BOSTON – The Climate Beacon Project held its inaugural conference at the New England Aquarium Oct. 10-11 in Boston as an opportunity to share ideas across sectors, establish a shared knowledge base, and celebrate proven, scalable solutions at home and around the world.
On the second day of the conference, Berkshire United Way (BUW) President and CEO Tom Bernard took part in the “Building More Resilient Communities: Voices Across the Commonwealth” session. The discussion included experts from across the Commonwealth who shared some of the most innovative work happening in towns and cities throughout Massachusetts. Bernard, who previously served as mayor of the City of North Adams, presented on the past, present, and possible future of the Hoosic River and the city’s flood control infrastructure.
“It was a true privilege to be part of this powerful group of experts who highlighted public health, the built environment, transit access, and environmental justice, among other topics,” said Bernard. “I was inspired by how central discussions of equity were in every conference session because equity – including regional equity – is something that is a core commitment and focus of our work at Berkshire United Way.
“The need and the challenge moving forward is to focus the innovation and resilience that is the hallmark of people in North Adams and the Berkshires toward updating our infrastructure with the dual goal to protect the lives, property, and the well-being of the community as well as to ensure the creative, adaptive, and equitable renovation and restoration of our built environment,” he added.
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