| E-Update |
April 2012 |
| Our Environmental Legacy, Your Sustainable Future |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:
CITY OF PHOENIX'S NEW LEADERSHIP |
|  A single theme resonated in newly elected Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton’s State of the City address last week – he is passionately focused on making Arizona’s largest municipality more sustainable, livable and economically vibrant. And if his first 100 days in office is any indication of what’s to come, the city of Phoenix is in good hands.
Mayor Stanton announced plans to: double the amount of solar panels on city buildings, convert vacant lots into useful neighborhood spaces for things like urban gardens and encourage individuals with fresh minds and new ideas to land positions of leadership.
He’s already recruited members of the business community with technical expertise to assist in several endeavors, reaching out to involve stakeholders in various aspects of making Phoenix stronger economically and environmentally.
I’m honored to have been selected to serve on Mayor Stanton’s Sustainability Advisory Committee along with 10 others. It’s a small but mighty and diverse group chaired by Stacey Champion, a grassroots environmental activist and public relations practitioner, and Talonya Adams, an attorney with a passion for sustainability and community involvement. Having been involved in the environmental movement in our region for more than 20 years, I was surprised and pleased that I am personally acquainted with only four of the committee members. Along with the veterans, there is a fresh, new crop of leaders emerging as environmental stewards. They are vested in making Phoenix a better place to live, work and play. I look forward to working with them and others in the city on a meaningful work program over the next year.
The goal of the Phoenix Sustainability Advisory Committee is to determine short-, medium- and long-term objectives, encourage participation in the general plan and identify vacant parcels along the light rail corridor for temporary installations to activate and enhance the sites until permanent development becomes practical.
It is an exciting time for Phoenix. But as Mayor Stanton is quick to point out, communities around the Valley need to work together to improve our region – if cities like Gilbert, Avondale, Glendale and Tempe are strong, Phoenix will benefit and vice versa. That’s very Valley Forward-esq thinking – regional cooperation has been at our forefront for 43 years and remains critical to smart growth planning and development.
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| MEMBERSHIP TIP OF THE MONTH |
| Want to meet like-minded Valley Forward members and learn more about other companies’ sustainability efforts in the Valley? Come to our annual “Just For the Fun of It” member mixer from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at the Goodmans Interior Structures showroom in Phoenix. It’s free to attend, so sign up today! Click here to RSVP.
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| SPONSORED MEMBER SPOTLIGHT |
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Value Beyond Building
Over the past 20 years, Adolfson & Peterson Construction has been committed to building sustainable projects throughout the Southwest. As the industry and the company evolve, A&P’s mission is simple but steadfast – to outperform the industry in all that it does.
 The company’s goal is to be a sustainable business – doing that requires continuously innovating and collaborating with its delivery partners. Through its efforts, A&P has redefined its definition of the term sustainable. The company is an industry leader in delivering Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified projects and high performance green buildings. A&P has completed state-of-the-art LEED Platinum facilities (including the recent Devine Legacy on Central Ave) and numerous green buildings across the country. However, some of its most sustainable projects do not necessarily follow a certification or rating system (i.e. neighborhood revitalization projects, transit-oriented redevelopments and adaptive reuse projects).
Going beyond green building, A&P takes into account the purpose of the projects it undertakes, the communities impacted by its operations and its own business practices. Sustainability is much more than building green. It defines the company’s business practices with a LEED Gold office, hybrid vehicles in the fleet, in-house carbon reduction programs, and jobsite recycling on all its projects. A&P understands that to be a truly sustainable organization – it’s more than what it does, it’s who it is.
Innovate. Collaborate. Outperform.
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| RECENT EVENTS & HAPPENINGS |
| APRIL QUARTERLY LUNCHEON ON
THE IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON OUR HEALTH
An enlightening perspective on how public health is impacted by the air we breathe, the food we eat and where we live was presented by an interactive panel of local healthcare experts at our April luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Valley Forward also presented its Livable Communities award to a team of 6th and 7th graders from Veritas Home School in Phoenix as part of the 2012 Future City Competition. The award was given to the student design model that best demonstrated a balance between economic development and environmental quality.
SCOTTSDALE WATER CAMPUS TOUR
Valley Forward’s Water Committee took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Scottsdale Water Campus earlier this month. Attendees heard first-hand how this innovative state-of-the art facility treats tertiary effluent, as well as Colorado River water, prior to reverse osmosis for groundwater recharge.
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| MOVING ARIZONA FORWARD |
| Arizona Forward hosted its inaugral general membership meeting of 2012 to outline ways to engage existing members and recruit new companies to get involved in this statewide sustainability initiative. We recently added University of Arizona as our 11th Charter Member and are looking forward to working with them and our membership of more than 40 statewide organizations vested in making Arizona stronger.
Demonstrate your leadership and join Arizona Forward today! Click here for membership information. Click here to download the membership application. To discuss your involvement, call Diane Brossart at (602) 240-2408 or email dbrossart@arizonaforward.org.
Charter members of Arizona Forward include: Arizona Community Foundation, Cox Communications, First Solar, Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold, National Bank of Arizona, Solon Corporation, Sundt Construction, The Nature Conservancy, Total Transit, University of Arizona and Wells Fargo.
Be sure to like our Arizona Forward page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
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| WELCOME NEW MEMBERS |
Caliber Group |
The Caliber Group is a full-service marketing, public relations and interactive firm with offices in Tempe, Tucson and Charleston that helps clients reposition their mature businesses and brands or new and emerging companies build new brands.
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| Goodmans Interior Structures |
As the largest office furniture dealer in the Southwest and one of the first B Corporations in Arizona, Goodmans Interior Structures helps companies plan, build and furnish their workspaces for optimal performance.
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| Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport |
With an annual economic impact greater than $685 million, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport offers nonstop passenger service via Allegiant and Spirit Airlines with flights to over 40 cities nationwide.
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| Siemens |
Siemens Building Technologies, as part of Siemens Infrastructure and Cities Sector, is the world’s market leader for safe and energy-efficient “green” buildings and infrastructure. Among services provided are: complete traffic and transportation systems, intelligent logistics, energy efficiency, environmental building technologies and power transmission.
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| StandardAero |
StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of aviation services, including engine and airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul, engine component repair, engineering services, interior completions and paint applications.
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| IN THE NEWS... |
| Diane Brossart is a regular guest blogger for KTAR 92.3 News Talk Radio and AZ Big Media. Check out our her recent postings:
KTAR Guest Blog
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY RALLIES IN SUPPORT OF ARIZONA PARKS
AZ Big Media Guest Blog 
BETTER ENVIRONMENT: IMPROVING AIR QUALITY AND OUR HEALTH
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| VFA GUEST BLOGGERS |
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Check out our latest guest blog submissions:
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| BITS AND BITES |
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 EARTH DAY…Join Keep Phoenix Beautiful in downtown Phoenix on Friday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Plaza. You'll learn about recycling and sustainability, take home useful giveaways and share your enthusiasm with lots of exhibitors, including Valley Forward!
 EARTH NIGHT…The Arizona League of Conservation Voters is hosting its 3rd annual Earth Night gala on April 21 at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. Arizona Forward is one of several event sponsors.
 EFAZ NEW BOARD…Leaders from Eide Bailly LLP, City of Phoenix, Ameriprise and Desert Foothills Land Trust joined the Board of Directors for the Environmental Fund for Arizona (EFAZ) last week.
 DINNER IN THE PARK…The Phoenix Parks Foundation is hosting its inaugural Dinner in the Park, Moon Over South Mountain on May 4 at the beautiful South Mountain Environmental Education Center. Evening activities will include a cocktail reception and silent auction, tours of the South Mountain Environmental Education Center, a dinner program and honoree ceremony, followed with trolley rides to Dobbins Lookout where guests will enjoy wine tasting and guided night sky viewing.
 HEALTHY HOMES…the city of Scottsdale is focusing on indoor environmental quality and healthy homes at its next Green Building Lecture on May 3. Learn about air pollutants and strategies to improve indoor environmental quality, including tips on material selection, green labeling, fresh air ventilation, filtration and daylighting.
 AWARD-WINNING ESCALATOR…The Terminal 4 Escalator Replacement portion of the PHX Sky Train at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport project received Elevator World magazine’s 15th Annual Project of the Year Award for Escalator Modernization.
 TOOLBANK…Valley Forward Executive Committee member Iain Hamp of Wells Fargo is forming a Phoenix affiliate of ToolBank USA. It would lend a massive inventory of tools to local charities, schools and churches. Companies with corporate volunteer programs and the charitable organizations they support will no longer have to dedicate funding for tools, and the non-profits can in turn direct those dollars back towards their core mission to the community. Learn more by watching this video.
 SUN CORRIDOR… Grady Gammage, Jr., will be speaking about how water has shaped the growth of Arizona and infrastructure policies that allow the mega cities of Arizona (Phoenix & Tucson) to exist and grow. This ULI event will take place on April 25.
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| ISSUE COMMITTEE UPDATES |
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ENERGY
9 a.m., Thursday, April 26
Join us for a brainstorming session as we have a plethora of ideas to vet with the committee. We’ll also discuss potential projects and hone in on areas of focus for the remainder of the year.
WATER
10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 1
Join us for a briefing on the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District, whose purpose is to provide a mechanism for landowners and water providers to demonstrate an assured water supply under the Assured Water Supply Rules.
TRANSPORTATION/AIR
9 a.m., Thursday, May 10
Join us as we continue working on our statewide Transportation Primer. The goal is to provide unbiased facts, background information and answers to frequently asked questions on statewide issues relating to our transportation infrastructure and funding.
CANALSCAPE COMMITTEE
9 a.m., Thursday, May 17
Join us as we move forward with our three primary work areas, including pilot projects, design guidelines and mapping.
LAND USE/OPEN SPACE
9 a.m., Tuesday, May 22
Join us for a briefing on the temporary use program for the Baron Collier site in Phoenix; we’ll also get an update on the Ro2 project, as well as discuss a student research program to explore the concept of installing temporary uses on vacant fallow lots in urban cores along the Light Rail Corridor.
To register your participation on an Issue Committee for 2012, click here and login to your individual profile page using your email address and password. To RSVP to attend any of these committee meetings, contact Vicky White at vwhite@valleyforward.org or (602) 240-2408.
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STANDING COMMITTEES
NETWORKING & CONNECTIONS
8 a.m., Friday, April 20
Giant Coffee
1437 N. 1st Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
RSVP to Jhenifer Krutz
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MOVING THE VALLEY FORWARD
Founded in 1969, Valley Forward is a non-profit public interest organization that brings business and civic leaders together to convene thoughtful public dialogue on regional issues and to promote the livability and sustainability of Valley communities. For more information, call (602) 240-2408 or visit valleyforward.org.
EDITOR'S NOTE
We are seeking sponsors for the 2012 E-Update, which is distributed to more than 1,000 business and civic leaders throughout the Valley and State. For a minimal cost of $100, you’ll receive a short story (250 words) about your organization, inclusive of a photo, logo identification and live link to your website. To reserve space, contact: Jhenifer Krutz at jkrutz@valleyforward.org. Telephone: (602) 240-2408 Fax: (602) 240-2407 Email: info@valleyforward.org.
| PATRON MEMBERS |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
City of Chandler
National Bank of Arizona
STMicroelectronics |
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| GET CONNECTED |
Connect with
Valley Forward
Connect with
Arizona Forward
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
"JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT"
ANNUAL MIXER
4 to 7 p.m.
Thurs., May 17
Goodmans Interior Structures
1400 E Indian School
Phoenix, AZ 85014
More Info
QUARTERLY LUNCHEON SERIES
FOUR FOREST RESTORATION INITATIVE
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wed., May 2
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
340 N Third Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
More Info
QUARTERLY LUNCHEON SERIES
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thurs., Oct 11
ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE
AWARDS
Sat., Sept 29
EARTHFEST EDUCATORS NIGHT
Thurs., Oct 25
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
Fri., Dec 7
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We will continue to reinforce Valley Forward as the top-of-mind resource for environmental issues including transportation/air, water, land use/open space and energy, for years to come. |
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