Terry Gips is a widely published ecologist, agricultural economist, sustainability business consultant, independent Natural Step Framework (NSF) instructor, speaker and author with more than 30 years experience in global environmental leadership, government policy, sustainable development, business management and consulting. He served as the Aveda Corporation Director of Ecological Affairs and Sustainability, where he was responsible for assuring the soundness of all aspects of Aveda operations. Earlier, Gips was co-founder and President of the International Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (now the Alliance for Sustainability) in Minneapolis. For more than a decade he helped develop the concept of sustainability and worked to have it become widely accepted around the world through publications, speaking and policy efforts, from Minnesota’s cutting edge organic certification program and pesticide legislation to the United Nation’s Earth Summit Agenda 21 sustainable agriculture provisions.

Gips wrote the widely-acclaimed Breaking the Pesticide Habit, co-authored The Humane Consumer and Producer Guide, served as technical editor of Reviving the Land, edited Manna, and wrote numerous articles based on his work in more than 45 countries. He was selected to serve on the MN Pollution Control Agency’s Waste Pesticide Task Force, the MN Department of Agriculture’s Organic Advisory Committee, Minneapolis Public Library Blue Ribbon Task Force, and the MN Environmental Quality Board’s Ground Water Advisory Committee, which help develop and pass Minnesota’s landmark ground water legislation. He was White House aide to President Carter, Congressional Legislative Assistant to US Representative John Krebs, Cargill economic analyst and grain merchant, and co-founder and Director of the Cooperative Extension Service’s Sacramento Community Garden Program.

10:45-12:00

Case studies from around the world, moderated by Ian Garrett, Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts

Ian Garrett is a producer, designer and administrator, dedicated to innovative arts infrastructure. He is co-founder and a director of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), a leader in the conversation on sustainability development and the arts. In 2010, Ian traveled to Cancun, Mexico, to cover the cultural response to COP16, the UN Climate Change Conference, and traveled to Copenhagen in 2009 for COP15. With the CSPA, he has been featured in American Theatre, DramaBiz, The Design Magazine, and on Inhabitat.com. He has spoken on arts and the environment, arts infrastructure, and new models of training at St. Louis University, Live Design International, and the annual conferences for the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), DanceUSA, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Americans for the Arts, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In 2007, he received the Richard E. Sherwood Award for emerging theater artists from the Center Theater Group (CTG) for the integration of ecologically sustainable practice into theater production.

Ian is the producer for CalArts Festival Theater, having produced dozens of shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He also maintains a design practice focused on lighting, with work in scenic, media and systems design. He served as the lighting curator for Scenofest at the 2011 Prague Quadrennial, and is the resident designer for the Indy Convergence, an annual artistic open-space/pop-up residency in Indianapolis. Ian was the Executive Director of Fresh Arts Coalition, an arts service organization focused on awareness and marketing access for small arts organizations in Los Angeles, and from 2008–2010, Ian taught for the School of Theater at California Institute of the Arts, including courses on production and management technology and sustainable practice. Ian received dual MFAs in Lighting Design and Producing from CalArts, and has a BA in Architectural Studies and Art History from Rice University.

Case Study Presenters:

Sian Alexander
Associate Director, Theatre at Julie's Bicycle

Harry Giles
Environment Officer at Festivals Edinburgh

Feimatta Conteh
Sustainability Projects Manager at Arcola Theatre

Case Study Presenters:

Anthony Runfola
Production Manager at Childsplay

James McKernan
Professor, Department of Theatre at York University

Katie Oman
LEED AP+, cSBA, Theatre Consultant at Fisher Dachs Associates

• More than 70 corporations, including Home Depot, Nike, Mitsubishi Electric USA, Collins Pine, the world’s largest manufacturers of appliances (Electrolux), furniture (IKEA) and floor coverings (Interface) and Sweden’s three major supermarket chains, biggest oil company, largest hotel chain and McDonald’s.
• More than 70 municipalities, including both rural towns and urban cities like Stockholm, as well as public institutions such as the University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center.
• Hundreds of thousands of young people in schools and communities through computer networks, TV programs, and a Youth Parliament.
• Thousands of organic and conventional farmers whose TNS consensus process helped shift toward a sustainable agriculture that saved money and dramatically reduced pesticide use.
• A range of 19 professional groups, from doctors and lawyers to architects and consultants.

Sustainable Thinking: Integrating sustainability into your mission and culture

Stephen Rueff is a change agent, educator, initiator, connector, fire starter and rainmaker. Stephen helps entrepreneurs and businesses to shape their purpose, define their potential, assess their progress and connect with partners. His passion is in guiding others to define their dreams and set them on the path to realize their potential while shaping a profitable business model. His career has spanned many roles in the performing arts, television, film, corporate communications, and has taken him to nearly 30 countries on 4 continents. He enjoys Strategic Sustainability Consulting, Organizational Development and Change Management, career and life coaching, creating Branding and messaging campaigns, working with diverse and international teams, and has experience producing national and international events and greening meetings and events. Stephen earned his MBA in Sustainability and Leadership from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, is a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, NET Impact and many other entities which support 21st Century Businesses.

Mary T'Kach is leading the implementation of the newly adopted Energy Management and Stewardship Plan in Ramsey County, MN. Mary researched the county's energy use and related issues, and developed the plan to serve as a framework for the county's goals of increasing energy efficiency in its operations, integrating resiliency into its energy supply, reducing carbon emissions, and improving public health.

Prior to this, Mary provided environmental and social responsibility consulting services to new businesses and public sector clients.

From 1998 to 2008 she served as the Executive Director, Environmental Sustainability for the Aveda Corporation, where she was responsible for developing strategies, designing and implementing sustainability programs, and employee education campaigns that supported the company's commitment to social and environmental leadership. Mary initiated and led the adoption of corporate policies, and responsible materials use and supply chain guidelines. She reviewed marketing claims, packaging initiatives, retail and office operations and supply chain activities to ensure they met Aveda's environmental sustainability criteria. She oversaw the annual publication of Aveda's CERES Report and revitalized the company's corporate giving programs.

Previously, Mary spent 16 years in the environmental field developing and implementing public programs and policies through the non-profit, community-based St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium, which she helped found.

Moderated by Leah Cooper, Minnesota Theater Alliance
Breakout Session Moderated by Alicia Wold, CostumeRentals

Jeff Beaudette, Atomic Recycling
Danny Schwartzman, Common Roots Café
Arielle Courtney, ReUse Alliance
Moderated by Lucas Koski, Bedlam Theatre

Energy! Measuring your impact, reducing your load

Greener Gear Demo: New technologies, and how and when to use them

Greener Stagecraft: Greener Stagecraft: Scenic, prop and costume design/build/store strategies for small and nomadic companies interested in cooperative reuse