About the Collaborative

The Midwest Climate Collaborative envisions a carbon neutral, climate resilient, interconnected Midwest region.

Our Mission

To facilitate the development of a coherent Midwestern response to the climate crisis through acceleration of climate action, knowledge generation, and leader development led by a cross-sector collaboration of key organizations throughout the Midwest.

Membership Details

The MCC Team

Heather Navarro, JD
Charis Egland

Charis Egland

Climate Resource Specialist

Quiz Falls

Quiz Falls

Administrative Assistant

Ella Hyman

Ella Hyman

Midwest Climate Collaborative Student Intern

Julian Heppen-Ibanez

Steering Committee

Gabriel Filippelli, Chancellor’s Professor Director of the Center for Urban Health
Executive Director, Environmental Resilience Institute
Indiana University – Indianapolis

Grant Goodrich, Director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute
Case Western Reserve University

Amber Greaney, Livable Cities Solution Manager
KERAMIDA, Inc.

Missy Nergard, Director of Sustainability
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Elysia Russell, Director of Sustainability
City of St. Louis, MO

Madeline Schmitt, Sustainability Program Specialist
City of Des Moines, IA

Tyler Strom, Managing Director
Illinois Agri-Food Alliance

Phil Valko, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Sustainability
Washington University in St. Louis

High Level Goals

Accelerate Climate Solutions

Shape Public Understanding and Policy

Leverage the Power of Science & Research

Develop Climate Leaders

Develop an Effective Collaborative

The vision, mission, and goals for the collaborative were shaped by meaningful interaction of over 20 major Midwest institutions and organizations through extensive engagement beginning in March 2020 and progressing through the Fall 2020 Midwest Climate Summit Think Tank Series. Following the Think Tank Series, the partners held a series of reflection and strategy meetings to craft objectives and strategies for the Midwest Climate Collaborative, which launched on January 28, 2022.

Activities

Current Primary Projects

Annual Overarching Structure

  • Midwest-wide Climate Research Agenda
  • Midwest Climate Resource Network
  • Climate Ambassadors Program
  • Educator Community of Practice
  • Tracking Climate Commitments
  • Federal Funding Fridays
  • Annual In-Person Network Meeting Alongside Annual Midwest Climate Summit with Rotating Location
  • Topical and Regional Interest Working Groups/Pop-up Events
  • Quarterly Virtual Relationship Building Meetings
  • Regularly Scheduled Steering Committee Meetings

MCC Members

Academy of Science – St. Louis​

City of Bloomington, IN​

City of Brentwood, MO​

Building Energy Exchange Kansas City​

Build Missouri Health​

Capital Area Regional Planning Commission​

Carleton College​

Case Western Reserve University​

City of Carbondale, IL​

Center for Rural Affairs​

Chicago Wilderness Alliance​

Children’s Museum of Indianapolis​

City of Clayton, MO​

City of Cleveland, OH ​

Clean Air Task Force​

Clean Wisconsin​

Climate Central​

Climate Action KC​

City of Columbus, OH​

Cook County, IL​

Couillard Solar Foundation​

Cuyahoga County, OH​

Dane County, WI​

Delta Institute

Douglas County Sustainability​

City of Des Moines, IA​

Earth Charter Indiana​

earthday365​

Ecology Action Center​

The EcoTheatre Lab​

Employment Connection​

EnergyCare​

Environmental Protection Network​

City of Evansville, IN​

Foundation for Regeneration​

Green Umbrella​

Great Plains Institute​

IFF​

Illinois Agri-Food Alliance​

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis​

City of Indianapolis, IN​

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation​

Kane County, IL​

City of Kansas City, Missouri​

Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium ​

​Keep Indianapolis Beautiful​

KERAMIDA ENVIRONMENTAL, Inc.​

City of Lincoln, NE​

Loyola University of Chicago​

Michigan State University​

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance​

Mississippi River Network​

Missouri Botanical Garden​

Missouri Gateway Green Building Council​

Missouri Historical Society​

Missouri University of Science & Technology​

The Morton Arboretum​

MOST Policy Initiative​

M-RETS​

City of Naperville, IL​

National Audubon Society​

National Great Rivers Research and Education Center​

The Ohio State University​

Principia College​

RE-AMP Network​

Renew Missouri​

City of St. Louis, MO​

​Saint Louis Science Center​

Saint Louis Zoo​

Southern Illinois University Carbondale​

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville​

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine​

Sustainable Resources Center​

The Nature Conservancy in Illinois​

The Nature Conservancy, Nebraska Program​

The Resilient Activist

University of Illinois Chicago​

University of Michigan​

University of Wisconsin – Madison​

Urban Harvest STL​

Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability​

Urban Land Institute – St. Louis​

Village of Northbrook, IL

Washington University in St. Louis​

Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition​