FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Heather Navarro
hnavarro@wustl.edu
314.935.9541
ST. LOUIS – Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be joining the Midwest Climate Summit in February. The summit is a three-day gathering of climate leaders, researchers, and professionals focused on expanding knowledge as well as accelerating action to address climate change in the Midwest. Deputy Administrator McCabe joins Dr. Sylvia Hood Washington as a keynote speaker.
Deputy Administrator McCabe has an extensive background in clean air, environmental health, and climate justice. She served with the EPA under President Obama for seven years, working as Acting Assistant Administrator and Principal Deputy to the Assistant Administrator in the Office of Air and Radiation. Prior to rejoining EPA, Janet McCabe was a Professor of Practice at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law and Director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute, where she started as Assistant Director for Policy and Implementation in 2017. She will be addressing how Midwestern communities can equitably build resiliency and mitigate climate change, including opportunities presented through federal funding and programs.
Dr. Sylvia Hood Washington brings 40 years of research and field experience in epidemiology, environmental engineering, and environmental history to the Summit. She is currently a lecturer at North Carolina State University’s inaugural Data Science Academy. She resides in the western suburbs of Chicago, where much of her research and understanding of environmental justice stems. She will draw upon her multi-disciplinary expertise as well as her personal experiences to encapsulate the challenges unique to the Midwest caused by the change in climate.
The Midwest Climate Summit takes place Tuesday Feb. 21 through Thursday Feb. 23, 2023 at Washington University’s Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center in St. Louis. The Summit is hosted by the Midwest Climate Collaborative, a cross-sector collaboration of over 50 organizations in 12 states connecting to respond collectively to the climate crisis. The goals of the summit are to seed new relationships and cross-sector collaborative efforts by expanding collective knowledge and amplifying what’s working in our region. The summit will feature 20 in-person workshops with virtual options for participation and 6 mobile workshops highlighting sustainability efforts in the St. Louis region and giving participants a chance to dive deeper into topics such as green chemistry, agricultural careers, nature writing, community engagement strategies, and river restoration.
“If our 12 states were a country, we’d be the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitting nation on the planet. Our work to address climate change not only improves the lives of people in our hometowns but impacts the health and livelihoods of people around the globe,” Heather Navarro, the MCC’s director, said. Registration is open to the public and any organization, institution, industry, or agency interested in working with others to address climate with a focus on equity and justice.
The Midwest Climate Summit is open to members of the press.
Registration is available online at https://midwestclimatecollaborative.wustl.edu/summit/.
Background
The MCC grew out of the first Midwest Climate Summit and was launched officially in January 2022. The MCC is hosted by Washington University and supported by its member organizations. Learn more about the MCC at midwestclimatecollaborative.wustl.edu.
Sponsors
Millipore Sigma is the first presenting of the summit sponsor to be announced. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available and are a valuable opportunity to reach a committed, audience of leaders from across the region. Information on sponsorship is available here.
Key Details
Tuesday Feb. 21 through Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
Charles F. Knight Executive Conference Center
Washington University
Throop Drive and Snow Way Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63130
PRICE:
$445 for three-day, in-person registration
$225 for single-day, in-person registration
$75 for virtual
MCC member organizations receive two free registrations and a discount on additional registrations.
Reduced rates and scholarships are available for students and individuals with grassroots nonprofits and community groups.