Urban Green Governance Climate Fellow Begins

URBAN GREEN GOVERNANCE CLIMATE FELLOW BEGINS WORK IN LAWRENCE
Mayor Whitfield welcomes Climate Fellow as work begins on Urban Forest Master Plan

Lawrence, IN – Mayor Deb Whitfield welcomed McKinney Climate Fellow Taylor Stout as Stout began her work with the city this week. Stout, and Indiana University graduate student is part of a cohort among four Indiana communities including Lawrence. Stout, a native of Greencastle graduated from IU with her bachelor’s degree in May 2020.  Since then, she has been involved in several environmental initiatives both locally and internationally. 

Stout says she is most passionate about people, nature, and the spaces where the two intersect. She is excited to work with the City of Lawrence to help expand and prioritize the city’s urban forest initiatives while ensuring all residents can benefit from a healthier and more sustainable community.

Lawrence was named in March by the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute through the McKinney Urban Green Fellowship program. Other communities in the cohort are Richmond, Evansville, and Dearborn County. 

Stout is housed in Lawrence Parks & Recreation Department and will be working with a Task Force of community residents through the summer to develop an Urban Forest Master Plan for the city, something that will be new to Lawrence. Task Force members  include Jeff Vest, Chairman, Lawrence Parks & Recreation Board; John Wolski, Landscape Architect and Owner of Ski’s Landscaping; Craig Flandermeyer, Landscape Architect, Schmidt Associates Architects; Emily Sweet, Interpretive Naturalist, Fort Harrison State Park; LaMonica Henson, Teacher, Forest Glen Elementary School; Brooke Williams, Operations Coordinator, MSD Lawrence Township; Eric Martin, Parks Director; Taylor; and Jim Perron with the Mayor’s Office in Lawrence.

“We are proud to welcome Taylor as part of our team this summer as we work to develop among several of our initiatives for cleaner more resilient environment and a healthier community leading to longer life expectancy” Whitfield said. “Having our first ever Urban Forest Master Plan is key to our Live Longer in Lawrence initiative”, said Whitfield.

Media Contact:
Denise Herd, Herd Strategies
c:  317-796-0514
e:  denise@herdstrategies.com
 
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About the City of Lawrence, Indiana 
Located northeast of Indianapolis, the City of Lawrence is Indiana’s 20th largest city and home to approximately 50,000 residents. While its military base was decommissioned in 1996, Lawrence has grown into a vibrant community that blends rich history with modern amenities. Under the leadership of Mayor Deb Whitfield, the city continues to thrive as a welcoming place to live, work, and play. Learn more at cityoflawrence.org.