PODCAST · government
SSDN‘s Green Minds
by SSDN
”Green Minds” is a collaboration between members of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network and guests who have experience, knowledge, passionate and dedication to sustainability.About SSDN: The Southeastern U.S. is no different than the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with the problems associated with climate change. Extreme heat, rising seas, strengthening storms, flooding, drought, and crop loss are just some of the challenges we face.The Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) addresses these problems through sustainability efforts — work that creates a healthy, clean, and more stable environment for current and future generations.We connect local government sustainability professionals throughout the region to accelerate, scale, and implement sustainable best practices so that communities are equipped to adapt to and mitigate climate change.Learn more about SSDN at www.southeastsdn.org
Episodes
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Ep. 41: Green Minds: EV Charging Stations
Check out our new Green Minds Podcast episode with co-host Diego J. Cancel who works for the City of Coral Gables as the Sustainability and Resiliency Supervisor, interviewing Kevin Lindley the Solid Waste and Sustainability Director for Chatham County, North Carolina as they explore electric...
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Ep. 40: Green Minds: Building Healthier Homes
In a city as historic as Charleston, balancing preservation with modern sustainability can be a challenge. In this episode of Green Minds, host Mika Gadsden (Director of Sustainability for the City of Charleston) sits down with April Magill, Principal Architect of Root Down Designs, to discuss…
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Green Minds Ep. 39: Finding Common Ground on Climate
Climate change is often described as a generational issue, but is age really what shapes how people think about climate action? The reality is more nuanced, especially in a time of deep polarization. On this episode, leading climate scientist and climate communications expert Dr. Katharine Hayhoe...
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Green Minds Ep. 38: Quietly Changing the Landscape
Dr. Shaleen Miller talks with Cameron Gonzalez, Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, and Kimberly Conley, Sustainability Coordinator, with the Town of Morrisville, NC, about the real-world transition to electric vegetation management equipment. Hear what they have learned about costs, battery life,...
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Green Minds Ep. 37: Sustainability Takeaways
Join host Diego J. Cancel from Coral Gables, Florida, as he interviews several of our SSDN members and leadership at the 2026 Annual Meeting. Interviewees share the important things they learned and what they are taking home with them.
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Green Minds Ep. 36: Mobility in the Southeast: Making Transportation Safe and People First
Celebrate Mobility Month this May as host Mika Gadsden, Director of Sustainability for Charleston, South Carolina, interviews Executive Director Katie Zimmerman and Director of Programming Savannah Brennan with Charleston Moves about local mobility efforts. #biking #charlestonmoves
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Green Minds Ep. 35: Sustainability and Mental Health: Supporting our Communities and Ourselves
This Earth Month, we explore the connection between sustainability work and mental health. Host Jessica Reid is joined by two guests bringing complementary perspectives. Ashley Stokes, who currently works for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and is the creator of the documentary Good Natured,...
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Green Minds Ep. 34: Storm Resilience with Environmental Journalist Mark Schleifstein
🎙️ March Green Minds Podcast Coral Gables Sustainability Supervisor Diego J. Cancel and SSDN member sits down with Pulitzer Prize winning environmental journalist Mark Schleifstein to discuss climate and resilience to major storm events. #GreenMindsPodcast #SSDN #Louisiana #resilience
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Green Minds Ep. 33: Turning Glass into Sand
🎙️ February Green Minds Podcast Got glass? Get sand. Osceola County, Florida, is doing something unique with their recycling program. They are turning their glass into sand. Explore the topic with Dr. Shaleen Miller in our latest Green Minds podcast edition, featuring Paul Conover…
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Green Minds Ep. 32: One Year In: Why Local Sustainability Needs Strong Networks
🎙️ January Green Minds Podcast This month’s episode of Green Minds features a conversation with Rob Phocas, SSDN’s new Executive Director. Rob shares with host Dr. Shaleen Miller why he’s excited to be back with SSDN at a pivotal moment, what it’s been like to see the network grow into its first...
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Green Minds Ep. 31: Weathering the Storm: Climate Resilience + Recovery
How do local governments talk about resilience and recovery after hurricanes and tropical storms? In this episode, Jessica Reid from the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, talks with local government leaders from across the Southeast about how they communicate through crisis, connect with…
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Green Minds Ep. 30: Leave the Leaves Campaigns
In this episode, interview host Dr. Robyn Byers of Charlotte, NC, interviews John Richardson and Brennan Bouma (Chapel Hill, NC) and Jackie LeBouitz (Sarasota County, FL Extension Agent) about Leave the Leaves. Many of our member communities have already started their own Leave the Leaves...
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Green Minds Ep. 29: Sustainability and AI
AI is already transforming how we manage energy, model climate risks, and optimize city services—but it also has a growing environmental footprint. How can we use AI sustainably? In this episode of Green Minds, host Dr. Shaleen Miller speaks with Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of Stanford Doerr School…
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Green Minds Ep. 28: Explore Careers in Sustainability
In this episode of Green Minds, Shaleen Miller dives into the realities of landing—and thriving—in sustainability jobs, especially in local government. From breaking into the field to stepping into leadership roles like Chief Sustainability Officer, our guests Abena Ojetayo with the City of...
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Green Minds Ep. 27: Climate Action Planning - planning, iterations, collaboration, and funding.
In this episode, we are joined by Michelle Midanier (Atlanta, Georgia) and Leif Olson (Fayetteville, Arkansas) to talk climate action planning. The conversation built from where were we in the late 2010's to now, what has been added, how to integrate climate action plans with other strategic…
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Green Minds Ep. 26: What is the benefit to joining SSDN for non-members?
In this episode, Dr. Shaleen Miller with Winston Salem and I tackle what we love about SSDN member and talk with Rebecca Coplin, Beautification Project Manager for the City of High Point NC, who is considering SSDN membership. We talk about the traditional and non-traditional benefits of SSDN…
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Green Minds Ep. 25: Communicating Technical Information
This episode is a longer one - I just couldn't cut it down any more than just shy of an hour. Settle in and get ready for a packed episode where co-host Jessica Reid (Sustainability Analyst, City of Raleigh, NC and author of Planet Now) and I chat with Anthony Flaccavento (Rural Urban Bridge...
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Green Minds Ep. 24 Laughable Moments (In and Out of the Office)
This episode is a dose of laughter straight from our members. Welcome special co-host for this episode, Dr. Shaleen Miller, and I as we talk about funny moments we've had, and invite two members to share their funniest moments. Takeaways from this episode, check what other groups have the acronym...
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Green Minds Ep. 23: A Spy Revealed + What's Coming Up
This episode is a short primer for the fall season of the SSDN Green Minds podcast. We start with host Robyn Byers sharing a quick recap from the SSDN Annual Conference, held in Charlotte last May. We even reveal who was "A Spy" for the Charlotte trivia game ;). There's a short review of what's...
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Green Minds Ep 22: Cities, Trees, and Urban Heat - Oh My!
Join us for this half hour dedicated to trees and urban heat in an urban setting. We are joined by Dr. Vivek Shandas with Portland State University, Victoria Aguilar - Asst. City Arborist for the City of Charlotte, and Erin Oliverio - Division Manager with the City of Charlotte's Landscape...
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Green Minds Ep. 21: What Gives You Hope?
In this short episode, we share the responses we received from SSDN members on what gives them hope to continue working in sustainability. Through our philosophical musings, we come to suggest a "word of the year" for 2024.
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Green Minds Ep. 20: SSDN’s IRA Assistance Programs
Is your organization struggling to access federal funding? Michael Dexter and Nick Deffley with the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network present the Inflation Reduction Act and the assistance services provided by the Local Infrastructure Hub. Links mentioned in this episode SSDN's Grant...
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Green Minds Ep. 19: Richmond’s Climate Equity Action Plan
SSDN's Green Minds rebooted! We welcome a new co-host, Dr. Robyn Byers (Sustainability and Resilience Manager, Charlotte, NC), and we are slightly changing the format of the podcast to be more engaging. In this conversation, we speak with Laura Thomas, Director of the Office of Sustainability for...
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Green Minds Ep. 18: Kendeda Fund Part 3 of 3 on Regenerative Design
The third and last episode of this special series on regenerative design includes three interviews featuring The Sustainability Institute (Charleston, SC), Green Spaces (Chattanooga, TN), and our very own Southeast Sustainability Directors Network. These organizations are supported by the Kendeda...
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Green Minds Ep. 17: Kendeda Fund Part 2 of 3 on Regenerative Design
This is the second episode of three-part series focusing on pioneer practitioners in regenerative design. Co-hosts Catherine Mercier-Baggett and Laurel Creech speak to different organizations across the southeast region about regenerative design. These organizations are supported by the Kendeda...
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Green Minds Ep. 16: Kendeda Fund Part 1 on Regenerative Design
This episode is a three-part series focusing on pioneer practitioners in regenerative design as co-host Catherine Mercier-Baggett and Laurel Creech speak to seven different organizations across the southeast region about regenerative design. These organizations are supported by the Kendeda Fund…
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Green Minds Ep. 15: Justice40 Initiative
Michael Dexter and Chris Barber, both with SSDN's Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center, explain the basics of the Justice40 Initiative, aimed at distributing at least 40% of federal investments to disadvantaged communities. They also present an interactive mapping tool developed for SSDN's…
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Green Minds Ep. 14: Integrated Resource Plans & Why They’re Important
This episode of Green Minds Podcast features the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) - why they are important and how municipalities can engage. First podcast co-host Laurel Creech speaks with Anne Livingston, SSDN Director of Policy Programs, about her knowledge of IRPs. Then we focus on GA and…
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Green Minds Ep.13 : Food Production and Distribution
The availability of food, fresh and nutritious food in particular, is naturally a primordial preoccupation for communities. Some local governments are taking initiatives to facilitate the production and distribution of food, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable areas. This episode…
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SSDN Community Collaboration Catalyst MicroGrant Award Winning Cities
On this episode of Green Minds, co-host Laurel Creech talks with two cities who received SSDN's Community Collaboration Catalyst Micro Grants aimed at providing small pots of funding to local governments to overcome barriers to systemic inequities alongside dedicated community partner...
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Green Minds Ep. 11: Highlights from SSDN’s Annual Meeting - Heat Mapping and Mitigation
MaryPat Baldauf (Columbia, SC) nominated the session hosted by Tobin Freid (Durham County, NC) and KatieRose Levin (Cary, NC) as her favorite highlight of SSDN's 2022 annual meeting. The peer learning session was on Addressing Urban Heat Islands and Heat Mitigation Strategies - an appropriate…
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Green Minds Ep. 10: Regional & National Food Waste Awareness & Reduction Efforts
This episode of the Green Minds Podcast is hosted by Laurel Creech (Nashville, TN) and features food waste awareness and mitigation in recognition of April being Earth Month and many states and cities recognizing the month as Food Waste Awareness Month. This episode kicks off with NRDC's Darby...
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Green Minds Ep.9: Taking the Non-Traditional Path to Sustainability
Sustainability spans across a multitude of disciplines, and the variety of individual backgrounds of sustainability professionals are a reflection of this reality. In this episode, we visit with Casi Callaway (Mobile, AL), Glen Hadwen (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Lennie Massanelli (Little Rock, AR) and...
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Green Minds Ep. 8: Staffing Sustainability
This episode of Green Minds focuses on the sustainability organizational and staffing structures of four different size cities in the SSDN network and both their differences and commonalities: Susannah Troner of Miami-Dade County, FL; Helen Peplowski of the City of Winston-Salem, NC; George...
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Green Minds Ep. 7: The Urban Tree Canopy
The first 2022 episode of Green Minds explores the making of the latest canopy study for the City of Sandy Springs (GA) with Bridget Lawlor, GIS Manager. She is followed by Dr. Kendra Abkowitz, Chief Sustainability and Resilience Officer with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson...
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Green Minds Ep.6: SSDN Cities Best of 2021
Tune into this episode as Green Minds Co-hosts Catherine Mercier-Baggett and Laurel Creech as we talk with five SSDN cities to hear about their accomplishments in 2021: Fulton County, GA; Winston-Salem, NC; Orange County, FL; Durham, NC; and Chapel Hill, NC. For more headlines and stories from...
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Green Minds Ep. 5: The State of Local Climate Planning with City Scale
This episode of Green Minds is focused on City Scale's recent report The State of U.S. Local Climate Action Planning, a collaborative reflection of a group of local climate practitioners. Through a series of conversations in 2019, climate practitioners across the country came to a shared...
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Green Minds Ep.4: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The IPCC is releasing its sixth round of reports (AR6), confirming that we must control our impact on climate. Dr. Jairo Garcia, author of the Atlanta Climate Action Plan and instructor at Georgia Tech, explains what is the IPCC and why their findings are critical for local governments. Nell…
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Green Minds Ep. 3: Federal Funding with Michael Dexter, Manager of SSDN‘s Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center
This episode of Green Minds features Michael Dexter, SSDN's new Manager for the Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center (SSRC) which supports communities in their mobilization of COVID-19 relief and economic recovery in innovative ways which yield equitable solutions that make our communities more...
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Green Minds Ep. 2: Defining Sustainability for Local Governments
In this second episode of Green Minds, Catherine Mercier-Baggett (Sandy Springs, GA) discusses what sustainability means in the municipal context with Dr. Lynn Patterson of Three Points Planning and Georgia Tech, and Vanessa King, Network Manager at SSDN.
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Green Minds Ep. 1: Kris Stenger, founder of Green Minds podcast & ICC's Director of Energy
This is the first episode of Green Minds hosted by Laurel Creech and features Kris Stenger, the founder and former host of Green Minds Think Alike. We discuss Kris' new position as he leaves City of Winter Park to work as International Code Council's (ICC) Director of Energy.
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Meg Jamison, Executive Director of Southeast Sustainability Directors Network
Meg Jamison, Executive Director of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network , joins the podcast to talk about the power of the network and the SE Sustainable Communities Fund. We also dive into what impacts Covid has had on the network and what opportunities lie ahead.
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Chris Castro, Director, City of Orlando Office of Sustainability & Resilience
Chris Castro has been making headlines and the silver screen with the work he and his team at the City of Orlando have been accomplishing. Chris joins us for a few minutes to talk about how he arrived in Orlando and how the Mayor of Orlando laid out ambious goals that has Chris thinking globally...
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Kim Cheslak of New Buildings Institute and Institute for Market Transformation
Kim Cheslak of New Building Institute and Institute for Market Transformation talks about the energy code training provided through Southface as part of a DOE Commercial Building Study. Kim is formerly the Building Official for Washington DC and talks about how her experience in government has...
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Alissa Farina, City of Miami
Alissa Farina @FarinaAlissa from the City of Miami joins us from the Florida Sustainability Directors Annual Meeting. Alissa speaks to her work on Resilience and Resilience Hubs in the City of Miami.
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Equity and Resilience with Katrina Locke of Volusia County, Florida
Katrina Locke, Sustainability Director for Volusia County, Florida shares with the us about the project they are undertaking in the Spring Hill Community with the help of a grant from the Southeast Sustainable Community Fund. The Grant was also able to provide a convening on Race, Equity and...
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Kumar Jensen, City of Evanston
Kumar Jensen, City of Evanston Sustainability Director joins us from USDN 2019 Conference in Detroit. Kumar shares how equity has led his work in USDN and in Evanston's Climate Plans.
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Architecture 2030 Vincent Martinez
Vincent Martinez COO of Architecture 2030 @arch2030 joins us from @USDN 2019 in Detroit. Vincent gives a history of Architecture 2030 and how this has manifested itself into key code proposals to the 2021 ICC Codes
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How Green Building Codes are Made - The ICC Code Development Snapshot
We are coming to the end of the 2021 ICC Code Change Process as the Code Hearings are underway in Las Vegas. Hear a brief snapshot of how the code development process works.
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Mahesh Ramanujam, U.S. Green Building Council President and CEO
US Green Building Council Florida Chapter hosted President and CEO, Mahesh Ramanujam. Mr. Ramanujam presented the state of USGBC and the advancements made in LEED v4.1. Mahesh also shared with us livingstandard.org a new initiative to share the stories of the role green buildings play in each...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
”Green Minds” is a collaboration between members of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network and guests who have experience, knowledge, passionate and dedication to sustainability.About SSDN: The Southeastern U.S. is no different than the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with the problems associated with climate change. Extreme heat, rising seas, strengthening storms, flooding, drought, and crop loss are just some of the challenges we face.The Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) addresses these problems through sustainability efforts — work that creates a healthy, clean, and more stable environment for current and future generations.We connect local government sustainability professionals throughout the region to accelerate, scale, and implement sustainable best practices so that communities are equipped to adapt to and mitigate climate change.Learn more about SSDN at www.southeastsdn.org
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SSDN
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does SSDN‘s Green Minds have?
SSDN‘s Green Minds currently has 63 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is SSDN‘s Green Minds about?
”Green Minds” is a collaboration between members of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network and guests who have experience, knowledge, passionate and dedication to sustainability.About SSDN: The Southeastern U.S. is no different than the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with the...
How often does SSDN‘s Green Minds release new episodes?
SSDN‘s Green Minds has 63 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to SSDN‘s Green Minds?
You can listen to SSDN‘s Green Minds on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts SSDN‘s Green Minds?
SSDN‘s Green Minds is created and hosted by SSDN.
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