22 June 2010
June 26: New Program, New Location
Posted by Admin under: Events; Forum .
1. Matt Polsky, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at FDU, will present:
“Sustainability Change-Making Over 30 Years: Barriers and Opportunities.”
As he describes it, “It’s basically what I do, how I do it, my philosophy, some of the projects with which I’m involved.”
Matt has been an advocate, a researcher, a provocateur, and a change agent in multiple venues in New Jersey for more than 30 years, standing up for the environment in policy and program action against a range of forces and outcomes.
Currently the Director of the Land Trust for the Passaic River Coalition, Matt has extensive sustainability and green economy experience, as well as unique cross-sector experience working in government, for environmental groups, business, and as an adjunct professor. He was the Sustainability Team Leader at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, led an interagency sustainability work group, and advised sustainability initiatives. He has taught sustainability courses at Cook College, Kean University, Montclair State University, NJIT, and Ramapo College. He was a marketing manager at AT&T Microelectronics. As Director of the Land Trust for the PRC, he has bought and preserved 251 acres of land for the environmental group. He volunteers for many environmental and sustainability groups at all scales, ranging from some in his town (Cranford), the State, to internationally, helping NGOs and students in South Africa, Brazil, and Europe.
2. Michael McMillan, Senior Vice President responsible for Young America’s Client Services and Contact Centers, will facilitate a discussion that seeks to create innovative ways that businesses can leverage what they are doing in sustainability to benefit their customers and the planet, while generating higher returns to be reinvested in sustainability.
Cause-related marketing creates situations that consumers and companies feel good about: giving back, while driving sales. Research has revealed that a resounding 79% of customers would switch brands to one that contributes to a good cause. Michael is interested in better understanding sustainability in order to create new Marketing Programs for businesses. He is looking forward to hearing everyone’s input and finding ways to grow sustainability awareness, value and results for his business clients and their customers. This is a chance for you to learn about marketing while influencing how companies use marketing around sustainability to make a difference on the planet.
Young America creates Marketing Solutions for businesses to acquire, grow and retain their customers. Mike has over 26 years of telecommunications leadership experience in sales, marketing, wholesale and retail operations, quality and process management and sales training. He holds an MBA in Management from Xavier University and a BBA in Marketing & Management from the University of Cincinnati.
3. Finally, I’ll report on our whirlwind effort to pull off a “side-event” at the UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit in New York on Mobilizing the Private Sector for the Sustainable Reconstuction of Haiti, which has earned the endorsement of the Clinton Foundation and other major players from around the world, and catapulted the Sustainable Haiti Coalition, which Doug Cohen and I launched in Miami in March, into the spotlight as a vehicle for providing new directions in the rebuilding of this still-devastated island nation. The event is this Thursday, so it’s too early to declare it “a success,” but the very fact of its existence is already a triumph of vision, commitment, and cultural collaboration.
Please join us for this meeting at our new location, the Morris County Library, at 30 Hanover Avenue, Whippany, NJ 07981. Here’s a Google Map. It’s about 10 minutes from the Morristown train station, and we’ll arrange to pick you up on the way if you’re coming by public transit (please email Victoria Zelin at vzelin@slforum.org or call her at (908) 306-0272 or (908) 507-3150 cell, for assistance). The program runs from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Conference Room.
Members and first-time guests are free, attendance is $20 per session or annual membership starts at $25 with volunteer time, up to $195 for twelve monthly meetings. (Fees waived or reduced for those with extenuating circumstances.) Please RSVP to let us know that you’re coming — thanks.