Mayor Nutter appoints leaders to serve on new Sustainability Advisory Board

Mayor Michael A. Nutter has appointed leaders from government, non-profits and the private sector to serve on a newly-created Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB). This Board will serve as a leadership group that will assist the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability as it defines strategies and goals for developing a coordinated sustainability policy for the City of Philadelphia.

“The fact that such talented individuals from across sectors and jurisdictions have agreed to come together to frame and support a vision of Philadelphia’s future as a sustainable city is a demonstration of our collective commitment to the future,” said Mayor Nutter.

Mayor Nutter will formally announce the Sustainability Advisory Board at a Go Green press conference Sunday morning with the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Christina Lurie, co-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, has agreed to serve on the Board. Also present at the press conference will be Governor Rendell, DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis, Councilman Jim Kenney, Don Welsh, Regional Environment Protection Agency Director, Joe Banner and Dr. Mark Alan Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia.

“Rising energy prices and accelerating climate change present opportunities for smart cities that embrace rather than deny the future,” said Hughes. “The knowledge and resources represented on this Board are second to none and I look forward to working with these partners as we develop and implement our vision of a sustainable Philadelphia.”

The Sustainability Advisory Board, co-chaired by Joe Manko and Anne Papageorge, will provide the region’s first venue for high-level collaboration between government, non-profits and the private sector and will serve as a forum for information sharing, advice and expert support.

Members are appointed by the Mayor for a two-year term and will meet quarterly on a voluntary basis, with the first meeting scheduled for mid-October.

Sustainability Advisory Board

Joseph M. Manko (Co-Chair) – Partner, Manko, Gold, Katcher, Fox, LLP

Anne Papageorge (Co-Chair) – Vice President, Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, University of Pennsylvania

Carol Aichele – Chair, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and Chester County Commissioner

Della Clark – President, The Enterprise Center

Nick DeBenedictis – Chairman & President, Aqua America, Inc.

Michael DiBerardinis – Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Patrick J. Eiding – President, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

Raj Gupta – Chairman & CEO, Rohm and Haas Company

John Hanger – Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

William P. Hankowsky – Chairman, President and CEO, Liberty Property Trust

Feather Houstoun – President, William Penn Foundation

Hon. James F. Kenney – Councilman At-Large, Philadelphia City Council

Christine Knapp – Director of Outreach, PennFuture

Christina Lurie – Philadelphia Eagles

Tim McDonald – Founding Member, Onion Flats

Jane G. Pepper – President, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Liz Robinson – Executive Director, Energy Coordinating Agency

RoseAnn B. Rosenthal – President & CEO, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Jerome Shabazz – Executive Director, JASTECH Development Services, Inc. and Overbrook Environmental Center

Patrick Starr – Vice President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Sandy Wiggins – Chairman, e3 Bank