E-Update

Our leadership is addressing several key issues, not the least of which is how to maintain Valley Forward’s historic leadership while creating a new presence through Arizona Forward. We’re also grappling with how best to retain our existing membership while recruiting new ones statewide. There’s governance and organizational concerns in addition to funding the future.

Thankfully, lots of creative thinkers and professional experts have been at the table to help sort things out. While we don’t have all the answers, our Board of Directors voted this month to survey our membership at large to better understand your thoughts about this transition to a statewide focus. WestGroup Research, a professional services firm and longstanding Valley Forward member, will conduct an online survey for us and we urge your participation. It’s critical to our continued success.

With your input in hand, volunteers from our Board will spend the summer developing a business plan with an outside consultant to transition Valley Forward to Arizona Forward. The plan will be reviewed and voted on by the full Board in August. If approved, Valley Forward would do business as Arizona Forward in 2013, maintaining regional focuses through organizational councils representing central, northern and southern parts of the state.

Some believe this is the natural evolution of Valley Forward. The new direction has already generated $200,000 in grant funding over a three-year period. There are other milestone achievements as well. The Arizona Forward Advisory Board has grown to 11 high-profile Charter members, with an additional 30 founding members joining the coalition. A parks and open space primer released by Arizona Forward last year resulted in a front-page story in The Arizona Republic, followed by an editorial endorsement. A renewable energy forum this year sold out and work is now underway on a statewide transportation primer.

We’re growing quickly but understand the importance of thinking strategically and collectively. That’s why as a member of Valley Forward your input is vital. We need to hear your thoughts, concerns and hopes for the future of our association.

Please watch your inbox for our upcoming membership survey and take a minute to complete the assessment of what’s important to you and your organization.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Ghandi 

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To maximize your membership in Valley Forward we hope you will consider assigning a second Member of Record for your organization. This role could serve as a proxy for you if you are unable to attend meetings, a second champion for Valley Forward and/or someone who is seeking to enhance their professional development profile. Please let Jhenifer Krutz, director of membership, know who will serve as your secondary member of record, so she can add them to our database and personally reach out to engage them. 

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IKOLOJI, Inc., is a Phoenix-based sustainability collaborative with a mission to advance a sustainable society through education and economic development. Its flagship education initiative, the Sonoran Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) Program teaches participants how to apply the fundamental principles of sustainability, and is the recipient of Valley Forward’s prestigious Crescordia award.

The course offers a hands-on approach to sustainability training that challenges students to recognize and understand problems, identify opportunities and craft innovative solutions, as modeled in the built environment. Its scope includes global, regional, municipal, commercial and residential perspectives.

Thanks to a State Energy Sector Partnership grant awarded to the state of Arizona, full tuition is now being covered for Sonoran SBA participants. Through the grant, 40 people will be able to go through the training and nationally recognized certification exam at no cost. They’ll enhance and expand their knowledge on sustainable principles and best practices.  

Training will begin on June 22 with one 18-week accelerated session, meeting at Phoenix College downtown, every other week on Friday and Saturday. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis through noon on June 13. Click here for more information about enrolling in Sonoran SBA Program.

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MAY QUARTERLY LUNCHEON ON
THE FOUR FOREST RESTORATION INITIATIVE

Tree hugging has taken on a whole new meaning. That’s the message delivered at Valley Forward’s May luncheon on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), a program to treat 2.4 million acres of overcrowded ponderosa pine forest across the Mongollon Rim.

Environmentalists have historically advocated for planting and saving trees. Today scientists suggest a paradigm shift – fewer trees are better when it comes to forests. It’s essential to containing wildfires and enhancing our ecosystem. Arizona is leading the way with this unprecedented initiative bringing conservationists together with academia, industry and the public sector to treat 50,000 acres annually. It’s good for the environment and the economy, protecting water supplies and creating jobs.

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SOLAR PHOENIX 2

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited Phoenix last week to show his support of Solar Phoenix 2, the nation's largest city-sponsred residential solar financing program. The initiative is a public/private collaboration between the city of Phoenix, National Bank of Arizona, Paramount Solar, APS and SRP and will allow up to 1,800 Phoenix homeowners to adopt solar power by the end of the year. Valley Forward participated in a special energy sector roundtable discussion hosted by the Phoenix Green Chamber with Secretary Chu following the press conference.

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PHOENIX SISTER CITIES COMMISSION

President and CEO Diane Brossart is now serving on the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission and was officially sworn in at the Phoenix City Council meeting last week. Phoenix currently has 10 sister cities: Calgary, Canada; Catania, Italy; Chengdu, China; Ennis, Ireland; Grenoble, France; Hermosillo, Mexico; Himeji, Japan; Prague, Czech Republic; Ramat-Gan, Israel; and Taipei, Taiwan. Valley Forward worked with Phoenix Sister Cities last year to bring international delegates to its Livability Summit.

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Our coalition to foster a statewide sustainability agenda for Arizona has been propelled by a major grant, a new high-level prominent Charter member, our first public sector recruit and two more utilities joining our diverse business-based group.

Valley Forward recently received an $80,000 grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust with the opportunity to renew funding for an additional two years to grow our Arizona Forward initiative, launched last year to promote a healthy environment while encouraging economic vitality. As part of its annual grant program, the Trust awarded more than $1.8 million to 22 Arizona nonprofit organizations.

The University of Arizona is our newest Charter member, joining 10 other high-level entities represented on the Arizona Forward Advisory Board. Other new recruits include Pima County, UniSource Energy Corporation and Southwest Gas Corp., bringing the total roster to 41 members.

We have experienced impressive growth of both public and private sector members in a relatively short time, which will allow us to better foster our basic agenda of land use and open space planning, protecting public lands, parks and monuments, as well as transportation, air quality, water and energy.

Demonstrate your leadership and join Arizona Forward today! Click here for membership information. Click here to download the membership application. To discuss your involvement, call Diane Brossart at (602) 240-2408 or email dbrossart@arizonaforward.org.

Charter members of Arizona Forward include:
Arizona Community Foundation, Cox Communications, First Solar, Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold, National Bank of Arizona, Solon Corporation, Sundt Construction, The Nature Conservancy, Total Transit, University of Arizona and Wells Fargo.

Be sure to like our Arizona Forward page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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The Valley Forward Blog was launched in Sept. 2009, and we have had more than 115 posts from guest bloggers, averaging a blog post every week and a half. It’s a great forum for members to discuss any range of topics related to the environment, sustainability and livable communities and we use our social media channels to help drive readers to new blog posts. If you are interested in signing up to be a guest blogger, please contact Christie Silverstein, director of marketing & public relations, at csilverstein@arizonaforward.org or (602) 240-2408.

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Diane Brossart is a regular guest blogger for KTAR 92.3 News Talk Radio and AZ Big Media. Check out our her recent postings:

KTAR Guest Blog

THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY RALLIES IN SUPPORT OF ARIZONA PARKS

AZ Big Media Guest Blog

DEMOCRATIC PROCESS BOTH FRUSTRATING AND REWARDING

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MAIN STREETS…the proposed Arizona Downtown Alliance plans to spur revitalization, inspire economic development and encourage new business growth in cities and towns all across Arizona. The Alliance is partnering with local, state and national stakeholders in the public, private and non-profit sectors to be a clearinghouse for information, resources, education and funding opportunities for citizens working to build stronger, healthier downtowns and local business districts.


4FRI RESEARCH…to find out how the forest ecosystem responds to landscape-scale forest-restoration efforts, the Ecological Restoration Institute at NAU and SRP are teaming up in an unprecedented research project through 2013. Findings from the half-million-dollar study are expected to help the Forest Service and stakeholders of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative make science-based decisions that benefit watersheds in the massive 2.4 million-acre forest-health project across the Mogollon Rim.


CLEANTECH…executives of foreign and local cleantech companies looking to expand their operations in Arizona are in town this week for the City of Phoenix's International Business Symposium. Each company will be presenting their products and expansion plans and are seeking local distributors, investment capital, financing and joint venture partners in Arizona.


NEW AMWUA LEADER… Arizona Municipal Water Users Association’s Board of Directors has selected Kathleen Ferris to serve as Executive Director. Ferris is an attorney and has been involved in Arizona water issues for the past 35 years.


REBATE PROGRAM…Energize Phoenix announced that businesses participating in the commercial loan program are now eligible to receive additional rebates from the commercial rebate program as the cap has increased from $200,000 to $500,000.


SOLAR PROJECT…Duke Energy Renewables acquired a 10 MW utility-scale solar project near Kingman from SOLON Corp. The Black Mountain Solar Project under construction in Mohave County is expected to achieve commercial operation in October and UniSource Energy Services will purchase the power generated at the site through a 20-year power purchase agreement.


ROOSEVELT ROW…the nonprofit CDC’s annual fundraising event – “Turning Brown Lots Green” -- is being held at Bliss/Rebar on May 21. All proceeds will support the A.R.T.S.  (Adaptive Reuse of Temporary Space) Program.


FENCES COMING DOWN…the Hayden Flour Mill is the oldest cast-in-place, reinforced concrete building in Tempe. It has been 15 years since the public has been allowed on the grounds, but the fences are coming down on May 22! The city of Tempe has developed the site into a temporary event venue as it seeks a company to purchase the site for a permanent development project.


AUDUBON CENTER…the Audubon Center boasts breath-taking views of the downtown skyline and the lush Rio Salado habitat and is perfect for a corporate party, wedding, holiday event, meeting or staff retreat. The rates are very reasonable and rental proceeds benefit educational programs for inner-city youth.

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LAND USE/OPEN SPACE
9 a.m., Tuesday, May 22

 Join us for a briefing on fallow lots and a proposed temporary use program for the Baron Collier site in Phoenix.

Featuring:
COLIN TETREAULT
Senior Policy Advisor, Sustainability, City of Phoenix

In addition, we’ll hear insights on the sunflower project in the Roosevelt Row area from:

GREG ESSER
ASU’s Director of Desert Initiative

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ENERGY
9 a.m., Thursday, May 24

Join us for a briefing on Model Building Energy Codes in Arizona and the potential value in generating long-term energy savings.

Featuring:
DAN DREILING
Manager of SRP Program Development

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WATER
9 a.m., Tuesday, June 5

Join us for a recap of water-related bills from this year's legislative session.

Featuring:
JEFF KROS
Intergovernmental Program Manager, AMWUA

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PUBLIC EDUCATION (PEC)
9 a.m., Tuesday, June 12

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TRANSPORTATION/AIR
9 a.m., Thursday, June 14

Join us as we continue working on our statewide Transportation Primer. The goal is to provide unbiased facts, background information and answers to frequently asked questions on statewide issues relating to our transportation infrastructure and funding. Come hear how you can participate and support our advocacy efforts.

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CANALSCAPE
9 a.m., Thursday, June 21

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To register your participation on an Issue Committee for 2012, click here and login to your individual profile page using your email address and password. To RSVP to attend any of these committee meetings, contact Vicky White at vwhite@arizonaforward.org or (602) 240-2408.

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EVENT COMMITTEES

ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS
STEERING COMMITTEE 
9 a.m., Wednesday, May 30
RSVP to Vicky White