The Cool Cities Information and Training Session last Saturday, August 4th was a wonderful success. The group of fifteen or so attendees was energetic and diverse. Many faiths and backgrounds were represented including Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, residents of Killeen, Cedar Park, Westlake, Georgetown, college students from Southwestern and the leader of a local Sierra Club group in a Georgetown highschool.
Dr. Andy Fowler, Texas Impact board representative from the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church; Sue Sidney, President of the Southwest Texas Conference United Methodist Women; and Cynthia Crawford of the Catholic Diocese of Austin discuss the religious community's response to the Cool Cities Campaign.
Ann Drumm, Chair of the Dallas Sierra Club and Cool Cities coordinator for North Texas spoke about lobbying strategies to get local mayors to sign the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement and presented a power-point presentation. Bee Moorhead spoke about environmental programs of Texas Interfaith Power and Light and Diana Dierks discussed the effectiveness of previous Cool Cities training sessions held in Texas.
In the last half hour everyone split into groups according to city to discuss the application of the Cool Cities campaign in their area, exchange contact information, and cultivate the fellowship that makes all this possible.
I am confident that the contacts made and the ideas raised on Saturday will extend out into the community and make a positive difference on our environment in Central Texas.
Thanks to everyone that attended and to Diana Dierks, Bee Moorhead, and Ann Drumm who helped coordinate the event.
If you would like to get a Cool Cities Training Session in your area contact Shelby Wardlaw at shelby@texasimpact.org or Bee Moorhead at bee@texasimpact.org.