2030 Districts Summit
Summit Speaker Sessions – You’re invited!
Burlington 2030 District members and staff are invited to the upcoming 2030 Districts Network summit presentations
NOTE: Please register for each session using the links below.
The Zoom meeting info will then be shared with you via email
Mike Zatz
Chief, Market Sectors Group, ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
October 6th – 12:30pm EST
Register for this session here
Session Description:
Michael Zatz will present observed and anticipated trends in energy use in the COVID-19 era as well as the latest guidance on how to benchmark different types of buildings to account for the impacts of COVID-19 on operations. He will also discuss EPA’s latest changes to eligibility criteria for buildings wishing to apply for ENERGY STAR certification as well as what to expect in the future.
Mike Zatz Bio:
Michael Zatz is the manager of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Commercial Buildings Program, where he oversees the development and implementation of activities aimed at improving the energy efficiency of all commercial buildings. He is responsible for oversight of ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager® sustainability benchmarking tool, which is actively used by nearly 300,000 buildings across the U.S. and Canada to evaluate and track their energy, water, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions. Prior to joining EPA Mr. Zatz spent 14 years with ICF International, where he worked with governments and business around the world to develop and implement voluntary public-private partnership programs aimed at reducing the impacts of businesses on the environment. Mr. Zatz has an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.S. in Engineering and Public Policy from Washington University in St. Louis.
Diana Hernandez
Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health
October 7th – 11am EST
Register for this session here
Session Description:
In this talk, Diana will introduce the four pillars of housing, how energy insecurity affects low-income and under-served communities most and opportunities for promoting energy justice. Using Detroit as a case study, she will describe the co-benefits of sustainability for local residents.
Diana Hernandez Bio:
Diana Hernández, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She conducts research at the intersection of energy, equity, housing and health. A sociologist by training, her work focuses on the social and environmental determinants of health and examines the impacts of policy and place-based interventions on the health and well-being of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. A recognized leader in the field, Dr. Hernández has advanced the concept of energy insecurity to reflect challenges and health consequences associated with meeting basic household energy needs. Much of her community-oriented research has been conducted with community groups and government agencies and several of her projects have been conducted in her native South Bronx neighborhood, where she also lives and invests in social impact real estate. Professor Hernandez’s work has appeared in leading public health, social science, and housing and energy policy journals and her research has been funded by several federal agencies and various philanthropic organizations. In 2016, she received the Dean’s Junior Faculty Excellence in Leadership Award and in 2019 was recognized by the New York League of Puerto Rican Women with a Public Health Service Award. Dr. Hernández completed her doctoral training in Sociology at Cornell University (2010), her undergraduate degree at Hunter College- City University of New York (2002) and is a product of the New York City public school system.
Jon Utech
Senior Director, Office for a Healthy Environment, Cleveland Clinic
October 8th – 11am EST
Register for this session here
Session Description:
As a world-class healthcare provider, the Cleveland Clinic recognizes its responsibility to safeguard the health of the communities in which they operate by addressing the environmental impact of their operations. Never has it been more important to understand that environmental health and human health are linked. Setting the strategic direction for environmental stewardship for the Cleveland Clinic, Jon Utech, Senior Director for the Office for a Healthy Environment will discuss the many initiatives the Cleveland Clinic has in place, not only in Cleveland but in locations around the country and world-wide to support healthy communities. Mr. Utech will also discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on the healthcare system and how it has affected energy use and business operations at the Cleveland Clinic. Climate change is putting our health at risk. As a recognized leader in the healthcare industry, the Cleveland Clinic is in a position to lead by example in the adoption of environmental best practices and the delivery of exceptional patient care.
Jon Utech’s Bio:
Jon E. Utech is the Senior Director of the Office for a Healthy Environment at Cleveland Clinic, where he develops sustainability strategies to emphasize the triple bottom line. Jon directs the Clinic’s sustainability program covering energy demand reduction, recycling, LEED, climate resilience, sustainable food, green supply chain, water reduction, engagement and reporting. Jon leads the organization’s climate action which includes climate resilience planning, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Jon works with local food systems, chairing a committee that oversees farmer’s markets, working with vendors to source more local and sustainable food and educate caregivers and the community on the benefits of sustainable food systems. Jon serves on the Healthcare Sector Steering committee for the Better Building Challenge, on the board of the 2030 Districts Network and Sustainable Cleveland 2019 and works with EPA on its Energy Star program. Jon’s team works to engage Cleveland Clinic caregivers and the community in this effort to support the overall goal of linking environmental health and human health to make our world healthier. Jon earned an MBA and MPOD from Case Western Reserve University and a BA in History from Dartmouth College. Jon was honored with the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare – Word Edition Award in November, 2017.
Vincent Martinez
Chief Operating Officer
Architecture 2030
October 8th – 12:30pm EST
Register for this session here
Session Description:
Rapid and major emissions reductions in the building sector will establish a powerful force for global action and business development. Widespread electrification of existing buildings (no onsite natural gas, heating oil, propane, etc.), in tandem with grid decarbonization and zero-net-carbon new construction, will create a steady and predictable market for renewable energy generation and storage. A paradigm shift in building design and material selection can accelerate manufacturing industries to significantly reduce the embodied carbon of their products. Policies that reduce the embodied carbon of building and infrastructure construction in neighborhoods, cities, and regions have the potential to reshape patterns of consumption and waste. Through practice and policy, the design, planning, and building community must rapidly transform urban development and the built environment from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the climate crisis. In the process, they will improve their market position and that of their clients.
Vincent Martinez Bio:
Through his 14-year tenure at Architecture 2030, Vincent Martinez has been working to solve the climate crisis by catalyzing global building decarbonization efforts through the development and activation of robust networks focused on private sector commitments, education, training, and public policies. Vincent also helps set the organization’s vision and currently leads Architecture 2030’s work on urban zero-net-carbon buildings and public policy, including the ZERO Code, Achieving Zero framework, and Zero Cities Project with 11 leading US cities.
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