Resilience in Denver: Water, Equity, and Funding Strategies in the Mile-High City
Thu May 15
9:45 AM — 10:45 AM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Organizations across Denver are hard at work developing resilience strategies to deal with climate risks around water, heat, and more, as well as addressing legacies of environmental injustice. The South Platte River is planned to undergo a major transformation, funded by the Army Corps of Engineers; the city has a nationally innovative sales tax funding climate initiatives and expanding park space; and community organizations are building sociocultural and environmental resilience in Indigenous and Chicano/a/x communities, and developing international agreements on healing rivers. This session will showcase several major resilience initiatives happening across sectors in Denver and share strategies that can be replicated elsewhere.
Separate ticket required. This session is part of ULI’s Resilience Summit. Purchasing a ticket to ULI’s Resilience Summit provides access to this session and all other ULI Resilience Summit sessions
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Executive Director, Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency City and County of Denver
Elizabeth Babcock is a visionary leader at the forefront of Denver's climate action initiatives. As the Executive Director of Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR), Elizabeth brings more than two decades of expertise to her role. During her 12 years with the City and County of Denver, Elizabeth acted as a leader in the development of Denver’s climate office, created nationally recognized…
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Executive Director Department of Parks and Recreation, Denver
Jolon Clark is the Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation, a role deeply rooted in his lifelong connection to the city. Born and raised in Denver, Jolon grew up with the city's parks and recreation centers as the backdrop to his childhood. A proud graduate of Denver Public Schools, he later earned a degree in Natural Resources from Colorado State University, where he trained…
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Executive Director Spirit of the Sun
Shannon Francis is Hopi and Dineh from the Southwest homelands of Arizona and New Mexico. She is Towering House clan born for Red Running into the Water clan. Her Hopi clans are Massau', Bear, Sand, and Snake Clan. Shannon comes from twelve generations of farmers, ethnobotanists, and seed keepers. As a certified Permaculture Designer and Instructor, Shannon weaves TEK Traditional Ecological Knowledge with innovative science.…
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Principal Nuevo Amanecer
Nita Gonzales is a nationally respected educator, organizer, and fierce advocate for educational, environmental, and community justice. A lifelong daughter of the Chicano Movement, she is the Principal of Nuevo Amanecer, LLC, and a Denver native whose leadership has catalyzed transformational change across systems for over four decades. As co-founder of Hermanas del Rio, now known as River Sisters Congreso, Nita has forged a visionary…
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Director, Waterway Resiliency Program City & County of Denver Department of Finance
Ashlee is Denver's Director of the Waterway Resiliency Program (WATR), a partnership between the City and County of Denver and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The program aims to enhance and restore nearly six miles of ecosystem along the South Platte River and significantly reduce flood risk for communities along Weir Gulch and Harvard Gulch. The program is considered a pilot program for…