Grant Spotlight: Investing in Local Climate Resilience
We’re thrilled to announce that several of our member communities have been awarded grants through the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI)! Here’s what’s happening: Boynton Beach, FL, has received $100,000 to develop a data-informed, community-driven urban heat resilience strategy, including efforts around tree canopy expansion and cooling infrastructure. Chatham County, GA, secured $110,787 to create…
Read MoreRichmond Battles Heat with New Cool Kit
The City of Richmond’s Office of Sustainability (an SSDN member community) just released its first-ever heat mitigation guide, the Richmond Cool Kit, with 25 evidence-based strategies to help city staff and community members tackle extreme heat. It’s a timely, practical resource designed to cool down both public and private spaces—because every degree matters. We’re proud…
Read MoreGreen Minds Podcast: Careers in Sustainability
Our August episode of Green Minds dives into the realities of landing—and thriving—in sustainability jobs, especially in local government. From breaking into the field to stepping into leadership roles like Chief Sustainability Officer, our guests Abena Ojetayo with the City of Tallahassee and Shelby Buso, formerly with the City of Atlanta and now with the…
Read MoreCommunity Resilience Hubs: Infrastructure That Connects and Protects
By Anita Tillman, AMCorp International Every city needs bridges. Roads. Drainage systems. We invest in these structures not just because we use them every day, but because they help us weather the disruption, stay connected, and return to normal after disaster. Today, the Southeast faces a new kind of infrastructure imperative – one designed not…
Read MoreSE Communities Leading the Way on Heat Resilience
We’re excited to share that New Orleans, LA, and Memphis, TN, both SSDN members, have been selected as 2025 Community Science Partners through the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring (CCHM), a national collaboration of science centers and technical experts. This work will support locally driven efforts to collect and use data on extreme heat, air…
Read MoreCelebrating Our TN Member Communities
From microgrids to municipal fleet transitions, check out what our member communities in Tennessee are doing: Knoxville is driving change with a Green Fleet Policy, a decarbonization plan for public transit, and a partnership with Knoxville Utilities Board’s community solar array program. It’s aiming for a 50% cut in municipal emissions by 2030 and…
Read MoreGreen Minds Podcast: Climate Action Plans
Does your community have a Climate Action Plan, Climate Vulnerability or Risk Assessment? Are you interested in one? Take a deep dive with us as we explore what makes a successful plan on our Green Minds podcast, which just dropped today. Host Dr. Robyn Byers interviews Leif Olson of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Michelle Midanier of…
Read MoreWest Palm Beach Energy Milestone
We’re celebrating a big win for the SSDN member community West Palm Beach, which has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as a 2024 Better Buildings Challenge Goal Achiever! By reducing energy use by 16% across all municipal buildings and infrastructure, the City cemented its status as a leader in municipal energy efficiency…
Read MoreWhat’s in Your Energy/Water Efficiency Kit?
LED lightbulbs? Low-flow showerheads? Our sustainability experts recently discussed what items they provide to homeowners and renters as part of their community sustainability efforts as well as which items had an impact and what items just weren’t effective. These kits help community members try out items they might not otherwise purchase so they can see…
Read MoreWhat’s the Buzz about Bee Cities?
Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are essential to healthy ecosystems, local agriculture, and biodiversity—but they’re in trouble. That’s where Bee City USA steps in, helping communities take meaningful steps to protect these vital species. Becoming a Bee City means your community commits to: ✅ Creating and enhancing pollinator habitats ✅ Educating the public about…
Read MoreCongrats to Our Very Own Energy Exec: Jake!
We’re proud to share that SSDN’s Jake Leech has been selected to join the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 2025 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs)! This prestigious four-month leadership program brings together 19 professionals from across the country to dive deep into cutting-edge clean energy technologies, tools, and innovations. Jake’s…
Read MoreBuilt Shade: A Critical Tool in Heat Resilience
When it comes to beating the heat, trees are a great solution, but they aren’t the only solution — and in places like East Tampa, built shade is playing a vital role in protecting communities. As highlighted by Kayla Caselli with the City of Tampa and featured in the Tampa Heat Resilience Playbook, built shade…
Read MoreCongrats to Our New Membership Manager: Gabi
Since joining SSDN, Gabriela “Gabi” Sanchez Barrocas has been a vital part of our team — bringing dedication, heart, and a deep commitment to supporting our members. She began taking on many of the responsibilities of this role in the fall of last year and was officially promoted in March. Her biggest undertaking so far…
Read MoreNew SSDN Jobs Board
We’re excited to launch the SSDN Jobs Board—a growing hub for local government sustainability and resilience career opportunities across the Southeast! Looking for your next step or know someone who is looking? To post a job, simply fill out the quick submission form here: 🔗 https://www.southeastsdn.org/members/member-login/job-postings/ You can also send jobs to Amanda@southeastsdn.org. We’re building…
Read MoreInspiration to Anticipation: SSDN’s 2025 Annual Meeting
“Feeling gratitude for SSDN bringing together such a thoughtful and driven community committed to local climate action and collective impact.”- Alannah Irwin, Boynton Beach, FL Dear SSDN Community, As the energy from our recent gathering in Richmond begins to settle, we find ourselves reflecting on connections made, inspiration found, and knowledge gained and shared. For…
Read MoreCelebrating GA’s Sustainability Momentum
Across Georgia SSDN members are leading the way in sustainability action. At the 2025 Cobb County Sustainability Expo, our Georgia Policy Manager Joy Ward joined local m embers to spotlight how regional collaboration is accelerating progress across the state. With more than 400 attendees, the event underscored SSDN’s belief that regional challenges require regional solutions—and…
Read MoreWhen Solutions Are Local
By Anita Tillman, AMCorp International Across the Southeast, communities are rewriting the blueprint for prosperity—not by waiting for rescue, but by reimagining what growth could look like when it is rooted in resilience, opportunity, and independence. The Cost of Staying In Place The cost of outdated housing, pollution, high energy, and healthcare has quietly chipped…
Read MoreWelcome Jenna!
Warm wishes to our newest employee, Tennessee Valley Policy Manager Jenna Guillen. A California native and recent transplant to Nashville, TN, Jenna is passionate about supporting our members’ sustainability efforts in the Tennessee Valley region. In her career, Jenna has worked in various roles for state and local government in Central and Northern California primarily…
Read MoreGreen Minds Podcast: Benefits of Joining SSDN
Do you have a Green Mind? 💚🧠 Check out our Green Minds podcast. In our latest episode, hosts Dr. Robyn Byers and Dr. Shaleen Miller engage with Rebecca Coplin, Beautification Project Manager for High Point, NC, to explore the benefits of SSDN membership. They discuss traditional and unique advantages, emphasizing relationship building, connections, and grant…
Read MoreWelcome to the team Amanda
Welcome Amanda! 👋 A big shout out 🎉 to our first ever communications manager, Amanda Nalley. Amanda has a 20+ year career in environmental communications, starting as a camp kid turned camp counselor on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She has two undergraduate degrees from Loyola University New Orleans. She taught environmental education, was a newspaper…
Read MoreAnnouncing: Our NEW Leadership!
Join us in thanking the inaugural members of our board. We look forward to working with this group of committed members as they lead our newly designated 501(c)(3). President Laura Thomas – Richmond, VA Vice President Lori Forsman – Orange County, FL Secretary Jeanette Johnson – Wake Forest, NC Alia Garrett – Sarasota, FL Chandra…
Read MoreTogether Louisiana’s Bold Vision Empowers Communities with Clean Energy
In the wake of Hurricane Ida, Louisiana residents were left without power for weeks, exposing the deep vulnerabilities of the state’s energy infrastructure. But instead of waiting for solutions from the top down, a coalition of churches, nonprofits, labor unions, and community organizations took matters into their own hands. Together Louisiana launched a groundbreaking initiative…
Read MoreSSDN Announces Leadership Transition and New Beginnings
Dear SSDN members, partners and community, It has been an incredible honor to serve as SSDN’s first Executive Director and work with SSDN for nearly 10 years. I am pleased and honored that I have had the chance to lead such an impactful organization, and I commend my team and our members for the incredible…
Read MoreSSDN Urges the Tennessee Valley Authority to Strengthen Its Commitment to Resilient Energy
December 6, 2024 – The Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN), representing more than 125 local governments dedicated to advancing sustainability across the southeastern United States, submitted comments yesterday to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) regarding its 2025 Draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). SSDN’s recommendations focus on driving a stronger commitment to sustainability, transparency, and equity…
Read More“Energy For All Y’All” shares inspiring stories of how the South is benefiting from clean energy
Asheville, NC — From training local workers as solar installers to test-driving electric vehicles, renewable energy is alive and well in the Southeast. These kinds of stories need to be told if people are to see the value of clean energy in their everyday lives. That’s the impetus behind “Energy For All Y’all,” a collaboration from…
Read MoreTransportation Grants Pave the Way for Community Reconnection and Resilience
By Anita Tillman, AMCorp International The elevated Interstate 10 looms in the distance along the North Claiborne Avenue corridor in New Orleans — a stark concrete barrier bisecting the historic Tremé neighborhood, where 1960s urban renewal projects have had detrimental impacts on a once-economically thriving community. NEW ORLEANS — In an era where infrastructure often…
Read MoreHurricane Recovery Resources and How to Help
The aftermath of any storm is life altering for those in its midst as well as for those of us out of the path watching what is happening in neighborhoods just like ours. Our hearts are with every community dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and our prayers are with those in the path…
Read MoreA Season of Change: Farewell and Thank You to Riyza Jose Morales
by Meg Jamison, Executive Director As we prepare to bid farewell to our wonderful Riyza, we want to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate her remarkable journey with us. After three years of dedication to our organization and to our members, Riyza is embarking on a new chapter, and while we are sad…
Read MoreCelebrating New Heights in the Queen City: SSDN’s 2024 Annual Meeting
In the spring, SSDN celebrated another impactful Annual Meeting in the midst of new heights and growth experienced by our network. The 2024 SSDN Annual Meeting was held April 30th to May 3rd in Charlotte, North Carolina. This year’s festivities welcomed 130 staff from 80 local governments, with representatives from all 10 states in our…
Read MoreCommunity First: EPA’s $2 Billion Grants Program Targets Community-Based Organizations
By Anita Tillman, AMCorp International For too long, communities across America have suffered from pollution, extreme weather, unaffordable energy costs, and disinvestment that erodes quality of life and locks in decline. Rising waters endanger aging homes, and toxic sites sit neglected. What could your hometown become if seniors in aging homes no longer had to…
Read MoreGratitude for SSDN’s Growth & Planning Ahead for 2024
by Meg Jamison, Executive Director I started working with SSDN as a consultant in 2015 with one of SSDN’s founding members, Maggie Ullman. I helped organize our Annual Meeting in Atlanta where we gathered about 35 local government practitioners in Atlanta. At that point, SSDN had no network staff… only two consultants trying to build…
Read MoreRefuse to Surrender: How an Underdog City Applied for a $10 Million Federal Grant
By Anita Tillman, AMCorp International Across the southeast, from Texas to Virginia, cities and towns overflow with ideas, hopes, needs, and dreams. Unfortunately, most find themselves wrestling with the realities of fragile infrastructure, an affordable housing crisis, population fluctuations, and little capacity to access the pots of federal funding at the end of the rainbow…
Read MoreStart Where Communities Are: How Local Infrastructure Hub Cohorts Build Local Capacity to Access Federal Funding
by Anita M. Tillman, AMCorp International Navigating the complex landscape of infrastructure needs and federal funding opportunities can often feel like you’re lost in an intricate maze without a map. You understand the corners and contours of your community, you’re attuned to its challenges and potential, and yet, transforming those needs into actionable projects feels…
Read MoreCelebrating Growth and Progress: A Rundown of SSDN’s Federal Funding Programs
We are excited to continue strengthening our capacity to support for local communities in accessing federal resources! Two years ago, SSDN launched the Southeast Sustainable Recovery Center (SSRC), a member-focused support program for local governments with the goal of increasing access to federal funding and resources to advance sustainability and equity. Building on SSDN’s peer-to-peer…
Read MoreSSDN Launches Local Infrastructure Hub Cohorts Program to Deepen Support for Southeast Communities’ Access to Federal Funding
The Southeast Sustainability Directors Network has officially launched a new program as part of a broader effort to provide deeper support to communities who need additional capacity to access federal funding. The Local Infrastructure Hub (LIH) Regional Cohorts program provides direct support and technical assistance (TA) to local governments and their partners in the Midwest…
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