The Annual Urban Environmental Leadership Roundtable, “Going the Green Route” will convene April 25, 2008. It is a gathering of 125 invited thought leaders in the city of Philadelphia convened by American Cities Foundation. The participants will continue a conversation begun last year by specifically identifying emerging “green collar” business opportunities, examining community activism around “greening” and economic development, and exploring the city’s leadership role in creating, expanding and sustaining green initiatives in Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Last year the Leadership Roundtable brought together representatives from the community, academic and business sectors to engage in dialogue and examine the relationship between urban environmental leadership/activism and economic development. The conversation centered on two themes: creating an educational pipeline that would prepare our youth for career opportunities in the sciences, including environmental sciences; and finding ways to provide access to business ownership and employment opportunities in environmental work for neglected populations in Philadelphia.
Our noted Roundtable panelists Andrew Altman, Director of Commerce for the City of Philadelphia and Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes, Ph.D., Director, Urban Studies Department at San Francisco State University, will share their experiences, successes and visions for a green economy. Proceedings from the Roundtable will be compiled and distributed widely.
Mr. Altman is a native Philadelphian. He served as the planning director for Washington D.C. under Mayor Anthony A. Williams, and was appointed the first President and Chief Executive Officer of the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation founded to guide the ambitious regeneration of the National Capital waterfront. The initiative to reclaim the waterfront of Washington D.C. has been nationally recognized by the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, Places Magazine (ERDA award) and the American Society of Landscape Architects as one of the most innovative urban redevelopment initiatives in the United States.
Professor Pinderhughes is an expert on “green collar” jobs. She coined the term in 2004 to describe manual labor jobs related to improvements in environmental quality. Her teaching, research and community activism focus on improving quality of life for people living and working in cities. Her areas of expertise include sustainable urban development, urban infrastructures, environmental justice, green collar jobs and related subjects. Her landmark study, “Green Collar Jobs” An Analysis of the Capacity of Green Business to Provide High Quality Jobs for Men and Women with Barriers to Employment, informs our understanding of how to harness green business growth to fight both pollution and poverty. The study can be found at http://bss.sfsu.edu/raquelrp/.
This year the Leadership Roundtable will be followed on April 26th by the Annual Urban Environmental Expo and Summit at the School of the Future at 4027 Parkside Avenue, 9 AM to 4 PM. It presents an opportunity for everyone from environmental activists to concerned citizens and youth to learn new ways to incorporate green ideas into their lives and businesses. Dr. Pinderhughes will also conduct a workshop at the Summit.
Leadership Roundtable Advisory Board and Planning Committee
Sandra Dungee Glenn
President, American Cities Foundation
Bernard Anderson, Ph.D.
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Aminta Hawkins Breaux, Ph.D.
Vice President Student Affairs, Millersville University
Patricia Washington
VP for Grants & Development, Greater Philadelphia Tourism & Marketing Corporation
Jeremiah White
Chairman, Osiris Group
Jeremy Nowak
President/CEO, The Reinvestment Fund
Kim A. Brown
Development Consultant
John Churchville
Director Community Leadership Institute, American Cities Foundation
Dennis Lee
Director, Project NEAT, American Cities Foundation
Susan Evans
Chief Operating Officer, American Cities Foundation