Climate and Electric Vehicle Action for Local Governments
with guests Diana McKeown & Abby Finis from the Great Plains Institute
Join WTS MN as we host a panel of local specialists to discuss a variety of topics related to climate and electric vehicle action for local governments.
Abby Finis and Diana MnKoewn from the Great Plains Institute (GPI) will present on various topics regarding their work with local communities in this line of work. Examples of topics covered in the presentation include:
- Climate Action Plans
- Transportation ramifications of local climate planning
- EV Readiness work with cities and counties
- EV-ready certification pilot program through GPI
The program will consist of an approximately 1 hour presentation with a 20-30 minute Q&A session at the end.
This program will qualify for 1.0 AICP credits and is recommended for 1.0 hours of self reported PDHs.
We hope to see you on the 24th!
Participants will receive a zoom link and further instructions the day before the program via email. All zoom meetings will now require a passcode to join. Please pay attention to this passcode in event communications.
WHEN & WHERE:
Thursday, June 24th
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Zoom information to follow
COST TO ATTEND:
No Cost
Presenter Biographies
Diana McKeown: METRO CERT Director
Diana has led the eleven-county metro region of the statewide program Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) for the past 13+ years, during which time she has coordinated and participated in a number of clean energy initiatives including the launch of GreenStep Cities, Cities Charging Ahead (CCA) and Powering Ahead with Vehicle Electrification (PAVE), a cohort of municipal utilities. In 2021 Diana co-facilitated a combined technical advisory committee for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Council focused on electric vehicle planning. Diana is also the co-chair for the outreach and communications committee of Drive Electric Minnesota. Prior to joining the CERTs team, Diana worked for over 14 years at Clean Water Action on clean energy policy. Diana holds a BS in Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota.
Abby Finis: Senior Program Manager, Communities
Abby Finis joined the Great Plains Institute in 2015 and is a senior planner with the Communities Program. She works with communities in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest to implement energy and climate action plans, analyze community resiliency, and help cities become more sustainable. Abby is currently co-director of Minnesota GreenStep Cities, a statewide sustainability program that supports city quality of life goals. As a recognition of her work and leadership in the field, she was named a 2018 Midwest Energy News Top 40 Under 40 Award winner. Previously, Abby was a senior planner at CR Planning, a small urban planning firm that specialized in sustainability and energy. Abby began her career at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources where she implemented local government clean energy and energy efficiency programs. Abby received a master's of urban and regional planning from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and a BS in political science from the University of Oregon-go Ducks!
Sincerely,
Allie Futhey, Erin Jordan & Keelee Roggenbuck
WTS Minnesota