What's New

States spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation in fiscal year 2010, but many cannot answer critical questions abot what returns this investment is generating, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation. The study comes at a time when some members of Congress are proposing that the next surface transportation authorization act, the law that governs the largest federal funding streams for states’ transportation systems, more closely tie dollars to performance.

The report, Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results, found considerable differences among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in linking transportation systems to six key goals particularly important to states’ economic well-being and taxpayers’ quality of life: safety, jobs and commerce, mobility, access, environmental stewardship and infrastructure preservation.

The BlueGreen Alliance and the Economic Policy Institute released a new report, Rebuilding Green: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Green Economy.  The report details how the Recovery Act's green investments committed through the end of 2010 created or saved nearly 1 million jobs. It provides evidence that the Recovery Act succeeded in responding to the nation's economic crisis and that green investments create jobs while laying a foundation for the development of a 21st century green economy in the United States.

Get the report here...

Dear Colleagues:

As we begin the New Year, I am excited to be assuming a new role at the Surdna Foundation, as the Senior Director of Programs and Strategy, overseeing the program side of the Foundation and working closely with our President and Chief Financial Officer on the strategic direction for the Foundation (for more information click here).

I joined Surdna almost seven years ago and have been privileged to lead the Sustainable Environments program for the past three years, building on the accomplishments of the foundation in the areas of climate change, transportation, and smart growth and initiating new work around the green economy.  In this new capacity, I will be working more broadly to enhance the overall impact of the Foundation's programs, ensuring that they collectively further our mission to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States and national action on sustainability.  I'm thrilled to be taking up the challenge and thankful for the support of staff and Board in the next phase of our work together.

My promotion will lead to a change in leadership of the Sustainable Environments program, not in the program's overall vision. The Board recently affirmed its commitment to the program's goal of improving people's lives through investing in innovative solutions to environmental problems and to our three program priorities.  During the transition, while we are searching for a new Director, I will still oversee the program, but will be increasingly relying on my incredible team in the Sustainable Environments program - led by Helen Chin, along with Beth Herz and Amara Foster.  In addition, we will be working closely with a consulting team that will provide portfolio assistance to ensure there is enough capacity to support our grantees and respond to developments in the field.  The search for a new Director will be underway shortly; we will share a position description with all of you and hope that you will help us identify strong candidates.

I am also particularly grateful for the relationships I have built with all of you and proud of our work to demonstrate the interconnections between the environment, the economy, and social equity. You have stretched my thinking and help shed light on exciting new areas of opportunity for the foundation and I will be counting on that continuing moving forward.

I look forward to working together in my new role.  Please feel free to give me a call or drop me an email if you have any questions.

All my best,

Sharon

 

 

The 2011 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, February 8-10 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference, now in its fourth year, is the premier event for bringing together key stakeholders - including union, environmental, business and elected leaders - to share ideas and strategies for building the new, green economy.

Sponsored by Surdna grantee The Blue Green Alliance Foundation, the 2011 Conference will focus on putting into practice the ideas and strategies for a new green economy ─ and creating good green jobs ─ around the country.

Click for more information...