Sustainability Series: Space to Grow

Welcome to our new Sustainability Series created by our Emerging Professionals Team!

The series is a monthly conversation led by emerging professionals that explores the topic of all things sustainability with a focus in the Midwest region. In this series, you will hear from individuals leading economic, environmental, and equitable initiatives near you!

Date: Thursday, September 24th, 2020 at 10 AM
Guests: Meg Kelly and Daniella Pereira
Organization: Space to Grow
Moderator: Sophia Essian, Associate ASLA

Topic: Natural Environment and Biodiversity, Human Rights, Involvement, Cooperation

The $1.00 registration fee will be donated to the Space to Grow Healthy Schools Campaign.

Look for the ZOOM LINK on your receipt.

Register

About our speakers

Meg Kelly, Space to Grow Director, Healthy Schools Campaign

Meg is an experienced program manager specializing in land use planning, resource protection, land conservation, sustainable development, and environmental communications. Meg has a unique background working for nearly 20 years to manage complex partnerships centered on green stormwater management, land conservation, and public engagement, and is experienced working with and for public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and consulting firms. For the past six years, Meg has managed the Space to Grow program and partnership, helping to grow it from a vision to an international case study of model green schoolyards.

• B.A., Urban and Environmental Affairs, Marquette University
• Master of Urban Planning, the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Daniella Pereira, Vice President of Community Conservation, Openlands

Daniella is an ISA Certified Arborist and Forester by trade and has 18 years of experience in green infrastructure installation and maintenance, environmental education, landscape-scale ecological restoration, and workforce development in green infrastructure. She provides thought leadership on strategies to build advocates for nature to further people’s connection, understanding, and action to protect urban land and water. She creates frameworks to develop successful programming and impact including developing pathways into conservation careers, advancing urban forestry and citywide green-schoolyard implementation and programming, increasing collaboration on environmental education and professional development for educators, and rethinking the community outreach approach and engagement process. She hopes to partner and focus on how to increase green jobs in urban areas.

Daniella joined Openlands’ Space to Grow team in 2018 and has worked hand-in-hand with the landscape architects, construction contractors and landscapers, and Chicago Public Schools to improve the policies and process for the establishment and maintenance of landscape materials.

• B.A., Anthropology, the University of Illinois at Chicago
• M.S., Forestry, Michigan Technological University

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