Iconic Community Improvement Organization Gathers Hundreds of State and Local Community Leaders for Week of Education, Inspiration, and Motivation
STAMFORD, Conn. (Feb. 4, 2020) – Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s largest community improvement nonprofit organization, will host its annual Keep America Beautiful National Conference on Feb. 12-14, 2020 at The Peabody Memphis Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Keep America Beautiful National Conference – themed “Shaping Our Future” – is an educational, training and networking forum for the organization’s community-based affiliates, as well as leaders, experts, and policymakers in the field of community improvement. It provides an opportunity to discuss innovative ideas and goals for national and local community beautification initiatives, anti-littering campaigns, and improvements to the way we recycle and manage waste.
“The Keep America Beautiful National Conference brings leaders from our powerful national network of community-based affiliates together in one place to share the experiences and insights that will help us shape a future of cleaner, greener, and more beautiful communities,” said Helen Lowman, president and CEO, Keep America Beautiful.
The 2020 Keep America Beautiful National Conference will feature impactful keynote addresses, including opening speaker Jill Boughton, the Founder and President of Waste2Worth Innovations, discussing her mission to revolutionize the use of solid waste and transform it into a valuable resource.
An additional keynote session will be delivered on the second day of the conference by Christi Branscom, the Commissioner of the Department of General Services of Tennessee, who will share her background as a key player in the establishment of the first Keep America Beautiful river affiliate, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful. Lyman Aldrich will share how he built “Memphis in May” into one of North America’s premier festivals. On the conference’s closing day, General D. Michael Dunavant, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, will focus his keynote address on the impact of community improvement on crime and public safety, based on his extensive experience.
Additional conference session highlights include learning how departments of transportation (DOTs) partner with other experts in using litter research to create targeted, behavior-based litter prevention campaigns; fundraising trends; and today’s shifting markets for recyclable commodities. National Conference attendees will also assist with a pre-conference paint-up by the Riverwalk with members of Memphis City Beautiful Commission and its partner, the Memphis River Parks Partnership.
The day prior to the official kickoff of the National Conference – Tuesday, Feb. 11 – is the Recycling Market Development Workshop, hosted by Keep America Beautiful, the National Recycling Coalition, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The workshop aims to engage recycling professionals in a dialogue about their current and evolving roles in supporting recycling markets and programs. Attendees will hear about innovative recycling infrastructure developments and recycling education programs. Other topic discussions include state-level recycling market development and the marketability of materials and innovations in recycling.
The Keep America Beautiful National Conference Sponsors: Platinum – Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT); Gold – Altria Group and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company; Silver – Keep Tennessee Beautiful. In-kind sponsor – Mars Wrigley Confectionery.
For additional details about the National Conference sessions and speakers, click here.
About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.
Behavior change – steeped in education, research and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
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