The Impact

Chief Curator Dr. Vanessa Sigalas joins us to talk about all things Wadsworth - the art, the history, the people, and the programs. The Wadsworth is dedicated to advancing knowledge and inspiring everyone to experience and appreciate excellence in art and culture - like the IMPACT. And don't forget to join us at The Wadsworth for our 2026 Awards Celebration on November 10 . It'll be a ma...

We're joined by Bridgeport's dynamic duo, Sustainability Manager Chadwick Schroeder and City Planner Dianalys Bonilla, to talk about how the coastal city is meeting the challenges of climate change and making sustainability a central part of municipal action. Listen to find out how they came to be knocking on certification's golden door.

This summer's cohort of Sustainable CT Fellows analyzed data from all 169 Connecticut municipalities to build the first of its kind database of tree ordinances and zoning laws. Guiding them through the process was Dr. Danica Doroski , urban forestry coordinator with the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection and Drew Goldsman , urban conservation director with The Nature Conse...

This fun and interesting show features two of our fabulous 2026 Fellows - Grace DiTunno and Natalie Crowley . We learn how they came to the program, what they hope to accomplish, what they think - about sustainability, about politics, about life - and how they see the future. They'll be joined by our equally fabulous Fellows Program Coordinator, and guest producer of this episode, Lilly Adamo...

Since its creation in 2019, the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund has invested in over $5 million in more than 400 community-led projects in 88 Connecticut municipalities. We hear from our founder, Lynn Stoddard , about the origins of the CMF, and from project leaders Annie Geitner and Tom Martin who have done remarkable things with the support of this program. Listen, learn, get inspired, and s...

We catch up with Jayson Velazquez at 'the nation's first green bank' to hear how they're supporting Connecticut towns and cities. A green bank accelerates the green economy using limited public dollars to attract multiples of private capital investment, making clean energy more affordable and accessible to consumers. Established by the Connecticut General Assembly in July 2011,...

Lori Brown and the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters work to protect our state’s environment by making environmental issues a priority for our elected leaders and holding lawmakers accountable with an “ Environmental Scorecard ” that they publish each year. Lori is a registered lobbyist at the Connecticut General Assembly, working with all of Connecticut’s statewide environmental advocacy...

Dr. Adam Whelchel has spent the better part of two decades at The Nature Conservancy , currently serving as TNC's Director of Science. His forte is Community Resilience Building - "a unique, 'anywhere at any scale', community-driven process to improve community resilience for all hazards today, and in the future." Adam has been a faithful partner of Sustainable CT since we...

Mary Ann Chinatti is the Economic & Community Development/Redevelopment Director in the Town of Putnam. The Town has done some amazing work through its Arts Council and they've made "arts and culture" a substantial part of their economic development strategy. We find out why, how, and with what result.

We catch up with Adrian Huq – a new, and decidedly accomplished, member of our Board of Directors. Adrian has done – is doing – so many wonderful things that it’s hard to keep track: they are currently a grad student at the Yale School of the Environment; they are a cohort member of the Nonprofit Management Program for Emerging Leaders of Color under the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven;...

Brian Hess is a Wildlife Biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), where he specializes in non-game wildlife, particularly large raptors, reptiles, amphibians, and various other herpetofauna (and, yes, we had to look that word up). He is a leading authority on Connecticut's growing bald eagle population and the public face for many related outrea...

Summer Mitchell , Katie Meder , and Lilly Adamo - they're all former Sustainable CT Fellows, and now they're all filling important positions and doing critical work with Sustainable CT. Join us to hear where they came from, what they're doing, and where they hope to go in the sustainability field. They're fun, they're smart, and they're motivated to make an impact.

We're joined by Michael Fling , Associate Artistic Director at Goodspeed Musicals, to talk about everything Goodspeed, its history, its achievements, and what this celebrated venue means to the East Haddam community and to Connecticut. And don't forget to join us at the Goodspeed for our 2025 Awards Celebration on October 28 . We'll be hitting the high notes!

Joanna Wozniak-Brown joins us to discuss Sustainability and Resiliency Week - the second annual week of events that celebrate work across Connecticut that protects our economy, natural resources, and our communities taking place from September 28 through October 4 . Joanna serves as the Climate & Infrastructure Policy Development Coordinator at the Connecticut Office of Policy & Management...

John-Henry Burke , Sustainable CT Fellow Extraordinaire, takes over the Big Microphone this month to make some noise about noise pollution in Connecticut. His guests include acoustician Amy Ziffer , along with our WestCOG friend Mike Towle . Our Fellows have been working hard this summer on, among many other things, assessing which communities have noise ordinances on the books, and developing a d...

Bill McKibben , author, educator, and tireless advocate for the earth and our environment joins us to discuss his latest initiative: Sun Day - a nationwide tribute to the sun, solar energy, and other renewable energy to take place on the autumnal equinox, September 21 . Also joining us for this episode are Third Act Connecticut organizers Davida Foy Crabtree and Lynn Stoddard, Sustainable CT'...

The June episode of our podcast will introduce some of our newest Sustainable CT Fellows: Maya Aviles , Thomas Busemeyer and Anna Hilary . We place highly qualified college students across the state’s Councils of Governments (COGs) to help cities and towns become registered, certified, or recertified with Sustainable CT during the summer. Fellows are directly engaged in supporting cutting-edge sus...

Mallory Howard is the Assistant Curator at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford - which just so happens to be where we'll be having our 2025 Spring into Summer Celebration on June 4. Mallory knows more about the Twain House and Sam Clemens' time in Hartford than any one human should legally be allowed to know. Please join our May podcast for a delightful conversation about histo...

We catch up with David Dickson, Director of the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research - a/k/a UConn CLEAR. UConn CLEAR provides indispensable resources to land use decision makers in support of better land use decisions, healthier natural resources, and more resilient communities. Dave also happens to be a member of the Sustainable CT Board of Directors . It's a...

Danielle Chesebrough knows a thing or two about responsible investments. She's the First Selectman of Stonington and a member of Sustainable CT's Board of Directors. And before holding these notable positions, Danielle spent eight years as a Senior Analyst of Investor Relations with the United Nations Global Compact. We ask her (among many other interesting and important questions) why s...

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters calls Hwang “the only Republican Senator who has consistently supported major climate legislation, emphasizing practical, nature-based solutions that promote responsible stewardship of the lands, forests, wetlands, and waterways of the state.” We find out why his reputation for common sense, bi-partisanship and good humor is so well-deserved.

This year marked the 25th Anniversary Annual Environmental Summit. Hosted by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters , it was a milestone in bringing together advocates, lawmakers, policy experts, and passionate community members to chart the future of Connecticut’s environmental movement. And the IMPACT was there - interviewing, witnessing, and learning. If you weren't able to attend o...

Laura Francis, Interim Director of South Central Regional Council of Governments, joins us to discuss the role of COGs in achieving Connecticut's sustainability goals. With 30 years of experience in Durham town government (15 as First Selectman), Laura brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to any table. And that's a good thing, too, because she also happens to be the Co-chair of Su...

Our new Executive Director is hardly new to Sustainable CT - she's been an indispensable part of the organization since its inception. Jessica LeClair joins us to talk about many things - what it's like to sit in the Big Chair, the politics of the moment, her hopes and aspirations for Sustainable CT's future, and why the Campaign for a Sustainable CT is so important. Please listen.

Carl Fortuna's service to the community reads like a hearty alphabet soup: MIRA (the Materials Innovation Recycling Authority), CCM (the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities), COST (the Council of Small Towns), River COG (the Lower Connecticut River Council of Governments), and let's not forget CIRMA (the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency). Topping it off, he's been...