SSI’s 2009 Annual President’s Report
Sustainable Springfield Inc.
Annual President’s Report, April 15, 2009
Our organization was formed in April 2007, and officially chartered as an Illinois Not-for-Profit Chartable Corporation on April 22, 2007 by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.
Our by-laws were formerly adopted by the Board of Directors in January 2008, and our annual meeting was set for April 15th the following year. This report covers the Sustainable Springfield’s activities since its inception two years ago.
Not for profit Status
We applied for and was granted official 501(C)(3) status as a tax exempt not-for-profit corporation in June 2008. We can now accept donations from individuals and businesses that are tax deductible to the donor.
Public Meetings
The following Public meetings were held, most at the Prairie Heart Institute’s Dove Center, free of charge:
April 2007: Earth Awareness Day, at Exposition Bldg, IL State fair
May 2007: Mayor Chris Koos, Town of Normal: Normal’s Downtown & Plan Community Environmental Stewardshipy
August 2007: Bob Croteau, CWLP Energy Services Office, Solar Energy
September 2007: Harvey Koplo, Building a Sustainable House
October 2007: Tour of the IMEA Building, Springfield’s first LEED building
November 2007: Michelle Covey Exec. Director, Ecology Action Center, Normal IL
January 2008 : Richard Hiles, ClimateMaster Inc, Geothermal Heating & Cooling
February 2008: Brett Ivers, IL DCEO, Recycling in the Workplace
March 2008: Wynne Coplea, City of Springfield: Recycling in Springfield
April 2008: Earth Awareness Day, at Lincoln Park
May 2008: Dr. Janice Spears, Sustainable New High School, Cuba Illinois
June 2008: Kent Olsen, Pawnee Lumber, Low E Insulation
July 2008: Mike Jackson Architect, IL IHPA, Embodied Energy in Existing Buildings
September 2008: David Dow, Walton Architects, Erin’s Pavilion LEED design
October 2008: Will Reynolds, Sierra Club, Alternative Energy Cars
November 2008: Cindy Davis Resource One, Sustainable Interiors
January 2009: Green Teams Seminar, Lincoln Land Community College
February 2009: Sr. Sharon Zayac, The Climate project & the Faith Communities
March 2009: Dr. Tih-Fen Ting, Sustainability & Higher Education
Sustainable Springfield’s Board of Director’s Meetings
Ther have been a total of 17 meetings of the Board of Directors since April 2007 to present. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at the Koplo home/office. The meetings are held with board members only, however anyone may attend by invitation upon notifying the president prior to the meeting.
Other Activities Involving Sustainable Springfield Inc.
Three board members, Dr. Tih-Fen Ting, Dr. Marc Klingshrin and Jim Johnston served on the ad-hoc committee to have Springfield officially designated as a “Cool City.” Mayor Davlin signed the US Mayor’s Agreement for carbon emissions reductions and thus making Springfield an official “Cool City”, one of twelve in the state, in September 2008.
Several Board Members have been active in initiating “The Earth Springfield Coalition,” meeting every 3 months to co-ordinate and provide updates regarding the environmental groups in the area.
Board member Brett Ivers presented a program about recycling to the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Springfield class in April 2008. Brett also organized the first Storm Sewer Stenciling project, which involved students, also held in held in April 2008.
Brett Ivers additionally led the effort to plan and hold the “Establishing Green Teams in Your Business Place” seminar held in conjunction with Lincoln Land’s Community College’s Green Center, at the Trutter Conference center in January. 32 were in attendance which included speakers from Springfield, Mattoon, and Normal. The event was a success, and from it businesses are now establishing Green Teams, including both Memorial and St. John’s Hospitals, for example.
Board members Arthur Neal and Jim Johnston currently serve on the Springfield School District 186’s Facilities Feasibility Committee that is analyzing and making recommendations to the school board about its buildings and grounds.
Sustainable Springfield Inc.’s Internet Activities
Since May 2007, www.SustainableSpringfield.org has been published and updated monthly. The site’s calendar provides announcements about each month’s events for not only SSI, but all the local environmental groups. Additionally these events are included in a monthly email list of 150. Also an environmental web blog has been up and running since August 2008.
Future Planned Activities of Sustainable Springfield Inc.
Springfield Earth Awareness Fest
The organization is actively involved in the planning of the expanded Springfield Earth Awareness Fest that will now be a two day event at the capitol City Convention Center, Friday and Saturday May 29-30, 2009.
SSI has arraigned for the noted architect and urban planner, as well as author, Doug Farr from Chicago to present the fest’s keynote address on “Sustainable Urbanism” at noon on Friday, May 29th. The event is free to the public. The Bunn-O-Matic Corporation and the Illinois American Institute of Architects, is assisting SSI by co-sponsoring the event to pay for Mr. Farr’s speaker’s fee.
Future Planned Activities of Sustainable Springfield Inc.
Community Consensus Building about Environmental Issues
Tentatively set for October 17, a community meeting to build consensus regarding which projects and policies should be brought before the City of Springfield and Sangamon County Board for ordinance action which might include, but not limited to:
1) Environmental Stewardship Policy
(similar to the Town of Normal’s)
2) Development of a new residential energy building code
3) Possible installation of green roof top gardens on
municipal structures
4) The establishment of Green Teams
5) Limiting Urban Sprawl
6) Adoption of the LEED Building Guidelines
7) Other
Final Thoughts
All in all it has been a very productive two years for our group which is essentially an upstart grass roots effort. We will continue in our effort to make SSI Springfield’s Sustainable Environmental Energy Networking Group. Thanks to everyone who has shown interest in our organization, and special thanks to our board of directors for their tireless efforts.
Respectively Submitted,
Jim Johnston A. I. A.
President