DURHAM. N.C. – The 51 Environmental Leadership (DEL) Program will host a forum on “Durham’s Commitment to Sustainability,” featuring corporate and civic leaders from the Bull City, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in Love Auditorium of the Levine Science Research Center.

The forum is free and open to the public. Seats are limited. Advance registration is required by Oct. 16. Contact DEL at del@nicholas.duke.edu or (919) 613-8082.

Six local leaders are slated to take part in the forum’s keynote presentation, a panel discussion on sustainability moderated by Deborah Rigling Gallagher, assistant professor of the practice of environmental policy at the Nicholas School and executive director of DEL. They are:

  • John Replogle, chief executive office of Burt’s Bees;
  • Kim Elena Bullock, sustainability and producer relations manager for Counter Culture Coffee;
  • Michael Lemanski, managing partner of Greenfire Development, a sustainability-focused development company in downtown Durham;
  • Bonny Moellenbrock, executive director of SJF Ventures, a venture capital partnership focusing on clean technologies;
  • Ellen Beckman, transportation planner for the City of Durham; and
  • Tavey McDaniel Capps, environmental sustainability coordinator for 51.

The goal of the event is to inform and educate the 51 and Durham communities on how these organizations are pursuing sustainable practices, and how area residents can integrate environmental considerations into their daily lives.

DEL is a program of the Nicholas School. It provides educational and outreach opportunities designed specifically for environmental, business and community leaders.

The Oct. 23 event is supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation.

A reception featuring sustainable choices in food and beverages will immediately follow.