The Critical Path Towards A Zero-Carbon Economy
The 2023 LABC Sustainability Summit
Friday, September 22, 2023
Town and Gown, University of Southern California
A high-level convening of leaders in one of the most environmentally forward-thinking cities of the world.
Watch the FULL Summit:
Day-of Agenda
7:00 a.m.
Doors Open
8:00 a.m.
LABC Welcome David Nahai, Chair, LABC & President, David Nahai Companies
8:05 a.m.
Spotlight Jonathan Port, Founder, PermaCity Foundation
8:15 a.m.
Spotlight Phil Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Cold Electric
8:20 a.m.
Panel: Los Angeles Renewable Energy Pathway to 2030
Michael Northrop, Program Director, Sustainable Development, Rockefeller Bros. Foundation
Panelists:
Ted Bardacke, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Power Alliance
Jason Barrett, Senior Vice President, Sales, GAF Energy
Nicole Neeman Brady, Vice President, Board of Water & Power Commissioners (LADWP)
Cary Kottler, Chief Development Officer, Pattern Energy
9:30 a.m.
Special Message California Governor Gavin Newsom
9:35 a.m.
Introduction Mary Leslie, President, Los Angeles Business Council
9:40 a.m.
USC Welcome Dr. Carol Folt, President, University of Southern California
9:50 a.m.
Introduction John Duong, CEO, GreenQuest Energy Development
9:55 a.m.
Business Keynote Mary Powell, CEO & Director, Sunrun Inc.
10:10 a.m.
Conversation: Coordinating Regional Transmission Needs & Clean Energy Deployment
Sammy Roth, Energy Reporter, LA Times
Panelists:
Karen Douglas, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Neil Millar, Vice President, Infrastructure & Operations Planning, CAISO
Ryan Pfaff, Executive Vice-President, Grid & Distribution Scale Power, EDF Renewables
10:55 a.m.
LABC Institute Special Presentation: Dr. Marlon Boarnet, Director, METRANS Transportation Consortium
11:05 a.m.
Panel: Driving Toward a Carbon Free Transportation Sector
Mary Nichols, Distinguished Counsel for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, UCLA School of Law
Panelists:
Carlo Bertani, Renewable Energy Procurement and Development, Maersk
Hector De La Torre, Assembly Appointed Board Member, CA Air Resources Board
Veronica Padilla, Executive Director, Pacoima Beautiful/ Board Member, South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
Chanel Parson, Director, Building and Transportation Electrification, Southern California Edison
Gene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles
12:20 p.m.
Lunch
12:50 p.m.
Business Update Greg McWilliams, Chief Policy Officer, FivePoint
12:55 p.m.
Spotlight Chelle Izzi, Vice President, Energy Transformation, Walmart
1:05 p.m.
Introduction Robert Shen, Senior Global Manager for California, United Airlines
1:10 p.m.
Conversation: Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition
Senator Fran Pavley (ret.), Environmental Policy Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute
Panelists:
The Honorable Henry Stern, Senator, State of California, Chair, Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Jake Levine, Chief Climate Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
Jonathan Silver, Chair of the Global Climate Council, Apollo Global Management
1:55 p.m.
Introduction Jacob Lipa, Founder & Principal, Lipa Consulting
2:00 p.m.
Keynote Karla Nemeth, Secretary, California Department of Water Resources
2:15 p.m.
Panel: Creating a Regional Water System
Moderator:
David Nahai, LABC, Chair/ President, David Nahai Companies
Panelists:
Anselmo Collins, Senior Assistant General Manager – Water System, LADWP
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability, Resiliency & Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District of So. Cal.
Julie L. Labonte, SVP, Global Director Program Management Director, HDR Inc
Stephan Tucker, General Manager, Water Replenishment District
Randall Winston, Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure, Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
3:20 p.m.
Summit Close
Featured Speakers
Learn from California thought leaders working to address demands and opportunities of a clean energy future
Ted Bardacke
Jason Barrett
Carlo Bertani
Marlon Boarnet
Nicole Neeman Brady
Phil Chen
Anselmo Collins
Liz Crosson
Hector De La Torre
Karen Douglas
John Duong
Carol Folt
Chelle Izzi
Cary Kottler
Jake Levine
Julie Labonte
David Libatique
Jacob Lipa
Greg McWilliams
Neil Millar
David Nahai
Karla Nemeth
Mary Nichols
Michael Northrop
Veronica Padilla
Chanel Parson
Ryan Pfaff
Jonathan Port
Mary Powell
Sammy Roth
Gene Seroka
Robert Shen
Jonathan Silver
Henry Stern
Stephan Tucker
Randall Winston
2023 Sustainability Summit Sponsors
The 2023 LABC Sustainability Summit wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our Sustainability Summit sponsors.
Platinum

Co-Chair










Gold








Silver













To become a sponsor, please contact Rachel Levy at rlevy@labusinesscouncil.org.