Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
Concentration: Infrastructure and Cleaner, More Efficient Transportation

The Clean Transportation Manufacturing Action Plan (TMAP) is a national strategy to leverage our federal investments to build a modern, efficient transportation system to create quality, high-paying manufacturing jobs. Developed by a task force of leading manufacturers; labor unions; and transportation, energy and economic development policy experts TMAP examines how best to support the domestic manufacture of advanced transit and rail vehicles, efficient buses, clean trucks and their component parts. It is a comprehensive strategy focused both on expanding domestic demand for these products and providing the investments and regulatory supports needed to ensure that American manufacturers are positioned to meet increased demand. 

Presenters:
Brian Lombardozzi, Senior Policy Analyst, BlueGreen Alliance
Greg LeRoy, Executive Director, Good Jobs First; Co-founder, Americans for Transit
Brad Markell, International Representative, United Autoworkers
Chandra Brown, President, United Streetcar; Vice President, Oregon Iron Works, Inc.

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Infrastructure and Cleaner, More Efficient Transportation

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated six years ago that $222 billion a year was needed to maintain the surface transportation system. Revenue flowing into the Highway Trust Fund falls about $45 billion short of that amount. Until Congress agrees on how to close the funding gap, states will be forced to be creative about alternative ways to pay their transportation costs. The gas tax cannot support the status quo of our transportation system, let alone any improvements or expansions. Innovations in funding are the only way for transportation infrastructure to survive and thrive. This workshop looks at four methods: ballot box financing tools, value-pricing techniques such as toll roads, usage fees based on vehicle miles traveled, and the current federal funding opportunities.

Presenters:
Kari Banta, Transportation Associate, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter
Ginger Goodin, Division Head, Texas Transportation Institute
Jason Jordan, Director, Center for Transportation Excellence

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Responsible Investment to Rebuild the American South

How do we find responsible investment capital for infrastructure and energy efficiency? This workshop focuses on worker friendly funds’ efforts to finance infrastructure and energy retrofits of commercial real estate. This educational presentation on public-private partnerships shows how workers’ capital can play a role in new financing strategies. Utilities, transportation, social, and specialist infrastructure sectors will be discussed as they relate to clean and efficient energy production and savings. In addition, real estate industry experts will provide updates on energy efficiency in new construction. 

Moderator:
Deborah C. Nisson, CRE, Vice President of Investments, Ullico Investment Advisors,Inc

Presenters,
Leanne Tobias, Managing Principal, Malachite LLC
Landon Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer, Landon Butler & Company, LP

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Concentration:  Responsible Investments to Rebuild the American South

Responsible investors (RI) — including smart enterprise fund managers capitalized by workers’ pensions — are investing billions of dollars in clean tech industries. This includes advanced manufacturing and critical industries important to the clean economy, and supply chains for those sectors. RI investors have created or saved 100s of thousands of good jobs, including union jobs.

RI investors have been wisely growing or restructuring businesses, not stripping and loading them with unnecessary debt. 

This workshop will provide presentations by RI fund managers and developers on successes and challenges in investing in key sustainable industries, including clean tech, green businesses and natural resources stewardship.

Moderator:
Thomas Croft, Managing Director, Heartland Capital Strategies (HCS)

Presenters:
Adam Blumenthal, Managing Partner, Blue Wolf Capital Management (invited)
David Wilhelm, President, Woodland Venture Management
Jeff Pelletier, Operating Partner, The Yucaipa Funds (invited)

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships

This abstract will showcase environmental development workforce training, green job creation and community revitalization in selected priority brownfields revitalization projects in the Southeast. There will be examples of successful environmental workforce development training at Florida State College - Jacksonville, and green job creation in Alabama where EPA and other Federal Agency Partners haves focused efforts along the Historic Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights Trail and the Chattahoochee Trace. Panelists will discuss the basics of a successful environmental workforce development and green jobs training program and present how a number of Federal Agencies, including EPA, Job Corps, HUD, Appalachian Regional Commission, USDA Rural Development Administration and the Department of Labor support green job creation.

The panel will also explore the connections between brownfields and land revitalization and related federal programs that support green job creation; panelists will discuss project details related to job training for green job creation, and present additional opportunities where green jobs are the answer to community redevelopment and land revitalization questions.  Panel members include local government and economic development representatives, EPA environmental workforce development practitioners, local workforce Training professionals, and workers with green jobs.

Presenters:
Pamela Scherer, Instructional Program Coordinator, Institute of Occupational Safety & Health
Daisy Kathleen Curry, J.D., Brownfields Section, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4
Camilla Warren, Brownfields Revitalization Support staff, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4
Jim L. Jones, City Councilman, District 2, The City of Valley, Alabama
Frank Coiro, Director, Montgomery Job Corps Center
Larry Bryant, Chief, Environmental Services Branch, Land Division, Alabama Department of Environmental Management

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development 

The Applied Mentorship Program for Sustainability Urban Garden Resiliency Oasis (AMPS UGRO) is (Re)Imagining Success: Building Eco-Innovative Workforce Strategies for Youth as an initiative to train a new generation of activists who typically have reduced access to quality produce at affordable prices. AMPS UGRO operates by working with Green4All, Georgia Organics, Atlanta Community Foodbank, the Atlanta Local Food Initiative, Truly Living Well, Farmer D, and the West End Neighborhood Association to attract urban garden practitioners who can provide agricultural training and teaching to sustain an urban ecosystem, enhance local economic development, and improve the quality of life for all Atlantans.

Presenters:
Tony Anderson, Chief Development Officer, AMPS-Atlanta
Marcus Penny, Coordinating Director, AMPS-Atlanta
Imran Battla, Senior Program Manager, AMPS-Atlanta

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development 

The Good Jobs, Green Jobs movement is underappreciated as a positive method for addressing the ongoing legacy of environmental injustice in communities of color throughout the South. The remediation of contaminated sites in these communities has always been a green issue, yet it has rarely been a priority. This session will provide participants with an understanding of how green principles are being incorporated into the recovery of impacted communities in Atlanta, Savannah and Louisiana. Presenters will provide an overview of the local environmental justice issues,  successful green jobs projects as a path forward, and the revitalization and restoration of impacted coastal communities. 

Moderator:
Sharon Beard, Program Administrator, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Worker Education and Training Program

Presenters:
Dr. Beverly Wright, Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Dr. Ebony Turner, Program Coordinator, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
Dr. Mildred McClain, Executive Director, Citizens for Environmental Justice

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

The City of Atlanta aims to be a Top 10 Sustainable City! This session will outline projects and initiatives within the City of Atlanta that are helping to make this a reality. Presenters will focus on increased investments in alternative transportation that will enable residents to more efficiently utilize walking, biking and public transportation options such as the Atlanta Streetcar. The session will cover improvements in vehicle efficiency and advanced vehicle technologies, such as plug-in electric vehicles. It will also highlight state and federal collaboration to bundle employment, workforce development and asset-building programs in Neighborhood Planning Unit V.

Moderator:
Nathaniel Q. Smith Jr., Director Partnerships and Research for Equitable Development, Emory University

Presenters:
Jules Toraya, Program Manager, City of Atlanta, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability Vehicle Fleet Improvements and Alternative Transportation Investments
David Jackson, President and CEO, The Center for Working Families, The Green Nexus
Gary Harris, President and CEO, HTS Enterprises

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Clean Energy Manufacturing

Increasing demand for the equipment needed to generate cleaner energy offers a valuable manufacturing job creation opportunity. How do we capitalize on this opportunity to create good, middle class manufacturing jobs?  In 2011, the BlueGreen Alliance’s Apollo Project conducted research and convened three state-level task forces of labor, environmental, and business leaders to help answer this question. This panel will provide an overview of those policy recommendations, discuss implementation strategies, and engage in a dialogue about how to make the most of the opportunity to attract manufacturing jobs associated with the transition to cleaner energy.

Moderator:
Mac Lynch, Senior Manager of State & Local Affiliates, The BlueGreen Alliance

Presenters:
Jeffrey Rickert, Deputy Director, Working for America Institute
Joel S. Yudken, Principal, High Road Strategies
Sylvia Minton, Sr. Vice President, Mage Solar

Workshop Session I: Thursday, February 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

This session will feature panelists from the region highlighting the growth of green jobs in the wind energy sector.  The panel will highlight the overall market growth and the region’s potential, including data on the industry's growth and an update on policy from Washington, D.C. It will then focus on regional specific growth — showcasing regional case studies about wind project development and construction, wind turbine manufacturing and supply chain component supply, and economic development.

Presenters:
Linda Nielsen, Program Manager, BlueGreen Alliance Foundation
Dale Reckman, Director of Field Operations, Great Lakes Wind Network (GLWN)
Roxanne Johnson, Market Research Associate, BlueGreen Alliance Foundation

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Infrastructure and Cleaner, More Efficient Transportation

Government plays in an important role in making the U.S. a global powerhouse in automobile and truck manufacturing and jobs. Panelists will describe the success of key policies, including strong vehicle fuel efficiency and carbon pollution standards and manufacturing investments. Strong standards drive new innovations in fuel-saving technologies, while loan guarantees and research grants help ensure the innovations and new technology manufacturing happen in the U.S. Join the conversation about these foundational policies and learn about the thousands of U.S. workers building components today that make cars and trucks cleaner and more fuel efficient.

Presenters:
Luke Tonachel, Senior Analyst, Transportation Program, Natural Resources Defense Council 
Brad Markell, International Representative, United Auto Workers
Zoe Lipman, Senior Manager Transportation Solutions, National Wildlife Federation
Richard Cregar, Instructor, Sustainable Transportation Technologies, Wake Technical College

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration:  Responsible Investment to Rebuild the American South

The wind, solar and clean energy sectors are among the fastest growing segments of the economy. Large pension funds and institutional investors are searching for opportunities to invest in the clean economy. New responsible investment (RI) strategies and partnerships are emerging.

This workshop will examine new RI partnerships in financing and project development that could provide durable new models that hold out the promise for the clean energy jobs boom to happen in the U.S., and not just offshore. One model is an important solar farm planned for Southeast Ohio that would bring a new solar factory for the state.  

Participants include responsible investors and project developers.

Moderator:
Jennifer Von Bismarch, President, Towpath Renewables

Presenters:
Mark Austin, Managing Director, North Sky Capital
David Wilhelm, Chief Executive Officer, New Harvest Ventures

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration:  Responsible Investments to Rebuild the American South

According to a recent study by the American Rights at Work Educational Fund, public and labor pension plans have invested nearly $22 billion in five worker-friendly real estate funds, focused on economically-targeted investments in low-income, workforce and multi-family housing and commercial revitalization projects between 1995 and 2010, creating 161,083 job years. These responsible property investors were creating housing and commercial opportunities, rebuilding cities and putting tens of thousands of people to work.

 This workshop on (Re)Building Sustainable Cities by responsible property fund managers will provide educational presentations about how some of these real estate investors focused on good job creation and urban regeneration and are also integrating their efforts with green building practices, environmentally- sustainable strategies and transit-oriented development. Presenters will focus on both responsible real estate investment strategy development and exemplary projects from their portfolio.

Moderator:
Thomas Croft, Managing Director, Heartland Capital Strategies (HCS)

Presenters:
Ted Chandler, Chief Operating Officer, AFL-CIO HIT
Jim Lingberg, Secretary-Treasurer, COO, AFL-CIO BIT (invited)
Scott Woosley, Managing Director, Labor-Management Fund Advisory (LMFA)(Invited)

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships

Support for clean energy is a decidedly mixed-picture throughout the South, but important steps are being made towards broadening and strengthening the base of clean energy support. Alliance building, particularly those that convene non-traditional allies, is an important strategy to consider when advancing clean energy policies and practices in the region. This workshop will look at emerging and established coalitions working to advance clean energy policies and economies in the South. Drawing on the experiences of the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (KySEA), the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's outreach to communities of color, and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, we will examine coalition-building efforts aimed at advancing a clean energy economy.

Presenters:
Seandra Rawls, Diversity and Community Partnerships Coordinator, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Kristin Tracz, Research and Policy Associate, Mountain Association for Community Economic Development
Rick Held, the Knoxville Energy Alliance Partnership for Green Jobs (KEAP Green Jobs)
Stan Johnson, Executive Director, Socially Equal Energy Efficiency Development (SEEED)

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships

The BP drilling disaster killed 11 workers and spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf,
threatening the ecosystem and the coastal communities that rely upon a healthy Gulf for commercial and recreational fishing dependent jobs. While the long-term environmental impacts remain unknown, BP will ultimately be forced to spend billions of dollars on restoration efforts in the Gulf. One billion dollars has already been committed to early restoration efforts through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and $5 to $21 billion more could be directed through legislation known as the RESTORE Act, which would direct the Clean Water Act fines from BP's historic oil disaster to the effort. This could end up as one of the largest ecosystem restoration efforts ever undertaken by our nation. Join Gulf region leaders to discuss the "Restoration Economy" that BP's disaster is helping to jumpstart, and hear how prioritizing coastal restoration can have benefits in your region as well.

Moderator:
John B. Hammond III, Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation

Presenters:
Aaron Viles, Deputy Director, Gulf Restoration Network
Yumeka Rushing, Gulf Coast Policy Advisor, Oxfam America
Mitch Andrus, Vice President, Royal Engineering
Reverend Tyrone Edwards, Founder and Executive Director, Zion Travelers Cooperative Center

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

The South is experiencing an employment crisis unlike any in the last 70 years. And most southerners understand the “invisible hand of the marketplace” won’t make this crisis go away. What we need is a bold national jobs plan to develop key industries that will help restore widespread prosperity — including manufacturing and construction jobs — across the South and the rest of the country. This workshop will highlight Jobs21!, a comprehensive national jobs plan developed by the BlueGreen Alliance. Presenters will describe how such a plan can revitalize the South’s economy and protect the environment through a set of smart policies and investments in clean energy, green technology and modernizing the region’s aging infrastructure.

Presenters:
Mark Schauer, Jobs21! National Co-Chair and Former U.S. Congressman from Michigan’s Seventh District
Roxanne D. Brown, Assistant Legislative Director, United Steelworkers
Brian Lombardozzi, Senior Policy Analyst, BlueGreen Alliance
Deron Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
 (Invited)
Richard Hatch, Executive Vice President, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 2201; President, Central Virginal Labor Federation (Invited)

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

Multiple coalitions are working to protect workers and occupants by developing tools and best practices to address environmental challenges. This workshop seeks to highlight key green job training and workforce development resources and best practices that can be tailored across sectors and sites. This workshop will describe chemical safety best practices that the federal spray polyurethane foam (SPF) workgroup has developed working with governments, industry, academia, NGOs, and others to promote safer work practices for SPF energy efficiency projects to protect workers, bystanders and occupants, while building a more endurable green economy.

Moderator:
Danny Orlando, Regional Program Manager, ENERGY STAR, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4

Presenters:
Lynn Wilder, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science, Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Abe Kruger, Founder, Kruger Sustainability Group
Kurt Riesenberg, Executive Director, Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance
Heather Palfrey, Environmental Health & Safety Manager, Center for Polyurethanes Industry, American Chemistry Council (Invited)

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Emerging Green Sectors

Green jobs are not always safe jobs, and many hazards associated with green jobs are not unique. They range from the typical workplace hazards — including fall, lockout/tagout and confined space hazards — to new challenges as workers and managers confront new processes and new materials. Yet employers are required to protect workers from the workplace hazards and follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, whether "green or not." This panel will discuss typical green job hazards in different industries and discuss OSHA requirements that apply to these hazards. They will also discuss safety and health-training programs that can help workers and employers address these requirements.

Speakers:
Ted Outwater, Program Administrator, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Worker Education and Training Program
Kenny Oldfield, Director, Workplace Safety Training Program, Jefferson State Community College, Alabama
Benjamin Ross, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement, Region 4, Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Emerging Green Sectors

How are state and federal policies moving our country towards the production and use of safer chemicals? How are consumer-focused campaigns and new chemical information tools adding to this effort? And how can these policy and advocacy efforts combine to create jobs and improve the health of people and the environment. Come hear leaders of successful safer chemical campaigns answer these questions and bring a few questions and answers to add to the conversation. 

Presenters:
Nancy Buermeyer, Senior Policy Strategist, Breast Cancer Fund
Anna Fendley, HSE Specialist, United Steelworkers (USW) Health Safety and Environment Department
James Heintz, Associate Director and Associate Research Professor, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Sarah Doll, National Coordinator, Safer States

Workshop Session II: Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Youth, Education and Green Schools

Sixty percent of U.S. schools have major building features in disrepair and 33 percent of America’s schools have buildings in need of extensive repair or replacement. School building construction represents the largest construction sector in the U.S. — $80 billion in 2006-2008 — about 27 percent of the U.S. construction market. Green schools save on average $100,000 annually — enough to hire two new teachers, buy 250 new computers, or purchase 5000 new textbooks. Come learn about how greening and modernizing our nation's schools will mean a healthier and more productive learning atmosphere for students and teachers, decrease costs to communities, and create jobs for workers.

Presenters:
Gretchen Gigley, Director of Education, Clean Air Campaign
Mark Bishop, Vice President of Policy and Communications, Healthy Schools Campaign
Michael Williams, Senior Policy and Legislative Advocate, BlueGreen Alliance
Christina Giorgio, Environmental Justice Program, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Infrastructure and Cleaner, More Efficient Transportation

House Republicans are calling on Congress “to prioritize efforts to create efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and cut red tape” when it comes to transportation policy. “Now is the time to reform and streamline the federal program so that it delivers value to taxpayers,” declares a recent Dear Colleague letter. This is not a new phenomenon. In 2002, President Bush signed an executive order requiring his administration to expedite environmental reviews of “high-priority” projects. The Obama administration also touts the importance of speeding up infrastructure projects. This panel will explore ways to streamline the process without steamrolling protections.

Presenters:
Keith T. Parker, President and CEO, VIA Metropolitan Transit
Susan Binder, Transportation Policy Consultant, Cambridge and Associates (Invited)
Deron Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Nick Donahue, Policy Director, Transportation 4 America

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships

E3 brings together five federal agencies (the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy and Small Business Administration), states and local communities in a technical assistance framework to deliver responsive, coordinated solutions in a manufacturing environment. It is an initiative designed to help companies thrive in a business era focused on sustainability and, working together, to promote sustainable manufacturing and economic growth. Currently five of EPA Region 4’s eight states have active E3 initiatives. This panel will showcase Region 4’s federal, state, local and private sector partners that have joined together to provide an integrated and practical approach to provide services and technical assistance to manufacturers.

Presenters:
Anna Mangum, Improvement Specialist, North Carolina State University’s Industrial Extension Service
Christine L. Steagall, REM Unit Leader, Center for Environmental Sustainability, SC Department of Health & Environmental Control
Lynn Lane, Human Resources Manager, Electricfil Corporation (Invited)                         

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) - Georgia Chapter Diversity Committee will host Green Town Hall Meeting VI™, a panel discussion to bring enhanced awareness of the latest high-performance “green building projects” that are creating “green jobs” in this region.   Belinda A. Morrow, LEED AP, will moderate a panel discussion with the “best in class” green visionaries, and local government officials who are currently using the LEED Rating System for New Construction on ten library projects valued at $167 million dollars.  A Product Exhibition (entitled “A Call to LEED”) will showcase the newest green technologies/trends for building high-performance buildings.

Moderator:
Belinda Morrow, President, 2M Design Consultants, Inc.

Presenters:
John Szabo, Director, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
Leesa Carter, Executive Director, USGBC Georgia Chapter 
George Bandy, Jr., Vice President of Sustainability Strategy, InterfaceFlor
Deborah Scott, Executive Director, Georgia Standup
Leonard Morrow, Vice President and Founder, 2M Design Consultants, Inc.
Santiago Marquez, Vice President and CFO, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Jerome Martin, President, National Organization of Minority Architects, Atlanta Chapter

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

How can we ensure that women are key participants in the emerging green economy? Workforce development professionals and educators need specific tools to help women explore new opportunities and find success in green careers. This session will highlight recently released green resources from the Women's Bureau: the “Why Green is Your Color: A Woman's Guide to a Sustainable Career" poster series, role model vignettes and lessons learned from nine pilot training sites. Participants will also hear from local women who have built a sustainable career as entrepreneurs in a variety of green sectors and participated in the Women’s Bureau Green Jobs initiative.

Moderator:
Paulette Norvel Lewis, Regional Administrator, Women’s Bureau Region IV, U.S. Department of Labor, Atlanta, GA

Presenters:
Rosalind McGinnis, Senior Vice-President, 3D Management Enterprises, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of Synergistic Youth Enterprises, Inc. in Fairburn, Georgia
Lucy LaVoulle, Chief Executive Officer, ECO Training USA, LLC
Shelley Attix, Coordinator, Continuing Education Workforce Special Projects, Austin Community College, Austin, TX

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Clean Energy Manufacturing 

How can states play a role in ensuring a clean energy manufacturing base in America? While policies to scale-up clean energy technologies are stalled on the federal level, many states are still making investments in clean energy projects and installations. As states take these bold steps towards the clean energy economy, how can they ensure domestic manufacturing takes the leap with them? This workshop will explore the various state-based procurement initiatives under way to ensure that state-funds used to fund clean energy projects place a preference on U.S. made components to effectively grow and sustain a clean energy manufacturing base in America. 

Presenters:
Scott Paul, Executive Director, Alliance for American Manufacturing
Brian Lombardozzi, Senior Policy Analyst, BlueGreen Alliance
Representative Virgil Fludd, Georgia House of Representatives

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Emerging Green Sectors

Most of the waste in the U.S. still gets buried in landfills and burned in incinerators, producing a massive amount of pollution that predominantly impacts communities of color and working poor living next to these facilities. Burning waste is also the most expensive and climate polluting way to generate energy — creating both economic and environmental barriers to the construction of a deep green economy.

The panelists for this workshop will highlight their local, regional and national campaigns for environmental justice, good jobs and zero waste.

Moderator:
Ananda Lee Tan, North American Program Coordinator, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives

Presenters:
Dr. Robert Bullard, Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University
Deborah Jackson, Community Organizer, Citizens for a Healthy & Safe Environment, DeKalb County
Brenda Platt, Co-Director, Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR), Washington, DC
Matteo Colombi, Strategic Research and Campaigns Department, International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Business, Investment, and New Markets

Commercial buildings represent a tremendous untapped opportunity for energy savings. Yet these savings have been largely unrealized due to the unique nature of commercial building operations. Energy consumption is affected by the decisions and behavior of multiple parties, often with competing priorities, including building owners, facility managers, tenants and individual employees. This panel will discuss market-specific approaches to incentivizing investment in base buildings and tenanted spaces at lease turnover and the ongoing challenge of investment in tenant space mid-lease.

Presenters:
Stockton Williams, Principal, HR&A Advisors, Inc.
JocCole Burton, Founder, Woodline Solutions
Clark T. Wisenbaker, Associate, Davis, Pickren, Seydel & Sneed, LLP

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Business, Investment and New Markets

Our democracy is at stake. Global trade agreements, which are international treaties, limit democracy by giving corporations rights not available under national laws. Corporations want to extend the investor-state dispute resolution to future trade agreements in order to avoid environmental and labor regulations that affect their bottom line. The Sierra Club's Trade, Human Rights and Environment Team will present an interactive slide presentation to help people better understand free trade agreements and what is at stake. Joining them will be labor representatives and other experts for a discussion on how we put people and the environment ahead of profits.

Presenters:
Joan Holtz, Trade, Human Rights & Environment Team, Sierra Club
Tom Politeo, Founder and Co-chair, Harbor Vision Task Force, Sierra Club, Angeles Chapter
Todd Tucker, Research Director, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch
Suzanne York, Trade, Human Rights & Environment Team, Sierra Club
Jesse Swanhuyser, Trade and Climate Policy Expert, Solo-practice Attorney

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

As we move America to a cleaner, healthier energy economy, we must consider the impacts of this transition. How will people in specific industries fare? How will communities and regions adapt to this change? How can we limit adverse impact and make sure the transition is prosperous for as many people as possible, throughout regions and industries? These questions are already beginning to be dealt with in America, but our counterparts in Germany and other areas in Europe are further along in their transition. We invite you to hear from a panel featuring representatives of unions and environmental organizations — many of whom participated in a 10 day long "Green Jobs Tour" of Germany and Belgium — to learn about just this subject.

Presenters:
Richard Hatch, Executive Vice President, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 2201; President, Central Virginal Labor Federation (Invited)
Marc Norberg, Assistant to the General President, Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) (Invited)
Michael Williams, Senior Policy and Legislative Advocate, BlueGreen Alliance
Dr. Jurgen Kretschmann, Professor, President of the Technische Fachhochschule Georg Agricola zu Bochum, University of Applied Sciences
Rebecca Bertram, Project Manager, The Climate Network, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America

Workshop Session I: Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Concentration: Youth, Education and Green Schools – Building a Clean Energy Movement

Well-paying jobs that do not harm communities and the earth are the promise of the green economy. Green jobs provide an opportunity for young people entering or transitioning within the job market to connect with their values and beliefs.

Organizing on college campuses is an essential component of building the green economy. While providing training for green jobs is necessary, providing opportunities for young people to connect with communities as volunteers and develop leadership and job skills is equally as important. The workshop will examine how students often serve as ambassadors of the green economy to communities that may not otherwise have access to it.

Presenters:
Marcus Penny, Senior Project Advisor, AMPS Atlanta
Jainaba Fye, Student, Spelman College
Steven Cornish, Student, Morehouse College
Danielle Bailey, Student, Savannah State University
Saché Jones, Student, Spelman College

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Infrastructure and Cleaner, More Efficient Transportation

How does advancing electric transportation in Atlanta create green jobs? This session will showcase the leadership of City of Atlanta is exercising to enhance Atlanta’s electric vehicle (EV) readiness. Clean Cities Atlanta will outline how they are the elevating social awareness about the benefits of electric transportation throughout the Metropolitan Atlanta region. Then the Center for Transportation and the Environment will discuss the status of the Southeast Regional EV Readiness Planning Program. Finally, Mage Solar will discuss how EVs complement the solar industry and how together sustainable transportation initiatives hold great promise to create jobs.

Moderator:
Jules Toraya, Program Manager, Center for Transportation and the Environment, Clean Cities-Atlanta, City of Atlanta

Presenters:
Denise Quarles, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, City of Atlanta
Don Francis, Executive Director, Clean Cities-Atlanta
Dan Raudebaugh, Executive Director, Center for Transportation and the Environment
Sylvia Minton, Senior Vice President Corporate, Institutional & Government Affairs, Mage Solar

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships

This session will present three distinct, but related, case studies of electric utilities — two municipal utilities and one more rural electric cooperative — which have set long-term energy efficiency and clean energy goals to encourage new industries and jobs to locate in Central Texas. 

Presenters:
Kim Stoker, Director of Environmental & Sustainability Services, CPS Energy
Chris Eugster, Ph.D., EVP and Chief Sustainability Officer, CPS Energy
Chris Perry, Board Vice President, Energy Committee Chairman, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Michael Osborne, Special Assistant to General Manager, Austin Energy

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

This panel will feature several campuses discussing their green workforce training programs and especially highlight relationships with employers and success stories for the green economy — i.e. people getting trained and placed in green jobs.  They will also share ways that they are greening their campus and using sustainability initiatives to train students and drive demand for green sectors. The panel will showcase real examples of where the green economy is taking off, and how career training is changing as a result of new sustainable skills needed in sectors like building, construction, transportation, etc.

Moderator:
Lisa Madry, Campus Field Director, National Wildlife Federation

Presenters:
Keith Ratliff, Director, Workforce Development STEM-S Division, Central Piedmont Community College
Brian Lovell, Director of Green Technologies Academy / Building Automation Systems, Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Tyrie Smith, Director of New Program Development, Georgia Perimeter College
Rich Cregar, Faculty and Co-Director of Transportation Curriculum Improvement Project, Wake Technical Community College

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

SJF Institute has identified a number of clean economy companies in the Southeast that are creating not just green, but great jobs. These jobs include good wages, benefits, training, career ladders, and asset building opportunities for low- and middle-skilled individuals, along with excellent corporate cultures. In the session leaders from several green job-creating companies will share their inspiring stories and best practices in green workforce engagement with other entrepreneurs, policy makers, community leaders, investors, and other stakeholders. The moderator will be SJF’s Anne Claire Broughton, author of a recent report highlighting best practices in employee engagement titled Employees Matter.

Moderator:
Anne Claire Broughton, Senior Director; SJF Institute; Author, Employees Matter

Presenters:
Paul Sansone, Chief Financial Officer, Better World Books
Maria Kingery, Co-Founder and President, Southern Energy Management
Michael Shore, Chief Executive Officer, FLS Energy

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

The Atlanta BeltLine is a comprehensive economic development and mobility effort building a network of public parks, multi-use trails, transit, and affordable housing that connects neighborhoods along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown. It is expected to generate $20 billion in new economic development and tens of thousands of new jobs.

Panelists will discuss how the Atlanta BeltLine is creating sustainable communities by incorporating green technologies — including solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and organic land care; implementing Community Benefits Agreements; and creating innovative public-private partnerships that prepare residents— particularly those from disadvantaged communities — for job opportunities around the BeltLine.

Moderator:
Elke Davidson, Principal, Davidson Consulting

Presenters:
Kevin Burke, Senior Landscape Architect, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
James Alexander, Manager of Housing and Economic Development, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
Deborah Lum, Executive Director, Atlanta Workforce Development Agency
Rob Brawner, Program Director, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Emerging Green Sectors

The Southeast is not known for its advancement of renewable energy and energy efficiency; however, a supply-chain is being developed and many jobs exist in the region related to solar technology, wind energy, biomass, biofuels and energy efficiency. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Solar San Antonio will serve on a joint panel to discuss the emerging green jobs in the Southeast and how to facilitate the growing clean energy sector in the Southeast.

Presenters:
Lanny Sinkin, Executive Director, Solar San Antonio
Simon Mahan, Renewable Energy Manager, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Glenn Mauney, Carolinas Energy Policy Manager, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
John Bonitz, Farm Outreach and Policy Advocate, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Emerging Green Sectors

Over the past decade, the South has been hit hard by a series of devastating natural weather disasters like Hurricane Katrina and by additional man-made disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. What lessons are we learning about safety and health, and about how to best safeguard our workplaces, communities and environment? This panel will feature national experts who can describe challenges and opportunities for cleanup workers and first responders, for environmentalists, for health care providers — and also for businesses. Presenters will discuss coordination strategies for better responding and prevention strategies to avert those future catastrophes that don't have to happen.

Presenters:
Sharon Beard, Program Administrator, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Worker Education and Training Program
Charlotte Brody, Director of Chemicals, Public Health and Green Chemistry, The BlueGreen Alliance
Anna Fendley, HSE Specialist, United Steelworkers (USW) Health Safety and Environment Department
Mark Caitlin, Industrial Hygienist, Service Employees International Union

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Business, Investment, and New Markets

The charged reference to “job-killing regulations” has become an ever-present attack on the EPA. What is not mentioned are not only the significant public health benefits, but also a reasoned discussion of how EPA rules can and do lead to innovation, job creation and clean economic growth.  In this session we’ll discuss those issues and the cascading effects on trade and global competitiveness; if other countries are investing significant resources into clean technology and clean energy, how will the American economy fare if our policies incentivize older, dirtier practices?  

Presenters:
Robert Brenner, Senior Fellow, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University
David C. Foerter, Executive Director, Institute of Clean Air Companies     
Frank Knapp, President and CEO, The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce

Workshop Session II: Friday, February 24, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Concentration: Youth, Education and Green Schools – Building a Clean Energy Movement

Through its work as both a joint labor/management educational program for eligible members of the United Steelworkers and a Department of Labor grantee, the Institute for Career Development (ICD) will share its unique perspective on how it has contributed to building a clean energy movement one Steelworker and one citizen at a time. ICD staff members will share examples of coursework offered through local Career Development programs that has affected how Steelworkers think about and use energy. Many of ICD's local programs have had success in offering introductory level type classes on solar energy and home efficiency. The workshop will also focus on the high-level heating and air program that has established itself as an industry leader.

Presenters:
Sean Hayden, Senior Program Specialist and Communications Director, Institute for Career Development
Lisa Durichko, Project Coordinator-Green Energy, Institute for Career Development Cleveland
Cadi Saunders, Program Manager/Business Development, Everblue Training Institute - A Veteran Founded Institution

Workshop Session III: Friday, February 24, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships

In Texas, unions and environmentalists are the outnumbered and underfunded holdouts fighting back against relentless assaults on public workers and environmental protections.  For decades we’ve fought each other, as those actually responsible for our hardship watched in the background. Not anymore. Representing 61,000 members, the Sierra Club and CWA in Texas partnered with the BlueGreen Apollo Alliance to conduct a two-day workshop aimed at identifying what our memberships have in common and exploring how we can build bridges between our groups. Listen in as we discuss our plans, our mistakes, and our lessons learned.

Presenters:
Ken Peres, PhD, Researcher & Economist, Communications Workers of America
Dave Cortez, Coordinator, Texas BlueGreen Apollo Alliance
Stephanie Collier, Organizer, Communications Workers of America District 6
Flavia de la Fuente, Organizer, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign
Claudia Yanez, Steward, Communication Workers of America District 6
Hal Suter, Chair, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter

Workshop Session III: Friday, February 24, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

The U.S. EPA Green Jobs Initiative for the Alabama Black Belt was created to enhance green economy activities and green jobs for environmental justice communities. The Initiative includes automotive and agriculture industry sustainability enhancements. The Green Automotive Readiness Program was developed to provide a head-start on industry sustainability principles and methods and is being implemented through the Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing Network. For the agriculture component, local residents have been trained on construction of high tunnel hoop houses, seed cultivation, and other sustainable farm methods and techniques through the Green BEAN (Beginning, Experienced & Agricultural Niche Producers) Curriculum.

Moderator:
Denise Tennessee, Director, Office of Environmental Justice, US Environmental Protection Agency Region 4

Presenters:
Latoya Miller, Innovation Coordinator, US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Green Automotive Readiness Program Development
Suganthi Simon, Pollution Prevention Coordinator, US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Alabama E3: Energy, Economy, and Environment
Andrew Williams, Small Farm Outreach Contractor, The United Christian Community Association, Sustainable Agriculture: The Green BEAN Curriculum

Workshop Session III: Friday, February 24, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Workforce and Economic Development

This workshop explores how two Southeastern communities are working with their local governments to provide green job training and employment opportunities to residents of low-income neighborhoods. Through good public policy and smart recruitment and community outreach strategies, members of economically depressed communities can be recruited and trained for green careers, building a sustainable local workforce that can help ensure that local tax dollars provide the greatest possible benefit to local communities.

Presenters:
Dan Leroy, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Green Opportunities
Jeff Staudinger, Community Development Director, City of Asheville
Thomas F. O'Connell, Chairman, Nashville Metropolitan Transit Agency
David Rutledge, Program Director, Southeast Laborers’ District Council

Workshop Session III: Friday, February 24, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Concentration: Business, Investment, and New Markets

This panel will show how the collaboration between green startups and existing green companies can help to develop new businesses and create green jobs. Based on the experience of the Green Chamber of the South’s “Greenhouse Accelerator” in assisting green entrepreneurs, the panelists will talk about their experience with this program from both the side of the mentor as well as that of the mentored. The participants will learn from new as well as experienced entrepreneurs, seasoned executives and economic development professionals how the cooperation of various actors in the business community enhances the chance of the success of green startups.

Presenters,
Paula Collins, Principal, Peak Focus LLC
Bernie Burgener, Director Greenhouse Accelerator, Green Chamber of the South
Gus Cueto, Chief Executive Officer, EnCo Technologies
Nic Muilliez, Chairman, EPI Breads
Charles Whatley, Director, Office of Economic Development of the DeKalb County Government

Workshop Session III: Friday, February 24, 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Workshop Concentration: Business, Investment, and New Markets

New and powerful voices are emerging within America’s business community willing to advocate for sustainable and progressive policies. These ‘triple bottom line’ companies and business associations are educating policymakers and the media how sustainability is good for business, the economy and society at large. From clean energy to affordable health care to domestic manufacturing to campaign finance and tax reform, business leaders are supporting sustainable economic policies. This session features business leaders actively engaged in the policy process at the federal, state and municipal level.  Join us for a lively discussion about how businesses can support laws and regulations that create new market opportunities and jobs while accounting for social and environmental impacts.

Presenters:
John Shegerian, President, Electronic Recyclers International
Frank Knapp, President, South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
Richard Eidlin, Policy Director, American Sustainable Business Council
Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta Falcons Fullback