GRAND RAPIDS – West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and the U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan Chapter will present a luncheon program on sustainability and resiliency featuring Mayor George Heartwell on March 10. RSVP by March 7.

The luncheon will be held at Cheney Place from noon to 2 pm. The program is presented by Steelcase and Feyen Zylstra, with additional support from The Cheney Place.

Across the United States, community and business leaders are rapidly becoming aware of their vulnerabilities to climate change, one of modern society?s most significant and unpredictable risk management concerns. A timely program in the wake of local floods, power outages, blizzards and other extreme events, the authors of the City of Grand Rapids Climate Resiliency Report and Mayor George Heartwell, a recent appointee to the President?s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, will discuss how West Michigan can take steps toward greater climate resiliency.

Select forum members will also share how climate change is impacting their operations as an introduction to the West Michigan Climate Resiliency Framework Initiative, a partnership between WMSBF, Michigan State University, Penn State University and the Rand Corp., among other collaborators.

Now serving his third term, Mayor Heartwell took office in January 2004 and has seen Grand Rapids gain wide recognition as one of the most sustainable cities in America. During his tenure, the city government has implemented a variety of environmental measures, including purchase of renewable resource energy, use of alternative fuels in city vehicles, continued attention to water quality in the Grand River, and widespread implementation of energy conservation measures.

In 2012 the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognized Heartwell with the Climate Protection Award for Large Cities for the city?s efforts to address climate change according to the mandates set forth by the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The honor included a grant for climate change protection programming that allowed West Michigan Environmental Action Council and the Grand Rapids Office of Energy and Sustainability to investigate local climate change impacts and highlight possible strategies for building a more sustainable and resilient community.

In his role as Policy Director for WMEAC, Occhipinti engages community leaders, citizens, and local, state, and federal officials on today?s key energy policy issues. Occhipinti will be joined by co-author Aaron Ferguson, a consultant on various sustainability issues to WMEAC, City of Grand Rapids and WMSBF.

Cost for lunch is $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

$10 members/$15 non-members

Register at Click on WMSBF.Org/March