1st Annual Delaware County Sustainability Conference

The Delaware County Office of Sustainability hosted the 1st Annual Delaware County Sustainability Conference.

The conference was held on Thursday, April 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Subaru Park in Chester, bringing together local and regional sustainability experts and everyday ‘sustainability heroes’ to share experiences and provide a forum for a cross-pollination of ideas related to climate change, environmental stewardship, health, and sustainability.

The conference was a vegan, zero waste, admission-free event that aimed to inform and inspire attendees through the lens of six sustainability focus areas: Health and Wellness, Climate Resiliency, Natural Resources, Transportation, Energy, and Zero Waste.

Participants enjoyed a keynote address by Ruth Abbe, a nationally renowned expert on zero waste, as well as panel discussions, presentations, and plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking.

The conference included tours of Subaru Park and the stadium's organic garden, and an electric vehicle ‘ride and drive’ demo. Representatives of Bryn Mawr College, Drive Electric Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the City of Philadelphia's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS), the Penn State Agriculture Extension, the Pennsylvania Resources Council, the Office of Environmental Justice, the Delaware County Health Department, Conscious Connections, Inc., and members of the Chester County Planning Commission, the Montgomery County Planning Commission, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) were in attendance.

Opening remarks and introductions were provided by Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, Chester City Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland, Delaware County Executive Director Howard Lazarus, Delaware County Chief Sustainability Officer Francine Locke, and Rob Fogel, Local Government Liaison from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Conference Recording

Conference Agenda

Speaker Bios

Speaker Presentations

• Ruth Abbe | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Kelly Sanders | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Victor Donnay | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Elizabeth Drake | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Waffiyyah Murray | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Melody Muhammed | Presentation [PowerPoint] | Materials [ZIP]

• Melissa Lyon | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Justin Trezza | Presentation [PowerPoint] | Video [ZIP]

• Angie Hernandez | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Matthew Williams | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Darren Spielman | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Karen Taussig-Lux | Presentation [PowerPoint] | Video [ZIP]

• Diana Andrejczack | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Holly Thorpe | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Meagan Hopkins-Doerr | Presentation [PowerPoint]

• Tony Bandiero | Presentation [PowerPoint]

2022 Sustainability Awards

• Sustainability Conference Organizer Award: Shawn Rush, Delaware County Information Technology Department

• Sustainability Connector Award: Lisa Gaffney, Executive Director, Riverfront Alliance of Delaware County

• Sustainability Leadership Award: Elaine Schaefer, Vice Chair, Delaware County Council