AI is already transforming how we manage energy, model climate risks, and optimize city services—but it also has a growing environmental footprint. How can we use AI sustainably? In this episode of Green Minds, host Dr. Shaleen Miller speaks with Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and former VP of Energy at Google, about what AI means for local governments, the planet, and the future of climate work. From vendor certifications to data transparency and digital equity, this conversation is packed with insights for cities, sustainability leaders, and anyone curious about the climate-AI connection. #GreenMindsPodcast #GreenMinds #Sustainability #Resilience #AI

In this episode of Green Minds, Shaleen Miller dives into the realities of landing—and thriving—in sustainability jobs, especially in local government. From breaking into the field to stepping into leadership roles like Chief Sustainability Officer, our guests Abena Ojetayo with the City of Tallahassee and Shelby Buso, formerly with the City of Atlanta and now with the City of San Diego, CA, share their personal career journeys, the skills that matter most, and the advice they wish they’d had starting out. We also get real about burnout, balance, and staying grounded over the long haul. Tune in to hear practical tips, candid stories, and inspiration for building a purposeful career in sustainability.

In this episode, we are joined by Michelle Midanier (Atlanta, Georgia) and Leif Olson (Fayetteville, Arkansas) to talk climate action planning.  The conversation built from where were we in the late 2010's to now, what has been added, how to integrate climate action plans with other strategic plans, and how about funding?  These great guests cover that and more in this episode of GreenMinds.  Enjoy!   Fayetteville, Arkansas Sustainability  Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Sustainability and Resilience

In this episode, Dr. Shaleen Miller with Winston Salem and I tackle what we love about SSDN member and talk with Rebecca Coplin, Beautification Project Manager for the City of High Point NC, who is considering SSDN membership.  We talk about the traditional and non-traditional benefits of SSDN, gush about our relationship building and connections, talk about grant support, and more.  If you are not a member of SSDN, consider listening to all the benefits and let's sing you up :).  For those of us who are members or know someone who isn't sure about membership, may not have a sustainability position, etc., please share this one wide as we celebrate this great organization.   As always, please send topic ideas to robyn.byers@charlottenc.gov.  Have a great one! 

This episode is a longer one - I just couldn't cut it down any more than just shy of an hour.  Settle in and get ready for a packed episode where co-host Jessica Reid (Sustainability Analyst, City of Raleigh, NC and author of Planet Now) and I chat with Anthony Flaccavento (Rural Urban Bridge Initiative - RUBI) on how we can better communicate about sustainability.  Enjoy this candid episode full of tips! As always, please send topic ideas to robyn.byers@charlottenc.gov.  Have a great one! Rural Urban Bridge Initiative

This episode is a dose of laughter straight from our members.  Welcome special co-host for this episode, Dr. Shaleen Miller, and I as we talk about funny moments we've had, and invite two members to share their funniest moments.  Takeaways from this episode, check what other groups have the acronym you're hoping to use before you confirm committee names, search for context clues when talking to someone you don't recognize, Always have a re-usable cup and/or bag on you just in case, and have lemons on hand if you tangle with worms.    Enjoy!As always, please send topic ideas to robyn.byers@charlottenc.gov.  Have a great one! 

This episode is a short primer for the fall season of the SSDN Green Minds podcast.  We start with host Robyn Byers sharing a quick recap from the SSDN Annual Conference, held in Charlotte last May.  We even reveal who was "A Spy" for the Charlotte trivia game ;).  There's a short review of what's coming up for the fall episodes and we close out with quotes from you, our network, captured from the conference of your favorite bits.  Enjoy jumping back in this fall and we can't wait to continue sharing.  Email any topic ideas to robyn.byers@charlottenc.gov.  Thank you!     Related Links:  Innovation Barn: https://www.envisioncharlotte.com/innovation-barn/

Join us for this half hour dedicated to trees and urban heat in an urban setting.  We are joined by Dr. Vivek Shandas with Portland State University, Victoria Aguilar - Asst. City Arborist for the City of Charlotte, and Erin Oliverio - Division Manager with the City of Charlotte’s Landscape Management team.

In this short episode, we share the responses we received from SSDN members on what gives them hope to continue working in sustainability. Through our philosophical musings, we come to suggest a "word of the year" for 2024. 

Is your organization struggling to access federal funding? Michael Dexter and Nick Deffley with the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network present the Inflation Reduction Act and the assistance services provided by the Local Infrastructure Hub.    Links mentioned in this episode SSDN's Grant Opportunity Database: https://www.southeastsdn.org/programs/ssdns-federal-programs/southeast-sustainable-recovery-center-ssrc/ SSDN's Local Infrastructure Hub: https://www.southeastsdn.org/programs/ssdns-federal-programs/local-infrastructure-hub-cohorts/  LIH Factsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wqpwul1xK-7Uo9LI1KYQbCdiRR-wY9H-/view?usp=sharing 

SSDN's Green Minds rebooted! We welcome a new co-host, Dr. Robyn Byers (Sustainability and Resilience Manager, Charlotte, NC), and we are slightly changing the format of the podcast to be more engaging. In this conversation, we speak with Laura Thomas, Director of the Office of Sustainability for Richmond, VA, about the recently adopted Climate Equity Action Plan 2030. Also mentioned in this episode: Charlotte's Strategic Energy Action Plan

The third and last episode of this special series on regenerative design includes three interviews featuring The Sustainability Institute (Charleston, SC), Green Spaces (Chattanooga, TN), and our very own Southeast Sustainability Directors Network.    These organizations are supported by the Kendeda Fund, an Atlanta-based foundation that invests in transformative leadership and ideas, and creating a more just and equitable world. Learn more about their work at kendedafund.org.

This is the second episode of three-part series focusing on pioneer practitioners in regenerative design. Co-hosts Catherine Mercier-Baggett and Laurel Creech speak to different organizations across the southeast region about regenerative design. These organizations are supported by the Kendeda Fund, an Atlanta-based foundation that invests in transformative leadership and ideas, and creating a more just and equitable world. Learn more about their work at kendedafund.org. Part two features the Southface Institute and the Greenbuilt Alliance. 

This episode is a three-part series focusing on pioneer practitioners in regenerative design as co-host Catherine Mercier-Baggett and Laurel Creech speak to seven different organizations across the southeast region about regenerative design. These organizations are supported by the Kendeda Fund, an Atlanta-based foundation that invests in transformative leadership and ideas, and creating a more just and equitable world. Learn more about their work at kendedafund.org. Part One of this three-part series features Dennis Creech, Fund Adviser for Sustainability with the Kendeda Fund, and Shan Arora, Director of the Kendeda Building at Georgia Tech University.

Michael Dexter and Chris Barber, both with SSDN's Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center, explain the basics of the Justice40 Initiative, aimed at distributing at least 40% of federal investments to disadvantaged communities. They also present an interactive mapping tool developed for SSDN's members that compares the various set of criteria that can define disadvantaged communities.    SSDN's Justice40 Web App: https://uvalibrary.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9973040fb53f4d0faa91e42f4aca364d note this map will be moved to a different address soon - do not bookmark! White House: Justice40 Initiative | The White House Columbia University Capstone Report:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DXhzk3Ys54pifVr_PyxulgQHktGseTJQ/view?usp=sharing 

This episode of Green Minds Podcast features the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) - why they are important and how municipalities can engage. First podcast co-host Laurel Creech speaks with Anne Livingston, SSDN Director of Policy Programs, about her knowledge of IRPs. Then we focus on GA and Georgia Power's IRP process that concluded in July 2022 with guests Alicia Brown, City of Savannah's Clearn Energy Program Manager, and John R. Seydel, City of Atlanta Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer.

The availability of food, fresh and nutritious food in particular, is naturally a primordial preoccupation for communities. Some local governments are taking initiatives to facilitate the production and distribution of food, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable areas. This episode hosted by Catherine Mercier-Baggett looks at the work conducted in the cities of Atlanta (GA) and Winston-Salem (NC). J. Olu Baiyewu and Moriah Gendy, both municipal employees dedicated to increasing food resilience and security in their respective cities, graciously share their experience.  Atlanta's AgLanta: https://www.aglanta.org/ Winston-Salem's Think Orange Program: https://www.cityofws.org/3050/Think-Orange-Food-Resilience-Campaign 

On this episode of Green Minds, co-host Laurel Creech talks with two cities who received SSDN's Community Collaboration Catalyst Micro Grants aimed at providing small pots of funding to local governments to overcome barriers to systemic inequities alongside dedicated community partner organizations. Learn how the cities of Richmond, VA & Nashville, TN leveraged collaborative partnerships to work innovatively impact community-led and equitable approaches to sustainability. This SSDN grant was made possible with support from The Kresge Foundation,

MaryPat Baldauf (Columbia, SC) nominated the session hosted by Tobin Freid (Durham County, NC) and KatieRose Levin (Cary, NC) as her favorite highlight of SSDN's 2022 annual meeting. The peer learning session was on Addressing Urban Heat Islands and Heat Mitigation Strategies - an appropriate topic with summer unofficially starting with Memorial Day in the Southeast.   Resource mentioned in this episode:  UHI Mapping Initiative (Columbia): https://cpac.columbiasc.gov/urban-heat-island-mapping-initiative/ Extreme Heat and UHI (Durham County): https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-a-e/engineering-and-environmental-services/sustainability-office/climate-resilience/extreme-heat/-fsiteid-1#!/ Cool Roadways Partnership: https://globalcoolcities.org/cool-roadways-partnership/ Tree Equity Score (American Forests): https://treeequityscore.org/

This episode of the Green Minds Podcast is hosted by Laurel Creech (Nashville, TN) and features food waste awareness and mitigation in recognition of April being Earth Month and many states and cities recognizing the month as Food Waste Awareness Month. This episode kicks off with NRDC's Darby Hoover and Nashville's Linda Breggin on a national food waste perspective then we visit the cities of Asheville, NC; Hollywood, NC; and Orlando, FL on how these Southeast cities impactful initiatives are reducing food waste.