About IslandVision
From IslandVision
IslandVision began with a few people interested in sustainability on Mercer Island. Here's a sample of some of our collective achievements so far.
- IslandVision worked with the Planing Commission and City Council to establish sustainability as a core community value in the city's comprehensive plan.
- IslandVision partnered with the Friends of Luther Burbank to convene a City Council Candidate's Forum to advance a sustainability policy platform.
- IslandVision hosted a series of community forums and raised funds to incubate the Mercer Island Farmers Market
- IslandVision partnered with the City in creating the annual Leap for Green Sustainability fair.
- IslandVision joined SCALLOPS as one of 60 grassroots citizen groups in the Puget Sound bioregion organizing for sustainability.
- IslandVision partnered with Friends of the Cedar River Watershed and students from Mercer Island High School to produce the Watershed Report Video Broadcast.
Our mission is to achieve sustainability on Mercer Island through communication, coordination, and collaboration. Read more below about who we are and our aspirations. Sustainability on Mercer Island and within our bioregion won't happen without you.
Contents |
Board of Directors
Board of Directors:
Past Board Members:
Webhosting:
- Roger Weinheimer (72hills)
Dr. Jonathan Harrington
|
Address: 8441 SE 68th #325
Home phone: 206-232-3238
Email: jianan11@msn.com
IslandVision Focus: I am especially passionate about the challenge of climate change and will champion and facilitate citizen-driven activities; i.e. capacity building, environmental education, energy conservation, and general public outreach, that help families, organizations, schools, and our local government reduce production of the greenhouse gases that are warming our world.
Biographical Highlights: A university professor, writer, and public policy analyst, Jonathan has been educating the young and old about environment and development issues for almost twenty years. He has hosted, organized, and spoken at international conferences on four continents and authored numerous peer reviewed and popular publications including a book entitled The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs and Save the Planet (Earthscan/James and James 2008), which was recently chosen as a finalist for a major national publishing industry accolade, The Books for a Better Life Award. Jonathan is committed to harnessing his thirst for knowledge, flexibility, nebulous world view, and life experiences to help the Island that we love seize the dream of real sustainable development. visit www.climatediet.com
Roberta Lewandowski
Email: roberta@lewandowski.com
IslandVision Focus: I am interested in promoting sustainable communities with a lessened environmental footprint, particularly in reducing transportation demand.
Biographical Highlights: Roberta joined the IslandVision Board in December 2012. She is an urban planner, and currently also serves on the Board of Directors for Futurewise, a smart growth advocacy group that promotes sustainable cities and resource lands conservation. She formerly served as Planning Director for the City of Redmond (16 years) and Growth Management Planner for King County, Washington and has served as an officer of the Washington State Chapter of the American Planning Association, and as President for the Washington State Association of City Planning Directors. Roberta has been a Mercer Island resident for 33 years and is an active hiker, skier, traveler and birder.
Ellen Miller-Wolfe
emwolfe@kirkland.ci.gov
ERMW@aol.com
Phone: 232-5732
IslandVision Focus: Ellen is interested in connecting sustainability work on Mercer Island with other work in the region, with an emphasis on sustainable economies and intergenerational and other programs that allow people to age in place.
Biographical Highlights: Ellen is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Kirkland. Prior to her present job, Ellen served in the same capacity for the City of Bellevue. Ellen's earlier work in the private and public sectors focused on managing local and regional planning and development projects, most notably the redevelopment of seven miles of Connecticut Riverfront in the Capitol Region of Connecticut for Riverfront Recapture, Inc., a public development authority. She has a long history of leading green projects including: Chairing the Blackledge River Basin Project, a multi-town effort to conserve a Connecticut watershed for which she was the recipient of a Governor's Award; Board member, Colchester Land Trust; Founding member, IslandVision ; and Executive Committee member of Sustainable September, an Eastside sustainability promotion effort. She holds an undergraduate degree in English and American Studies from Skidmore College, and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. Her daughter Amy attends the University of Oregon and son Aaron is a student at MIHS children. She has lived on the island since 1992.
Callie Ridolfi
|
Callie A. Ridolfi, P.E.
3432 72nd Avenue SE, Mercer Island WA 98040
callieridolfi@gmail.com
Phone: 232-8402
IslandVision Focus: As a Founding Director of IslandVision, I intend to catalyze sustainable change and connect Islanders to each other and to resources for the enhancement of our collective journey. Building on the successful development work of the Mercer Island Farmers Market, I intend to continue encouraging and facilitating discussions around sustainable prosperity for our community. What will our community look like and how might we live in 2020? 2030? In what ways can we build stronger relations among our amazing local talent to transition our Island and seize on opportunities to welcome the future?
Biographical Highlights: Callie is a registered professional civil engineer and a LEED accredited professional. She has graduate degrees in environmental engineering from UW and in sustainable business from Bainbridge Graduate Institute. She was honored as engineer of the year by the American Consulting Engineers Council in 2003, served on the City of Mercer Island Utility Board (2007-2010), and has served on the Mercer Island Design Commission (2004-2007). She is a founding director of the Washington Clean Technology Alliance and Callie owns an environmental engineering consulting company, RIDOLFI Inc., and a social venture for sustainable development, ecoFAB LLC.
Past Board Members
Peter Donaldson
Peter Donaldson
206-236-8114 hm/office
peter@peterdonaldson.net
Lucia Pirzio-Biroli
Lucia Pirzio-Biroli, AIA/LEED AP
206-232-9147
lucia@studioectypos.com
Bert Loosmore
206-979-9210
bert.loosmore@gmail.com
Nancy Weil
206-941-4333
nancyweil@gmail.com
Milestones
2005
- April: We begin informally as the "Sustainability Education Group".
- Meetings with Mercer Island Planning Commission beginning with a "dot exercise" to brainstorm and prioritize areas of interest around sustainability.
- Arranged presentations to the Planning Commission with invited experts to speak on topics of regional planning, design, best practices, and policy related to sustainability.
- Participated in the 30th anniversary celebration of the Mercer Island Recycling Center with representatives from the schools.
2006
- Cohosted a booth at Summer Celebration with Committee to Save the Earth.
- Developed "Toward a Sustainable Mercer Island" white paper.
- Filed articles of incorporation as an educational non-profit community service organization with the State of Washington.
- November: City Council unanimously approves new enabling language for sustainability as a community value in the comprehensive plan.
- First Island Vision Public Forum at the Mercer Island Public Library, created first draft of “Action Agenda” Timeline.
2007
- Second Island Vision Public Forum. Thursday, April 19th.
- City Council approves 2007 work plan for Planning Commission and grants up to 600 hours staff time to work on sustainability. City Council Member Mike Grady will be working with the Planning Commission on environmental and sustainability issues.
- City Council adopts Sustainability Resolution and sets GHG emission reduction target of 80% reduction by 2050.
- Summer Celebration Booth, July 14-15, e-mail list up to 130 people.
- Sponsored City Council Candidate Forum September 26 at MI Public Library.
- Motivated to Initiate a Farmers Market, 46 Islanders attend November 8 Community Forum at the MI Public Library to discuss their vision for 2020.
2008
- Developed short two hour formats for classes on Sustainability and Global Interconnectedness using Facing the Future format & content.
- First annual public sustainability fair was hosted by IslandVision and the City of Mercer Island was held at the Community Center around Earth Day. "Leap for Green" event was attended by over 1000 citizens who enjoyed entertainment, exhibits, food and fun!
- IslandVision initiates a weekly farmers market pilot season in the fall. The Sunday market was held near Mercerdale Park for 10 weeks. The Mercer Island Farmers Market attracts some 19,000 shopping visits with 32 vendors offering fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, honey, baked goods, ice cream, and prepared foods.
- 501(c)3 application developed, approved by board, and filed with IRS. We received non-profit status from IRS on August 6, 2008.
