A message from our Director, Wyatt King:
Most people who are familiar with the 2030 District know that one of our core objectives is to provide building owners and managers with technical expertise, so they feel empowered to adopt best practices in energy efficiency, clean energy, water use, clean transportation, and health in their own buildings.
What fewer may appreciate, however, is the importance we place on community. This has been brought home to me repeatedly in my short time as Director of the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District. On multiple occasions, members of the District have made a special point of taking me aside to tell me about the deep gratitude they feel to be a part of a community of practice that is dedicated to advancing sustainability in our built environment.
The honest truth is that working in sustainability can be really hard. Yes, it is also meaningful, stimulating, and inspiring…but transforming an entrenched culture is lengthy, difficult, and uncertain work. Sometimes, being part of a community of fellow travelers who share your mission, and all its challenges, makes all the difference.
Much has changed about the way the world works in the past ten years, but so much more remains to be done. It’s good to be part of a community of people that is tackling the task together. In the months ahead, we will be redoubling our commitment to community-building, with a host of networking opportunities (including our first ever breakfast event!), educational events, and social hours. Read more about these below, and I hope to see you there!
2030 District News
District Expansion
I am excited to announce that after much strategizing with Green Umbrella staff and 2030 District partners we have decided to significantly expand our service territory and re-brand as the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District! Beginning this fall, we will open District participation to commercial, public, and multi-family buildings across Green Umbrella’s entire 10-county service area. I am very excited to bring our services to a much wider audience and create more opportunities for our professional partners.
We hope you will join us at the 2030 District Summit Kickoff Reception on September 30 (see details below), at which time we will share more information about this exciting new phase and start accepting new members from across Greater Cincinnati. Stay tuned for more information and an updated website.
As part of our expansion, I will be traveling to communities across our new service territory this fall and winter to introduce the 2030 District to a wider audience and make presentations on the how and why of energy and water benchmarking. If you have ideas for a community or venue for one of these introductory presentations, or if you know key stakeholders in these additional counties who would make for a good champion of high-performing building efforts, please contact me at wyatt@greenumbrella.org.
Featured Member: Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank, a founding member of the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District and Leading-level Green Umbrella member, announced the hiring of Pratik Raval as the new Chief Sustainability Officer earlier this year. In his new role, Raval is responsible for overseeing Fifth Third’s five corporate responsibility and sustainability priorities. He has more than 20 years in the corporate sustainability sector and most recently served as Head of Sustainability Strategy at Tata Consulting Services. We are delighted that in Raval’s short time in Cincinnati he has already been able to join us at several Green Umbrella events, including the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit in May. We are looking forward to collaborating with him and Fifth Third in numerous ways in the months and years ahead.
Upcoming Events
2030 Network Summit Kickoff
Green Umbrella and the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District are proud to host this year’s 2030 Network Summit, including two days of internal meetings for 2030 District staff from across North America’s twenty-four 2030 Districts. We’re kicking things off with a big reception and networking celebration, featuring a panel discussion of District Directors focused on how different 2030 Districts are evolving in innovative ways. We’ll also be sharing more about how the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District is expanding and evolving.
We invite everyone passionate about healthy, high-performing buildings to join us, whether you are an existing 2030 District partner, own or manage a commercial building, work in the commercial building sector, facilities management, or are a champion of creating a more sustainable built environment. Click here for details and registration.
More Events
- September 5, 3:00 – 5:00pm; Direct Pay Training with Donovan Energy
- September 12, 12:00pm – 1:00pm; Webinar – Benchmarking 101 & Intro to the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District
- September 19, 5:00 – 8:00pm; Cultivate + Connect: A Celebration of Our Regional Food System
- September 26, October 17, and November 14: 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Webinar Series – Clean Energy Funding Opportunities
- SAVE THE DATE! October 24, 7:30am – 9:30am: Banter + Brews is back and better than ever! We’re partnering with MA Design to co-host this breakfast networking event that will delve into cutting-edge topics around Decarbonization and Wellness in the Built Environment.
Professional Opportunities
Featured Opportunity: Midwest Building Energy Codes Conference
The 15th Annual Midwest Building Energy Codes conference, hosted by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), will be held in Cincinnati from September 25-26. This annual conference provides an opportunity to network, engage in building science and policy discussions, and learn from leading experts about current and future trends. Register today!
More opportunities & resources
- 2024 REBUILD Conference: The REBUILD conference will be held at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on October 3, 2024. This year’s gathering will focus on challenges faced by the design community and include real world case studies, informative panel discussions (including one with 2030 District Directors from across the country!), and keynote speakers from world class design firms. Click here for more information.
- Building Operator Certification Courses: Building Operator Certification® (BOC) is a nationally recognized training and certification program focusing on energy efficient building operations and preventative maintenance procedures. Facilities with BOC graduates are proven to save energy, have lower energy bills, and offer improved comfort to occupants. These trainings are open to anyone in the Midwest. Click here for more information.
Get in touch!
Reply to this email to reach Wyatt, or for questions regarding membership, visit here or email membership@greenumbrella.org