The Climate Leadership Summit is our annual, statewide conference specially designed for mayors, city, town and county leaders, and community partners to discuss how to prepare for the changing climate. We celebrate the progress Indiana communities have already achieved and give cities the opportunity to share best practices. We look forward to seeing you next September 2024 in Fort Wayne!
CLS8 Title Sponsors:
Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors!
We held our Most recent Climate Leadership Summit on
September 8, 2023
at IndIana University Northwest, Gary, Indiana
9am-5pm Central
We are so grateful for all our wonderful presenters, volunteers, hosts, staff, sponsors, and attendees for such a great day. It was an honor to feature this important region and the work that has been done there to advance a regional climate action plan.
If you missed it, you can watch part of the day online and see some of the slide presentations HERE.
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS & PRESENTER INFORMATION
9am Doors Open: Savannah Center IUN, 3400 BROADWAY AVE GARY IN 46408
10am Welcome Session: NorthWest Indiana Regional Resilience Panel, Bergland Auditorium, Savannah Center
11am Session 1
Track A: What’s in Your Community Resilience Toolbox? With IU Environmental Resilience Institute’s Therese Dorau and Bill Brown
Track B: Going Beyond the Regs – IDEM Programs & Incentives with Moderator: Julie L Rhodes, Chief, Pollution Prevention & Compliance Assistance Section, Panel: Missy Shaber, Program Manager - Clean Communities; Rahim Evans, Program Director - Environmental Stakeholder Inclusion (Northwest Region); Deanna Garner, Program Manager - Recycling Market Development Grants
Track C: Nature Based Climate Solutions with Kathy Sipple, Earth Charter Indiana, Jim Haniford, Volunteer Coordinator, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, and Dr. Virginia Pleasant, Co-Executive Director, Northwest Indiana Food Council
12pm Lunch
1:30pm Session 2
Track A: Filling Regional Data Gaps and Drilling into Challenges of Regional CAPS with Kathy Luther, NIRPC
Track B: City Councilor Roundtable
Track C: Food Waste Workshop with Gowri Sundaram, Earth Charter Indiana
Youth Track: Student Climate Leader Networking
3pm Session 3
Track A: Inflation Reduction Act Opportunities for Communities with Lucas Kappel & Diana de la Torre, Elevate
Track B: Sustainability Commissioners Roundtable, Nancy Moldenhauer, Founding Member of Michigan City Sustainability Commission, Brenda Scott Henry, City of Gary Director of Office of Sustainability & Environmental Affairs Department, Halee Griffey, Climate Resiliency & Sustainability Officer West Lafayette, Chris Kerlin, Go Greener Commission West Lafayette
Youth Track: Student Climate Leader Networking
4pm Closing Panel: Mayors Discussion
Our 2023 Hosts:
CLS8 Features
CLS8 was cohosted by the City of Gary, the City of Portage, NIRPC, the Michigan City Commission on Sustainability, and Indiana University Northwest.
This year we convened our 2nd Gathering of Sustainability Commissioners as well as the 1st Convening of Hoosier City and Town Councilors for Climate Action.
We hosted a Youth Leaders Session 1-4pm CT for our student climate champions who shared their work, discuss their issues, and network.
On Sept 7th, we were honored to hold a Screening of “Shifting Sands” and “Liminal” with NWI Green Drinks. Thank you to the NWI GD team, IUN Arts & Humanities and their volunteers for making that possible!
WHere We Started
In August 2016, we inaugurated this remarkable gathering, the first of its kind, the Climate Leadership Summit. Our founding mayors, Jim Brainard and Joe Stahura, along with Earth Charter Indiana, convened mayors, their delegations, experts, and advocates from across the state for a day of intensive learning. The purpose was simple: to inspire action to create climate resilient communities across the Hoosier State.
PAst Climate Leadership Summits
CLS7: September 8-9, 2022 @ IU East, Richmond, IN
CLS6: August 31, 2021 @ University of Evansville, Evansville, IN
CLS5: Virtual Summit August 27, 2020
CLS4: September 12, 2019 @ Goshen College, Goshen, IN
CLS3: September 13, 2018 @ Englewood CDC, Indianapolis, IN
CLS2: September 13, 2017 @Indianapolis Parks’ Arts Garden, Indianapolis
CLS1: August 24, 2016 @ Indiana Interchurch Center, Indianapolis
Past Participating Cities
Angola, Batesville, Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Crawfordsville, Culver, Elkhart, Evansville, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Gary, Goshen, Greencastle, Hobart, Huntington, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Logansport, Michigan City, Mishawaka, Muncie, Nappanee, New Albany, North Vernon, Plymouth, South Bend, Wabash, West Lafayette, Whiting
Not on this list? Join us this year! Let your city or town officials know about us or ask to be their representative.