The Impact

Mallory Howard is the Assistant Curator at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford - which just so happens to be where we'll be having our 2025 Spring into Summer Celebration on June 4. Mallory knows more about the Twain House and Sam Clemens' time in Hartford than any one human should legally be allowed to know. Please join our May podcast for a delightful conversation about historical preservation, the Gilded Age, and all things Twain.

We catch up with David Dickson, Director of the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research - a/k/a UConn CLEAR. UConn CLEAR provides indispensable resources to land use decision makers in support of better land use decisions, healthier natural resources, and more resilient communities. Dave also happens to be a member of the Sustainable CT Board of Directors. It's a fun and informative conversation about sustainability, and basketball, and lots of acronyms.

Danielle Chesebrough knows a thing or two about responsible investments. She's the First Selectman of Stonington and a member of Sustainable CT's Board of Directors. And before holding these notable positions, Danielle spent eight years as a Senior Analyst of Investor Relations with the United Nations Global Compact. We ask her (among many other interesting and important questions) why she thinks a state investment in Sustainable CT is such a great idea.

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters calls Hwang “the only Republican Senator who has consistently supported major climate legislation, emphasizing practical, nature-based solutions that promote responsible stewardship of the lands, forests, wetlands, and waterways of the state.” We find out why his reputation for common sense, bi-partisanship and good humor is so well-deserved.

This year marked the 25th Anniversary Annual Environmental Summit. Hosted by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, it was a milestone in bringing together advocates, lawmakers, policy experts, and passionate community members to chart the future of Connecticut’s environmental movement. And the IMPACT was there - interviewing, witnessing, and learning. If you weren't able to attend on January 7 - and even if you were - this will be a great opportunity to listen in and gain valuable insight on this "premier space for learning, collaboration, and action."

Laura Francis, Interim Director of South Central Regional Council of Governments, joins us to discuss the role of COGs in achieving Connecticut's sustainability goals. With 30 years of experience in Durham town government (15 as First Selectman), Laura brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to any table. And that's a good thing, too, because she also happens to be the Co-chair of Sustainable CT's Board of Directors.

Our new Executive Director is hardly new to Sustainable CT - she's been an indispensable part of the organization since its inception. Jessica LeClair joins us to talk about many things - what it's like to sit in the Big Chair, the politics of the moment, her hopes and aspirations for Sustainable CT's future, and why the Campaign for a Sustainable CT is so important. Please listen.

Carl Fortuna's service to the community reads like a hearty alphabet soup: MIRA (the Materials Innovation Recycling Authority), CCM (the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities), COST (the Council of Small Towns), River COG (the Lower Connecticut River Council of Governments), and let's not forget CIRMA (the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency). Topping it off, he's been the First Selectman of Old Saybrook, a Gold certified town, for 13 years. And we just happen to be holding our 2024 Awards Celebration at the historic Kate Theater in Old Saybrook on November 13th! Come to the table for October's IMPACT when we sit down for a great conversation and a healthy helping of Old Saybrook.

Thomas Clynch is something of a Renaissance Man - a principal at Civic Mind, the creative agency dedicated to social progress and corporate citizenship, and the founder of the new Hartford Times - he is also the founder of Yoga In Our City, a Community Match Fund project. We talk about many things, as Renaissance Men will, but we definitely wanted to hear what TJ had to say about his experience working with Sustainable CT through the Match Fund process. Leonardo would be proud.

If you think "socially responsible investing" just might be an oxymoron, you wouldn't be alone, but you will be enlightened when you listen to James Osborn, founder of Envest - the first (and so far, the only) Certified B Corporation financial advisory firm in the state of Connecticut. James’ roots run deep in sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and financial planning which motivated him to create Envest Asset Management. Join us as we explore the promise - and the challenge - of investing in a sustainable future.

Sustainable CT Fellows Adrian Huq and Jackie Flaherty take over the big microphone this month to interview collegiate movers-and-shakers in the sustainability movement. Their guests include: Dylan Steer, President of EcoHusky, lead organizer with Fossil Fuel Free UConn, and UConn Office of Sustainability intern; Amelia Kearney, Founder and Former President of Tunxis Sustainability Club, and Communications Lead at Sunrise Movement Connecticut; and Derek Faulkner from Southern CT State's Office of Sustainability. It's a lively and informative conversation that you won't want to miss!

Thought Partner Solutions (TPS) is invested in opening doors to authentic social impact through values-based leadership development. With an unwavering commitment to a more inclusive world, they offer solutions to help their partners to build a more inclusive and equitable workplace. They are experts at uncovering organizational values and turning those values into action with a framework that they call the Be READI© Approach. Join us for an in-depth discussion with TPS dynamic founder and leader, Jamal Jimerson.

We catch up with Bryan Garcia, long-serving president and CEO of Connecticut Green Bank - a quasi-public agency that leverages ratepayer funds with private capital to offer low-cost, long-term financing for clean energy projects. CT Green Bank was the first of its kind back in 2011, and they've not let up on innovation since. Hear about the Green Bank's current and future plans to support resilient infrastructure and so much more.

Weston High School teacher Michael Aitkenhead and a few of his industrious students joined us to discuss their pollinator garden project - an interactive ecosystem where students can get hands-on experience with wildlife and problem-solving. Good things happen in the spring at Weston HS, so join us to hear the buzz. A Community Match Fund project!

Nicole Chevalier - philanthropist, activist, writer, member of the Sustainable CT Board of Directors, and chair of our search committee for a brand new Executive Director - talks about the ED's role, how finding the right person is so important, and what the future holds for Sustainable CT.

A recent addition to the Sustainable CT Board of Directors, Mike Purcaro has been working with the Town of Vernon in one capacity or another for almost 20 years and as town administrator for the last seven years. Vernon is truly a Sustainable CT "success story" - over-achieving in nearly every action area since their registration in 2018. Join us to discover how they did it and what lies ahead for the Silver certified Town of Vernon.

As a newly-elected First Selectwoman of Chester, Cindy Lignar's plate is pretty full these days, but she's graciously made time to chat with us. Prior to her election, Cindy headed the Chester Sustainability Team, demonstrating achievement in 12 sustainable impact areas ranging from inclusive community building and thriving local economies to vibrant arts and culture and well-stewarded lands. Please join us for a conversation about all things sustainability in the Silver certified town of Chester.

We had the good-good fortune to be joined by Ted Shafer, currently serving as the director of economic development for the towns of Winchester (a recently Bronze certified town) and Barkhamsted. Ted served for 10 years as first selectman of Burlington, from 2011 until 2021, overseeing much of Burlington’s evolution into a climate and sustainability-conscious municipality and guiding the town to Bronze certification in 2019. In addition, Ted has been involved with Sustainable CT from the very beginning – helping us to organize and to launch back in the dear dark days of our founding in 2017. He’s been a member of the Sustainable CT Board of Directors and has served as treasurer of that august body as well. But more than that, Ted shows up – we can always count on his good counsel, his positive energy, his willingness to attend, to participate, to support. And that is a rare and wonderful thing.

We had the good-good fortune to be joined by Ted Shafer, currently serving as the director of economic development for the towns of Winchester (a recently Bronze certified town) and Barkhamsted. Ted served for 10 years as first selectman of Burlington, from 2011 until 2021, overseeing much of Burlington’s evolution into a climate and sustainability-conscious municipality and guiding the town to Bronze certification in 2019. In addition, Ted has been involved with Sustainable CT from the very beginning – helping us to organize and to launch back in the dear dark days of our founding in 2017. He’s been a member of the Sustainable CT Board of Directors and has served as treasurer of that august body as well. But more than that, Ted shows up – we can always count on his good counsel, his positive energy, his willingness to attend, to participate, to support. And that is a rare and wonderful thing.

We gain some important insight about the value of the Sustainable CT Fellowship Program from the people who know it best and have seen it in action. We're joined by Adrian Huq, a 2023 Fellow with the Capitol Region Council of Governments; Dylan Steer, a 2023 Fellow with the Metropolitan Council of Governments; Michael Towle, deputy director of the Western Connecticut Council of Governments; and Ben Lovejoy, director of regional planning and municipal services at the South Central Regional Council of Governments.