Thank you to everyone that attended GreenTown Fox Valley on Thursday, April 27, 2017, at Two Brothers Roundhouse in downtown Aurora.

To view presentations from the event, click here.

Agenda:

8:30am - 9:00am
General GreenTown Fox Valley Registration

9:00am - 9:15am
Welcome Address
Gary Cuneen, Executive Director, Seven Generations Ahead
Jim Ebel, Co-Founder, Two Brothers Roundhouse

9:15am – 9:30am
What's Happening at the Federal Level and How This Will Impact Sustainability and Illinois?
Keynote speaker:
Jack Darin, Executive Director, Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club

9:30am - 10:15am
National Trends in Solar and How Local Communities Are Advancing Renewable Energy
Keynote speaker:
Elizabeth Doris Brown, Principal Laboratory Program Manager: State, Local, and Tribal Program, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

10:15am - 10:45am
Idea Factory
The Fox Valley Sustainability Network and the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley are calling for submissions of project ideas that would help create a more healthy, sustainable Fox Valley. Selected submissions will be invited to present a concise, two-minute pitch about their idea (with a maximum of two slides) at GreenTown Fox Valley. Click here to learn more.

10:45am - 11:00am
Break

11:00am - 12:15pm
Breakout Session #1
(choose one to attend)

Greenest Region Compact: Sustainability Planning Simplified
The Greenest Region Compact 2 (GRC2) is a comprehensive sustainability pledge and tool for creating local, tailored sustainability plans. The GRC2 was built using the ongoing sustainable programs and actions that communities are already doing; and the sustainability plans that leading communities have already adopted. This makes it useful to communities of all sizes and strengths. This session will introduce the GRC2; discuss the results of the extensive research on community sustainability; and demonstrate how to use the GRC2 Framework to create a sustainability plan for your community. Bonus –communities pre-registered to attend GreenTown may receive a snapshot of their sustainability achievements during this session.
Speaker:
Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

Transportation Trends in the Fox Valley: Mobilizing Communities by Shifting Modes
Cities today are experiencing major shifts in their transportation modes. But what do these mode shifts mean for the semi-urban or rural areas, for the Fox Valley region? The presentations in this session will answer these questions and provide an overview of transportation trends, data on recent shifts in mobile culture and routines, and information for setting policy priorities to promote inclusive, equitable and sustainable communities.
Speakers:
Joe Schwieterman, Director, Chaddick Institute
Tim Frisbie, Communications and Policy Director, Shared-Use Mobility Center
Lindsay Bayley, Senior Planner, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Eric Gallt, Engineer, City of Aurora
Moderator:
Stephane Phifer, Planning and Zoning Director, City of Aurora

12:15pm - 1:15pm
Lunch

1:15pm - 2:30pm
Breakout Session #2
(choose one to attend)

Improving the Water Quality, Habitat and Recreational Amenities of the Fox River
Its quality as a source of drinking water for over 300,000 residents, the habitat the Fox River provides for fish and other aquatic life, and the recreational opportunities afforded by this centerpiece of the Fox River Valley are all important matters as we consider the vital role the Fox River plays in our communities. We’ll hear from three leaders of efforts to sustain and improve the water quality, habitat and recreational amenities of the Fox River. We’ll also spend time in this session discussing how we can work together to advance these efforts.
Speakers:
Karen Miller, Executive Planner, Kane County Development & Community Services Department
Frank Veraldi, Fish Biologist/Restoration Ecologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District
Kyla Jacobsen, Utilities Director, City of Elgin Water Department
Moderator:
Cindy Skrukrud, Clean Water Program Director at Sierra Club Illinois and Chair of the Fox River Study Group

Food Recovery and Composting in Waste Diversion
Speakers:
Jen Nelson, Program Manager, Seven Generations Ahead
Jeannine Kannegiesser, Development Officer, Northern Illinois Food Bank

Driving Transit-Oriented Development in the Fox Valley / Making the Fox Valley an Eco Tourism Destination  
Speakers:
Jim Hughes, Jr., CEO, Next Generation Development
Jordan E. Glazov, Principal, Realtelligence LLC
Steve Buchtel, Executive Director, Trails for Illinois
Bonnie Lee Kunkel, Organizer, Aurora GreenFest
Krisilee Murphy, Director of Marketing, Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Moderator:
John Harris, Principal, a5 Inc.

2:30pm - 2:45pm
Break

2:45pm - 4:00pm
Breakout Session #3
(choose one to attend)

Building a Local Food Shed in Kane County: Opportunities and Challenges
Speakers:
Nate Summer, Operations Manager, Heritage Prairie Farm
Carol Rauschenberger, Volunteer, Shared Harvest Co-op
David Miller, CEO and Co-Founder, Iroquois Farms
Moderator:
Matthew Tansley, Land Use Planner, Kane County

Natural Areas Management
Speakers: 
Bill Stoll, Senior Ecologist, Applied Ecological Services
Emily Okallau, Community Trees Project, Morton Arboretum Community Trees Program
Ryan Anderson, Program and Communications Manager, Midwest Pesticide Action Center

Becoming a Solar-Ready Fox Valley
Speakers:
Mark Pruitt, Program Director, Community Choice Aggregation
Laura Oakleaf, Legislative Coordinator, Cook County Department of Environmental Control
Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
Zach Greene, Project Manager, SolSmart
Moderator:
Cecilia Govrik, Resource Management Coordinator, Kane County Division of Environmental & Water Resources

4:00pm - 5:00pm
Closing Reception