It’s only half over and we’ve done more in our 40^th anniversary year than in any other prior!  You should be proud of our impressive list of accomplishments and that you’re an integral part of helping to enhance the environmental sustainability of our Valley communities. Toward that end, we invite you to tout your membership in Valley Forward by featuring our logo in your communications materials.

We’ve even created a Branding & Identity Guide that covers the most common topics regarding the use of our logo for member-created communications.  We hope you’ll consider featuring your association with us wherever appropriate.


Simply contact us at (602) 240-2408 to request a copy of our member acceptance agreement to begin including the logo below, developed specifically for member usage, in your marketing materials.

We’ve achieved a lot in this milestone year and there’s more to come, as we plan to rollout a blog on our web site next month, along with a photo gallery and a monthly calendar of events that will enable members to preview all that we’re doing at a glance.

Thanks for your involvement in our many programs – from tree-plantings to educational forums featuring nationally recognized speakers – to advocating for a regional trails system, renewable energy, water conservation and transportation alternatives to the automobile. We appreciate your voice for balance.

Attendees of VFA’s June Board of Director’s/General Membership were treated to bushels of information from authorities in their field as they learned about local and organic food markets in the Valley. (L–R) VFA President Diane Brossart and panel participants: Robert McClendon, owner of McClendon farms in Peoria; Michael Stebner, Executive Chef of True Food Kitchen; Leslie Curry, Metro Educator of Whole Foods Market; and moderator Chris Udall, Executive Director of Agribusiness Council of Arizona. (Shown Far Right) VFA Board Chairman, Christopher Schmaltz of Gust Rosenfeld.

In our unique desert environment, water is our lifeline to sustainability and growth. The Valley's secure water future is the result of over 100 years of visionary planning. It's clear, however, that while we lead the Southwest in managing water supplies, we want to do a better job of communicating our efforts. 

That’s why Valley Forward Association’s Water Committee wants to promote what Valley businesses are doing to be as water efficient as possible and showcase those who are providing leadership and innovation in water efficient practices. To submit your water project for consideration, Click Here

Valley Forward’s “Just For The Fun of It” mixer featured vegan appetizers, cocktails and networking. The second mixer of the year was held in May in partnership with the Society of Marketing Professional Services and focused on a “Healthy Environment – Healthy Economy,” Valley Forward’s 2009 theme. Hosted by Hoskin Ryan, the event drew nearly 300 business and community leaders and featured a host of exhibits, including free range chickens!

PLEASE NOTE: Valley Forward's Board of Directors Retreat has been rescheduled to Friday, November 6. Please mark your calendars accordingly and look for more details to follow. The retreat date was changed from November 12 so as not to conflict with U.S. Green Building Council's 2009 Conference.

Valley Forward is a Bio-Regional partner for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to be held from November 11-13 at the Phoenix Convention Center. The event is expected to draw upwards of 30,000 attendees worldwide. Greenbuild brings together professionals from all aspects of the building industry to share ideas and promote greener building. The event is open to the public and will include over 100 educational sessions featuring world renowned speakers, LEED workshops, off-site educational sessions, and Green Building tours of local sites. Past speakers include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Bill Clinton, Paul Hawken and David Suzuki. For more information, visit: http://www.greenbuildexpo.org.

ASU MASTERS OF REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT (MRED) has appointed MARK STAPP as the new full-time director for the program. Stapp has served as the co-chair of the MRED Advisory Board and worked extensively with the MRED faculty and students. . . MARICOPA COUNTY recently launched the web site MyGreenGovernment.com which details an array of the counties “green” projects and ways county residents can live in a more sustainable fashion . . .The Defining Sustainability fall season at the ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM has garnered national press and is featured on the Sundance Channel’s web site. Click Here for a review of the exhibit . . .The CITY OF PHOENIX has selected DALE LARSEN as director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Larsen has been with the city for 25 years. . . SOUTHWEST GREEN MAGAZINE recently received the 2009 Green Business recognition from the Arizona Minority Business Enterprise Center.