining the City of Boston in 2006, Nigel worked for and launched a series of technology start-ups in the Boston area. Nigel is also a fellow at the Center for the Advancement Public Action at Bennington College. Nigel has received a number of awards for his ground breaking work in Boston, including being named a Public Official of the year in 2011 by Governing Magazine and the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation award for 2012.
60. Johnson, Jon

    Center for Priority Based Budgeting
    Jon is co-founder of the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, a non-profit Denver-based organization whose mission is to help local governments achieve Fiscal Health and Wellness during these challenging economic times. Jon has more than 25 years of experience as a practitioner in financial administration for municipalities, counties, school districts and public universities. Throughout his career as a finance/budget director, he has been responsible for the management of all aspects of local government finance operations for both small and large organizations. Jon brings with him not only the “hands-on” technical skills associated with the day-to-day financial operations of local governments, but also the ability to apply a diagnostic approach to the analysis needed to assess the fiscal health of an organization and the management experience to implement the resulting solutions from that diagnostic analysis. Most recently, Jon served as the Director of Budget and Management Analysis for Jefferson County, Colorado. Previous to that position, he was Assistant Director of Finance for Douglas County, Colorado. Prior to moving to Colorado in 2002, Jon served as the Director of Finance for several municipalities in Missouri, including the City of Blue Springs, the City of Joplin, and the City of Kansas City (MO) Aviation Department. He has also been associated with ICMA as a Senior Management Advisor and with GFOA as a regional trainer and workshop presenter. Jon holds a B.A. in political science and a B.S. in accounting from Missouri Southern State University, as well as a master’s degree in College Administration from Pittsburg (KS) State University.
61. Johnson, Van

    City of Savannah
62. Joines, Allen

    City of Winston-Salem
    Allen Joines was elected Mayor in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 and 2009. He was an Economic Development Professional for over 30 years prior to becoming Mayor. He has focused his efforts on rebuilding the local economy and creating jobs within Winston Salem. Governor Beverly Perdue appointed him as Chairman of the North Carolina Economic Development Board in 2009: and to the State Innovation Council and the Logistics Task Force. He received his BS Degree from Appalachian State University and his Masters Degree from the University of Georgia. Wake Forest University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2009. He has received numerous awards and honors and has been named as one of the Triad’s Most Influential People each year from 2006 to the present.
63. Jones, Terri

    Hyland Software, Inc.
    Terri Jones came to Hyland Software after more than a decade of work with state, county and city government on community, economic and housing development. In addition to her work with the Main Street, CDBG and HOME Programs, she provided technical assistance to communities for planning, defense realignment, economic diversification and compliance with federal funding programs. She also managed IT efforts at the state level and deployed document management as a way to support better compliance and program delivery. She now works for Hyland Software as a member of the Government Team.
64. Kasperzak Jr., R. Michael

    City of Mountain View
    Mike Kasperzak served on the Mountain View City Council for eight years, served as Mayor in 2003 and was re-elected to a new four year term in 2008 and was subsequently re-elected in 2012. He is currently serving his second term as Mayor. During his public service career, Mike has served on the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency Board, the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission and various committees of the Valley Transportation Authority and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. He served as President of the League of California Cities in 2012, the first from the Peninsula Division in almost 25 years. He has also served as Chair of the League’s Revenue & Tax Committee and served a term on both the League’s Board of Directors and the Board of the ILG. He was also Chair of the FAIR Steering Committee and Chaired the Health Care Task Force of the National League of Cities.
65. Kellar, Elizabeth

    Center for State and Local Government Excellence
    Elizabeth Kellar is president and chief executive officer of the Center for State and Local Government Excellence and also serves as deputy executive director for ICMA. She leads ICMA’s public policy team and speaks on ethics at state, national, and international meetings. She has served as ICMA’s ethics advisor, launched a monthly ethics column, and developed ethics training programs. Ms. Kellar is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration and has served as chair for NAPA’s Standing Panel on the Federal System. She serves on the American University School of Public Affairs Advisory Council and the editorial board of Public Administration Review. Kellar’s publications include Managing with Less; Ethical Insight, Ethical Action; and Ethos. She served two terms on the Montgomery County Maryland Ethics Commission and was chair of the Commission for three years. Prior to joining ICMA, Ms. Kellar was responsible for community relations for the City of Sunnyvale, California. She has a master’s degree in journalism and political science from Ohio State University.
66. Kete, Nancy

    The Rockefeller Foundation
    Nancy Kete joined the Rockefeller Foundation in January 2012. As Managing Director, Dr. Kete leads the foundation’s global work on resilience including developing strategies and practice for infusing resilience thinking throughout the foundation’s work. During her 25 year career in government, civil society, and private sector, Dr. Kete brought technical, institutional, and managerial leadership to bear on a number of major environment and societal challenges. She has been a diplomat, a climate change negotiator, a social entrepreneur, and a highly successful fund-raiser. Before joining the Foundation, Dr. Kete spent 13 years at the World Resources Institute (WRI), first as Director of the Climate, Energy, and Pollution Program and then as founder and Director of EMBARQ, a distinguished program that catalyzed environmentally sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities in Mexico, Brazil, India, Turkey and the Andean region. She also served on President Obama’s National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. In her role as Senior Advisor on Corporate Safety and Risk Management, Dr. Kete provided recommendations on unilateral steps the industry should take to improve safety above and beyond what the regulations would require. Earlier in her career, Dr. Kete worked for the US Environmental Protection Agency where she led the development of the acid rain control title of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the first and as yet most successful application of market instruments for pollution control. Ms. Kete holds a PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s in Geography from Southern Illinois University.
67. Kidwell, Jamie

    City of Ann Arbor
    Jamie Kidwell is the sustainability associate for the City of Ann Arbor. Jamie has worked for the City of Ann Arbor since 2010. As the sustainability associate, Jamie works within the city’s Systems Planning Unit on Ann Arbor’s sustainability framework project. The aim of this project is to review Ann Arbor’s current city plans and create an overarching framework that integrates city planning efforts. Additionally, Jamie is working to develop a comprehensive strategy to increase energy efficiency within Ann Arbor’s rental housing stock. Jamie also helps coordinate Michigan Green Communities, a network of local government and university staff working to further sustainability initiatives at the local, regional, and state level. She holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning with a focus in transportation planning from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brown University.
68. Kirk, Carolyn

    City of Gloucester
    Carolyn A. Kirk is the first woman popularly elected as Mayor of the City of Gloucester. Mayor Kirk is currently serving her third two year term. Prior to being elected Mayor, Mayor Kirk served two terms on the Gloucester School Committee. During her initial mayoral campaign, she emphasized the need for reforms, regaining fiscal control, and her professional management experience in the corporate sector. Mayor Kirk also started her own successful consulting practice which afforded her the flexibility to spend more time with her family, and launch her political career. A graduate of the Boston College, Mayor Kirk was born and raised in Clinton, NY and moved to Massachusetts to attend college. She moved to Gloucester in 1988.
69. Leadbeater, Richard

    Esri
    Mr. Leadbeater currently holds the position of Global Solutions Manager; Government Trade Associations Industry. He is responsible for coordinating all out-reach, marketing and business development, identifying solution needs and serving as liaison to Esri’s clients in these sectors. His focus is on the development of tools and solutions addressing government administrative functions with attention on GIS support of policy issues and government business processes.
70. Leighninger, Matt

    Deliberative Democracy Consortium
    Matt Leighninger is the Executive Director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium (DDC), an alliance of the major organizations and leading scholars working in the field of deliberation and public engagement. The DDC represents more than 50 foundations, nonprofit organizations, and universities, collaborating to support research activities and advance democratic practice, in North America and around the world. Over the last eighteen years, Leighninger has worked with public engagement efforts in over 100 communities, in 40 states and four Canadian provinces. Leighninger’s first book, The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule is Giving Way to Shared Governance – and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same, traces the recent shifts in the relationship between citizens and government, and examines how these trends are reshaping our democracy. Two of his recent publications, Planning for Stronger Local Democracy (National League of Cities, 2011) and Using Online Tools to Engage – and be Engaged by – the Public (IBM Center for the Business of Government, 2011) provide practical suggestions for aspiring democracy-builders.
71. Lentz, Tina

    Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government
    Tina Lentz is the Executive Administrator for Louisville Metro Community Services and Revitalization and serves as the Mayor’s designee for the city’s financial empowerment efforts including Bank On Louisville, the Family Economic Success Network, and the Living Cities financial empowerment integration project. In addition, Tina represents Mayor Fischer and Louisville on the CFE Coalition. Before her current position, she led the Louisville Metro Office for Women for nearly three years and was instrumental in establishing new community resources such as the Abused Women’s Active Response Emergency (AWARE) program, the Louisville Women’s Citizens Police Academy, the Louisville Women’s Listserv and the Women and Entrepreneurship Workshop Series. Other experiences include independent research consultant for the Exploited Children’s Help Organization and service as a Domestic Violence Victim’s Advocate for the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
72. LeRoy, Greg

    Good Jobs First
    Greg LeRoy has been dubbed “the leading national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies” and “God’s witness to corporate welfare.” For more than 20 years, mostly from Chicago, he has been writing, consulting, and training for unions, community groups, environmental and smart growth advocates, labor-management committees, professional associations of development officials, elected officials, journalists, and state and local government agencies. His 1994 book, No More Candy Store: States and Cities Making Job Subsidies Accountable, was the first compilation of economic development safeguards such as clawbacks and job quality standards. Upon winning the Stern Family Fund’s 1998 Public Interest Pioneer Award, he founded Good Jobs First (www.goodjobsfirst.org). Based in Washington,DC, Good Jobs First promotes corporate and government accountability in economic development and smart growth for working families. It also includes Good Jobs New York, the Corporate Research Project, and Good Jobs Illinois. Greg holds degrees in journalism and U.S. history.
73. Leung, Loh-Sze

    The Boston Foundation
74. Lewis, Pam

    Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition
    Pam Lewis is a relentless champion for entrepreneurs and evangelist for innovative ecosystems in which they are supported and thrive. Pam’s background in economic development began in 94’ as part of the start-up team at AdvantageWest, a regional marketing organization covering the 23 western counties of NC. Initially cutting her teeth in film development and overseeing the organizations financial operations she moved on to take a leadership role in the travel and tourism industry. Before being recruited back to AdvantageWest, she held the toughest job of her career as caregiver to her mom with Alzheimers. Pam finally found her passion in working with the scrappy and creative sector of our economy known as entrepreneurs. As Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development - her accomplishments included: The development and implementation of; The Certified Entrepreneurial Community Program, Juicy Ideas National Collegiate Competition, The Advantage Opportunity Loan Fund, Carolina Connect and the recruitment of The Hunger Games to Asheville. Pam left AdvantageWest in June of 2011 to join the Asheville Buncombe Economic Development Coalition and currently serves as the Director of Entrepreneurship. She is founder of Venture Asheville, the umbrella brand for the entrepreneurship scene in Asheville and worked with local and national partners to launch Asheville’s entrepreneurial community at SXSW in 2011. Pam serves on several boards and advisory groups in the area including: Chairman of HandMade In America, The WNC Biotech Advisory Board, AB-Tech Entrepreneurial Foundation, ibiliti/MICA Advisory Board, TEDxAsheville, and The Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute
75. Liberty, Susan

    McGuireWoods Consulting
    Susan Liberty joined the McGuireWoods Infrastructure and Economic Development team in 2000. Since joining the firm, she has successfully represented major national and international companies in multiple states with site selection and relocation decisions, economic incentives negotiations and business expansion services. Before joining McGuireWoods Consulting, Susan was the Director of Policy and Business Development at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which is one of the most successful local economic development organizations in the United States. While in that position she successfully marketed Fairfax County to major corporations across the country and advised them on relocation and business expansion opportunities in Fairfax County.
76. Lubell, Jeff

    National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy
    Jeffrey Lubell became executive director of the Center for Housing Policy in 2006 and is a recognized expert in housing and community development policy. Prior to becoming head of the Center, Lubell worked as an independent consultant specializing in analyzing and developing recommendations for strengthening national, state and local housing and community development policy. From 2000 to 2003, he served as director of the policy development division of the Office of Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also worked from 1998 to 2000 as a housing policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit organization that is one of the leading independent authorities on programs affecting low-income families. Lubell is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College.
77. Lunde, Jeffrey

    City of Brooklyn Park
    Jeffrey Lunde is Mayor of the City of Brooklyn Park, the sixth largest city in Minnesota. Brooklyn Park is located in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, along the Mississippi River, and is home to nearly 78,000 residents. Brooklyn Park is proud of its diversity, as nearly half of the population are considered ethnic minorities. The City is also home to nearly 7000 residents of Liberian ancestry. Brooklyn Park is a sister city with Kakata, Liberia, which Mayor Lunde visited in March 2012. The community is also the home for the Target Corporation’s North Campus, which houses approximately 6500 employees, making Target the largest employer in the city. Mayor Lunde has been in office since May 2011, having been a member of the City Council for four years. He has been a member of various city and community committees, including the Planning Commission, Hi-Density Housing Task Force, Hennepin County Library Board and the Board of Directors for SourceOne Federal Credit Union. In the past Lunde has worked for various technology companies in international sales and marketing, primarily in Japan. More recently he worked at Dell Computers, until he joined Microsoft, where he is currently a member of the account team for Wells Fargo. Lunde has a Masters degree in Russian History from Mankato State University and a Bachelor of Arts degrees in History, Political Science and Russian Language from North Dakota State University. He is married to wife Jodi, and has two sons, Joshua & Jedrik, who still think their dad is cool because he works for the “Xbox company”.
78. Marcason, Jan

    City of Kansas City
    Jan Marcason is the fourth district city councilmember for Kansas City. Prior to her election, Jan served as the Executive Director of Mid America Assistance Coalition (MAAC) for 16 years. At MAAC she managed an annual budget of more than a million dollars and helped direct millions more to local social service organizations. She was the president of the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus and was appointed by Governor Mel Carnahan to the Missouri Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline of Judges. As a councilmember, Jan chairs the Finance, Governance & Ethics Committee. She serves on the National League of Cities’ Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Policy & Advocacy Steering Committee and is Vice Chair of the NLC Large Cities Council. She was recently elected Vice-President of the Missouri Municipal League. Jan received an MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1999. She has a degree in education from Kansas University.
79. Marsh, Dan

    National Development Council
    Daniel Marsh’s work in the field of economic and community development has spanned 35 years in the public, private and non-profit sectors and includes all aspects of community development. At the National Development Council (NDC), where he has served since 1986, Marsh is the head of NDC’s East Team, supervising and managing the work of six development professionals and providing services to public and non-profit community partners in the eastern United States and Puerto Rico. This work includes the creation and implementation of housing and community development strategies and economic development systems, real estate negotiations, financial analyses and creative deal structuring, and identification and procurement of financing. Familiarity with public resources and understanding public processes (HUD, SBA, EDA, etc.) is a key part of this practice. Marsh is also the President of the NDC Housing and Economic Development Corporation, NDC’s development and financing arm, and created its nationally recognized program using tax-exempt financing for public facility development. Before joining NDC, Marsh served in a number positions for the City of Newburgh, New York, beginning as a project administrator and later administering the City’s CDBG program and then a variety of its economic development activities, including the creation of Newburgh’s first marketing and outreach strategies and programs. He then served as Executive Director of Newburgh’s Office of Economic Development, carrying out a revitalization program that brought over $100 million in investment to what had been one of the nation’s most economically distressed cities. During that same time, he was the founding director of the Newburgh Local Development Corporation and Executive Director of the City’s Industrial Development Agency, overseeing both the financing and development of key commercial and industrial real estate projects and created New York State’s first Small Issue Industrial Revenue Bond Pool.
80. Martens, Gretchen

    Homeward Deployed
    Gretchen Martens is the founder and CEO of Homeward Deployed, a nonprofit that supports the successful transition of today’s military as they return home so that they thrive on Main Street, strengthening military families and Hometown America. Ms. Martens is a passionate advocate for local communities who are struggling to meet the myriad, competing needs of multiple constituencies while weaving the most reliable safety net to prevent America from losing another generation of young Veterans and their families.
81. Mason, Elisabeth

    Single Stop USA
    Elisabeth Mason is the CEO and one of the founders of Single Stop USA, a major national poverty-fighting organization, which recently received funding through The White House Social Innovation Fund. Elisabeth is an expert on venture philanthropy, children’s rights, start-up organizations and poverty-fighting programs. She has over 15 years of experience, including her work at Atlantic Philanthropies developing a $1 billion, 10-year spend-down plan to help disadvantaged children. Elisabeth was also a Managing Director at the Robin Hood Foundation, Senior Advisor at Innovative Philanthropy, and practiced Law at Cleary, Gottlieb, and Steen & Hamilton in New York City. She worked with the artist Shakira to set up her Barefoot Foundation, an international education foundation. In her early career, Elisabeth was the founder and Executive Director of Fundacion Kukula, an agency serving street and working youth and their families. During her tenure with Fundacion Kukula, she was one of the founding members of the Central American branch of the Latin American Street Kids Movement. Elisabeth has also served as an advisor to the United Nations and to local and international agencies on various human and children’s rights, legislative reform, juvenile justice, and community and youth development programs throughout the Latin American region. Additionally, she has participated in projects in India and Africa and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica, where she lived for six years. As CEO of Single Stop, she attended the first ever White House Summit on Community Colleges and the White House meeting on “Opportunity and Security for Vulnerable Communities: Building Partnerships to Fight Poverty” in 2010. She was also a co-presenter at the annual meeting of the Association of Community College Trustees and named a Huffington Post’s “Greatest Person of the Day” in 2010. A lifelong resident of East Harlem, Elisabeth holds a J.D. from Columbia University and an A.B. and a M.A. from Harvard.
82. Mays, Susan

    CH2M HILL
    Susan Mays has spent the past 23 years working on public-private partnerships in local government, primarily in marketing and business development. Through her career, Ms. Mays has been involved in the development and delivery of several of nation’s landmark municipal partnerships, ranging from water and wastewater to public works and complete city startup and operation. Five of the partnerships on which she has worked directly in the past 10 years have earned national recognition.
83. McClain, Wanda

    Brigham & Women’s Hospital
    Wanda McClain is Vice President of Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. She is the senior administrative leader overseeing the Brigham’s two licensed community health centers and its relationships with the nine affiliated health centers in Boston, helping to ensure the Brigham fulfills its strategic commitment to seamless, high-quality patient- and family-centered care. Since 2007, Ms. McClain has led the Center for Community Health and Health Equity in building solid partnerships with organizations and individuals in every neighborhood of the city, successfully implementing programs to reduce violence, improve birth outcomes, increase rates of colorectal cancer screening and develop educational opportunities for young people. She collaborates with organizations in the community and departments at BWH to further advance care, research and community programs that elevate the health status and health outcomes of the diverse populations in Boston. Ms. McClain joined Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2002 as the Administrative Director of the President’s Office, supporting various BWH strategic initiatives in addition to supporting efforts focused on disparities in health outcomes and workforce development priorities. Prior to joining Brigham and Women’s Hospital she was the Director of Community Partnerships at Partners Health Care. In addition to her tenure in health care, she has experience in community development and the financial services industry. Ms. McClain has a Masters in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She serves as the treasurer for the boards of the Management Assistance Group in Washington, DC and the Commonwealth Corporation in Boston, vice chair of the board for Boston After School and Beyond and the clerk to the board of the Boston Private Industry Council.
84. McGehee, Stewart

    American Medical Response
    Stewart McGehee is a retired battalion chief at the San Jose Fire Department with more than 30 years of fire and EMS experience. Mr. McGehee has managed numerous fire and EMS groups including the San Jose FD Hazardous Materials Response Program and the department’s Emergency Medical Services Division, where he was responsible for more than 200 firefighter/paramedics and 450 emergency medical personnel. While at the San Jose Fire Department, Mr. McGehee worked with American Medical Response (AMR) to develop a proposed public-private partnership that maximized the strengths of both the fire department and the nation’s leading EMS provider.
85. McGowan, Jenita

    City of Cleveland
    As Chief of Sustainability, Jenita McGowan is responsible for advising the City on policies related to sustainability and the oversight of the Office of Sustainability; leading the coordination of Sustainable Cleveland 2019 to develop new strategies that allow Cleveland to use sustainability as an innovation engine for economic growth, and reducing the City’s ecological footprint with solutions that also save the City money. Prior to her promotion to Mayor Jackson’s staff, Jenita served as Sustainability Manager in the Office of Sustainability. In this role she managed the development of City-wide policies and procedures related to implementing sustainability principles throughout City Departments; successfully applied for and managed grants; assisted various Departments and Divisions in implementing sustainability projects, coordinated Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiatives; interfaced with non-profit communities; and researched strategies to develop best management practices on addressing sustainability issues in the community.
86. McMann, Heather

    Groundwork Lawrence
    Heather McMann is Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence (GWL), a non-profit that has been “changing places and changing lives” in Massachusetts since 2001. Through environmental and open space improvements, fresh food access, education, employment initiatives, and community events, GWL creates the building blocks of a healthy community and empowers residents to improve their quality of life. Heather holds a breadth of experience in nonprofit management, with a focus on preparing organizations for growth. Prior to GWL, much of Heather’s experience was with youth organizations focused on creating our communities’ next generation of social justice leaders. Heather received her MBA from The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and her BA from Smith College. Beyond GWL, she serves as a board member of Groundwork USA and the Massachusetts Public Health Association, an Essex National Heritage Area commissioner, and a Haverhill Brownfields Steering Commission member.
87. McManus, Josh

    Little Things Lab
    Josh McManus is Lead Inventor at Little Things Labs, a problem-solving laboratory working in post-industrial cities. His current projects include the D:hive, a place-based talent retention and attraction storefront in Detroit, Michigan, Haile’s Kitchen, a foundation innovation model in Cincinnati, Ohio, and PlaceMarket, an open-source platform for city idea exchange. Josh co-founded CreateHere, a watershed place-based talent retention and cultural change project in Chattanooga, Tennessee that sparked over 300 creative enterprises, stimulated over $4 million in real estate purchases, retained and attracted thousands of individuals to the city along with championing the world’s largest community visioning process with 26,263 surveys collected.
88. Meyerson, Bruce

    American Bar Association
89. Montgomery, Neil

    City of Garland
    Neil Montgomery has been a practicing urban planner for more than thirty years. After undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, he has worked for three communities in Oklahoma and Texas. Neil currently serves as a Senior Managing Director for the City of Garland, Texas, a first-tier suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. In this role he has administrative responsibility for the departments of Planning and Community Development, Housing and Community Services and Building Inspection. In addition to these responsibilities, he is also one of the six members of the City Manager’s Executive Team. Neil is a member of the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Urban Land Institute.
90. Moore, Tanya

    City of Berkeley
    Tanya Moore, PhD a native of Berkeley, CA, received her doctorate training in the field of Biostatistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, Dr. Moore works as the Youth Services Coordinator for the City of Berkeley. In this role she works with City departments, Berkeley Unified School District, UC Berkeley, Berkeley City College and community organizations on joint initiatives to close the academic achievement gap that persists in Berkeley's public schools and to strengthen college and career pathways for all students. Tanya is also a board member for the not-for-profit organization, Building Diversity in Science which supports students interested in STEM educational and career pathways.
91. Moore, Wes

    Beyond Belief
    Wes Moore is a youth advocate, Army combat veteran, social entrepreneur, and host of Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network. His first book The Other Wes Moore became an instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. Born in 1978, Wes and his sisters were raised by their widowed mother. Despite early academic and behavioral struggles, he graduated Phi Theta Kappa in 1998 as a commissioned officer from Valley Forge Military College, and Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001, where he also played football and earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations. He then became a Rhodes Scholar, studying International Relations at Oxford University. After his studies, Wes, a paratrooper and Captain in the United States Army, served a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan with the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division. Wes then served as a White House fellow to Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice. He serves on the board of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), The Johns Hopkins University, and founded an organization called STAND! that works with Baltimore youth involved in the criminal justice system. Wes is committed to helping the parents, teachers, mentors, and advocates who serve our nations youth. A portion of all book proceeds for “The Other Wes Moore” are being donated to City Year and the US Dream Academy.
92. Murnane, Edith

    City of Boston
93. Nancolas, Garret

    City of Caldwell
    Garret L. Nancolas is a native Idahoan who cherishes the beauty, quality of life, and outdoor opportunities afforded by this great state. He was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, October 9, 1956 and moving to Caldwell in 1961 where he has spent all but 13 months of the last 50 years. In July of 1997 he ran for Mayor on a platform of teamwork, cooperation, community pride and vision to move this great City forward. Since taking office in 1998, he has lived by the statement: “Teamwork – Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world”. Garret has served as the First Vice President and President of the Association of Idaho Cites; two years as president of Sage Community Resources; First Chairman of Treasure Valley Regional Transportation Authority; First Vice President and President, Chairman of COMPASS. Mayor Nancolas has a heart of compassion for the community of Caldwell and particularly its youth. As an example of his connecting with the youth is his successful effort to formulate a Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council for the purpose of bridging the gap between the community’s youth and civic leadership. This group has not only flourished under his guidance but they have gained nation-wide recognition as a success story and are frequently asked to share their accomplishments with other youth around the county.
94. Nicholas, Steve

    Institute for Sustainable Communities
    Steve joined ISC as Vice President of Climate & Environment Programs in October 2008. Prior to that, he was Director of the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment for eight years, where he led several urban sustainability initiatives, including the development and implementation of the Seattle Climate Protection Initiative, winner of the 2007 Innovations in American Government Award. He co-authored Seattle’s first-ever climate action plan, as well as the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which sparked a national movement of more than 940 mayors taking local action on global warming and demanding stronger federal action. He also staffed the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Commission on Climate Protection, led the creation of the Seattle Climate Partnership, a voluntary pact among more than 50 public and private institutions to reduce their global warming pollution, and established the Directors’ Climate Network, a coalition of environment directors and senior climate protection staff from about 20 U.S. cities. From 1995-1998, Nicholas directed ISC's program in Macedonia. Known as the Democracy Network Project, it strengthened Macedonia’s fledgling democracy by building the capacity of nonprofit organizations through technical and financial assistance. Steve holds a Master of Public Policy from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BA in Public Policy from Colby College.
95. Nichols, Tracey

    City of Cleveland
    Tracey Nichols joined the City of Cleveland in February, 2008 after serving for four years as Cuyahoga County’s Assistant Director for Economic Development. Working with her team at the county, she created several new programs including the M.A.D.E. in Cuyahoga County Loan program for manufacturers, New Product Development/Entrepreneurship Program partnering with MAGNET, the Commercial Redevelopment Fund, Destination Cleveland and the Arts and Culture as Economic Development (ACE) Grant Program. Nichols has also been active in the area of Brownfield Redevelopment and under her leadership Cuyahoga County has been viewed as a national leader in Brownfield redevelopment. From 2004 to 2007, the County team’s programs have won the National Association of Counties (NACO) Arts and Culture Award, three NACO Achievement Awards, the National Association of County Community and Economic Development (NACCED) Award of Excellence in Economic Development, Inside Business’ Economic Development Award for Sustainable Projects, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Award of Excellence, and the USEPA Region V Award for Exceptional Leadership in Brownfield Redevelopment.
96. Norment, Rick

    The National Council for Public-Private Partnerships
    Rick Norment has served as the executive director of the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP) since 1999. Founded in 1985, the NCPPP is a non-profit organization of representatives from both the public and private sectors, working to promote the use of public-private partnerships for improved delivery of public services and infrastructure. Mr. Norment has over 30 years of experience in management and development of national associations. His areas of expertise include: organization and program development, public affairs and government relations, at both the national and international levels.
97. Novak, Kathie

    Center for Priority Based Budgeting
    Kathie has 19 years of elected public service, eleven as a member of the Northglenn City Council, and an additional 8 years as Mayor. She was term-limited in 2010. During her time in public office, she served as President of the National League of Cities in 2009, and held numerous other leadership positions. She consults in the areas of leadership development, management training, team building, and facilitation. She has worked as an international consultant, specializing in program development, curriculum development, and training. Kathie has been a presenter and speaker at numerous national and international conferences. She earned her Master of Science in Management from the University of Colorado at Denver, and has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has been teaching management at the graduate and undergraduate level since 1991. She is currently a lecturer in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, and a Senior Advisor with the Center for Priority Based Budgeting. Her awards include the 2012 John V. Christensen Award for exemplifying the tradition of John V. Christensen in promoting and working for good, strong, representative local government and regionalism in solving mutual problems; “9NEWS Leader of the Year” for 2003, “Businesswoman of the Year,” awarded by the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce, “Excellence in Teaching Award”, from Regis University, and was awarded an American Marshall Memorial Fellowship, for travel in Summer 2002.
98. O'Brien, Kate

    Groundwork USA
    Ms. O’Brien serves as Director of Outreach and Network Development for Groundwork USA, a dynamic and growing network of 19 trusts transforming environmental liabilities into quality neighborhood assets in some of the nation’s most distressed communities. She has been part of the Groundwork family for nearly a decade, starting with her role as Environmental Outreach Coordinator for Groundwork Lawrence in Massachusetts before transitioning to Deputy Director in 2004, and then Executive Director in 2007. Under Kate’s leadership, Groundwork Lawrence leveraged $1.5 million in funds for brownfield transformation projects, and completed an award-winning $1.1 million five-acre riverfront brownfield-to-park project. During her tenure the organization also developed and launched a community food security program in response to low-income resident need. Kate regularly advises elected officials and government agency administrators on urban redevelopment policy issues. She has also served as Senior Planner for the Department of Planning and Community Development in Salem, Massachusetts, holds an M.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University, and a B.A. in Human Development and Social Relations from Kalamazoo College. Until moving to Portland, Maine in 2010, Ms. O’Brien had for ten years been a resident of Boston, Massachusetts, where she served as a member of Mayor Thomas Menino’s Bicycle Advisory Committee.
99. OConnor, Pam

    City of Santa Monica
    Councilmember Pam O’Connor focuses her efforts on creating policies and partnerships that create and enhance community livability, transportation and environmental sustainability. Ms. O'Connor's special interests are transportation and environmental sustainability. Ms. O’Connor is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Metro (Metropolitan Transportation Authority). Metro is the transportation agency that plans, coordinates, designs, builds and operates transit in one of the country's largest, most populous counties. She has served on the Board since 2001 representing the Westside and South Bay cities whose combined population approaches one million. Metro provides a bus fleet of 2000 coaches and operates 60 miles of rail service. Ms. O’Connor also represents the City of Santa Monica on the Exposition Light Rail Construction Authority Board, which is dedicated to construction of Light Rail to Santa Monica. Ms. O’Connor works on policy issues with the League of California Cities, the National League of Cities, and the American Public Transportation Association. She serves as a member of the Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the area's metropolitan planning organization, representing the Westside Cities, and is Chair of their Regional Comprehensive Plan Task Force. She is a member of the Local Government Commission Board of Directors and works with cities throughout the world on environmental sustainability and climate protection as an active member of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability. Ms. O’Connor has been honored by the American Planning Association’s Los Angeles Chapter with the 2005 Distinguished Leadership Award—Elected Official and the California Preservation Foundation named her the Milton Marks Legislator of the Year in 1999. As a professional planning consultant, Ms. O'Connor specializes in historic preservation and has worked on significant historic building projects throughout Southern California including: the Los Angeles City Hall Seismic Rehabilitation; UCLA's Powell Library, Royce and Kerckhoff Halls; USC's Doheny Library, Mudd Hall of Philosophy, and Bovard Hall; and California State University's Channel Islands Campus. She served as Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Northridge Earthquake recovery partnership program, as a planner for the City of Pasadena, and as a research associate for the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Ms.O'Connor holds Masters degrees in Planning and in Technology Management from Eastern Michigan University and a B.S. in Communications from Southern Illinois University. As an enthusiastic urban explorer, she is a regular user of Santa Monica’s award-winning Big Blue Bus and a strong advocate for public transit. Ms. O’Connor has served on the Santa Monica City Council since 1994.
100. Pahlka, Jen

     Code for America
     Jennifer Pahlka is the founder and executive director of Code for America, which works with talented web professionals and cities around the country to promote public service and reboot government. Government Technology named her one of 2011’s Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in Public Sector Innovation and the Huffington Post named her the top Game Changer in Business and Technology the same year. She is known for her TED talk, Coding a Better Government, and is a frequent speaker at a wide range of events. She spent eight years at CMP Media where she ran the Game Developers Conference, Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com and the Independent Games Festival. Previously, she ran the Web 2.0 and Gov 2.0 events for TechWeb, in conjunction with O’Reilly Media, and co-chaired the successful Web 2.0 Expo. Jennifer’s early career was spent in the non-profit sector. She is a graduate of Yale University and lives in Oakland, Calif. with her daughter and eight chickens.
101. Palanker, Brandon

     Renaissance Downtowns LLC
     Brandon A. Palanker is currently Vice President of Marketing and Public Affairs for Plainview Based Renaissance Downtowns LLC, the branded leader in the comprehensive and holistic redevelopment of suburban downtowns. Renaissance is currently Master Developer in multiple northeast municipalities with an aggregate development value in excess of $7 Billion. Four of the Company’s projects are slated to begin construction in 2013. His role extends to leading the efforts for Crowdsourced Placemakers, LLC, which Renaissance spun off as a company that specializes in Grass Roots, Social Media campaigns to spur large scale, comprehensive development within suburban locales. Having grown up in suburban Long Island Mr. Palanker is all too aware of the pains of suburban sprawl. He is acutely conscious of the social, environmental and economic strains of a 60 year development model that has run its course. Sprawl as a system is not just broken, it is shattered. Mr. Palanker is part of the solution to correcting unsustainable sprawl, by working to re-envision, re-energize and redevelop our nation’s smaller city and suburban downtowns (“Boutique Cities”), primarily along transit lines. A key contributor to the development of Renaissance’s Unified Development Approach™ and Crowdsourced Placemaking programs, Mr. Palanker believes the only way to provide positive, transformative change within our nation’s downtowns is through a comprehensive, holistic approach to downtown redevelopment that includes significant public engagement. Mr. Palanker’s keen understanding of market trends and the use of social media to engage the public throughout the development process has positioned him as a “go to” expert in the real estate field. He has spoken at numerous conferences and has been interviewed by leading industry publications that include the Urban Land Institute, The National Main Streets Conference, Vision Long Island, the American Planning Association, Multi Housing News and Multi Family Executive amongst others. A Graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, CA, Mr. Palanker has always attempted to combine social responsibility with business success as demonstrated by his designation as Business Person of the Year by the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce during his time as President of Networked Now, LLC. Renaissance Downtowns is another example of Mr. Palanker’s approach to business, as the Renaissance philosophy aligns the needs of economic sustainability with environmental sensitivity and public inclusion. His passion for the arts is exhibited by his participation on the Council of Overseers for the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts as well as his work within the Glen Cove community.
102. Power, Brad

     City of Longmont
     Brad Power serves as the Director of the Department of Economic Development for the City of Longmont, Colorado a community of 87,000 people, 40 miles north of Denver. The twenty- five employee department was created in 2009 to guide the city’s development services, planning, redevelopment, business assistance and municipal airport functions. He also serves on the City of Longmont’s nine member Executive Directors Team which manages the 800-employee municipal corporation under the direction of the City Manager. Prior to his role in Longmont, Brad was employed by the City of Boulder, Colorado for eighteen years, during which time he led the city’s redevelopment projects and programs as Redevelopment Director and Executive Director of the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority.Brad earned two degrees from the University of Colorado, a Bachelors degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning. He was awarded the Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship and completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University. Brad is active in several professional organizations, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and was Chairman of ULI’s national Public/Private Partnership Council from 2008-2011, becoming the first person employed by a local government to chair one of ULI’s councils. He is currently serving as the Council Counselor to four ULI councils.
103. Prest, Gayle

     City of Minneapolis
     Gayle Prest is the Sustainability Director for the City of Minneapolis. Situated in the City Coordinator’s Office she works with city departments, other agencies and the public on a variety of sustainability issues including climate change, renewable energy, local food production, outreach and coordinating the City’s sustainability indicators. She previously worked for the City managing its environmental regulatory section and in the Public Works Department where she focused much of her time on environmental policy and communication issues. Prior to this, Gayle spent 13 years at Dakota County, Minnesota managing solid waste, recycling, solid waste policy and household hazardous waste programs.
104. Ragone, Michael

     American Medical Response
     Mike Ragone has more than 30 years of experience in the emergency medical and fire services field serving as a leader in both private and public fire and EMS organizations. Mr. Ragone began as a firefighter in Oregon and later trained as a paramedic. He has held numerous leadership positions at American Medical Response (AMR), where he served as a Regional Vice President until 2005. He later served as a senior associate at Fitch & Associates before rejoining AMR earlier this year. Mr. Ragone has extensive experience in strategic analysis, change management, contingency planning, reimbursement, budgeting and fiscal procedures, compliance, logistics management and other areas. He has also served on the International Association of Fire Chief’s Environmental Sustainability Committee and continues to serve as a volunteer firefighter in a rural Missouri fire department.
105. Randolph, Kathleen

     WorkOne Northeast
106. Rhodes-Conway, Satya

     City of Madison
     Satya Rhodes-Conway is a senior associate at COWS and the managing director of the Mayors’ Innovation Project. She works at the state and local level to implement innovative policy that promotes environmental and economic sustainability and builds strong, democratically accountable communities. She has researched and written extensively about energy efficiency and renewable energy at the state and local level, focusing on implementation and equity issues. Before coming to COWS, she analyzed state endangered species programs for Defenders of Wildlife, researched and wrote about progressive environmental policy at the State Environmental Resource Center, and taught undergraduate biology and ecology. She has degrees from Smith College and the University of California – Irvine. Satya is serving her third term on Madison’s City Council.
107. Roth, Kurt

     Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE
     Dr. Kurt Roth is Director of the Building Energy Efficiency Group at the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE). His group collaborates with industry on applied research to develop, analyze, test, evaluate, and demonstrate energy-saving building technologies. Prior to joining Fraunhofer CSE, he was a Principal in the Mechanical Systems group of TIAX LLC, formerly Arthur D. Little’s Technology & Innovation business. Dr. Roth has led several studies funded by the Department of Energy to assess the energy savings and commercialization potentials of HVAC, building controls and diagnostics, toplighting, and information (IT) technologies. In addition, he leads analyses to characterize building energy consumption, including the energy consumed by consumer electronics, IT, medical equipment, and miscellaneous electric devices. Dr. Roth has presented at numerous conferences and meetings, and authored more than sixty "Emerging Technology" articles for the ASHRAE Journal. Dr. Roth received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), all in mechanical engineering. He is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Solar Energy Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, and Sigma Xi.
108. Sampson, John

     Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
     John strategically leads the Partnership's mission to generate business investment in Northeast Indiana through supporting collaborative relations with stakeholders, facilitating regional communications and expanding all channels of business development. Prior to joining the Partnership, John served as the Vice President for External Affairs for Indiana Michigan Power and AEP President-Indiana. He has also previously served as site vice president and plant manager of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, in Bridgman, Michigan and as maintenance production manager at the Washington Nuclear Project No. 2. John holds a B.S. in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. He is married to Pam and has two children and a grandson, all calling Indiana “home”.
109. San Soucie, Marc

     City of Beaverton
110. Sander, David

     City of Rancho Cordova
     David is educated and trained as a scientist, has put down deep roots as a civic leader in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento, and is a proud husband and father. From 1991 – 1996 he was a Graduate Fellow for the Louisiana Board of Regents at Tulane University School of Medicine where he received the McLeskey award for excellence in doctoral research, and a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology. His research focused on the potential role of viruses like HIV in human autoimmune disease. Following graduate school, David was awarded a Congressional Science Fellowship, to advise Congress on scientific issues. He worked with Congressman John Edward Porter, and developed and promoted legislation, monitored several issues areas including health, science, labor, intellectual property, welfare, and Medicare/Medicaid, and Social Security as a Legislative Assistant and Fellow. After moving to Rancho Cordova and opening a scientific consulting practice (Sander & Associates), David was elected as a City Councilman in the City of Rancho Cordova, where he served on the first City Council of the new city, and where he has served as a Mayor and Councilman. From 2004-2012 he served on the Regional Transit Board (RT) of Directors, being named vice-Chair and acting Chair in 2004, and Chairman of the RT Board for 2005-2006. As Chair of RT, David was the first Rancho Cordovan to serve in a regional leadership capacity. David currently serves on SACOG, (Sacramento Area Council of Governments), and two regional JPAs, one of which he chairs. Since making Rancho Cordova his home, David has been an active civic volunteer and leader, in Rancho Cordova and the region. In particular, David has been the key leader of the Cordova Community Council – a unique local organization that functions as a sort of Chamber of Commerce for the non-profit community in Rancho Cordova. The Council under his leadership has grew from a small monthly lunch group back into its intended purpose of promoting and coordinating the civic and community life of Rancho Cordova. With a budget now surpassing $500k/year, the organization has a professional staff, has created numerous new large community events, is a fulltime community engagement partner of the City of Rancho Cordova, supports local organizations in a variety of new ways, and was the key aspect of Rancho Cordova’s recognition in 2010 as an All America City by the National Civic League. David is married to Dr. Maggie Parsons, a local dermatologist and third-generation area resident. They have a son Charles, who is seven years old.
111. Scarboro, Douglas

     City of Memphis
     Dr. Douglas Scarboro is the Chief Learning Officer for the City of Memphis and Executive Director of the Office of Talent and Human Capital. In Dr. Scarboro's role as Chief Learning Officer he heads the Office of Talent Development which is responsible for the learning and development of all city City employees. In Dr. Scarboro's role as the Executive Director for the Office of Talent and Human Capital, he serves as a liaison on education issues for Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. The Office of Talent and Human Capital was created by Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. in 2010 after he was elected City of Memphis Mayor with a 61 percent mandate for his gospel of "One Memphis" and his bold vision for his city's future. The Office of Talent and Human Capital addresses Memphis’ key human capital needs by developing collaborative action around strategic problems with Memphis' workforce. Specifically, the office provides strategic action and direction for partnerships that develop, attract, and retain knowledge workers for the City of Memphis through programs like the Mayor's Urban Fellows program. Additionally, collaborative planning takes place through events that have convened national mayors focusing on post-secondary success, which was sponsored by the Lumina Foundation, and the Opportunity Challenge cohosted in connection with CEOs For Cities. Dr. Scarboro has presented the work of the Office of Talent and Human Capital for CEOs For Cities, the Federal Reserve, the National League of Cities, and other regional and national institutions.
112. Schilling, Joseph

     Virginia Tech
     Professor Schilling leads the Institute’s Sustainable Communities and Urban Regeneration Initiatives that explores the intersection of design, planning and collaboration in the development of sustainable regions, communities and neighborhoods. His field work serves as a living laboratory for research, service learning, and policy change by extracting and disseminating model programs and practices through case studies, policy roundtables and planning studios. Schilling is an accomplished public policy facilitator having organized dozens of research, policy, and community forums. Schilling’s work illustrates his philosophy of linking policy and practice. From 2007-2009 as part of the Eco City Studio student teams helped the City of Alexandria devise a sustainability charter and environmental action plan. He also led study tours of Cleveland and Baltimore as part of the Shrinking Cities Studio which examined the plight of distressed cities and the promise of a more sustainable future. Through the Sustainability Planning Lab students and Professor Schilling are classifying local city/county sustainability plans—over 150 to date. He presented this emerging typology of sustainability plans at several research conferences and used it to compare local sustainability planning frameworks from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Based on this research Schilling is designing a sustainability policy “index” to measure the sustainability potential of older industrial cities. Professor Schilling teaches courses in Negotiations and Community Involvement, Land Use Law, Public Health, and Environmental Policy and Sustainability Planning at Virginia Tech and Sustainable Regional Growth for George Washington University Law School. He holds a Masters of Environmental Law (LL.M.) from George Washington University and a J.D. from Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.
113. Segrest, Brandon

     Neptune Technology Group, Inc.
     Brandon Segrest has served the utility industry for eight years with a focus in marketing and product development. As a marketing manager for Neptune, he is responsible for the development and release of industry-leading mobile as well as gateway data collectors that enable fixed network migration. Mr. Segrest earned a B. S. Degree in Operations Management from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He is currently the Product Manager for Data Collection Hardware for Neptune Technology Group Inc. based in Tallassee, Alabama.
114. Shafer, Kevin

     Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
     Kevin Shafer is the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and is responsible for the overall management, administration, leadership and direction for MMSD in meeting short- and long-term goals and objectives; coordinates the establishment of strategic goals and objectives and their approval by the Commission; oversees the development of policies and operating plans; and represents MMSD to its customers, bond rating agencies, and the public. Prior to joining the District, Shafer spent 10 years in private industry with an international engineering firm in Chicago and Milwaukee, and six years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth, Texas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science and civil engineering with a specialty in water resources from the University of Illinois and a master’s in science and civil engineering from the University of Texas. He is a past president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and the Chair of the Clean Water America Alliance’s Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Council.
115. Shetty, Reshma

     Ginkgo BioWorks
     Dr. Reshma Shetty is a co-founder of synthetic biology company Ginkgo BioWorks, Inc. whose mission is to make biology easier to engineer. In 2008, Forbes magazine named Reshma one of Eight People Inventing the Future and in 2011, Fast Company named her one of 100 Most Creative People in Business. Reshma graduated from MIT with a PhD in Biological Engineering in 2008 during which she worked on building digital logic in cells. She has been active in synthetic biology for several years and co-organized SB1.0, the first international conference in synthetic biology in 2004. Her coolest genetically engineered machine to date was engineering E. coli to smell like mint and bananas.
116. Smith, Llewellyn

     Vital Pictures, Inc.
     Llewellyn Smith is President of Vital Pictures, Inc. founded in 2005. He has contributed to many of PBS’ premiere television series since 1978, including Eyes on the Prize, From Jump Street, and Africans in America. Llew was Series Editor for American Experience at WGBH/Boston from 1988-1995. Credits as director/producer include Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory; Reconstruction: The Second Civil War and Forgotten Genius: Percy Julian for NOVA. Llew co-executive produced (with California Newsreel) the first production from Vital Pictures, the award-winning, four-part Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? for PBS. Unnatural Causes won the 2009 DuPont Columbia award, the National Academy of Sciences Best Television Program of the Year Award and many other awards.
117. Smith, Stephanie

     City of Flagstaff
     Stephanie Smith is the Sustainability Specialist for the City of Flagstaff, Arizona. Her work focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of municipal and community sustainability policies and programming related to energy and climate and includes resiliency planning, energy efficiency and fleet management. Stephanie has Bachelor’s degrees in political science and geography and a Master’s degree in public administration from Northern Arizona University. She enjoys many adventures while living on the Colorado Plateau with her husband, Rico, and their crazy dog Daisy. Stephanie has worked for the City of Flagstaff since 2006.
118. Splaine Salwasser, Rebekah

     Boston Scholar Athletes
     Rebekah Splaine Salwasser is responsible for the overall management of the Boston Scholar Athletes program (BSA), a multi-million dollar program whose mission is to support academic achievement through athletics. Founded by Suffolk Construction's CEO, John Fish, the BSA is a nonprofit, 501 (c) (3) organization designed to provide a connection between the public and private sectors of the Boston community, linking the athletic capital from professional sports teams, and academic capital from colleges and universities, directly to the scholar-athletes of Boston. Mrs. Salwasser drives a wide range of program initiatives, including the vision and strategy for the BSA, and the implementation of the marketing and public relations initiatives. This includes oversight of the programs website, newsletter and social media outlets. She is also responsible for maintaining and building the BSA brand as a clear leader in Boston’s nonprofit landscape, and for conducting ongoing analysis and reporting of the program’s Key Performance Indicators. Mrs. Salwasser oversees the program’s budget, including the review and approval of all expenditures and purchases to ensure a sound fiscal model. Additionally, she spearheads the fundraising initiatives, including oversight of all grant writing and donor relationships. Another responsibility for Mrs. Salwasser includes the strengthening of relationships with key community partners, such as Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Presidents of local universities and colleges and professional sports teams, and the Superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Prior to running the Boston Scholar Athletes program, Mrs. Salwasser was the Community Relations Director for the Boston Celtics for 5 years, overseeing charitable giving and events specifically for the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. Before the Celtics, she was the Executive Director of the Charlestown Lacrosse & Learning Center, a small non profit in Boston that provided academic & athletic assistance to local youth. In 2003, Mrs. Salwasser was also a member of the Boston Breakers women’s professional soccer team. Although Mrs. Salwasser recently ended her term on the Board of Trustees for Buckingham Browne & Nichols, she has served on their Alumni Council for the past 7 years to strengthen the relationship between the school and its Alumnus. She is also a Founding Co-Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s Friend’s Council, where she now sits as a Leadership Committee Member. Lastly, she is an Advisory Member for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, ‘Together Against Abuse’ fundraising Gala; a member of the Soccer Advisory Board for America SCORES Boston, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Boston Center for Youth & Families Recreation Center at Madison Park.
119. Steine, Ronnie

     City of Nashville-Davidson
     Ronnie Steine, a lifelong resident of Nashville, was re-elected to his fourth term as Metro Councilman­ at-Large in August of 2011. He previously served as Councilman-at-Large from 1991 to 1999 and returned in 2007. He was elected Nashville's fifth Vice Mayor in 1999 and served until his resignation in 2002. He is the former Co-Owner of Sailair Travel, Inc. On the Council,Steine serves as Chair of the Rules and Confirmations Committee and is a member of the Budget and Finance and Parks,Library and Recreation Committees. He was Chair of Budget for 1996-97 and 2009-10, and elected Pro Tern, 1997-98. He is also on the Metro Greenways Commission and the Leadership Council of the Nashville Afterschool Zone Alliance. Steine recently served as Co-Chair of the Mayor's Blue-Ribbon Task Force to create a Child and Youth Master Plan. He is a member of the CYMP Advisory Team. Steine has been an acknowledged leader during his time on the Council,as evidenced by the readers of the Nashville Scene naming him Best Metro Council Member for four consecutive years from 1994-97. He played a principal role in issues such as the General Hospitai-Meharry merger, the Titans' relocation to Nashville, the building of the Public Library system and the Music City Center; creation of the Tree Ordinance and the defeat of the English Only Amendment. Steine has been a strong supporter of increased education and public safety funding. Steine's leadership on youth issues led to the creation of the Mayor's Office of Children and Youth and the Mayor's Youth Council. He is a well-known advocate for quality-of-life issues such as the arts,sports, and greenways. From 1995 until 2000,Steine served as Executive Director of the Oasis Center, a non-profit that focuses on teens and families. The job provided Steine with a strong understanding of the pressures, problems, and strengths of our youth. In 2008,he was appointed to the National League of Cities Youth,Education and Families Council and will be Co-Chair for 2011-12. He also serves as Chair of the Ready By 21 National Leadership Council. In the course of his service, Steine has received several honors including: The National Alliance on Afterschool's National Champions Award; the 2011Greenways For Nashville Public Leadership Award; the Women's Political Caucus Good Guy Award; and was a 1999 finalist for the Arts Nonprofit CEO of the Year. Locally, Steine serves on the boards of the Adventure Science Center, the Martha O'Bryan Promise Neighborhood Committee, the Oasis Center, and the United Neighborhood Health Services Board. Governor Phil Bredesen appointed him to the Tennessee Commission on Holocaust Education. He is a past President of his Synagogue, Congregation Micah and he is a graduate of Leadership Nashville, Leadership Music and Leadership Donelson-Hermitage. Steine is a graduate of Vanderbilt and its Law School. He is married to Beverly Keel and he has one son, David,20. In his spare time,Steine, an avid fan of the Titans and the Predators,collects art and political memorabilia and loves tennis.
120. Sullivan, Neil

     Boston Private Industry Council
     Neil Sullivan is the executive director of the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC). The PIC serves as Boston’s Workforce Investment Board – overseeing the distribution of federal funding for workforce training and chartering the city’s three one stop career centers. The PIC also leads Boston’s school-to-career initiative, organizing employers to provide jobs and internships for public high school students and launching initiatives to reduce the high school dropout rate and to increase the college graduation rate. The PIC collaborates with the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University to follow Boston students over time and analyze the impact of their high school experiences on college and labor market outcomes. Before joining the PIC in 1992, Sullivan served as chief policy advisor to Boston Mayor Ray Flynn for ten years, as a community organizer and policy strategist for Massachusetts Fair Share in Worcester and Boston for six years, and as a high school teacher in the Chicago area for three years. He lives in Dorchester, and his four adult children all graduated from the Boston Public Schools.
121. Tan, Cheng

     City of Boston
     Reverend Cheng Imm Tan was appointed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino as the Director of the Mayor's Office of New Bostonians in 1998. Under her leadership, the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians has become a national model and was awarded the “ 2000 City Livability Outstanding Achievement Award” from the United States Conference of Mayors and the “2001 Cultural Diversity Award” from the National Black Caucus of local elected officials. She is the founder of the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, "Rice Sticks and Tea," the only Asian food pantry program and “Arise” a refugee-immigrant women’s empowerment program. She also founded and leads Gund Kwok, the only Asian Women’s Lion Dance Troupe in New England. In addition, Reverend Tan served on the Governor's Advisory Council for Refugees and Immigrants, the Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence and the Governor’s Asian American Commission.
122. Tang, Yvonne

     Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
123. Taylor, William

     Washington Speakers Bureau
     Bill Taylor is an agenda-setting writer, speaker and entrepreneur who has shaped the global conversation about the best ways to compete, innovate and succeed. His latest project, Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself, is based on in-depth access to 25 organizations that are making deep-seated changes under the most trying circumstances imaginable. These organizations (from hard-charging technology companies to long established nonprofits, from hospitals to automakers to banks) are mastering a set of strategies and practices that define the work of leadership in turbulent times-ideas from which every leader can learn. The book was published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperColllins, in January 2011. It became an immediate Wall Street Journal best seller and the #1 best seller on the Inc./800CEORead Hardcover Business list. Daniel H. Pink, best-selling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind, calls the book “the most powerful and instructive change manual you’ll ever read.” Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, calls it “a must-read for organizations that want to stay energized and relevant.” The New Your Journal of Books called Practically Radical “a successor to Jim Collins’s seminal book, Good to Great.” The Washington Times called it “an eye-opening joy.” CNN, in an in-depth report on the book, declared that Bill “has a cult following in workplace and management circles.” Practically Radical is a sequel of sorts to Taylor's most recent book, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win, which was published in October 2006. "I didn't just 'read' this book, I devoured it!" declared Tom Peters when Mavericks appeared. James J. Cramer, co-founder of TheStreet.com and host of CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer, had this to say: "If Mavericks at Work had come out before I started TheStreet.com, I could have saved my investors (and myself) $100 million—because I would have been able to take the lessons in the book and apply them every day to my business." Added talent guru Marcus Buckingham: "You must find the time to read this book." Just weeks after its release, Mavericks became a New York Times best seller, a Wall Street Journal business best seller and a BusinessWeek best seller. It was the subject of articles, reviews and columns in many top publications, including U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe and The Economist, which called the book "a pivotal work in the tradition of In Search of Excellence and Good to Great." The Economist also named Mavericks one of its "Books of the Year, 2006." Other accolades include: "Top Ten Business Book of The Year" (amazon.com), "Top Ten Book on Innovation and Design" (BusinessWeek) and "2006 Picks of the Year in Business Books" (The Financial Times). The book also generated big attention on the small screen. ABC's Good Morning America devoted two segments (called Maverick Monday) to the book, and NBC's Weekend Today devoted a lengthy segment to its vision of the new workplace. CNBC aired a five-part series, hosted by Maria Bartiromo, called The Business of Innovation, which spotlighted a number of companies and executives drawn from the pages\ of Mavericks at Work, and for which Taylor was an on-air commentator. Practically Radical and Mavericks at Work may be Taylor's most recent projects, but they are just the latest chapter in a career devoted to challenging conventional wisdom and showcasing the power of William C. Taylor Exclusively Represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau latest chapter in a career devoted to challenging conventional wisdom and showcasing the power of business at its best. As cofounder and founding editor of Fast Company, he launched a magazine that won countless awards, earned a passionate following among executives and entrepreneurs around the world—and became a legendary business success. In less than six years, an enterprise that took shape in some borrowed office space in Harvard Square sold for $340 million. Fast Company has won just about every award there is to win in the magazine world, from "Startup of the Year" to "Magazine of the Year" to two National Magazine Awards. In recognition of Fast Company's impact on business, Taylor was named "Champion of Workplace Learning and Performance" by the American Society of Training and Development. Past winners include Jack Welch of GE and Fred Smith of FedEx. Taylor is also an adjunct lecturer at Babson College, America's top-rated school for entrepreneurship, where he created the "Maverick Seminar at Babson College"—a unique academic program in which MBA students interact with the ideas and innovators creating the future of business. He is the co-author of three other books on strategy, leadership and innovation: The Big Boys: Power and Position in American Business; No-Excuses Management and Going Global. Taylor has published numerous essays and CEO interviews in The Harvard Business Review, and his column, "Under New Management," ran in the Sunday Business section of The New York Times. Another column, "Bill Taylor on Big Ideas," ran in The Guardian newspaper of London. Today, Taylor chronicles his research, insights and lessons in a popular blog Harvard Business Online, the digital arm of The Harvard Business Review. A graduate of Princeton University and the MIT Sloan School of Management, he lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with his wife and two daughters.
124. Teague, Benjamin

     Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
125. Thomson, Kelly

     Vital Pictures, Inc.
     Kelly Thomson is co-producer for the Vital Pictures’ productions of American Dilemma, An Awakened Heart and Gaining Ground. She is also co-director/producer of a feature documentary on the life and work of controversial anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. Prior to working with Vital Pictures, she was head of production for 50 Lessons, where she produced a series of over 30 portraits of leading business professionals. Kelly has contributed to independent films and shorts, including Untamed, Hotels 4, All Falls Down, Milk, A Vote for Choice and Funeral of the Last Gypsy King.
126. Thornton, Robert

     International District Energy Association
     Rob Thornton is President and Chief Executive Officer of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), a 103-year old industry association founded in 1909 with headquarters near Boston, Massachusetts. In this role since July 2000, Mr. Thornton represents the interests of nearly 2,000 IDEA members from 26 countries. As an advocate for the district energy/CHP industry, he has briefed the President of the United States and members of the Cabinet, members of Congress and senior leadership at the US Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Commerce, as well as the German Bundestag, the Dubai Ministry of Environment, and many other non-governmental organizations. During 25 years in the district energy industry, Mr. Thornton has led the startup and growth of new downtown district energy systems in Hartford, CT; Cleveland, OH and Boston, MA.
127. Uslar, Hans

     City of Monterey
     Hans-Joachim Uslar currently holds the position of Interim Deputy City Manager, Plans and Public Works in the City of Monterey, Calif. Mr. Uslar has an in-depth experience in implementation of activity based cost systems, federal contracting, and public works administration. Since 1998, Mr. Uslar has been instrumental in setting up a state-of –the art work and asset management system for the City of Monterey.
128. Varnadore, Hilari

     STAR Communities
     As the Program Director for the STAR Community Index, Hilari manages the development and implementation of a national, voluntary, consensus-based framework for improving the livability and sustainability of U.S. communities. STAR is a collaborative initiative between ICLEI, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining ICLEI, Hilari was the Sustainability Director for Frederick County, Maryland. Hilari was responsible for advancing sustainability within government operations and decision- making processes as well as designing and implementing innovative community initiatives. She developed an internal Sustainable Action Team and planning process, established an appointed Sustainability Commission, and raised more than $2 million to support and sustain the office. Hilari has been an active member of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network and a volunteer on the Planning & Design Technical Advisory Committee within the STAR Community Index program. She is an advisory board member to the Maryland Clean Energy Center and a strong advocate for developing local government networks around sustainability in both MD and the DC Metro area. Hilari ran a MD nonprofit focused on sustainability and Chesapeake Bay protection during the 2000s. Her academic background is in community resiliency, planning and environmental policy.
129. Wharton, A.C.

     City of Memphis
130. Yamarone, Mark

     City of Pasadena
     As Transportation Administrator for the city of Pasadena Department of Transportation, Mark serves as the lead staff representative on all regional transportation planning activities. He is currently leading the department’s efforts to update the Mobility Element of the General Plan including the development of new metrics to analyze the mobility benefits of proposed land uses and transportation improvements. He led the development the City’s transportation impact fee which included extensive outreach and coordination with the local business and development community. Mark is an expert in the area of transportation demand management and has over twenty years of transportation planning experience. Mr. Yamarone has also worked for the California cities of Santa Clarita and Burbank. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California Irvine and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of California Los Angeles.
131. Zawacki, Theresa

     Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government
     Theresa Zawacki has been with the Louisville Metro Department of Economic Growth and Innovation since September 2011. Ms. Zawacki is the city’s Food Policy Advisor, and coordinates Louisville’s Brownfields Program. Previously, Ms. Zawacki was an Assistant County Attorney with the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office where she represented the Louisville Metro Planning Commission, the Louisville Metro Board of Zoning Adjustment, the Louisville Metro Landmarks Commission, and the Louisville/Jefferson County Environmental Trust, as well as all Louisville Metro staff involved with land use, planning and zoning. She also advised and represented the Louisville Metro Council in planning and zoning matters. Ms. Zawacki began her legal career as an associate at the law firm of Greenebaum, Doll & McDonald (now Greenebaum Bingham Doll), where she practiced in both the land use and environmental practice groups. Ms. Zawacki serves as the Chair of the Green Convene of Louisville and the Vice-Chair of the Environmental Law Section of the Louisville Bar Association. She is a frequent speaker and writer on issues involving local food and brownfields. Ms. Zawacki received her BA from Transylvania University in 1998, and both her JD and Masters of Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati in 2003. She lives in Louisville and has both children and chickens.
132. Zone, Matt

     City of Cleveland
     Councilman Matt Zone grew up in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Cleveland's near west side and was elected to office in November of 2001. On council, Matt chairs the Sustainability Committee and Employment, Affirmative Action & Training committees. He is also a member of the City Planning, Community & Economic Development, Finance, Personnel & Operations, Public Safety and Public Art Committees. Matt is recognized nationally, regionally and locally as a leader on environmental and arts & cultural issues. Nationally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the National League of Cities and is the past chair of the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources committee. Regionally, Matt serves on the steering committee of the Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI) that is working to create a "Smart Growth" and "Resource Sharing" plan for NE Ohio. He is one of the founding members of the Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force, which is working to create offshore wind generation in Lake Erie. Matt is also the past-president of the Northeast Ohio City Council Association. Locally, Matt continues to be a tireless advocate for alternative energy and green building, by evidence of the fact that in his ward, it is home to the first EcoVillage in our state and one of a few in the country. The EcoVillage is complete with a LEED built school, theatre and certified rapid station. He has championed the building of highly energy efficient homes that heat & cool for less then $500 annually and has a model storm water demonstration project on 23 acre city recreational facility. As a devoted supporter of the arts, Matt believes the arts and culture community can serve as an economic engine. He has been the driving force behind the development of the Gordon Square Arts District which is comprised of new businesses, retail development, housing and the construction and renovation of three theaters. Matt also sponsored the City of Cleveland's "Percent for Arts" legislation, which requires all applicable capital improvement projects over $300,000 to set aside 1.5% of the total budget to include artists in their design. Matt is a graduate of Cleveland State University's College of Urban Affairs and graduate of St. Edward High School. He is married to his wife Michelle for 22 years and they have a son who is senior at Kent State University.