Wednesday evening keynote speaker
Jerome Ringo
Environmental speaker Jerome Ringo is one of the most influential conservationists in the United States today, and an outspoken supporter of increasing diversity in the conservation movement. The president of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of diverse leaders fighting to free America from foreign energy dependence, he is a champion of environmental justice, an
advocate for clean energy, and a strong proponent of green business. As the leader of the new green power movement, Ringo has caught the attention of economists, conservationists, labor, and even President Barack Obama. Apollo’s ten year, five million green jobs plan is positioned to act as a catalyst for economic stimulus.

Thursday luncheon keynote speaker
Hunter Lovins
L. Hunter Lovins is president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a nonprofit organization in Colorado. An internationally recognized leader in helping companies and communities profit from more sustainable practices, Lovins has co-authored 12 books, including Natural Capitalism (1999), the 2006 Climate Protection Manual for Cities,
and the pending 2009 Climate Protection Manual for Businesses. Her areas of expertise include globalization, land management, energy, water, and green and community economic development. She is also a founding Professor of Sustainable Business at Presidio School of Management and was named Time Magazine’s 2000 Hero for the Planet.

The 4th annual statewide Green by Design conference and training is aimed at providing housing developers, builders, contractors, architects, city planners, environmentalists, funders, and other professionals the tools needed to build energy efficient, healthy, and sustainable housing. Multiple tracks will be offered, including sessions by local and national experts that focus on various elements of the Green Communities criteria (a set of nationally recognized green affordable housing standards) and other related topics. Examples of successful green building projects, including both multifamily and single-family developments, new construction and rehabilitation, will be highlighted throughout the conference.

Topics of interest include:
Topics of interest include: Residential Green Building • Minnesota Housing Green Funding Requirements • Green Rehabilitation • Ensuring Healthy Homes and Communities • Green Opportunities and Issues Surrounding the Foreclosure Crisis • Sustainable Land Use Planning • Equitable Green Economic Development • Green Building Materials • Energy Conservation and Climate Protection Strategies •
Rural and Urban Greening Strategies • and other great topics on green building, design, and public policy.