The York River Group (led by Tyla Matteson) and the Chesapeake Bay Group (led by David Grochmal) hosted this roundtable jointly.  It was held on October 8, 2024.

Congressman Bobby Scott, representing Congressional District 3, led the evening zoom call by delivering an inspiring speech about the importance of sustainability and climate resilience in our region.  Whitney Katchmark with Hampton Roads Planning District Commission then gave an update on the EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant for the Hampton Roads metro area (which we did not win), followed by plans for a new application being worked for a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

Next, sustainability managers and representatives from Southside Hampton Roads localities outlined their progress and new initiatives toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  This included solar arrays, energy efficient building practices and building audits, electric vehicles and EV charging stations, trails, trees, geothermal energy, and wind energy. The localities represented were Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.  The speakers included Charlie Jones, Megan Hale, Eileen Woll, Lynn Godfrey, Kevin Hughes, Lori Borden, and Ryan Hersey.

It is fantastic to see pro-environmental efforts like these, which will ultimately benefit our health and our children's futures, going on in our local communities!