• Making the Fox Valley an Eco Tourism Destination.
• Improving the Water Quality, Habitat and Recreational Amenities of the Fox River.
• Becoming a Solar-Ready Fox Valley.

Those three, high-profile topics and a lot more will be on the table on April 27, when GreenTown returns to the Fox Valley at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora. An impressive lineup of speakers has just been announced, so now is the time to reserve your spot. Register online now before it fills up.

This one-day conference brings the public and private sectors together in pursuit of a healthy, sustainable and vibrant Fox Valley.

“GreenTown will provide a concise overview of environmental policy changes at the federal level, and will showcase on-the-ground initiatives that Fox Valley communities are implementing to achieve economically-smart, environmentally-effective and socially responsible goals,” said Gary Cuneen, executive director of Seven Generations Ahead and founder and co-producer of GreenTown.

Jack Darin, Director, Sierra Club of Illinois

Key speakers for the day include Jack Darin, executive director of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, who will provide an overview of the federal government’s changing  environmental policy and the potential impact on sustainability and Illinois.

Elizabeth Doris Brown from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will speak at GreenTown regarding  national trends in solar energy and how local communities are advancing renewable energy.

According to Cuneen, “With the presence of the National Renewable Energy Lab and the Chicagoland’s renewable energy thought leaders, attendees will learn about the national and local momentum around renewable energy, and specifically how the new Future Energy Jobs Act will bring solar opportunities for Illinois communities and support economic development.”

A representative from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado will give a keynote presentation at GreenTown on April 27.

Key speaker presentations will be followed by sustainability-themed breakout sessions and opportunities to become involved in projects generated by the Fox Valley Sustainability Network. See the full conference agenda online here.

The event will also a feature a GreenTown first with the “Idea Factory” challenge, a Shark-Tank-like competition. Pre-selected participants will pitch their project ideas in the topic categories of water, energy, green infrastructure, transportation, economic development, waste and food.  The ideas proposed must be fundable projects that could be implemented over the next 24-months in the Fox Valley region. The “Idea Factory” presentations are not a competition for funding.

Attendees enjoying the last GreenTown held in Aurora in 2015.

GreenTown has been held 20 times in four states since 2007.  Aurora hosted GreenTown in 2008 and 2015, which led to the creation of the Fox Valley Sustainability Network. Learn more about GreenTown online , or contact the Fox Valley Sustainability Network here.