The H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Shepard Broad College of Law will host Marty Kiar, Broward County Mayor and the Commissioner for District 1, at the next Sustainability 101 Conference on April 20 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Carl DeSantis Building, room 3049.
In the second installment of the Sustainability 101 Series, Kiar and Samantha Danchuk, assistant director of the Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division, will answer the question, “What does it take to live in a sustainable Broward County?”
At the conference, students and faculty will learn from Kiar about Broward County’s sustainability initiatives and the countywide green projects that are currently underway. Danchuk will talk about her work to enhance community resilience and sustainability through a series of projects that address issues such as coastal systems and the rising sea level. Danchuk currently oversees the county’s climate action plan and the division’s energy and sustainability program.
On Feb. 11, 2014, Broward County was the first county in the nation to receive a four-star certification from the Sustainability Tools for Assessing and Rating Communities. The STAR Community Rating System measures seven pillars to assess a community’s level of sustainability, including environment, climate and energy, economy and jobs, education, arts and community, equity and empowerment, health and safety, and natural systems. Within each of these goals, there are objectives that the community must reach in order to receive the appropriate rating.
The county is engaged in a number of ecological initiatives, including the Go Green Seal of Sustainability program, which houses a wide range of projects that target the use of energy within the various divisions throughout the county. The Seal of Sustainability Program won the National Association of Counties Achievement Award in 2014.
Prior to becoming mayor, Kiar earned his bachelor of arts degree at Palm Beach Atlantic University in 1999 and received his juris doctorate at NSU in 2002. He was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2006 before serving as the Broward County Commissioner for Davie, Weston, Sunrise, Plantation, Lauderhill and Tamarac. Now, he is involved in efforts to reduce Broward’s carbon footprint.
The Sustainability 101 Conference is free and open to all students and faculty members. To register for the conference, visit doodle.com/poll/2s8kqnunwaup5yvz. For more information about the conference, email Guenola Nonet at gnonet@nova.edu.
