The next meeting of the Sustainable Leadership Forum (SLF) will be September 18th, from 10-2 pm, a tour of an energy efficient house in Madison, NJ and a potluck lunch. The house is designed and being built by SLF member, Chris Kellogg, and Helen Kaar.

Attendance is limited to the first 30 people to register, so please RSVP right away to rsvp@slforum.org.

We all want to live in harmony with Earth, but can we afford to? Can we afford not to? Is new technology the answer? Experience one evolving chapter in the struggle to address these questions. Visit Chris Kellogg and Helen Kaar at Half Moon House, a new, energy efficient home in progress. Bonus: Sandy Kolakowski will speak on rain gardens, a way to use our gardens to recharge the aquafir and minimize storm water run-off.

Our speakers:

Chris Kellogg: With an BA in architecture from the Boston Architectural Center, MFAs from Harvard and the University of Texas, and 30 years of experience, Chris Kellogg started Steele Kellogg AIA in 2006 in response to environmental concerns. As a student, he had taken a keen interest in sustainable design and maintained that interest through the years even as he saw the market for it dwindle. In the intervening years, his practice has included corporate, institutional and residential design. Today, he welcomes the opportunity to play a part in solving the profound environmental questions confronting us, and with gratitude, centers his work on a reverence for life and the Natural World.

Helen Kaar: An ardent environmentalist, artist/writer Helen Kaar works in many media from the computer and acrylic painting to hand quilting. For over four years she has been holdiing monthly, evening services at The Unitarian Church in Summit called Green Vespers, and has preached in other venues. Dedicated to seekiing right relationship with Earth, these services center on the seventh principle of Unitarian Universalism, respect for the Interdependent Web of all existence of which we are a part.

Sandy Kolakowski is the former director of facilities for the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council).

Potluck:
Please let us know if you are staying for the potluck when you RSVP; feel free to let us know what you are bringing, or just surprise us. Please keep in mind that there is no oven in the house right now. Drinks will be provided.

Event is limited to the first 30 people to RSVP.

RSVP to rsvp@slforum.org. Please let us know if you can bring along a folding chair (or more, if you have them). Let us know if you are staying for the potluck.

Directions to the Half Moon House in Madison, NJ will be sent to those registering for the event.

This is, of course, the purpose of the Sustainable Leadership Forum. It is to bring people together to share ideas, insights, questions, and intuitions in order to create a possible future for intelligent life on this planet.

By “intelligent life” I mean, however, something different than — something more than — what we usually mean, which is really human beings or “sentient life”: I mean beings who are not only conscious but are “conscious of themselves as an integral part of the web of life,” and present to the universe’s consciousness of itself.

This is something of a tall order, but it is possible. It might be, in some sense, a new awakening, like the Renaissance or the Reformation. Arguably, if humanity as a species is to survive, we will need this kind of revolution in thinking — a revolution that embraces all cultures, all present scientific knowledge, all modern economics, and all of our institutions — and that recognizes who and where we are in the universe as a whole.

There is an emerging story about this (and we spoke about stories and their power to inspire us at the lunch) — sometimes called “the new cosmology” (one of whose principal practitioners, Miriam MacGillis, is nearby at Genesis Farm), or “evolutionary consciousness,” or “new thought,” or “transformation.” Buckminster Fuller told us about it in terms of “Spaceship Earth.” In the Pachamama Symposium, it’s a story of “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream.” This is indeed a very powerful idea, not merely a metaphor but a call to awareness and to action.

Someone suggested an SLF session on the topic of stories, which is very much in keeping with our intention to move from “presentations” to a “challenge and strategy session” format for our monthly meetings this fall. The aim of these sessions is to engage some of our best minds in working on the large problems — the “big picture,” as someone put it — that we face in our era, and discuss what we, as individuals and as a team, can do about them. This is not simply an academic or abstract discussion. We have some very practical, very urgent, and very immediate projects, both here and in Haiti, that need our attention; but it’s equally important to keep expanding the frontiers of thought in order to arrive at more powerful and more integrative solutions to our planetary problems.

It is also in keeping with our ideas for the one-day Transformational Leadership for Sustainability course, which we intend to re-create later this year. Even without a scheduled date, we currently have a number of registrations for this, and we would welcome your participation in it. (Just email me if you are interested in co-creating and/or participating in the course.)

A number of other ideas and pieces of information were shared at the lunch. Rich Goldberg, one of the organizers of the Garden State Green Fest (October 1-3, Garden State Exhibit Center, Somerset, NJ) spoke not only of the event but also his take-away from the Landmark Forum: that life is short, so you should follow your passion. Simple to say, but as Edison showed us, not always easy to do. It may require us to embrace failure, persistence, vision, hard thinking, and inspiring others. Joanne Gere is President of the Central Jersey chapter of Women in Science, which has an event coming up at Rutgers on September 23 on writing successful NSF grants. Someone mentioned the new Garden State Urban Farms (formerly Brick City Urban Farms) hydroponic greenhouse in Orange, and suggested that more “field trips” — and perhaps more shared meals, though from here on out we hope they’ll be potlucks — would be welcome events also. Someone also mentioned Louise Guido and the Foundation for Social Change in NYC, which we’re also happy to give a plug to. In reality, we’re one of the more than 2 million grassroots nonprofit organizations worldwide that Paul Hawken refers to in Blessed Unrest as “the largest movement in the world.”

Edison Lab — photo by Wanda Knapik

Thinking about this, it occurs to us that humanity’s greatest chance for success and survival is if more and more people are fully self-actualized. We face a situation on the planet today that is entirely of our own making. Like an animal population that has exceeded its habitat, we are headed toward ecological collapse, and seemingly bent on taking many other species with us (we are right now in the midst of one of the largest mass extinction events the world has ever known). What we’ve been doing, our current “business as usual,” is what has gotten us here; but it cannot continue. We need to replace it, and we need to replace it with something that’s not just another ideology (bigger government or smaller government, capitalism vs. environmentalism, etc.) or just another incrementalist policy (cap and trade, infrastructure reconstruction), but is indeed transformational. We need to reform the foundation of our economy, our relationship to the environment, and our relationship to each other. Anything’s possible, and we can make a difference.

This is what the SLF is all about. Thank you for your participation, and I hope you’ll continue to join us for these world-changing conversations. On September 18 from 10-1 we’re invited to Chris Kellog’s and Helen Kaar’s new solar house for a tour and potluck (RSVP to rsvp@slforum.org and we’ll send directions; limited to first 30 people; we also need folding chairs).

P.S. If you’re not already a member, you can download our sign-up form and either fax it back to us, hand it to us at a meeting, or mail it to us with a check. We’re working on a way to join online, but until it’s in place this is the most secure way to contribute to the organization. Please bear in mind that we are a new nonprofit “collaboratory,” not yet a 501c3 (but applying for it), and that these funds go to creating a fund for projects and for building the organization. We have a unique membership structure, where you can choose whether to commit financially, or through volunteer hours, or through some combination of both. You can help us make this a shared vehicle for education and for action. Thank you.

Perhaps you’ve attended one of our Sustainable Leadership Forum (SLF) meetings, or signed up online, in been in touch with one of the founders. I hope you found it interesting and valuable.

We also recently sent you a notice of our next summer event, the “Trip of Inspiration” to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange on August 28, with Bob Levy, inventor. Our next event will be September 18th from 10 am to 1 pm in Madison at the energy efficient home of Chris Kellogg, architect, and Helen Kaar. They and their collaborators will be giving us a tour and presentations about building their sustainable home.

But since we realize not everyone can or will attend every event, and we want to keep in touch with you, we’d like to invite you to become a member of our organization.

Benefits of Membership

Joining the SLF allows you to become engaged with our cutting-edge projects and extensive networks. Over time, we believe the SLF will become a much larger narrative, and a significant organization in fostering sustainable development in New Jersey, and we’d like you to be in at the beginning and to be a part of that.

In addition, we have monthly meetings, special events, a one-day Transformational Leadership for Sustainability course, an extensive web site, and a special Program Investment Fund. All of these are open to members, and represent a unique accumulation of intellectual and financial resources in the service of creating a more sustainable future.

Membership Structure

Membership in the SLF is structured in a very special way. You can pay $195 for the year; or, you can substitute work for money, and pay $95 or as little as $25, while contributing volunteer hours — hours that are always learning hours as well.

This ensures that everyone who is interested can join. Of course, not everyone will be interested, and that’s fine. But we do want to focus on those who are, and begin to create a new kind of organization. It’s an organization that gets things done, deliberates with its members as peer leaders, and offers its members broader opportunities – with companies, communities, and international organizations.

Your Leadership Contribution

All members have access to special programs, events, web content, and collaborative opportunities not available to others. But this isn’t why we want you to join. We think that you also have as much to contribute to us as we to you. We’ll know who are colleagues and collaborators are as they join the organization, and step up to leadership roles.

For those who want to take a more active role in the organization we also offer some other opportunities. The Center for Leadership in Sustainability, a NJ nonprofit applying for 501c3 status, is inviting special individuals to become members of the Founders Circle and of the Leadership Council, in the organization as a whole and/or in one or more of its special projects,  the SLF, the Sustainable Business Incubator and the Sustainable Haiti Coalition. These involve larger financial contributions. You can also become a Director of the Program Invesmtent Fund by lending the Fund $1,000 or more; this is a way to put your money to work in creating a sustainable future while retaining ownership of it.

To learn more about these initiatives, please visit http://SLForum.org.

Most importantly, print out the membership application; and fax it back to us at 908-842-0422. (If you are already a member, let us know if you’d like to attend the 1-day Transformational Leadership for Sustainability program, as we’re planning one for the fall.) And let know what kind of role you’d ideally like to play, what you would want to get out of your membership, and how what you are already doing is a demonstration of sustainable leadership in your business or community. Thanks.

A special event of the Sustainable Leadership Forum
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
211 Main Street
West Orange, NJ  07052
August 28, 2010 ~ 10 a.m.

As we scan our environment striving for a place to plug in and make a difference in achieving a sustainable world, one of the fuels needed to drive this is inspiration.

What better way to get an “Infusion of Inspiration” than to tread the giant footsteps of the Man of the Century, with a trip and guided tour of the Thomas Edison’s Museum in West Orange – a real treasure in our backyard.

This trip will let you into the incredible visionary mind of Thomas Edison, the global impact of some of his inventions, and how he networked with others (his connections included Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone). Tour his lab, be awed by displays of his incredible inventions, tour the factory where he made everything he needed from machines, to tools and finally, see the finished inventions.

When Mr. Edison’s electric vote recorder invention became a commercial failure he resolved that in the future he would only invent things that he was certain would benefit the public.

Go visit as a wanderer, come out a dreamer.  Be inspired, capture your “Ah Ha” moments, then transition your ideas into products and services for a “Sustainable World.” Use the “Edison Effect” to shift your thinking as we move into a new environment where many things do not currently exist, and ask yourself:

• What can I make or create that would be sustainable? What can I do to make something sustainable?
• What are some of the products and services that would drive a sustainable world?
• How can I be a steward of a sustainable world?

If we can find answers to these questions, we will find solutions to achieving a sustainable world.

Logistics:

We need to know who is coming in order to reserve one or more tours, so please RSVP and let us know if you would like to come for the tour only, both the tour and the lunch, or just for the lunch. If you would like to carpool, please let us know in your RSVP where you are coming from, whether you are willing to drive others and how many seats you have available. We will attempt to arrange carpools to conserve resources.

Bring your camera, and a little note pad. Meet at the Museum at 10 a.m.. There is a $7 per person entrance fee.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

211 Main Street

West Orange, NJ  07052

[ Google Map ]

If you are coming from NYC by public transit, there is a <http://www.decamp.com>DeCamp Bus from New York to West Orange. (the Route 66 to Mississippi and Harrison Ave loop). Since it is at least a mile walk from the bus stop, please let us know if you need a ride from the bus station and make sure we are in communication about it.

After the tour, Bob Levy is inviting everyone to his house in Cedar Grove for lunch and a discussion around the implications for sustainability, networking, etc. This location will be sent to you when you RSVP.

Our leader for the Trip of Inspiration for a Sustainable World is Bob Levy, Sr.

Bob Levy is a Computer-Aided Designer/Draftsman (CAD) with over thirty (30) years experience in the manufacturing industry including biomedical, marine, aerospace, fabricated wire products, projection screens, high-end display furniture, data acquisition, home heating appliances and electrical distribution control. His innovative and analytical approach to problems resulted in being the co-inventor of 4 issued and assigned U.S. Patents.

Bob has a passion for innovation and has been actively involved with Independent Inventors for almost two decades as an invention coach, patent draftsman, product developer, and liaison between the independent inventor and industry service providers. He is instrumental in helping many Independent Inventors understand the invention process from the idea stage to final product and beyond. Bob, being fully aware of the long process and frustrations for the first time inventor, developed a crash course that essentially reduces the 3-4 year inventor learning-curve to about three hours.  This 3-hour crash course also saves time and money that is usually wasted in many cases because of the lack of knowledge of the invention process from the idea searches, protection, prototyping, product design and development, production, through marketing. He was a member of the Inventor’s Society Of South Florida (ISSOF) for 15 years and served as President for two (2) terms until moving to New Jersey in 2005.

Bob has organized and managed numerous Independent Inventor related expos and workshops in South Florida and is also the recipient of numerous service awards in the inventor’s arena.

He collaborated with inventors and authors Howard and Paula Silken as the cover designer, layout artist and co-editor of their published book, “I have an idea for an invention, What do I do now?” (2002, listed on Amazon here)

Please note that this is instead of our regular Saturday afternoon meeting at the Morris County Library. We have another special event in September—a visit to a solar home in Madison— and we’ll be resuming our regular schedule in October, with our new “Leadership Challenge and Strategy Sessions.”

We need to begin to change the dominant conversation, and one place to start is with “missed opportunities.” We all know what’s wrong with what others are doing; but maybe it’s more important to look at the “missed opportunities,” as a way of stopping things from turning out badly for us and for our descendants.

At the SLF we are discussing the idea of changing the format of our monthly meetings, to be less “presentation” meetings, and more challenge and strategy sessions, with people doing interesting work and willing to share it. Consider, for example, some of the issues that we can address in this way, from the design of transitional shelter in Haiti to the greening of the cities and towns we live, from the possibility of a local currency to the need for altering the social environment of consumer society; these are issues that we can actually do something about, if we are willing to discuss them in this way.

In reality we need to invent a new form of social structure, based on truthtelling, relevancy, and a search for common frameworks. Let me spell out each of these in turn.

Let’s start with the fact that we do not all tell the truth, all the truth and all the time. We live with polite fictions, with “hope,” and with ideological doctrines that obscure as much as they illuminate reality. If we’re prepared to admit this, and ask others to do so also, can we agree to a focus on “telling it like it is,” whatever that means to each one of us.

Secondly, can we agree that some issues are more important than others? Can we agree that “energy independence” is as important as “clean energy,” that is to say energy generation that is not putting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and that is not piling up toxic wastes for future generations to contend with? Can we agree that restoring the health of the oceans, cleaning up the atmosphere, and preventing the loss of biodiversity are all important goals, as important as giving people the opportunity to improve their living conditions, their education, and their civic engagement?

Finally, then, it comes down to a search for common frameworks that can sustain massive social, political, economic, and ecological changes. What we know is simple, that we need to live in greater harmony with nature. We need to derive our energy from its natural cycles, and not from the stored-up energy of geologically remote eras. We need to increase our well-being, and that of others on the planet, while operating within our planetary limits, and protecting and restoring its regenerative cycles in every way we can.

For the SLF, this means transforming our meetings into conversations for action around sustainability initiatives, taking advantage of the opportunities that are constantly arising, and exploring the possibilities of productive dialog with people of all persuasions, beliefs, and faiths. Look for these new kinds of events — “mini-unconferences” — starting in the fall.

Mary Reilly, Principal of ReillyGreen and Associates, will conduct a practical, hands-on workshop as to how individuals can influence neighbors, employers, co-workers, and friends to act in more sustainable ways.  One of her special skills is presenting information to groups where there may be resistance to the message. Mary, an expert in group dynamics, has been working with organizations for 20 years and understands how to effect changes in small or large ways.

This program will be a short workshop where participants will be able to practice what they learn so that they won’t preach. There will be a few short case examples and then the opportunity for participants to create their own plan to discuss sustainability in such a way that gains commitment, instead of losing it.

Mary has an MBA in Sustainability and Organizational Development, is LEED accredited, Cranford Green Team Captain, has contributed to the development of the Sustainable Jersey program.  Ms. Reilly is an expert in effective teams, personal influence as well as sustainability. Along with group effectiveness, she also specialized in communications to groups when the group considers themselves to be at risk.

Meric Ozgur is a Human Resources Specialist in a global manufacturing company where she is a practitioner in numerous HR functions, including compensation, international/domestic relocation and immigration. She received her undergraduate degree in Statistics, at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey and her EMBA degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), New Jersey. She recently finished a graduate certificate program in Managing Sustainability from FDU and INCAE Business School in Costa Rica.

Meric has involved in several sustainability projects, focusing on individual/ group behavior and its impact on business and society. She is a co-author of an article “Can Green Swim Upstream?” where authors examined the underlying values of sustainability, and inquired about the long-term business applications from a Management/ Human Resources perspective. The article was published in People & Strategy Journal’s special issue for transitioning to green economy in Spring 2010.

Meric was a volunteer at UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in June 2010, and will share her learnings about Global Compact with the participants. As a recent graduate of the Managing Sustainability certificate program from ISE/INCAE, she will also share the highlights of the program, its impacts and aftermath in her personal and professional life.

Please join us for this meeting at our new location, the Morris County Library, at 30 Hanover Avenue, Whippany, NJ 07981. Here’s a Google Map. It’s about 10 minutes from the Morristown train station, and we’ll arrange to pick you up on the way if you’re coming by public transit (please email Victoria Zelin at vzelin@slforum.org or call her at (908) 306-0272 or (908) 507-3150 cell, for assistance). The program runs from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Conference Room.

Members and first-time guests are free, attendance is $20 per session or annual membership starts at $25 with volunteer time, up to $195 for twelve monthly meetings. (Fees waived or reduced for those with extenuating circumstances.) Please RSVP to let us know that you’re coming — thanks.

For more information on the July 26 event on Sustainability in the Pharamceutical Industry, see July 26: Panel on Sustainability in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Sustainability in the Pharmaceutical Industry

What: PANEL DISCUSSION – NETWORKING EVENT

When: Monday, July 26, 2010, 6:15 – 9:30 p.m., panel and discussion from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Lenfell Hall, the “Mansion”, Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU,  285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940

R.S.V.P: stephanie_m_lin@yahoo.com

Net Impact, the Sustainable Leadership Forum, the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise (ISE) at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the Association for Women in Science would like to share an exciting evening about Sustainability in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Come join us for networking and an industry-focused panel on how Pharmaceutical Companies are taking on Sustainability, how they are addressing the industry’s unique internal and external challenges, and the implications for careers. Whether you are a leader or functional specialist in pharma—or your interest is in sustainability across industry sectors—you will get value, and we’d enjoy meeting you.

Our distinguished panelists for the evening are:

• Maggie M. Kohn, Director of Global Corporate Responsibility, Merck & Co.
• Peter Lalli, Senior Director, Business Planning and Sustainability, Sanofi-Aventis
• Coleman Bigelow, Product Director, Sustainable Brand Marketing, Johnson & Johnson
• Beth Bengtson, Principal, SDialogue

Our moderator for the evening will be:

• Victoria Zelin, Co-Founder of the Sustainable Leadership Forum and Co-author of the Hudson Gain research study, Going GREEN? Don’t Hire a Sustainability Chief Until You Read This Study! The Role of the Chief Sustainability Officer in Corporations.

For more information and to RSVP, please e-mail  stephanie_m_lin@yahoo.com …and don’t forget to bring your questions for the Q&A session.

For directions please visit: http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=942

Light Refreshments will be served.

Meric has involved in several sustainability projects, focusing on individual/ group behavior and its impact on business and society. She is a co-author of an article “Can Green Swim Upstream?” where authors examined the underlying values of sustainability, and inquired about the long-term business applications from a Management/ Human Resources perspective. The article was published in People & Strategy Journal’s special issue for transitioning to green economy in Spring 2010.

Meric was a volunteer at UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in June 2010, and will share her learnings about Global Compact with the participants. As a recent graduate of the Managing Sustainability certificate program from ISE/INCAE, she will also share the highlights of the program, its impacts and aftermath in her personal and professional life.

To separate oneself from it, at the same time as it is being born, has the sense of  abandoning a child—in the case into the hands of two young people, Ashley Strain and Kelly Reidy, who are serving as interns to the Mayor this summer. The Museum remains a living asset, a canvas for possibility, a venue that will gather steam with a wide range of events, programs, movies, displays, and other uses. Of course, it needs to be widely advertised, scheduled, and staffed by volunteers from all of its supporting organizations.

But it surpassed our expectations as an innovative opportunity, allowing us to plant a seed of green consciousness in the midst of that monument to America’s consumer culture, the shopping mall. Is it possible to visualize a time when malls will be taken over by people using them to grow things, to educate themselves, to recycle and reuse, and to hold organizing meetings and social events. It still has a long way to go, but the idea struck some people as one with potentially national implications, if it’s done right over the long term.

For a photo album of the opening, click here.

To say that this achievement was bittersweet is something of an understatement. I learned a couple of weeks before the opening that our team, representing the newly-created Center for Leadership in Sustainability (about which more later), had not been selected to manage and develop the Woodbridge Green Technology Incubator (itself the first element of the Woodbridge Green Technology Park), and a week after that there would be no funding to continue my work with the Museum. For us these are pretty major setbacks; but at the same time they have opened up some other opportunities, and given us a breather to rethink our mission and its execution.

The most important of these opportunities is the Haiti initiative, which has now grown into a partnership with UNA-Haiti and other organizations to mobilize the private sector to implement a sustainable-development reconstruction strategy in Haiti. In partnership with the UN Global Compact, the Clinton Foundation, The Association of Private Universities in Haiti as well as FDU and the International Association of University Presidents, The Diasporan Touch, the Soros Economic Development Fund, and a wide range of other well-established organizations, the Sustainable Haiti Coalition which Doug Cohen and I launched at the Sustainable Haiti Conference in Miami in March, is now helping to plan a “side-event” at the Global Compact’s 2010 Leaders Summit, a gathering of more than 1000 people from socially-responsible companies, governments, and NGOs around the world, and follow-on activities to establish a Haitian-International Development Fund as a coordinated effort to bring significant private investment to the reconstruction of Haiti.

The Coalition will eventually get it own web site; in the meantime I continue to provide occasional updates on our work for Haiti at

A Sustainable Future for Haiti

The Global Compact event is intended to solicit commitments from funds and companies to work together to ensure that (a) some portion of the donor capital provided for aid is actually leveraged to ensure greater private investment in Haiti, (b) that investment is focused on long term sustainable redevelopment of the country at all levels, from agriculture, to energy, to tourism, to higher education, to export, and to cultural and community restoration.

Another major focus is our work on community energy aggregation with another NJ nonprofit, Cooling America thru Local Leadership (CALL), which is pretty well described at NJCCEA.org. It seems that responsibility for sustainable development is increasingly shifting from the federal government and the states (which are essentially bankrupt) to more local governments. These local governments are also economically constrained, but they are more accessible to control by the community, and at least potentially more responsive to the needs of their immediate constituents.

Unfortunately Americans have drunk deeply of the snake oil of right-wing ideology, and having convinced themselves that the solution to all problems is not better government but less government, have thereby largely eviscerated the very institutions that alone are capable of addressing the systemic problems we now face—the degradation of the commons, the irresponsibility of public and private corporations, the increasing gap between rich and poor, the deterioration of social infrastructure and so on. America is, literally, in decline, its erstwhile commitment to raise up the poor and huddled masses now largely forgotten, and its community-oriented culture now drowned out by a cheapened media, a degraded educational system, and a fractured political discourse that has either misread or forgotten its intellectual history.

This brings me, finally, to this month’s Sustainable Leadership Forum program:

1. Matt Polsky, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at FDU, will present:

“Sustainability Change-Making Over 30 Years: Barriers and Opportunities.”

As he describes it, “It’s basically what I do, how I do it, my philosophy, some of the projects with which I’m involved.”

Matt has been an advocate, a researcher, a provocateur, and a change agent in multiple venues in New Jersey for more than 30 years, standing up for the environment in policy and program action against a range of forces and outcomes.

Currently the Director of the Land Trust for the Passaic River Coalition, Matt has extensive sustainability and green economy experience, as well as unique cross-sector experience working in government, for environmental groups, business, and as an adjunct professor. He was the Sustainability Team Leader at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, led an interagency sustainability work group, and advised sustainability initiatives. He has taught sustainability courses at Cook College, Kean University, Montclair State University, NJIT, and Ramapo College. He was a marketing manager at AT&T Microelectronics. As Director of the Land Trust for the PRC, he has bought and preserved 251 acres of land for the environmental group. He volunteers for many environmental and sustainability groups at all scales, ranging from some in his town (Cranford), the State, to internationally, helping NGOs and students in South Africa, Brazil, and Europe.

2. Michael McMillan, Senior Vice President responsible for Young America’s Client Services and Contact Centers, will facilitate a discussion that seeks to create innovative ways that businesses can leverage what they are doing in sustainability to benefit their customers and the planet, while generating higher returns to be reinvested in sustainability.

Cause-related marketing creates situations that consumers and companies feel good about: giving back, while driving sales. Research has revealed that a resounding 79% of customers would switch brands to one that contributes to a good cause. Michael is interested in better understanding sustainability in order to create new Marketing Programs for businesses. He is looking forward to hearing everyone’s input and finding ways to grow sustainability awareness, value and results for his business clients and their customers. This is a chance for you to learn about marketing while influencing how companies use marketing around sustainability to make a difference on the planet.

Young America creates Marketing Solutions for businesses to acquire, grow and retain their customers. Mike has over 26 years of telecommunications leadership experience in sales, marketing, wholesale and retail operations, quality and process management and sales training. He holds an MBA in Management from Xavier University and a BBA in Marketing & Management from the University of Cincinnati.

1. Matt Polsky, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at FDU, will present:

“Sustainability Change-Making Over 30 Years: Barriers and Opportunities.”

As he describes it, “It’s basically what I do, how I do it, my philosophy, some of the projects with which I’m involved.”

Matt has been an advocate, a researcher, a provocateur, and a change agent in multiple venues in New Jersey for more than 30 years, standing up for the environment in policy and program action against a range of forces and outcomes.

Currently the Director of the Land Trust for the Passaic River Coalition, Matt has extensive sustainability and green economy experience, as well as unique cross-sector experience working in government, for environmental groups, business, and as an adjunct professor. He was the Sustainability Team Leader at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, led an interagency sustainability work group, and advised sustainability initiatives. He has taught sustainability courses at Cook College, Kean University, Montclair State University, NJIT, and Ramapo College. He was a marketing manager at AT&T Microelectronics. As Director of the Land Trust for the PRC, he has bought and preserved 251 acres of land for the environmental group. He volunteers for many environmental and sustainability groups at all scales, ranging from some in his town (Cranford), the State, to internationally, helping NGOs and students in South Africa, Brazil, and Europe.

2. Michael McMillan, Senior Vice President responsible for Young America’s Client Services and Contact Centers, will facilitate a discussion that seeks to create innovative ways that businesses can leverage what they are doing in sustainability to benefit their customers and the planet, while generating higher returns to be reinvested in sustainability.

Cause-related marketing creates situations that consumers and companies feel good about: giving back, while driving sales. Research has revealed that a resounding 79% of customers would switch brands to one that contributes to a good cause. Michael is interested in better understanding sustainability in order to create new Marketing Programs for businesses. He is looking forward to hearing everyone’s input and finding ways to grow sustainability awareness, value and results for his business clients and their customers. This is a chance for you to learn about marketing while influencing how companies use marketing around sustainability to make a difference on the planet.

Young America creates Marketing Solutions for businesses to acquire, grow and retain their customers. Mike has over 26 years of telecommunications leadership experience in sales, marketing, wholesale and retail operations, quality and process management and sales training. He holds an MBA in Management from Xavier University and a BBA in Marketing & Management from the University of Cincinnati.