NEW ORLEANS, La. — On Friday, October 18, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Louisiana Chapter will host its fourth annual FORWARD Symposium on Sustainability at Tulane University’s Lavin-Bernick Center, 29 McAlister Drive New Orleans from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year’s theme, Building a Stronger Louisiana by Nurturing the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders, will bring green industry professionals from across the region together to discuss how to move the state towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
The one-day event will include the Women in Sustainability Empower (WISE) breakfast, the Green School Challenge workshop, educational sessions, the Sustainability Keynote luncheon and a Tulane LEED building tour. New this year is the GreenMatters series designed to showcase how environmentally conscious business leaders in the Crescent City are working to make festivals, dining, and tourism greener and safer.
The WISE breakfast keynote speaker is award winning architect, Ursula Emery McClure. McClure is a professor of architecture at Louisiana State University, founding partner at emerymcclure architecture, and senior project designer at architecture and design firm, Perkins & Will. In 2018, McClure was named on ArchDaily’s list of 13 leading female architects from around the world. Her keynote topic is, A Career of Coastal Concern.
Justin Ehrenwerth, President and CEO of The Water Institute of the Gulf will be the event’s keynote speaker during the Sustainability luncheon. After several years of service in key roles at organizations including the Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, Chief of Staff to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Assistant Counsel to the President where he took the lead on Deepwater Horizon litigation for the White House, Ehrenwerth continues his fight to help coastal and deltaic communities prepare for the future. His keynote address will focus on how the region can use nature-based solutions to protect critical industry infrastructure, promote community resilience, create environmental benefits and sequester carbon.
“FORWARD offers us the opportunity to inform and educate the community about coastal issues concerning Louisiana that will have a direct impact on our quality of life,” said Monica Gonzalez, USGBC Louisiana’s chairperson. “From climate change to new trends in sustainability innovation, we are fighting to ensure that our policymakers, business leaders, educators, and students are well-equipped to handle the environmental changes we are currently facing. We invite everyone to be a part of the event.”
The WISE breakfast will kick-off at 7:30 a.m. with opening remarks by New Orleans Councilwoman District E, Cyndi Nguyen. Following the breakfast, the educational sessions will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Presenters include: Jeff Cantin, President, Solar Alternatives; Ann Vail, Director, Louisiana Clean Fuels; Blake Woodward, Senior Manager, ICF; Dana Eness, Executive Director, Urban Conservancy; Chuck Morse, Executive Director, Thrive New Orleans; Professor Rob Verchick, Gauthier-St. Martin Eminent Scholar and Chair in Environmental Law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law; Kevin Singh, Professor of Architecture, Louisiana Tech University; Brendan O’Donnell, Fellow at the Ecologic Institute in DC & Berlin; Simone Feaster-Armour, Teacher of Gifted, Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans; and Camille Pollan, City of New Orleans, Office of Resilience and Sustainability, City Energy Advisor.
To view the agenda, go to the USGBC Louisiana website: https://usgbclouisiana.org/meetinginfo.php?id=2&ts=1565639860.
To attend the educational sessions, WISE breakfast and Sustainability luncheon, ticket prices are $110 for members and $145 for non-members. To attend the WISE breakfast only, the cost is $40, and the Sustainability luncheon only, the cost is $50. Students can register for the educational sessions for a special rate of $30.
To learn more about USGBC Louisiana and the FORWARD Symposium, visit https://www.usgbclouisiana.org/. For sponsorship opportunities email Michelle Jackson at events@prsolutionsllc.org.
Prior events provided professionals with the opportunity to earn American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI) continued education units (CEUs). CEUs are pending approval. Please visit the USGBC website to stay abreast of the approval status.
About USGBC Louisiana:
USGBC Louisiana is a chapter of the USGBC. The organization’s mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous Louisiana. The board executive committee members include: Monica Gonzalez, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Chair), Dru Lamb, Herman Miller (Vice Chair), Richard Longman, WHLC, Architecture (Treasurer), Carrie Laurendine (Secretary), and Adrian D’Arcy, Shields Mott (Special Counsel).
Contact: Michelle Jackson
USGBC Louisiana Media Liaison
t. (678) 548-2461
e. events@prsolutionsllc.org
Related link: https://usgbclouisiana.org/
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