Summit on Sustainability

The Summit on Sustainability will take place on Tuesday, October 29th. 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.

Lunch Plenary Keynote

Jeff Speck is a city planner and author who advocates intentionally for more walkable cities. As Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 through 2007, he presided over the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and created the Governors’ Institute on Community Design. Prior to his federal appointment, Mr. Speck spent ten years as Director of Town Planning at DPZ & Co., the principal firm behind the New Urbanism movement. Since 2007, he has led Speck & Associates – now Speck Dempsey – an award-winning urban planning firm serving public and private clients around the world. 

With Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Mr. Speck is the co-author of Suburban Nation, which the Wall Street Journal calls ‘the urbanist’s bible.” His 2012 book Walkable City was the best-selling city planning title of the past decade and has been translated into eight languages. He is also the principal author of The Smart Growth Manual and Walkable City Rules. 

Jeff Speck has been named a fellow of both the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Congress for New Urbanism. In a recent Planetizen poll, he was voted one of the ten “most influential urbanists of all time.” Mr. Speck was the 2022 recipient of the Seaside Prize, whose former awardees include Jane Jacobs ad Christopher Alexander. His TED talks and YouTube videos have been viewed more than six million times. 

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. – Registration & Networking (light breakfast)
 
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – Morning Plenary Session
  • Regional Sustainability Awards
10:00 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
  • WateReuse: Meeting Ohio’s Demand for Water in the 21st Century and Beyond
  • Circularity: Moving from Theory to Practice
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch Plenary Session
  • Keynote
  • Pecha Kucha Presentations
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
  • Trailblazing 500 Miles
  • Back On Track – Passenger Rail Restoration and Ohio’s Sustainable Future
  • Sustainable Development Patterns: Density for All Communities
  • Leave Your Footprint on Central Ohio Trails
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Breakout Sessions
  • Planning for Regional Climate Action
  • The Pillars of Social Equity: Combating Disparities to Build a more Sustainable Future
  • Leaders Listen: Data-Driven Insights for a More Sustainable Future
  • Clean Air for All: Multigenerational Approaches to Protecting Air Quality
*additional details will be announced soon

Leadership in Sustainability Award

This award recognizes and individual or entity exemplifying outstanding leadership and innovation in seeking comprehensive sustainability solutions to address key challenges facing the region. 

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
  • 2023: Aryeh Alex, Sustainable Columbus

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.

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
  • 2023:City of Columbus and Impact Community Action

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.

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
  • 2023: Miguel “Geno” Tucker, Remember US Urban Legends

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. 

PRESENTING SPONSOR

CONNECTING SPONSORS

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

BREAKOUT SESSION SPONSORS

EXHIBITORS

Burgess & Niple | City of Bexley | City of Dublin | Columbus Public Utilities | COTA | Energi | Measurement Resource Co | MORPC | NOPEC | OAQDA | OEPA | Ohio University | Sustainable Columbus | SWACO | The Ohio State University | US EPA | Wendel Companies

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