When

Friday, April 21, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM EDT
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Where

Rustic Lodge 
2199 Oakland Ave
Indiana, PA 15701  

 
Driving Directions 

Contact

Sponsored by League of Women Voters of PA, in collaboration with LWV Indiana County 
League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania 
717-234-1576 
reimaginelwvpa@gmail.com 
 

THRIVE: Sustainable Economy Summit 

Join your friends and colleagues for a Sustainable Economy Summit. 

Friday, April 21, 2017
9am-4:30pm (Doors open 8:30am)
Rustic Lodge, 2199 Oakland Ave, Indiana PA, 15701
Cost: $10 (includes lunch). No charge for students. (Enter discount code "STUDENT")

Sponsored by League of Women Voters of PA in collaboration with League of Women Voters of Indiana County, Center for Community Growth, Evergreen Conservancy, IUP Sustainability Studies Program, Indiana County Office of Planning & Development

The sustainable economy is no longer a pipedream! According to the latest research, there are more than 3 million clean energy jobs in the US -- and more jobs are in the pipeline. Clean vehicles, grid development, energy efficiency and battery storage are among the fastest growing industries in the country. And in Pennsylvania, renewable energy jobs are growing faster than jobs in fossil fuel. The numbers are even better if you include sustainable agriculture and other clean economy sectors . . .

Given these exciting developments, you may be asking yourself . . .
  • What can we do to attract economic development to our rural counties and towns?
  • Can we guarantee good jobs and healthy communities in the new sustainable economy?
  • How can we use existing assets to ensure that our communities can once again thrive?
To help answer these questions, you are invited to the THRIVE: Sustainable Economy Summit. At the Summit, you will learn from local and national experts about
  • various types of renewable energy and related infrastructure, including regional initiatives by clean energy companies.
  • the economic potential of sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and energy efficiency.
  • the emerging field of green chemistry with its potential to transform manufacturing.

Capacity-building sessions will provide tools to measure the economic benefits of sustainable development, and strategies for marketing those benefits to attract funding and new businesses to your community.

The THRIVE Summit is specifically designed for municipal officials and staff of local and county governments in rural Southwestern PA, as well as community members and students who want to become involved by serving on community boards and task forces. Your help is needed.

Let’s join together to build thriving communities in the new, sustainable economy!

Our Speakers:

Dr. Terrence Collins - Green Chemistry- the transformation to healthy manufacturing

Dan Boone - Innovations in Wind Power

Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Executive Director PA Assn. of Sustainable Agriculture (former PA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture)

Panel on Eco-Tourism

Joe Pizarchik, recent Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for the U.S. Dept. of the Interior.

Dr. Patricia DeMarco, author of Pathways to a Sustainable Future

Mario Leone Jr., Monaca Borough Manager, award-winner for planning, getting grants, and implementing sustainable projects - saving Monaca money!

and more...

A block of hotel rooms at nearby Hampton Inn has been set aside for the night of Thursday April 20. To get the special discount rate, you must call the hotel by Monday, April 10. 724-349-7700 Discount Code: Sustainable Economy Summit