2010 Speaker Series - 8/19/10

August 19th 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Sustain: RiverSmart Homes Program  CM|1.5

Presentation Description:

‘RiverSmart Homes’ program has been very successful at dealing with problems of storm water runoff in DC. Storm water runoff is a rising concern across the nation, particularly in communities built before modern methods were developed to control and treat it.

This presentation will review RiverSmart Homes’ implementation strategies for dealing with storm water runoff, including: greening strategies, homeowner incentives for improving their land, citizen participation, structuring a similar program in Prince George’s County, and raising awareness of the problems storm water runoff and management solutions. 

Presenter's Biography:

Jenny Guillaume

Jenny Guillaume has been working as an Environmental Protection Specialist with the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) since February 2009.  She works in the Watershed Protection division under Planning and Restoration where she manages the RiverSmart Homes Program. Previously she worked with a variety of community greening non-profits, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  She received an Environmental Science Degree from Bates College in 2003. 

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Sustain:  Developing Urban Green Infrastructure Policy- A DC Case Study CM 

Presentation Description:

Cities around the United States are actively developing policy and planning initiatives to promote green infrastructure (such as street trees and green roofs) as part of a strategy to reduce their vulnerability to climate change impacts, mitigate urban heat island concerns, improve air quality, and manage stormwater. Dr. Melissa Keeley will discuss a policy instrument—the Green Area Ratio—designed to increase green infrastructure on private parcels in urban areas that the DC Office of Planning is currently exploring. The focus of the discussion will be her work in translating science into policy to adapt this instrument for implementation in Washington DC.

Presenter's Biography:

Dr. Melissa Keeley

Dr. Melissa Keeley is an Assistant Professor of Geography and of Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University. Her research focuses on urban water resource management and lies at the intersection of urban ecology, environmental policy and planning, and engineering. She was a fellow of Columbia University's Earth Institute; regularly consults with EPA, HUD, and other federal agencies; and advises decision-makers in cities including Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington DC. Dr. Keeley has received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship, and Fulbright Fellowship (declined). Her studies have taken her to the universities of Hamburg (Germany), Washington (Seattle), Ohio State, and Harvard. She earned her doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin.