NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2008
Contact: Diane Brossart
Valley Forward Association
(602) 240-2408

VALLEY FORWARD'S LIVABILITY SUMMIT
TIES ENVIRONMENT TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Former Surgeon General and Chicago Mayor will Present Keynote Addresses

PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 10, 2008) – On Earth Day, April 22, business and civic leaders from around the state will gather for Valley Forward's Livability Summit, a showcase of "Healthy Living in the Desert" with nationally renowned experts on sustainability and resources for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in our unique desert environment.

The full-day Summit will correlate the impact of the natural environment on health and wellness and spotlight methods to improve the livability of our region. Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th U.S. Surgeon General and a current Tucson resident, will provide the morning keynote address on global trends in staying healthy.

Other morning speakers include Steve Curwood, host and executive producer of National Public Radio's Living on Earth, a program that is broadcasted on more than 260 stations nationwide; and Wellington Reiter, dean of Arizona State University's College of Design.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will provide the luncheon keynote address followed by a roundtable discussion on livable community initiatives with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. There are parallels between the two cities. Phoenix will participate in a visioning exercise called AZOne, a Reality Check for Central Arizona, on May 16. Daley's community underwent a similar process by the Urban Land Institute called Chicago Metropolis 2020. This, along with other compatibles, brought both mayors together to share initiatives in an effort to make their communities more sustainable.

The 2008 Livability Summit will also feature an afternoon Green Scene Bus Tour that will take attendees to exemplary green building projects in Scottsdale and Tempe. Guests will have an opportunity to preview these acclaimed energy efficient facilities that were built with the Valley's environment and a sustainable future in mind.

Held at the Phoenix Convention Center, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the event kicks-off with breakfast, registration and a preview of Valley Forward's Resource Area. Speakers will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a break from 11 to 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch, the mayoral roundtable and Green Scene Bus Tour. The program will be moderated by Michael Grant, a partner in the law firm of Gallagher & Kennedy and former 25-year host of the Arizona Public Television program Horizon on KAET-TV.

Distinguished keynote speakers' timing and information are as follows:

DR. RICHARD CARMONA,M.D., M.P.H, FACS (8:30 - 9:30 a.m.)
Dr. Carmona served as 17th Surgeon General of the United States from 2002 to 2006. An internationally renowned health expert, Dr. Carmona has extensive experience in prevention, preparedness, health disparities, health literacy, global health and health diplomacy. During his tenure as Surgeon General, he issued many landmark communications that continue to have significant positive health impacts in the U.S. and around the world. He is vice chairman of Canyon Ranch, president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute and Distinguished Professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health at University of Arizona.

STEVE CURWOOD (9:30 - 10:30 a.m.)
Curwood is known for his award-winning weekly environmental news program, Living On Earth, which is broadcast on more than 260 radio stations nationwide and is heard in Pacific nations over the Armed Forces Radio Network. The President of the World Media Foundation, Inc., he is also a lecturer in Environmental Science and Public Policy at Harvard University. Curwood shared a Pulitzer Prize Award for his for work at The Boston Globe.

WELLINGTON REITER (10:30 - 11 a.m.)
In addition to his academic role at Arizona State University, Reiter is responsible for shaping the future of the downtown Phoenix campus. He is orchestrating a new relationship with the city of Phoenix that unites academic and civic agendas as a model of first-rate urban design. Reiter's experience ranges from built works to museum installations and drawings. His renderings of speculative urban conditions are in the collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, San Francisco MoMA, and the Boston Athenaeum and are published widely throughout the U.S. and Europe.

MAYOR RICHARD DALEY (Noon - 12:30 p.m.)
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned a national reputation for innovative community-based programs addressing education, public safety, neighborhood development and other challenges facing American cities. His focus on quality of life has led to greater emphasis on the delivery of basic services, from removing graffiti and deteriorating buildings to creating more green space and a citywide recycling plan. During his tenure, the city has planted more than 500,000 trees, created 100 school campus parks, built 70 miles of landscaped street medians and spurred the construction of rooftop gardens on major buildings including City Hall.

MAYOR PHIL GORDON (12:30 - 1 p.m.)
As mayor in one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is an avid supporter of building healthy, sustainable communities. His record to date is impressive, with light rail transit nearing completion, partnerships with Arizona State University Downtown and the University of Arizona Medical campuses, two new downtown hotels, expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center and the passage of an $878 million bond.

Valley Forward's Livability Summit is open to the public with advance reservations required. Seating is available for $185 per person and tables of 10 are available for $1,800. For more information, visit www.valleyforward.org or call (602) 240-2408.

Established in 1969, Valley Forward Association is a non-profit organization that brings business and civic leaders together to convene thoughtful public dialogue on regional issues and to promote cooperative efforts that improve the livability and sustainability of Valley communities.