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Agenda

Planning to Thrive Symposium: Equity, Fairness, & Integrated Strategies for Colorado's Future

Tivoli Denver | Thursday, 16 June 2022 | 1:00 to 5:00

Plan to stay for social time afterwards at Tivoli’s Tap House!

Please Note: The Symposium is going green! We're going paperless - handouts are available at the bottom of this page. Also, if you have your own name tag - bring it along.

Module I: Looking at Colorado with an Equity Lens

  • Welcome & Overview

    • Rocky Piro, CU-Denver

  • Today’s Purpose and Objectives

    • Rev. Jessica Abell, Together Colorado, Today’s Moderator
       

  • Eco-process-yoked-economy

    • Madhvi Chittor, EcoEthics Founder, UN Advisor
       

  • Changing the Environmental Narrative

    • ​Patricia Ferrero, Protégé Manager, Conservation Colorado
       

  • Video: Stories from around Colorado (Monico Photography) 

    • Storytellers: Voices of Cultivando; Steve Fisher, ASCE CO; Ean Tafoya, Green Latinos CO; Troy McCue, Lincoln County; Torie Jarvis, Northwest CO Council of Governments; Amanda Sandoval, Denver Councilmember

  • Laying Out the Picture, Colorado in the 2020’s

    • Elizabeth Garner, State Demographer
       

  • Colorado Challenges in the 21st Century - A Multimedia Look

    • Rachael Lehman, Professor, Community College of Denver
       

  • Roundtable Discussions

Module II: From Incrementalism to Integrated Strategies

  • All Issues Intersect: Understanding Interrelationships & Systems Thinking

    • Mark Reiner, PhD, Director of Resilient Infrastructure, Jacobs

    • Michelle Stephens, AICP, Past President, American Planning Association Colorado Chapter
       

  • Almost-Not Yet: Colorado’s Attempts at Addressing Growth 

    • Rocky Piro, PhD, FAICP, retired – Director, Colorado Center for Sustainable Urbanism
       

  • Panel Response & Discussion Questions & Answers

    • Alfonso Espino, Representative, GES Coalition

    • Jasmin Ramirez Ramos, Board Member, Roaring Fork School District

    • Anna Stout, Mayor, Grand Junction

BREAK

Module III: Changing the Paradigm: Planning to Thrive

  • Turning the Corner: Transforming toIntegrated Actions

    • Rodney Milton, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Colorado
       

  • “What Does ‘Planning to Thrive’ LookLike?

    • Rev. Jessica Abell, Together Colorado
       

  • Roundtable Discussions

Going Forward

  • Wrap-Up
     

  • Next Steps: Rally to Call-to-Action

Connect & Network | Tivoli Brewery Tap Room

Biographies of Keynoters, Speakers, Panelists & Storytellers

  • Reverend Jessica Abell

    • Chair, Organizing Committee, Together Colorado

    • Pastor, Living Waters Community Church, Denver

    • Former State Director and National staff, Interfaith Power & Light

    • Statewide organizer, Fellowship 2012, GreenFaith

    • Church Divinity School of The Pacific, the Graduate Theological Union, MDiv, Eco-theology andExegesis

    • University of Memphis, BLS, MCRP, Public Policy, City Planning
       

  • Madhvi Chittoor

    • EcoEthics Founder

    • United Nations Advisor

    • Best Upcoming Peacemaker

    • Youngest Professional Music Producer, Guinness Book of Records

    • Metro Denver Area Middle School Student 
       

  • ​Alfonso Espino

    • Community Organizer, GES Coalition
       

  • ​Patricia Ferrero

    • Protégé Manager, Conservation Colorado

    • LEED certified architect

    • Former Director, Defiende Nuestra Tierra, The Wilderness Workshop

    • Co-founder, Voces Unidas de las Montañas
       

  • ​Stephen Fisher, PhD

    • Senior Civil Engineer, Tetra Tech

    • Chair, American Society of Civil Engineers Colorado Sustainability Committee

    • Certifications: Global Reporting Initiative and Envision Sustainability Professional; Qualified Environmental Professional

    • University of Colorado Denver, PhD, Sustainable Urban Infrastructure

    • Stanford University, MS, MEng, Civil Engineering

    • University of California Irvine, BS, Mechanical Engineering
       

  • Elizabeth Garner

    • State Demographer, Colorado Department of Local Affairs

    • Colorado State University, MS, Economics

    • University of San Diego, BS, Business
       

  • Torie Jarvis

    • Director & Staff Attorney, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments – Water Quality/ Quantity Committee

    • Attorney, Sullivan Green Seavy, LLC

    • Lewis and Clark Law School, JD

    • Wake Forest University, BA, Religion
       

  • Rachael Lehman

    • Assistant Professor, Sociology and Women’s Studies, Community College of Denver

    • Colorado Climate Equity Community Advisory Council, CO Department of Public Health & Environment

    • Chair, Healthy Communities, I-70/Vasquez Superfund Community Advisory Group

    • Texas Womans’ University, ABD, Sociology

    • University of Central Missouri, MA, Sociology
       

  • Troy McCue

    • Executive Director, Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation

    • Certified Economic Developer; International Economic Development Council Entrepreneurship Consultant

    • Director of Wheat Marketing, Gerald’s Baker; Grain Merchandiser, Golden West Agri-Services

    • Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, Bachelor’s, Agricultural Business andManagement
       

  • Rodney Milton

    • Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Colorado

    • Community Development Manager, Aurora, CO

    • Senior Housing Policy and Development Manager, Atlanta Beltline

    • Assistant Director, City of Atlanta Planning Department

    • Florida State University, MS International Relations and MURP

    • Florida A&M University, BA, History

  • Rocky Piro, PhD, FAICP

    • Retired; Director, Colorado Center for Sustainable Urbanism; Associate Professor, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Colorado Denver

    • Manager, Department of Community Planning & Development, Denver

    • Program Manager, Growth Management, Puget Sound Regional Council

    • Chair, Regional & Intergovernmental Planning Division, APA

    • Board of Directors, International Urban Planning & Environment Association

    • University of Washington, PhD, Urban Design and Planning

    • University of Colorado, Master’s, Planning & Community Development

    • Valparaiso University, BA, Foreign Languages
       

  • Jasmin Ramirez Ramos

    • Board of Directors, Vice President, Roaring Fork School District

    • CEO, Ramirez & Company Consulting

    • Early Childhood Leadership Commission, State of Colorado

    • Board Member, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition

    • Commissioner, Glenwood Springs Parks and Recreation Commission

    • McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Education Finance

    • Cerritos College, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Social & Behavioral Science, Child Development/Early Childhood
       

  • Mark Reiner, PhD

    • Director of Resilient Infrastructure, Jacobs

    • Senior Partner, LEIF LLC; CEO, WISRD; Owner, Non Sequitur LLC

    • Project Director, Engineers without Borders; Project Engineer, Tetra Tech

    • University of Colorado Denver, MS & PhD, Engineering

    • Colorado School of Mines, BS Geological Engineering

    • Valparaiso University, BA History
       

  • The Honorable Amanda Sandoval

    • City Councilmember, District 1, Denver

    • Chief of Staff, Council District 1

    • Council Aide, Council District 9

    • Operations Manager, Tamales by La Casita

    • Metropolitan State University, Political Science

    • The George Washington University, Fellow
       

  • Michelle Stephens, AICP

    • Planning Commissioner, Lafayette, Colorado

    • Enterprise Account Executive, Head of Planning Practice, Bang The Table / Granicus

    • Past President, American Planning Association Colorado Chapter

    • Operations Manager, Community Development Department, City of Westminster, Colorado

    • Manager, Island Planning Policy, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    • Weber State University, BA, Geography/Urban Planning
       

  • The Honorable Anna Stout

    • Mayor, Grand Junction

    • Chief Executive Officer, Roice-Hurst Humane Society

    • Owner, Transfinem Language & Cultural Services;

    • President & Founder, Foundation for Cultural Exchange

    • Certifications: Animal Welfare Administrator, Spanish Court Interpreter, Certified Translator, APA& NDCMI

    • University of Denver, Master’s, Global Affairs

    • Colorado Mesa University, BA, Spanish
       

  • Ean Tafoya

    • Director, Colorado State Green Latinos

    • Legislative Assistant, Denver City Council

    • Radio Host and Disc Jockey, KGNU

    • Campaign Manager and/or Director–for candidates and measures

    • Co-Founder and Board President, Headwaters Protectors;

    • Founder, Keep Civic Center Clean;

    • Board of Trustees, Historic Denver, Inc.

    • Board Member, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods

    • Denver Bicycle Advisory Committee

    • Co-Chair, Colorado Latino Forum

    • Co-Chair, Colorado Environmental Justice Action Taskforce

    • Co-Chair, Zoning and Planning Committee, Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation

    • Metropolitan State University, Water Studies Certificate; BA, Political Science

    • Colorado State University, Horticultural Therapy Certificate

Materials for the Day's Activities

Integrated Planning Framework Models.jpg
Comparison of 9 State Frameworks.jpg
Colorado framework.jpg
Please Note: The Symposium is going green! Handouts are available here. We're going paperless with QR codes leading to these materials. Also, if you have your own name tag - bring it along.
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