Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham 2011 Annual Conference

| | Comments (0)
January 26, 2011
The Club, Ballroom
1 Robert Smith Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209

8:30am - 9:00am Registration / Continental Breakfast

9:00am - 10:00am Concurrent Sessions A

Planning for the Redevelopment of Greyfields, Brownfields and Tax Delinquent Properties (Stateroom)
This session examines turning problem properties into opportunities. Often municipalities do not understand the full extent of their under-utilized properties. Presenters will identify the scale of these properties, give a brief overview and provide strategies for redevelopment of the region's greyfields, brownfields and tax-delinquent properties. An example of a local, neighborhood-scale redevelopment plan will be discussed.
Moderator: Mr. Philip Amthor, Planner, RPCGB

Connecting Alabama through the Broadband Initiative (Ballroom)
There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to meet community needs for broadband access and use. This session will provide an overview of this multi-year initiative promoting the availability and adoption of broadband internet access throughout the state of Alabama.
Moderator: Ms. Jessica Dent, Executive Director, Connecting Alabama

10:00am - 10:15am Break

10:15am- 11:15am Concurrent Sessions B

Outdoor Adventure Tourism as Unconventional Economic Development (Stateroom)
Identifying assets, mechanisms and partnerships to protect and utilize natural & cultural resources.
Moderator: Ms. Francesca Gross, Five Mile Creek Greenway

High-Speed Passenger Rail Service: Atlanta to Birmingham (Ballroom)
A representative from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will present information on the conceptual engineering analysis being conducted under agreement between the RPCGB and the GDOT for the feasibility of high-speed passenger rail service between Atlanta and Birmingham.
Moderator: Mr. William R. Foisy, Director of Planning, RPCGB

11:30am - 1:00pm RPCGB Annual Luncheon (Ballroom)

Election of 2011-2012 RPCGB Officers and Board of Directors
Keynote Address: Mr. Pete Conroy, Director, Jacksonville State University's Environmental Policy and Information Center (EPIC)

Pete Conroy is the Director of Jacksonville State University's Environmental Policy and Information Center (EPIC). Trained as a biologist, Mr. Conroy moved to Alabama in 1985 to work as the curator of the Anniston Museum of Natural History. Since then, he has received appointments from Alabama Governors Bob Riley (R), Don Siegelman (D), Fob James (R), Jim Folsom (D) and Guy Hunt (R). These appointments range from his 2002 selection by Governor Siegelman to Chair the Alabama Commission on Environmental Initiatives and Alabama Geographic Information Council to his 2009 selection by Governor Bob Riley to serve as Chair of the Region 4 Arts, Culture and Tourism Committee of the Alabama Rural Action Commission. Retained by President George Bush, Pete received White House appointments by President Bill Clinton in early 1999 to serve as Alternate U.S. Federal Commissioner of the Tri-State (ACT/ACF) Water Compacts. He was also selected by the Office of the Secretary of the Army to serve on an Operational Assessment Team to review safety measures relating to the destruction of chemical warfare materials in Alabama. Additionally and through his appointments, Pete leads a number of projects related to conservation and economic development. Examples include the establishment and operation of the Little River Canyon Center, reuse of the former Fort McClellan, the Chief Ladiga Rail-Trail, and several Alabama-based initiatives promoting smart growth, environmental education, the arts, conservation, ecotourism, water policy and, as of May 2010, the Gulf oil spill disaster.

Registration and training session information available on the RPCGB website.

Leave a comment

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Joe Watts published on January 11, 2011 12:47 PM.

Great Article on GeoCaching was the previous entry in this blog.

Institute of Museum and Library Services: National Leadership Grants is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.