April 23, 2019   Click buttons for videos (at bottom on mobile devices)
 

8:30—9:15AM
Welcome to American University

Sylvia Burwell, President of American University

Conference Themes and Goals

William K. Reilly, Former Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency

Morning Sessions

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9:15—10:15AM
Opportunities for Working with Business

Leading companies increasingly see sustainability as key to their success and critical for meeting customer, employer, and investor expectations. How do we leverage growing corporate leadership and effective environmental safeguards to accelerate environmental protection “beyond compliance”?

Moderator: Michael Vandenbergh, Vanderbilt University and former EPA Chief of Staff
Tom Murray, Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund
Katherine Neebe, Senior Director, ESG & Global Responsibility, Walmart
Jim Nolan, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs at BP
Marcus Peacock, Chief Operating Officer, Business Roundtable, and former EPA Deputy Administrator
Terry F. Yosie, former President and CEO, World Environment Center, and former Director EPA Science Advisory Board

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10:30—11:30AM
Fostering Technologies for Environmental Protection

Technological progress is key for achieving environmental sustainability and maintaining economic vibrancy. How can EPA can promote and use new technologies (advanced monitoring, big data, information & communication tools) to help protect the environment?

Moderator: George Hawkins, Former General Manager, DC Water, and Executive in Residence at American University
Barbara Bennett, Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Vulcan Inc., and former EPA Chief Financial Officer
Patrick K. Decker, President and CEO, Xylem Inc.
Biju George, Executive Vice President, Operations and Engineering, DC Water
Kirsten Schroeder, Global Business Services Partner, IBM

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11:30AM—12:00PM

EPA: A Future Inspired by the Past (video)

William Ruckelshaus, Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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12:00—1:30PM

The Challenges Ahead

Luncheon Keynote Address
Denis Hayes, Founder of Earth Day Network, President of the Bullitt Foundation

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1:30—2:30PM
Lessons of Leadership: Navigating EPA's Future

Roundtable with Former EPA Administrators William Reilly, Carol Browner, and Gina McCarthy

A discussion on lessons learned from past successes in working with Congress and past administrations, and the political dynamics of promoting environment protection in the future.

Moderator: Dan Fiorino, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy, American University

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2:45—4:00PM
Designing EPA for the Future

Future directions for building EPA’s institutional capacity and designing new models of environmental protection to meet future challenges.

Moderator: Linda Fisher, Former Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Bob Perciasepe, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and former EPA Deputy Administrator
Benjamin Grumbles, Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Maryland, and former Assistant Administrator for Water, USEPA
Martha Rudolph, former Director of Environmental Programs at Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and former President, Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)
Don Welsh, Executive Director, Environmental Council of the States (ECOS); former EPA Regional Administrator (Region 3, Philadelphia)

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4:00—5:00PM
Telling the Story of Environmental Protection

Communication experts discuss how to tell the story of environmental protection and communicate science information in ways that engage, inspire and empower diverse public audiences. How do we make environmental science and policy accessible, and translate public support into action?

Moderator: Maggie Burnette Stogner, Executive Director of American University’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking
Mustafa Ali, Vice President for Environmental Justice, Climate and Community Revitalization, and former Senior Advisor to the EPA Administrator
Eliza Barclay, Science and Health Editor, Vox
Justine Calma, environmental justice and health reporter, Grist.org
Edward Maibach, Director of the Center for Climate Change, George Mason University
Vann Newkirk, Staff Writer, The Atlantic

 

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​​​​April 24, 2019

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Morning Sessions

9:00—10:15AM

Choice of two panels

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The Evolving Relationship Between EPA and DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD)

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Significant legal decisions shape the environmental policymaking landscape. What are the implications of the EPA-DOJ relationship for environmental policymaking in the future?

Moderator: Andrew Mergen, Deputy Chief, Appellate Section, DOJ/ENRD
Stacey Mitchell, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; former EPA Deputy General Counsel; former Chief of the U.S. DOJ Environmental Crimes Section (ECS)
Lois Schiffer, former General Counsel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  and former Assistant Attorney General, DOJ/ENRD
Ronald J. Tenpas, Partner, Vinson & Elkins; former Assistant Attorney General, DOJ/ENRD

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White House Coordination of Federal Environmental Policymaking

Federal agencies across the government have a role in environmental protection. Former senior officials discuss the White House’s role in coordinating federal policymaking to address environmental challenges of the future.

Moderator: Bridget C.E. Dooling, Research Professor, GW Regulatory Studies Center
Brenda Mallory, Director and Senior Counsel for the Conservation Litigation Project; former General Counsel, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
Howard Shelanski, Professor of Law, Georgetown University, and Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP; former Administrator, White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Aaron Szabo, Partner, CGCN Group; former Senior Counsel, CEQ

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10:30—11:45AM

 

Choice of two panels

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EPA on the International Stage

International information exchange is essential to solving major environmental problems. How can EPA more effectively engage in the future in international cooperation and exchange?

Moderator: David Hunter, Professor of Law, AU Washington College of Law
Ruth Greenspan Bell, Public Policy Fellow, Environmental Change and Security Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Timothy Epp, Acting Director, National FOIA Office, and Assistant General Counsel for International Law, EPA
Scott Fulton, President, Environmental Law Institute
Dale Medearis, Senior Environmental Planner at Northern Virginia Regional Commission; former Co-Program Manager for Europe, EPA, Office of International Affairs.

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EPA's Partnership with Cities

The EPA plays a leadership role in working with cities to protect the environment. EPA initiatives such as the Green Power Partnership and Greening American Cities support communities that protect the environment, economy, and public health.

Moderator: William J. Snape III, Assistant Dean of Adjunct Faculty Affairs and Fellow in Environmental Law, AU Washington College of Law
Julie Lawson, Director of Mayor Muriel Bowser's Office of the Clean City
Karim D. Marshall, Senior Associate Director and Legal Advisor, Office of East of the River Services
Anthony Williams, Mayor of Washington, DC from 1999-2007

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12:00—1:30PM
EPA's Interface with States and Tribes

Lunch Panel

Partnerships with states and tribes are central to EPA’s environmental protection enterprise. How can this essential partnership be strengthened to meet future challenges in environmental protection?

Moderator: Bob Perciasepe, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions; former Deputy Administrator, EPA
Cynthia R. Harris, Deputy Director of the Center for State, Tribal, and Local Environmental Programs, Environmental Law Institute
Lawrence S. Roberts, Counsel, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton; former Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior
Martha Rudolph, former Director of Environmental Programs, CO Department of Public Health and the Environment, former President, Environmental Council of the States

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Afternoon Sessions

1:45—3:00PM

The Promise of Regional Collaboration Case Study, Chesapeake Bay Program

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Regional and local entities are increasingly taking the lead in tackling significant environmental challenges and achieving results. Leaders of regional initiatives will describe successful experiences and consider the role that the federal government can and should play in promoting such initiatives.

Moderator: Vicki Arroyo, Executive Director of the Georgetown Climate Center at Georgetown University Law Center
Benjamin Grumbles, Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Maryland, and former EPA Assistant Administrator for Water
Ridgway Hall, Vice Chair, Chesapeake Legal Alliance; former Founding Partner, Crowell & Moring
Ike Irby, Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris
Alison Prost, Maryland State Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

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3:15—4:30PM

Workshop: Next Steps for Building the EPA of the Future

Next Steps for Building the EPA of the Future. Members of the EPA Alumni Association and conference participants will discuss follow-up activities on key themes and suggestions for encouraging national dialogue on future directions for EPA and environmental protection.

Co-Moderators: John Reeder, Executive in Residence, American University; and Derry Allen, EPA Alumnus
Scott Fulton, President, Environmental Law Institute
Stanley Meiburg, Director, Graduate Studies in Sustainability, Wake Forest University
David Ullrich, former EPA Deputy Regional Administrator (Region 5, Chicago)