CERTs 2009 | Best Practices for Local Governments
Local government leaders at the city and county level will share step-by-step the trailblazing initiatives that they are undertaking to determine their clean energy future.
Session Audio
| Part 1 | Download |
| Part 2 | Download |
| Part 3 | Download |
Moderators
Brian Ross, CR Planning: Brian Ross is a co-founder of CR Planning, a planning consulting firm that works with communities on sustainable development, land use, natural resources, and energy policies, programs, and regulations. He has over twenty years of project management experience. His current projects include: Managing the “Solar Cities” initiative for Minneapolis and Saint Paul to remove barriers and transform the market for solar energy; Updating the State of Minnesota’s guidebook on sustainable development practices, From Policy to Reality: Model Ordinances for Sustainable Development, including new ordinances for helping cities meet climate protection goals; Incorporating agricultural and natural resource protection tools into the Stearns County zoning ordinance; and, Assisting in the development of GreenSteps City best practices for meeting climate protection and sustainability goals.
Diana McKeown, The Green Institute: Diana McKeown is the Metro CERTs Network coordinator for The Green Institute. Prior to joining the CERTs team, Diana worked for over 14 years at Clean Water Action where she gained experience with media work, grassroots organizing, campaign planning, lobbying, and fundraising. Diana has experience building strategic campaigns and coalitions. Diana holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota.
Elk River Energy City: One City's Attempt to Make a Difference
Rebecca Haug, City of Elk River: Rebecca is the Environmental Administrator for the City of Elk River. She has been with the City since 2003. Prior to working at the City, she worked for Benton and Sherburne counties in the environmental field. She is the staff liaison for the Elk River Energy City Commission which is a City Council appointed Commission made up of representatives from the energy field. She not only is responsible for Energy City activities but all activities related to environmental issues throughout the City.
Vance Zehringer, Energy City Commission Chair: Vance is currently the General Manager for Elk River Municipal Utility. Prior to his position with Elk River Municipal Utility, he designed and managed Great River Energy’s alternative energy, conservation, and Off-Peak programs from 1977 through 1998. He also served on various energy conservation research committees for the Electric Power Research Institute from 1991 through 1998. Since 1999, Vance has provided energy conservation and marketing services to regional utilities as an independent consultant under Zehringer Consulting. Vance has been an advisory member for Elk River’s Energy City since its inception in 1996 and currently serves as Chair of Elk River’s Energy City Commission.
Making Hennepin County a Cool County
Andrew Leith, Hennepin County: Andrew Leith has been with Hennepin County’s air and energy unit for about 18 months. His responsibilities include distributed energy projects, improvements to the Hennepin County Energy Center district heating and cooling plant, and the Cool Counties initiative. Prior to joining the air and energy unit he was seven years in the County Contaminated Lands Unit, arranging for the cleanup of county-owned contaminated sites and administering a grant program. Before joining Hennepin County he was an environmental consultant in Chicago and the Twin Cities, and a geologist in the petroleum exploration industry at various locations around the world. He has a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Science from Washington University in St. Louis.
Leah Hiniker, Hennepin County: Leah Hiniker is the new Energy Manager at Hennepin County working in the Property Services Department. She is a graduate from Iowa State University in Environmental Civil Engineering. She has worked on a wide range of projects over the past 10 years and is glad to finally find a niche in the energy and environment field.
Pine River Healthy Green Communities Partnership
Bob McLean, Hunt Utilities Group LLC: Bob McLean is COO/GM of Hunt Utilities Group LLC a research company focused on developing systems for renewable energy and high-performance sustainable living buildings. The research campus is self-funded in its development and business incubation. The campus hosts two complimentary non-profits providing education and/or renewable energy services; RREAL and Happy Dancing Turtle. A healthy vibrant community, region, and state is important to Bob. He is actively involved in numerous committees and boards including the Initiative Foundation Loan Committee, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Advisory Board, Essentia Community Hospitals and Clinics. Bob serves as trustee, advisor, and/or board officer with trust, endowment, and private equity funds. An advocate of life long learning, he has organized and/or participated in numerous forums on Business and Finance.
Dan Frank, Initiative Foundation: Dan Frank is the Initiative Foundation’s Program Manager for Community Development. Dan has been with the Initiative Foundation since October 2001. He is responsible for coordinating the Healthy Communities Partnership program, community leadership training, internal training and grants review. Prior to joining the Initiative Foundation, Dan spent four years as a Director of Community Education and 20 years in non profit management. He is very active with his local community and was selected as the Pequot Lakes Citizen of the Year in 2000. He has served as a Healthy Community Partnerships Team Leader, a First Responder, a Department of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Instructor, a mentor for both youth and adult mentoring programs, a local nonprofit board member and is a veteran of US Army Special Forces. Dan has a BA in Business Administration, Buena Vista University and a Community Educators Practicum, St. Thomas University.
Sustain Winona
Anne Morse, Winona County: Anne Morse is employed by Winona County in the position of Sustainability Coordinator, and serves on the Winona County Economic Development Authority. In those capacities she assists homeowners and business owners in learning about energy conservation and renewable energy opportunities available to them, and greatly enjoys her work.
Aitkin Eco-Affordable & FSC-Certified Home
Alison Lindburg, Dovetail Partners, Inc.: Alison Lindburg is the Director of non-profit organization Dovetail Partners’ Eco-Affordable Housing Program. Alison has worked with both urban and rural communities, and her experience includes green home design, property management, financial planning, building construction supervision, group facilitation, and green building standards. Alison is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), and holds a BA in Architecture. Alison has presented at events across the nation, and is a member of the Mississippi Headwaters Chapter of the USGBC, the Minnesota GreenStar Technical Advisory Committee, and the Minnesota Green Communities Advisory Committee. Raised in a rural community herself, she is deeply committed to addressing the green housing challenges of rural communities.
Bike Edina Task Force: Community Engagement to Change Transportation Culture
Matthew Lang, Community Design Group, LLC: Matthew Lang is deeply committed to fostering public involvement in the development of policies that bring tangible improvements to peoples’ lives as a designer, artist and community organizer. He assists clients’ communication with constituencies providing graphic and web design services, video production services, photography and community engagement services. Car-free since 2001, Matthew has traveled extensively to people-oriented cities in Europe and the US (spending a year living in Paris, France studying at the Parisian Center for Critical Studies), and has developed a deep expertise in urban design standards and practices, transportation and land use research, and best practices.
Isaac Bros, Community Design Group, LLC: Isaac Bros is a Community Design Group Associate. He has recently returned to his native Twin Cities after finishing his Master of Architecture Degree at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Isaac’s academic work focused on the intersections between infrastructure systems and architecture in the urban context, with the goal of uncovering approaches that improve people’s daily lives and enhance the built and natural environment. Isaac is a gifted visual artist, using his skills in perspective drawing, model making and graphic design to help clients and communities communicate and explore their ideas.
Clean Energy Resource Teams