Track 2: Sustainability: Adapting to New Realities

Energy independence, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and operating in an environmentally sound way are top priorities for the Administration. Success depends on government and industry collaborating closely and taking leadership roles. This track goes beyond “green IT” to address the ways government and industry are working to meet these challenges, as well as the ramifications of moving towards sustainable operations. Topics to be discussed include the broad directives of Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance signed by the President in October 2009, the sustainability investments funded by the Recovery Act, as well other policy and regulatory mandates. These mandates and investments will drive agency agendas and have far reaching effects on the federal workforce.

8:30 AM – 9:15 AM; Track 2 Introduction

Leslie Gillespie-Marthaler, Senior OFEE Program Manager, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive Council on Environmental Policy

9:15 AM -10:30 AM; Track 2, Panel 1

Moving the Needle: Leading the Way to More Sustainable Future

This session will set the framework for the day by examining a range of initiatives underway in government and industry aimed at changing in the way we consume energy, water and other natural resources to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Panelist will address current and future government efforts to promote a portfolio of initiatives, including “green” IT, data center consolidation, virtualization, cloud computing, the smart grid, renewable energy, telework and intelligent transportation. The session will identify leading practices that commercial companies have adopted in these areas to increase energy efficiency and sustainability. The session also will examine how government may use mandates in the acquisition process to require contractors, grantees and other business partners to operate in a more sustainable mode.

Moderator: Kevin Kampschroer, Director, Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings, General Services Administration

Panelists:
Gavi Begtrup, Policy Advisor, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, 8th District Arizona
Edan Dionne, Director, Corporate Environmental Affairs, IBM Corporation
Leslie Gillespie-Marthaler, Senior OFEE Program Manager, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive Council on Environmental Policy
Vaughn Noga, Director, Office of Technology Operations and Planning and Agency Chief Technology Officer, Environmental Protection Agency

Learning Objectives:

Identify key federal initiatives investments to drive sustainability within the public and private sectors
Identify primary challenges to real progress in meeting federal sustainability goals and approaches to overcoming those challenges
Identify key actions for the federal government to take to get enduring progress on sustainability

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM; Track 2, Panel 2

Going Green: Making Government Facilities and Data Centers More Sustainable

This session will explore how government can lead by example in complying with key policy mandates to make buildings, facilities and data centers more sustainable. Panelists will engage the audience identifying ways that government and industry can partner to mitigate negative environmental impacts and prioritize initiatives to increase sustainability. The session will identify ways that information systems and processes can innovatively increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of sustainability -- from design through waste management programs.

Moderator: Christopher Smith, Chief Information Officer, Department of Agriculture

Panelists:
John Frey, Americas Sustainability Executive, HP Enterprise Services
Lora Muchmore, Director, Business Enterprise Integration, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Eleni Reed, Chief Greening Officer, General Services Administration
Phil Wirdzek, President and Executive Director, International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL)


Learning Objectives:

Identify key government initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency and lessen negative impact on the environment
Identify leading practices for using information systems and processes to enhance building efficiency and provide feedback that alter behavior to increase sustainability

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM; Track 2, Panel 3

Incorporating Sustainability into Operating Practices: The Dawn of New Management Era

This session will examine the impact of sustainability initiatives on cost, performance and security of government operations. The panelists will identify challenges in transitioning to renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and waste management measures. The session will then engage the audience in a discussion of innovative approaches to addressing those challenges in government and industry and of changes in operating practices that will contribute to improving energy efficiency and sustainability. The discussion also will address prospective policy mandates that will have significant impacts on both government and industry in acquisition and supply chain management. Attendees will discuss the implications of connecting to the Smart Grid and review the latest tools in the battle to reduce energy consumption, including carbon assessments, sensor technology, advanced metering, other key measurement devices, and dashboards that will enable management to increase building efficiency, lower cost, provide user feedback and generate significant return on investment.

Moderator: Raheem Cash, Director, Environmental Division, General Services Administration

Panelists:
James E. Balocki, Chief, Environmental Community of Practice, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Darrell T. Black, DeKalb County Chief Information Officer, Information Systems, DeKalb County Georgia

Jennifer MacDonald, Program Analyst, Department of Energy
Cynthia Vallina, OFPP Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Management and Budget

Learning Objectives:

Identify ways in which sustainability initiatives (e.g., renewable energy, energy efficiency, etc.) will reduce costs, improve mission performance and enhance our national security posture
Identify creative contracting techniques (e.g., ESPCs, UESC, ESCOs) and innovative supply chain management approaches to drive sustainability in government operations and facilities management
Identify best practices in asset disposal, waste management and recycling to reduce environmental impact of government operations

3:15 PM – 4:30 PM; Track 2, Panel 4

Building a Sustainable Working Environment: Addressing Workforce Implications

This session will explore the major workforce implications of moving to more sustainable facilities and distributed operations model. Panelists will discuss steps that government and industry have taken to increase telework, telepresence and other alternative work arrangements that reduce transportation congestion, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The session will engage the audience in a discussion on how government and industry educate and motivate workers to save energy, reduce carbon footprint and participate in waste management programs. The discussion will include an examination of how sustainability will affect the way government recruits, hires, trains, equips, manages and evaluates worker performance. The panelist and audience will explore how intelligent network systems in the power grid, buildings, vehicles and other devices will shape the workplace of the future as well as impacts on worker privacy and security of government information.

Moderator: Christopher Hoagland, Public Affairs Specialist, General Services Administration

Panelists:
Danette Campbell, Senior Advisor, Telework, United States Patent & Trademark Office
Linda Cureton, Chief Information Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Antonio Hylton, Managing Principal, US Public Sector, Global Strategic Services, Verizon Business
Tim Schmidt, Chief Technology Officer, Department of Transportation

Learning Objectives:

Identify pros and cons of telework, telepresence and alternative work arrangements
Identify changes in government HR processes, structure and incentives to drive sustainability
Identify the security and privacy implications of “smart” power grids, buildings, vehicles and devices as well as ways to balance respect for privacy while getting the sustainability benefits of intelligent systems