Mary Beth Ikard will be speaking about Root Nashville. The purpose of Root Nashville is to plant and care for 500,000 trees across Nashville by 2050 in collaboration with private, nonprofit and philanthropic partners.

The campaign is designed to increase the city's tree canopy and create a more equitable distribution of the health and sustainability benefits of urban trees across all neighborhoods.

Click HERE for location, directions and adding to your calendar. 

For more information visit Roots Nashville.

Mary Beth Ikard has 15 years’ experience in communications and cause-marketing for complex issues, including: early-childhood education, private-sector healthcare, human services for vulnerable populations, tobacco prevention, and animal welfare. She comes to Mayor Briley’s Office after five years with the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization –the lead policy, planning, and funding authority for surface transportation across Middle Tennessee– where she led public/stakeholder involvement around the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan.

She earned the Nashville Emerging Leader Award in her industry sector; was honored as both a "Woman of Influence" and "Top 40 Under 40" by the Nashville Business Journal; and served as 2013-14 Chair of YP-Nashville (talent-retention initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce). Her service-record on area nonprofit boards includes Homework Hotline, the Nashville Adult Literacy Council, Tennessee Conservation Voters, and the League of Women Voters.

She holds a B.A. in Journalism and English from Indiana University, Accreditation in Public Relations, and is currently an MFA candidate in Creative Writing with the University of the South.