MWRD hosts 11th Annual Sustainability Summit to highlight environmental advancements, recognize outstanding contributions

The Ford Calumet Environmental Center in Big Marsh Park played host to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 's 11th Annual Sustainability Summit, inspiring conversations about how to tackle the many challenging issues facing the MWRD and partners in their mission to protect the environment. Topics covered stormwater management, carbon reduction, climate resilience, wildlife conservation and the protection of invaluable water resources. The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers and honored outstanding individuals, municipalities, firms, partners and organizations for their contributions to sustainability. To watch a recording of the event visit https://youtu.be/BNSTIUnhxmk

Speakers included: MWRD Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn; Commissioner Daniel Pogorzelski; Commissioner Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda; Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos; a dedicated team of MWRD scientists and engineers, including Joe Kratzer, Dr. Kuldip Kumar, Dr. Theresa Johnston, and Tom Minarik; University of Illinois at Chicago Professor Dr. ?evin Yildiz; and Judy Pollock from the Chicago Bird Alliance.

This year's Sustainability Summit brought together many like-minded professionals and residents sharing a collective vision for a sustainable and resilient future,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “We look forward to continuing our commitment to environmental conservation and fostering innovative solutions to address these pressing challenges.

The event united experts from various sectors and provided a platform for in-depth presentations and discussions on critical issues and innovative solutions for a more sustainable future. Topics ranged from the pressing concerns of record rain events and flood mitigation to the essential role of preserving biodiversity, such as macroinvertebrates, snapping turtles, bass fish and migratory shore birds. The summit aimed to inspire positive change and foster collaboration among attendees to advance sustainability efforts.

Awards were presented to individuals and organizations that met many of these goals of sustainability, including:

• City of Northlake Mayor Jeffrey Sherwin received accolades for his unwavering advocacy of green infrastructure solutions, exemplifying strong leadership in environmental conservation

• Hey and Associates, Inc. was honored for their exceptional incorporation of sustainable practices in the design of stormwater management systems, setting a standard for environmentally conscious engineering.

• Omni Ecosystems received praise for their outstanding efforts in sustainable landscaping at the new Salt District in Chicago, proving that innovative landscaping can enhance both functionality and eco-friendliness.

• The City of Calumet City was recognized for its community initiative to reduce runoff through the use of permeable materials in a green alley collaboration, demonstrating a practical approach to sustainable urban development

We encourage all Cook County residents and partners to consider many of the topics discussed at our Sustainability Summit and be part of the ongoing conversation about how we can all live more sustainably,” said Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn. “We can seek out new solutions to help us prepare for the next storm, improve our area water quality, lower our carbon footprints, and the MWRD is proud to collaborate on many of these urgent issues.