PNW Climate Week Tacoma Opening Ceremony and Panel: Green & Blue - Building a Climate Economy in the South Sound
PNW Climate Week opens where the South Sound's two great economies meet: the green and the blue. Along this shoreline, clean energy, sustainable maritime industry, climate workforce development, and community-led innovation are converging into something larger than any one of them.
Opening remarks will be made by:
Drew Kerkhoff, Provost and Professor, Biology, University of Puget Sound
Joshua Berger, Founder, President and CEO at Washington Maritime Blue
Stephanie Celt, Interim Energy Policy Director, Washington State Department of Commerce
Leaders who work at this intersection and will be speaking include:
Joshua Berger, Founder, President and CEO at Washington Maritime Blue
Matt Glazewski, Director, Washington State Climate Corps Network
James Metoyer, Executive Director of the EnerCity Collaborative
Lynette Claire, Professor, Business and Leadership, University of Puget Sound
Moderated by Michael Catsi, President and CEO of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, this opening panel sets the stage for the week ahead: the economic opportunity of the South Sound's climate transition, the cross-sector partnerships driving it, and what it will take to grow this work — and needed jobs — over the next decade while advancing equity and resilience. This is your invitation to learn how the South Sound can build a climate economy for the land and the water.
Thank you to our community sponsors and hosts at the University of Puget Sound!
Washington Maritime Blue is committed to the development of maritime business, technology, and practices that promote a sustainable future contributing to economic growth, ecological health, and thriving communities. Since 2018, Maritime Blue has led the charge in positioning the Pacific Northwest as the nation’s most impactful, sustainable, and thriving Blue Economy. We have convened partners from industry, government, research institutions, investors, and community leaders to take action, advance shared goals, and prove that the innovation cluster model is a critical tool for creative, systems-level change. Now, Maritime Blue is entering a new phase of growth focused on global leadership and transformative scale. Read more in our Strategic Action Plan.
University of Puget Sound is a leading national liberal arts and sciences university preparing students for success since 1888. In an ever-evolving world, the university believes that the best preparation for the future is an education that exposes minds to multiple perspectives, engages in work that makes a difference in the world, and helps discover who you are and what you have to offer. Sustainability in woven into the whole curriculum and co-curriculum based on decades of faculty and staff expertise. Resulting in graduates ready to solve climate problems in multiple sectors and from various approaches
Washington Climate Corps Network
The Washington Climate Corps Network (WCCN) is a community of organizations, industry partnerships, and volunteers implementing service projects for a climate resilient future. WCCN is creating a climate resilient Washington through enterprising service projects, community partnership, and investments in the next generation of environmental leaders. Our network connects people and organizations with funding, training, and shared resources to strengthen local capacity for climate solutions.
EnerCity Collaborative
At EnerCity Collaborative (ECC), we are committed to ensuring that Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and other underrepresented communities have a seat at the "Inner or Ener circle" in shaping the clean energy economy. Our advocacy work is centered on advancing climate solutions that not only address environmental challenges but also uplift historically marginalized voices in policy decision-making. We believe that clean energy policies should be inclusive, equitable, and reflective of the diverse communities they impact. Through strategic partnerships, policy engagement, and grassroots organizing, ECC works to bridge the gap between clean energy initiatives and the communities that have traditionally been left behind.