Summit on Sustainability

The Summit on Sustainability will take place on Thursday, October 26th. This is MORPC’s signature environmental conference, bringing hundreds of community leaders together to explore and share sustainable ideas and solutions, and to celebrate individuals and collaborative sustainability efforts with the Regional Sustainability Awards. The Summit will feature two plenary sessions and breakout sessions that will focus on MORPC’s sustainability programs.

Morning Plenary Keynote: Todd Brady

Todd Brady is the Chief Sustainability Officer for Intel Corporation, and Vice President of Global Public Affairs. As Chief Sustainability Officer, he leads Intel’s global sustainability initiatives including climate, energy, water, green buildings and circular economy. Currently, Todd’s organization is focused on achieving Intel’s ambitious 2030 sustainability goals and commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in Intel’s global operations by 2040.

Todd’s Public Affairs teams oversee local government affairs, local media, community relations, corporate volunteerism, and sustainability at the company’s major manufacturing and office locations around the globe. These locations include Arizona, California, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon in the United States, as well as China, Costa Rica, Germany, India, Israel, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, and Vietnam.

During his 25+ year career at Intel, Todd has represented the company in numerous public forums and led industry-wide initiatives in national and international committees. He has authored several papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings on a variety of sustainability topics. He was named by Scientific American as one of ten outstanding leaders involved in research, business or policy pursuits that have advanced science and technology and one of the world’s top 20 sustainability leaders by Sustainability Magazine.

Lunch Plenary Keynote: Mitchell Silver

Presentation Slides

Mitchell Silver serves as the Principal, Vice President of Urban Planning at McAdams, and he is responsible for providing advisory services in urban planning, land use, parks, and public space planning with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mitchell also serves as an ambassador and leader for the company in regional and national organizations and events. Mitchell is an award-winning planner with over 38 years of experience. He is a prolific public speaker and internationally recognized for his leadership in the urban planning profession, placemaking, parks and public space planning, and contributions to contemporary planning issues.

Before joining McAdams, Mitchell was the commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Chief Planning Officer in Raleigh, NC. He served as president of the American Planning Association and president of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mitchell is one of the nation’s most celebrated urban thinkers. He was among those selected to Planetizen’s 100 Most Influential Urbanists. In addition, he has been honored as one of the top 100 City Innovators in the world by UBM Future Cities, and the Urban Times named him one of the top international thought leaders of the built environment. 

Leadership in Sustainability Award

The 2023 recipient of the Leadership in Sustainability Award, Aryeh Alex, Department of Public Service and Division of Refuse Collection, has played a crucial role in executing key sections of the City’s Climate Action Plan, with a focus on recycling organics and advancing the principles of a circular economy.

Under Alex’s leadership, the Keep Columbus Beautiful program has flourished, engaging volunteers in activities such as litter cleanups, community beautification projects, and comprehensive sustainability education. His efforts have yielded impressive results: during the first quarter of this year, the program completed 201 Community Cleanups, removing an outstanding 83,884 pounds of litter. This achievement represents a 210 percent increase compared to last year. He has also launched two Waste-and-Reuse Convenience Centers, providing residents with a convenient way to dispose of trash, bulk items, recyclables, food and yard waste materials, and other hard-to-dispose-of waste. These centers will contribute to our community’s more sustainable waste management system. Additionally, he was instrumental in opening three additional food waste drop-off locations at Recreation and Parks Community Centers, further promoting responsible waste management practices.

Alex also organized the city’s first-ever pumpkin composting drop-off, successfully composting 6.3 tons of pumpkins, and he played a significant role in launching a multi-family recycling pilot program in partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and the Recycling Partnership. This program targeted approximately 10,000 residents in apartment complexes with dumpster service, aiming to foster sustainable habits and increase recycling practices within the community.

Alex’s exceptional leadership and dedication to sustainability extend beyond waste management. His involvement in facilitating recycling drop-off sites and furniture donations through the Furniture Bank during the annual Ohio State University off-campus, move-out/move-in event exemplifies his commitment to community engagement.

Previous Recipients:

  • 2014: Erin Miller, City of Columbus
  • 2015: Mount Carmel Healthy Systems
  • 2016: Green Columbus, City of Columbus, Green Funds of The Columbus Foundation and Keep Columbus Beautiful
  • 2017: Susan Ashbrook, City of Columbus
  • 2018: Ben Kessler, Mayor of the City of Bexley
  • 2019: Kurt Keljo, Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District
  • 2020: Dr. Gilbert Michaud, Assistant Professor of Practice at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University
  • 2021: Jim Schimmer, Franklin County Economic Development and Planning
  • 2022: Ty Marsh, SWACO

The Collaborative Achievement in Sustainability Award

This award recognizes a group of entities or individuals who have shown effectiveness in producing environmental accomplishments through a collaborative effort.

An innovative partnership with the City of Columbus and Impact Community Action is the 2023 Collaborative Achievement Award honoree.

               

The Empowered! Program – a new clean-energy jobs program – offers training and on-the-job experience while recruiting participants aged 18-24 from communities historically marginalized and underserved in Opportunity Neighborhoods. The cutting-edge program establishes a local talent pipeline to address the labor shortage that the solar industry is currently experiencing and will ultimately reduce carbon emissions in our region.

Empowered! participants receive training, mentorship, and apprenticeship opportunities and work with installers through the Columbus Area Solar Co-op. The Solar Energy Training Lab ensures continued training and education, with all the necessary experience and certifications, to attain a job in the fast-growing solar industry.

Previous Recipients:

  • 2014: Genoa, Liberty, and Orange Township Board of Trustees
  • 2015: Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW)
  • 2016: Dale Arnold, Ohio Farm Bureau
  • 2017: The Ohio State University Student Sustainability Council
  • 2018: The Quarry Project, Franklin County Metro Parks
  • 2019: C-Pass (SID, COTA, and MORPC)
  • 2020: Regional Sustainability Dashboard
  • 2021: RAPID 5
  • 2022: Buckeye Lake For Tomorrow & The Buckeye Lake Region Corporation

The Leadership in Mobility Award

In memory of William A. “Bill” Lewis, Jr., former Chief Mobility Engineer of the City of Columbus. This award recognizes an individual, either professional or student, exemplifying outstanding work towards creating a world-class multi-modal transportation system for Central Ohio.

The 2023 Leadership in Mobility Award recipient Miguel “Geno” Tucker is making strides to keep kids off the streets and on the right path, preferably on a bike. Established in 2020, Tucker’s non-profit organization, Remember US Urban Legends, provides programs and activities that equip teens with the skills and social capital needed to be successful in school, work, and in their personal life. Through mentorship, job training, and educational pathways, Tucker is finding success in keeping youth in the Linden community engaged.

Providing bikes and helmets to area kids while teaching them to cycle safely in their neighborhoods and beyond is just one way Tucker is making an impact in the Linden community. Through monthly rides, planned around community events such as Celebrate Trails Day and Juneteenth, he empowers our youth to feel more confident cycling in their city, helping to develop kids’ independence so that they can take advantage of all that the region has to offer.

Previous Recipients:

  • 2015: In memory of Bill Lewis, former Chief Mobility Engineer, City of Columbus
  • 2016: JM Rayburn, City of Dublin
  • 2017: Julie Walcoff, ODOT
  • 2018: Letty Schamp, City of Hilliard
  • 2019: Catherine Girves, YAY Bikes
  • 2020: Ted Beidler, Franklin County Engineer’s Office
  • 2021: Brad Westall, City of Columbus
  • 2022: Bertie Fields, Black Girls Do Bike

MORPC unveiled its newest survey in the “Leaders Listen” series, in partnership with Measurement Resources Company and The Columbus Dispatch, to gauge Central Ohio residents’ opinions on experiences and services related to sustainability and the environment. Survey participants included more than 2,000 residents across the 15-county region. For the first time, the survey was available in Spanish and Somali. Visit our Leaders Listen page to view the results and learn more. 

MORPC’s Summit on Sustainability would not be possible without the generous support of organizations and businesses across Central Ohio. With almost 600 attendees, the Summit on Sustainability is an opportunity for organizations and business across Central Ohio to showcase their support around sustainability initiatives.

View the sponsorship levels in the Sponsor Brochure.

Please contact Amanda McEldowney at amceldowney@morpc.org for questions and to secure your sponsorship today. 

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