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Sustainability Advisory Board.
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<br />Louisville?
<br />decisions?
<br />contribute to the success of the board?
<br />Kristen
<br />McDermott
<br />I have been in Louisville since 2007.1 have seen it grow Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present day while planning for meeting the needs of society in the future. But, I think sustainability means
<br />and develop over time. I appreciate that Louisville hasn't treating our planet so that it can meet the needs of all living organisms, not just humans.
<br />changed too much over time It still has the small-town
<br />feel, however environmental issues have grown here
<br />and across the globe. As a nation, we are trying to take
<br />steps to curb the effects of climate change while trying
<br />to mitigate climate change. These steps must be taken
<br />locally as our national government is too big and
<br />contains too much bureaucracy to make real changes. I
<br />am interested in serving on the board because I want to
<br />be involved in community decisions that will affect our
<br />current residents as well as making a lasting impact on
<br />generations to come.
<br />One thing I do is bring in sustainability coordinators from Louisville and Lafayette to speak to may students, so I
<br />think that the board could collaborate with those in education to reach kids which will help foster
<br />environmentally -minded thinking for generations to come. The board could collaborate with economic
<br />development boards to attract and support sustainable businesses, such as those focusing on renewable energy,
<br />local agriculture, and eco-friendly products. (Love the Grama Grass pasture project even though my dogs keep
<br />eating the left -behind cow patties). The board could partner with water and energy utility providers to encourage
<br />water conservation and renewable energy adoption. The board can support programs that incentivize the use of
<br />solar energy, smart grids, and other clean technologies.
<br />It is important to have a broad range of members on the sustainability board. Everyone I have a degree in Environmental Studies from CU and a master's in education. I am also an AP/IB
<br />has a bias rooted in their cultural or religious backgrounds as well as their lived Environmental Science teacher at Centaurus High School. I am organized, open-minded and posses
<br />experiences. Bias can influence how a person sees sustainability should be played out. If leadership qualities.
<br />someone on the board is a business leader, they may prioritize progress over the
<br />environment, while someone who is more focused on the environment may prioritize
<br />the environment over development because they are consistently thinking about how
<br />the environment is being degraded by development and the constant desire to grow
<br />the economy. Those with power and privilege often have access to resources that allow
<br />their vision for a community to be realized. It is important for the sustainability board
<br />or any board for that matter, to make sure that a broad range of voices are heard so
<br />that it does not continue to serve the needs of those that are most vocal or have the
<br />power to make changes.
<br />Scott D. Reeves I am passionate about sustainability, focusing on water To me, sustainability means integrating environmental, economic, and social aspects. This includes using renewable energy, creating green spaces, and
<br />and energy conservation, alternative fuel use, dark sky managing waste effectively. It also involves supporting sustainable local economic development and ensuring the health and well-being of our citizens
<br />initiatives, green building design, and climate change through clean air, safe neighborhoods, and community engagement. Additionally, three top priorities include green building design, sustainable
<br />mitigation. While conservation efforts are crucial, I am transportation systems, and dark sky initiatives, which are all crucial for reducing our environmental impact and enhancing the quality of life in our
<br />particularly enthusiastic on expanding dark sky initiatives community.
<br />to reduce light pollution and its adverse effects on the
<br />environment, human health, and energy consumption.
<br />By working with local government on policy development and funding, encouraging businesses to adopt green
<br />practices, and engaging with nonprofits on community projects, the board can drive comprehensive sustainability
<br />initiatives. Additionally, collaborating with healthcare providers, transportation authorities, and tech companies
<br />can help implement energy -efficient practices, develop sustainable transportation options, promote local food
<br />systems, and innovate new technologies for a greener future.
<br />As our city continues to grow, bias, power, and privilege can shape community
<br />development, often favoring certain groups and individuals with more resources and
<br />decision -making access. To ensure equitable development, we must recognize and
<br />mitigate biases, redistribute power, acknowledge privilege, and actively involve
<br />marginalized community members. This includes involving diverse backgrounds in
<br />decision -making, gathering community insights on biases, and relying on objective data
<br />to inform decisions.
<br />As a product engineer with a doctorate in polymer chemistry and over 20 years of experience, I
<br />bring a wealth of expertise in sustainable materials development, circular economy practices,
<br />environmental impact assessment, and process optimization. These skills are invaluable to a city's
<br />sustainability advisory board, helping to reduce environmental impact, enhance resource
<br />management, and ensure regulatory compliance. My extensive experience in collaboration and
<br />innovation within a multi -national organization can drive forward -thinking sustainability initiatives.
<br />Additionally, I have led Lexmark Boulder's hazmat response team, further demonstrating my
<br />commitment to safety and environmental stewardship.
<br />Tawnya Ferbiak The Sustainability Advisory Board plays a vital role in
<br />Somauroo climate change adaptation —a mission that's personal to
<br />me as a climate disaster survivor of the Marshall Fire. It's
<br />crucial for Louisville to fully recognize that while wildfire
<br />risk is inevitable, the damage from these events can be
<br />significantly reduced. Rather than ignoring the dangers
<br />or living in fear, we can proactively prepare for the
<br />future by addressing and mitigating these risks.
<br />To me, sustainability means building resilience and adapting to the realities of climate change by proactively reducing the risks we face. As someone
<br />who experienced the devastating effects of the Marshall Fire firsthand, I'm passionate about ensuring that Louisville is fully prepared to confront
<br />climate risks head-on.
<br />I believe the top three priorities for the Sustainability Advisory Board should be:
<br />1) Helping residents navigate energy upgrades/going-all electric so we increase adoption: Before the fire I was working on converting my home to all -
<br />electric and had already performed air sealing, boarded up and installed covers over sky lights, installed a whole house fan, removed an additional air
<br />conditioning, and added blown in insulation, which halved my power bills. After the fire I rebuilt a 2021 code house, unfortunately with a builder and an
<br />HVAC contractor who made huge mistakes due to inexperience/lack of care. As a result, I have experienced problems with: ERV sucking radon exhaust
<br />into house, ERV inoperable for multiple reasons, air quality problems, heat pump coolant leak, heat pump water heater not performing, and heat pump
<br />using 4x the energy it is supposed to be using because HVAC contractor did not commission it properly ("we don't do energy efficiency", the installer
<br />told us). Based on these experiences, I know you can't just dictate code and get the high performance out of it. There are pitfalls with these
<br />new/converted homes that many owners struggle to understand. We need to push through it by providing ample education and support to residents.
<br />As an admin of the Marshall Together Slack, I have collected careful notes about the community pain points.
<br />2) Advocating for climate adaptation through better fire mitigation: What is the point of decarbonizing homes and businesses if they are just as likely
<br />to burn again in the next fire or be lost in another disaster? You can never make up for the carbon emissions of losing 550 homes and needing to
<br />rebuild them. Louisville can significantly reduce wildfire risks by promoting building mitigation, defensible space around buildings, active open space
<br />management, and improving its emergency preparedness.
<br />I organized the Louisville Neighborhood Preparedness Roundtable, a group of very engaged residents that was meeting regularly with the city to discuss
<br />these issues until the City abruptly ended those meetings with no explanation It has been a huge frustration to me that there is no transparency into
<br />the decision making or plans around resiliency in the City. Residents with a real stake in seeing Louisville get rebuilt safer feel completely
<br />disempowered. I would like to see the sustainability board engage residents and help raise their safety and resilience concerns with the City.
<br />The grassroots advocacy of the NPR lives on outside of City channels. For example members of our group worked to get Council to adopt home
<br />I recently engaged the Louisville Fire Protection District with a proposal to give residents simple firefighting tools
<br />and training akin to an indoor fire extinguisher, but for small outdoor grass fires. I see them as a strong potential
<br />partner when it comes to advising on climate change adaptation strategies.
<br />This is new to Louisville - residents and businesses making plans for personal sustainability. The Xcel fire
<br />mitigation power outages we experienced this year have forced a new group of residents and businesses to look
<br />for backup solutions, a technically complicated and hard to navigate subject. I have yet to find a resource directed
<br />to living in this age of fire -minded utility shutdowns. The Sustainability Board can engage this community who
<br />may not have been interested in solar with battery backup before power disruptions became the new normal.
<br />On those occasions when local government may not be the best place to apply a solution, we have an amazing
<br />partner in State Representative Kyle Brown. I worked with him over the past 2 legislative sessions to get six bills
<br />passed.
<br />Finally, we should always be looking for best examples and partners outside of Boulder County for fresh ideas and
<br />approaches. As a board member of Marshall Together, I can't say enough good things about the mentoring that a
<br />non-profit called After the Fire provided to mein my fire -related advocacy efforts.
<br />Making changes to building code must be done carefully to balance the need to keep
<br />Louisville affordable and keep businesses thriving so that people and businesses don't
<br />end up being priced out. As someone who lost my home in the fire, I watched neighbors
<br />weigh the costs and benefits of going with the 2021 code. I initially did not support the
<br />Marshall Fire code opt -out, but I changed my mind after hearing fire survivors speak at
<br />a Council meeting. I am grateful that the State and Xcel provided grants that made it
<br />possible for so many fire survivors to rebuild the highest performance houses possible.
<br />If only we had more capacity in our builders and a little more education for residents,
<br />we could have had near universal adoption.
<br />Asa patent lawyer with an undergraduate degree in physics and a previous career background in
<br />aerospace engineering, I have both a technical and a policy background.
<br />I also have three years of intensive local community organizing experience as a co-founder of
<br />Marshall Together and the Neighborhood Preparedness Roundtable. In that work, I have functioned
<br />as a virtual government affairs lead, taking the information and stories the community shared with
<br />me as a trusted member and trying to work solutions with policy makers.
<br />I am especially proud of the mortgage servicer state legislation passed last year thanks to
<br />representative Brown, a national firstl I was the first person to flag the problem that mortgage
<br />servicers were needlessly withholding and earning profits on fire survivor insurance proceeds
<br />needed to pay to rebuild homes to policymakers. This problem was completely under the radar of
<br />the disaster recovery community, even though it almost certainly happens everywhere that disaster
<br />survivors face large insurance claims nationwide. Then I engaged officials at FANNIE MAE, drafted a
<br />policy memo for Rep Brown, organized a town hall with fire survivors, and supported Rep Brown's
<br />efforts with testimony to get the bill passed. I recently met with the Maui mayor's office because
<br />they would like to emulate this legislation for Lahaina survivors, and if Rep Neguse takes on this
<br />issue at the national level, I will be happy to advocate for disaster victims in Congress.
<br />In my work I have found that I have a special knack for making connections and creative alliances. I
<br />am proud to say that I have built relationships with Louisville Council members and Superior
<br />Trustees, emergency managers, other non-profit partners, staff in Louisville and Superior, and
<br />countless community members across Louisville, UBC, and Superior.
<br />I would be happy to put my skillset to work to help the Sustainability Advisory Board achieve its
<br />Aubrey Suber As a sustainability professional and new resident of
<br />Lousiville, I am excited about the opportunity to serve
<br />my community on a topic I am passionate about. I hope
<br />to be able to contribute to my community in a
<br />meaningful way and impact the world for the better.
<br />To me, sustainability means creating systems and solutions that enable both people and the planet to thrive, now and for future generations. It's about
<br />understanding the interconnectedness of environmental health, social equity, and economic stability, and making choices that consider the long-term
<br />impacts on all three. Sustainability means balancing our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own,
<br />fostering resilience, and promoting inclusivity. It involves working collaboratively, respecting diverse perspectives, and recognizing that the benefits and
<br />burdens of our actions should be shared equitably across communities. Given Louisville's Sustainability Action Plan and Goals, I believe that the top
<br />three priorities for the Board should be stakeholder engagement and education, reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions, and creating
<br />resilience through adapting to the present and near -term impacts of climate change.
<br />I believe Louisville offers numerous opportunities for collaboration across the community, including with private
<br />businesses, service providers, the public sector, and more. For instance, partnering with private businesses could
<br />involve creating incentives or removing barriers to encourage participation in sustainability initiatives, like
<br />composting or energy efficiency upgrades. Collaborations with service providers, such as Excel Energy and
<br />Republic Services, could help expand access to sustainability services and enhance community education.
<br />Additionally, working with the public sector —including the fire department, library, and local schools —could
<br />promote greater awareness of sustainability and individual practices that contribute to Louisville's sustainability
<br />goals. I strongly believe in the power of stakeholder engagement and the value of listening to diverse perspectives
<br />to understand the needs of various groups, ultimately enhancing our ability to serve all, or most, stakeholders
<br />effectively.
<br />Bias, power, and privilege can strongly influence sustainability decisions by shaping
<br />whose interests are prioritized and whose voices are heard. Bias may lead decision -
<br />makers to favor initiatives that align with their own experiences, often overlooking the
<br />needs of marginalized communities. Power dynamics allow wealthier or more
<br />influential groups to dominate the conversation, potentially resulting in policies that
<br />address a narrow set of interests. Privilege can also impact access to sustainable
<br />options, with those who are socioeconomically advantaged more easily affording eco-
<br />friendly choices, while disadvantaged communities often face greater environmental
<br />burdens. For equitable outcomes, sustainability efforts must actively include diverse
<br />voices and address these dynamics.
<br />I have a longstanding passion for the environment and sustainability, with a Bachelor's in
<br />Environmental Studies and Social Entrepreneurship from Tulane University and a Master's in
<br />Sustainability from CU Boulder. My experience spans teaching environmental education for several
<br />years and working in corporate sustainability consulting, where I collaborate with diverse
<br />stakeholders on sustainability initiatives and effectively communicate on related topics. In my
<br />current role, I help clients set sustainability strategies, prepare sustainability reports, ensure ESG
<br />compliance (e.g., with CSRD, CA SB 253 and 261), deliver executive -level sustainability training, and
<br />more. I am confident that my education, expertise, and enthusiasm would add value to the
<br />Sustainability Advisory Board.
<br />Jesi Vandeputte I've worked in many different areas of Sustainability
<br />over the past 20 years such as waste reduction, energy
<br />conservation, alternative transportation, education,
<br />climate science, etc. I had the privilege of raising my
<br />children full time and took a break in my career but still
<br />incorporated my passion in sustainability through
<br />volunteering in their schools in areas such as zero waste
<br />efforts, garden program, walk/bike to school program,
<br />etc. I would love to support the city of Louisville in it's
<br />Sustainability efforts. I love our town and am so proud
<br />of the initiatives it makes.
<br />I believe Sustainability means that behaviors, policies, and such are shaped to incorporate long term effects on financial, environmental, and social
<br />factors. I believe the top three priorities for the Board should be identifying it's mission, it's long and short term goals, and an action plan to meet
<br />those goals.
<br />!think it's imperative that the sustainability board collaborate with other sectors so there is coherence and
<br />congruence between the boards to aid the city of Louisville in achieving it's overall objectives.
<br />Political and religious belief systems are often known to bias power and privilege play My bachelor's degree is in Environmental Public Policy from CU and I have over 10 years of working
<br />however I believe it's essential to hear from a diverse array of values so that we are in the Boulder County area on a wide variety of sustainable initiatives. I have strong skills in
<br />addressing concerns and desires from all members of our community. discernment, teamwork, problem solving, project management, and goal setting/accomplishing
<br />along with a deep passion to help create a sustainable future.
<br />City Council 9-10 December 2024 Packet
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