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 The Cost of Staying In Place The cost of outdated housing, pollution, high energy, and healthcare has quietly chipped…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…