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Southeast MichiganSustainable Business Forum

Meeting Minutes

May17, 2007

Host:

Bodman, LLP

Ford Field, Detroit, MI

Present: (Sign-in sheet not returned) Fred Dindoffer, Bodman; Tim Westerdale, General Oil; Paul Eisele, Masco; Sharon Paterson, Veolia Water Systems;Deborah Lowis, AM Consortium; Bob Doyle, EQ; Lanny White, Org Mgt & Dev; Larry Hands, Hands Associates; Cindy Dames, Process Results; Carol Panagiotides, MDEQ; Guy Williams, G.O. Williams; Beth Miakinin, E. Miakinin Assoc.; Chris Meincke, CRA. Staff: Bill Stough,Sustainable Research Group.

1. Welcome/Introductions–Paul Eisele Chairperson of the SMSBF welcomed everyone and thanked Fred Dindoffer of Bodman, LLP for hosting the meeting. Fred gave a brief history of Bodman’s recent move to their Ford Field House offices and their role in the brownfield redevelopment process. He then gave an overview of how the company is structured and examples of several brownfield redevelopment projects Bodman worked on recently. He passed out the company’s latest Biennial Review to members. PaulEisele then asked those present to introduce themselves and the organizations they represent.

Business Meeting

2. MarchMinutes –Paul Eisele led members through the January minutes and asked if there any corrections. It was noted that several people that attended that were not listed and that Bill Stough gave the update on the conference, not Sharon Paterson. The minutes wereaccepted with corrections.

3. Executive Committee Report – Guy Williamspresented an update of executive committee activities during the past two months. He reported that the committee had discussed how to get more board involvement in the meetings, advertising the meetings and getting the word out to outside speakers.

Members reviewed the current vision and mission statements. Guy then opened up a discussion on how the board could help expand the outreach of the organization. One idea he suggested was to ask the full board to engage with outside companies to give presentations. Tim Westerdale thought we needed this effort to get more compelling programs at the meetings and that would help create a membership and activity synergy we currently are not experiencing. There is not another organization filling this void, so as an organization SMSBF must be more aggressive is meeting this need. Sharon Paterson suggested that we start calling the bimonthly meeting a lecture series to capture more outside presenters and higher attendance. Sharon Paterson made a motion to try an early morning format for the May meeting that started earlier and ended earlier and to invite outside organizations to assist with the content. The motion passed. Sharon Paterson and Bill Stough will follow up.

4. Committee Reports

Special Project

Guy Williams said the EC recommends to the board that the organization engage in a community-wide project.

Members discussed the potential of partnering with Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) to create a green technology center and a community redevelopment project on a brownfield location within the City of Detroit. DWEJ previously presented to members a project they were developing called Build Up Detroit (BUD) that encompasses job training, affordable housing, business start ups and community redevelopment. Their project would be combined with the SMSBF idea of a green technology center to act as a catalyst for the larger BUD project. There was strong support to follow-up on the project. Members present offered to write a general letter of support on their company’s letterhead to help in initial fundraising efforts.

Energy Freedom Pioneers - Update on Deb Lowis’ New Jersey Project

Her companyis redeveloping an abandoned military base inPedricktown,New Jersey near Philadelphia into an eco-industrial park. Its focus is to provide centralized facilities and services to help manufacturers of alternative energy technology reduce their costs. Energy Freedom Pioneers are in the process of refurbishing buildings and acquiring adjacent properties to expand the facilities including providing assistant to companies in the facility to find homes for their wastes and/or conversion into energy. They are looking for companies that have gone through the incubation stage and are ready to start manufacturing. See more information at:

Summary of April’s Statewide Sustainable Business Forum Conference

Lanny White gave an overview of some of the major outcomes of the strategic planning session conducted during the afternoon session of the conference. The major findings included:

A NewVision

  • Develop a collaborative regional economy
  • Diverse learning society that optimizes Triple Bottom Line performance
  • Work toward a future where there is no need for Sustainable Business Forums

Potential Strategies for the next 6 months

  • Follow up on conference recommendations
  • Prioritize the recommendations
  • Identify committees from each of the SBFs willing to address an issue
  • Develop future leadership for SBFs
  • Recruit missing stakeholders (utilities, tourism, agriculture, and healthcare)
  • Recruit state and federal legislators to attend SBF meetings and conferences
  • Start planning for the next statewide SBF conference

Potential Strategies for the next 5 years

  • Develop acommon Sustainable Development language
  • Redesign education/job training to incorporate the TBL
  • Develop and Promote Common TBL Metrics
  • Get MI off the Bottom of Business lists

PoliciesNeeded at the State Level

  • Encourage Sustainable Entrepreneurs (tax incentives, training opportunities)
  • Adopt an Aggressive Renewable Energy Portfolio
  • Provide Greater Incentives for Closed-loop Recycling
  • Adopt a Net Metering Mechanism that will Promote Business Investment in Renewable/Alternative Energy Technology
  • Require Infusion of Sustainability in Education (K-12)

Policies Needed at the Federal Level

  • Create National Tax Incentives for Small Businesses to Invest in Sustainability
  • Develop Policies to Support New Markets for Green Materials and Energy

Respectfully submitted by Bill Stough, Sustainable Research Group.

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