2025 Michigan Environmental Justice Conference

Preliminary Agenda*

*Subject to change

TIME	SESSION
7:30 a.m.	Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. (through 1:00 p.m.)	Resource Fair Staff from state and local agencies share environmental justice-related programs and resources with attendees
8:30 a.m.	Welcome and Conference Kick-off Regina Strong, Head of the Michigan Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate Phil Roos, Director, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
8:45 a.m.	The Commitment to Moving Environmental Justice Forward Dr. Jalonne L. White-Newsome, Founder and CEO, Empowering A Green Environment and Economy; Associate Professor, UM School of Environment and Sustainability
9:00 a.m.	BREAK - move to tour buses or small group discussions
9:15 a.m.	Dialogue and Strategy Discussions: small group facilitated discussions on current environmental justice issues, Including: Intergenerational Collaboration for Environmental Justice Using Data and Research to Advocate for Justice Strategies for Funding the Fight for Justice Vision and Strategies for Driving Environmental Justice Forward Now and in the Future Moving Policy To Achieve Environmental Justice
9:30 a.m.	Tour Buses Depart Tour #1 Detroit East/Highland Park Featured stops: Avalon Village – Shamayim Harris, Founder and CEO Eastside Community Network/Stoudamire Wellness Center - Ricky Ackerman, Chief Sustainability Officer	Tour #2 Detroit Southwest/Dearborn Featured stops: Kemeny Center – Theresa Landrum, United Citizens of Southwest Detroit Salina School – Susan Stanley, Principal
11:00 a.m.	Top EJ Issues Then and Now Interactive engagement for attendees to reflect on perspectives shared at 2023 MI EJ Conference and discuss top issue in 2025 and beyond

12:00 p.m.	Lunch (tour buses return)
12:30 p.m.	Sure as the Wind – Documentary Screening
1:00 p.m.	Keynote Address - Special Guest
1:20 p.m.	Panel: Advocacy to Action - What's in the Air? Moderator: Darren Riley, Co-Founder and CEO, JustAir Kareem Scales, Grand Rapids Community Coalition on Climate Change (C4) Susan Kilmer, Air Monitoring Section Manager, Air Quality Division, EGLE Marc Horvath, MPH, Wayne County Health Department Michael Randall, Grandmont Rosedale CDC
2:05 p.m.	Panel Discussion -- At the Table: Equity and Economic Opportunity Moderator: Justin Onwenu, Director of Entrepreneurship, City of Detroit Carla Walker-Miller, Founder and CEO, Walker Miller Energy Services E'Lois Thomas, Ph.D., President, SEEL, LLC Frank Houston, Senior State Policy Manager, BlueGreen Alliance Erica Richard, Workforce Development Coordinator, EGLE Erica Powers, NOAH Program Graduate
2:50 p.m.	BREAK
3:00 p.m.	Health Equity Fireside Chat with Dr. James Bell, Chief of Staff – Public Health Administration, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
3:20 p.m.	Panel: Resilience and Resources to Power the Fight for Justice Moderator: Regina Strong, Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate, EGLE Briana DuBose, Executive Director, EcoWorks Alessandra Carreon, Chief Climate Officer, Office of Climate and Energy, EGLE Shamayim Harris, President, Avalon Village Taylor Mitchell, Sustainability Manager, Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority
3:55 p.m.	Panel: Advocacy to Action - What's in the Water? Moderator: Kate Hutchens, Environmental Justice Project Coordinator, EGLE Skyler Kriese, Research Associate, We the People of Detroit - Community Research Collective Emily Shaw, Ph.D., Great Lakes Resource Specialist, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Candace Mushatt, Director, Flint Community Lab
4:30 p.m.	What’s Next Fireside Chat with Dr. Tony Reames, Director, Detroit Sustainability Clinic; Vice Chair, Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice (MACEJ); and Professor, UM School of Environment and Sustainability
5:00 p.m.	Adjourn - Networking Reception