The Impact

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 Sus...

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 - ...

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 Direct...

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...

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 t...

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 fin...

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 C...

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...

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 m...

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 Tow...

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 conversa...

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 addi...

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 region...

We catch up with Steve Winter, New Haven's Executive Director of Climate & Sustainability, along with his compatriots, climate activist Amelia Fortgang, and Giovanni Zinn, New Haven’s City Engineer, to talk about all that glitters in the Elm City... well, all things sustainable anyway. New Haven is the first municipality in Connecticut to achieve Sustainable CT's Gold level certification. We talk about how they did it...

It was my great pleasure to have a conversation with Joshua Steele Kelly, Town Manager and CEO of the beautiful Town of Winchester, Connecticut. He’s held that post since April of 2021, and, prior to that, Josh served as the Town Administrator of Bolton, Connecticut and as Conservation Commissioner in Waterford. And Sustainable CT will be having its 2023 Awards Celebration in Winchester – in October – at the site of the American Mu...