Summit on Sustainability

Morning Plenary Speakers

Join us for an inspiring Morning Plenary Session featuring esteemed national leaders as they discuss critical topics shaping our future.

We’ll explore growth, economic development, transportation mobility, and housing – key areas that impact our communities and drive progress. 

LisaBeth Barajas, Executive Director of Community Development, Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities

Chuck Wemple, Executive Director, Houston-Galveston Area Council

Geraldine Gardner, Executive Director, Centralina Regional Council

Lunch Plenary Keynote

Jeff Speck is a city planner and author advocating for walkable cities. From 2003 to 2007, he was the Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts, where he established the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and the Governors’ Institute on Community Design. Before that, he spent ten years as Director of Town Planning at DPZ & Co., a leader in the New Urbanism movement. Since 2007, he has led Speck & Associates—now Speck Dempsey—an award-winning urban planning firm.

He co-authored Suburban Nation, called “the urbanist’s bible” by the Wall Street Journal, and wrote the bestselling Walkable City, which has been translated into eight languages. He is also the principal author of The Smart Growth Manual and Walkable City Rules.

Recognized as a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Congress for New Urbanism, Speck was voted one of the ten “most influential urbanists of all time” in a recent Planetizen poll and received the 2022 Seaside Prize. His TED talks and YouTube videos have garnered over six million views.

• Panel Discussion
  • Lisabeth Barajas
  • Chuck Wemple
  • Geraldine Gardner
• Regional Sustainability Awards 

• WateReuse: Meeting Ohio’s Demand for Water in the 21st Century and Beyond
• Circularity: Moving from Theory to Practice
• Concept to Action: Experienced Experts on Planning, Funding, and Executing Sustainable Projects in Ohio 
• Unlocking Financial Tools for Clean Energy Solutions: Maximizing Resources for Local Governments
• More COTA, More Sidewalks, More Opportunity: A LinkUS Town Hall

• Keynote Speaker
  • Jeff Speck
• Pecha Kucha Presentations
  • Carlie Boos
  • Bernita Reese
  • Elizabeth Ellman
  • Natalie Kruse Daniels

• 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

• 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
• Guardians Hit a Home Run in Sustainability: A Major League Win for Circular Economy in Ohio 

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, Keep Columbus Beautiful
• 2024: Kristy Hawthorne, Licking County Soil & Water Conservation District

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
• 2024: Trail Town Working Group

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
• 2024: Michael Andrako, Franklin County Engineer’s Office

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 for 2025 today.