Sustainable Design, Materials, and Manufacturing Work Group
Meeting Notes – April 26, 2010

Attendees: John Colm, Dave Cowen, Holly Harlan, Mike Kaminski, Jud Kline, Ken Schneider

Location: Teleconference

Agenda:

1) Discuss Progress on Completing Interviews. What have we learned so far?

John – completed his interview with Jim Latham (Head of Operations) at Greenfield Solar (GS). They are developing solar concentrating material, just starting some pilot installations with Cleveland Public Power. GS is using technology developed by NASA so is able to use some of NASA’s facilities, but now must move into their own facilities. One company they are working with is Edison Welding Center in Columbus.

Interview comments: John feels we should consider making our group a statewide or even regional resource. He would also like to rework the interview protocol, make it easier for interviewees to understand the type of information we need. (Several committee members expressed the opinion that tweaking the protocol would make it easier to send to interviewees prior to the actual discussion. See agenda item #2).

Jud – setting up interviews

Mike - setting up interviews

Dave – Has meeting scheduled with Roger Saillant and Fairmont Minerals

Ken – Working with Holly and Doug Paige to get their input.

Courtney – reported that she’s meeting with Taylor Companies and Lorain County manufacturers this week, trying to connect with Talon Products. She will report back after business trip next week.

Group – will continue to work to complete their assigned interviews by our meeting in May, completed interview protocols should be sent to Ken for summarization, distribution to the group, and storage.

2) Protocol Interview Sheet, discuss change in format submitted by Mike

Mike – didn’t change questions, just the format.

Group – Agreed that Mike’s revised format was easier to read and therefore could be distributed to prospective interviewees prior to meeting with them, as a primer for the discussion. As discussed at previous meetings, we should pick and choose the proper questions for each interview, it’s not necessary in all cases to get the answers to all twelve questions. It was also recommended that we send a copy of our goals/objectives along with the 2019 workbook piece out with the interview protocol (Ken agreed to supply team members with all that material along with a link to our informational site on the Green City Blue Lake website).

Holly – Existing companies vs. start-ups need different questions. We’ll need to adapt depending on the interviewee.

John – We need to determine the importance of this resource (resource defined as the output/result of our work group) we are developing.

Jud – We need to determine the resources and institutions necessary to advance sustainable strategies.

Holly – Early adopters have already gotten the help they need, they just kept searching until they found it. We need to ask them how we can help them now? How do we help companies that don’t even have sustainability on their radar screen? How do we reach out to those companies?

She also suggested adding three additional items to interview question #1 – Green Procurement, New Markets, and company culture and community (Great Lakes Brewing is an excellent example of fostering a company culture of sustainability). Holly will update question #1 with these items and send copy to Ken for distribution to the group.

Group – Once interviews are done, we can determine next steps including a decision on the necessity of the “round table” meeting discussed separately.

3) New Business

Sustainability Consultant for the City of Cleveland – City has selected a company called ETG (Economic Transformation Group), the lead consultant’s name is Kellie Pierson. Her report is due in Mid-July. A team of ten local leaders in the sustainability movement has been organized to work with ETG. Holly is on the team.

G5 Group – Five of the summit working groups that were focused on communication have merged into a super group now calling themselves the “G5”. They have been meeting on a regular basis. Their main goal has been the refinement and distribution of the Cleveland Compact. That document – which was first discussed at the summit itself – has been refined and is now complete. Feel free to read the latest version, you can even sign up too. http://www.gcbl.org/2019/work-groups/public-compact/sign-cleveland-commi...

The “G5” is now looking to redefine themselves and their mission, may begin working on new mission/vision for Sustainable Cleveland 2019.

Biomimicry – Holly notified the group that E4S is very close to signing an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Biomimicry Guild (http://www.biomimicryguild.com/indexguild.html) and the Biomimicry Institute (http://biomimicryinstitute.org/) to establish a 2 – 3 year project to develop a network here. This would be a “Beta site” for this type of arrangement between companies and the Biomimicry leadership organizations.

Holly also announced that the University of Akron (Biology Dept) has now joined forces on the Biomimicry front with E4S and other local universities, including our own Doug Paige at CIA. For example, Akron has been researching the gecko because it has “feet that stick on walls”. Our team told Holly to “let us know how we can help” with this endeavor. Courtney is on the team to raise money, they need approximately $250K for the project to proceed.

4) Next Meeting

Monday, May 24th, 8 – 9:30 AM
@MAGNET
1768 East 25th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114-4420
(216) 391-7002
Mike said he will “leave the gate up” so we can park in the parking lot
http://www.magnetwork.org/

All team members are encouraged to attend the meeting in person. However, if that is not possible, we will open up the teleconference bridge for your participation.

Call: 866.509.3924 or 706.758.1269

Conference Code: 4404145283