SSDN‘s Green Minds

Dr. Shaleen Miller talks with Cameron Gonzalez, Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, and Kimberly Conley, Sustainability Coordinator, with the Town of Morrisville, NC, about the real-world transition to electric vegetation management equipment.

 

Hear what they have learned about costs, battery life, charging, crew performance, staff buy-in, and quieter day-to-day operations.

 

#sustainability #SSDN #SoutheastUS 

Join host Diego J. Cancel from Coral Gables, Florida, as he interviews several of our SSDN members and leadership at the 2026 Annual Meeting. Interviewees share the important things they learned and what they are taking home with them. 

Celebrate Mobility Month this May as host Mika Gadsden, Director of Sustainability for Charleston, South Carolina, interviews Executive Director Katie Zimmerman and Director of Programming Savannah Brennan with Charleston Moves about local mobility efforts. #biking #charlestonmoves

This Earth Month, we explore the connection between sustainability work and mental health. Host Jessica Reid is joined by two guests bringing complementary perspectives. Ashley Stokes, who currently works for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and is the creator of the documentary Good Natured, discusses the role of storytelling in helping people process climate emotions and move toward action. Sarah Sterzing of Keep Norfolk Beautiful shares how her background in social work informs a trauma-informed approach to sustainability. 

Together, this conversation offers practical insights and reflections for those working in climate and sustainability, especially those navigating the emotional weight of the work. 

Watch Good Natured 

Check out this article that some of our SSDN members enjoyed, inspiring this episode. 

 

🎙️ March Green Minds Podcast

Coral Gables Sustainability Supervisor Diego J. Cancel and SSDN member sits down with Pulitzer Prize winning environmental journalist Mark Schleifstein to discuss climate and resilience to major storm events.  

#GreenMindsPodcast #SSDN #Louisiana #resilience

🎙️ February Green Minds Podcast

Got glass? Get sand.  

Osceola County, Florida, is doing something unique with their recycling program. They are turning their glass into sand. 

Explore the topic with Dr. Shaleen Miller in our latest Green Minds podcast edition, featuring Paul Conover, Sustainability Project Manager and Nicole Enverga, Sustainability Program Specialist. 

#GreenMindsPodcast #LocalSustainability #GlassRecycling #SSDN

🎙️ January Green Minds Podcast

This month’s episode of Green Minds features a conversation with Rob Phocas, SSDN’s new Executive Director.

Rob shares with host Dr. Shaleen Miller why he’s excited to be back with SSDN at a pivotal moment, what it’s been like to see the network grow into its first year as a nonprofit, and why peer networks are essential for sustainability professionals working at the local level.

We also talk about what makes a network work — what SSDN needs from participants, why showing up matters, and how shared learning and collaboration help move projects forward faster and with greater impact.

If you work in or alongside local government and are looking for connection, practical support, and a community that understands the realities of this work, this episode is for you.

#GreenMindsPodcast #LocalSustainability #ClimateLeadership #PeerLearning #SSDN

How do local governments talk about resilience and recovery after hurricanes and tropical storms? In this episode, Jessica Reid from the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, talks with local government leaders from across the Southeast about how they communicate through crisis, connect with residents, and frame climate challenges in ways that build trust and understanding.

 

Guests include Leslie Gahagan, the Sustainability and Natural Resources Director for the City of Foley, Alabama; Matt Efird, Assistant Town Manager and Community Services Director for the Town of Hillsborough, North Carolina; and Ashlee Painter, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Sanibel, Florida. 

 

Our thoughts and hearts are with all the communities that continue to experience impacts from climate-related disasters. Check out the episode to hear some great insights about how communities can respond to and prepare for these impacts. 

In this episode, interview host Dr. Robyn Byers of Charlotte, NC, interviews John Richardson and Brennan Bouma (Chapel Hill, NC) and Jackie LeBouitz (Sarasota County, FL Extension Agent) about Leave the Leaves. Many of our member communities have already started their own Leave the Leaves campaigns, where residents are encouraged to not rake their leaves during fall. Leaf cover offers many benefits including a warm place for smaller animals to live during the colder months and by keeping soil mulched and moist. We hope you enjoy this episode of Green Minds. 

 

Chapel Hill Leave the Leaves https://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-services/public-works/streets-and-construction/leaves/leave-your-leaves

 

FL Extension Office Leave the Leaves

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2025/03/19/support-your-local-bugs-leave-the-leaves-get-a-free-bumper-sticker/ 

AI is already transforming how we manage energy, model climate risks, and optimize city services—but it also has a growing environmental footprint. How can we use AI sustainably?

In this episode of Green Minds, host Dr. Shaleen Miller speaks with Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and former VP of Energy at Google, about what AI means for local governments, the planet, and the future of climate work.

From vendor certifications to data transparency and digital equity, this conversation is packed with insights for cities, sustainability leaders, and anyone curious about the climate-AI connection.

#GreenMindsPodcast #GreenMinds #Sustainability #Resilience #AI