The Impact

Chief Curator Dr. Vanessa Sigalas joins us to talk about all things Wadsworth - the art, the history, the people, and the programs. The Wadsworth is dedicated to advancing knowledge and inspiring everyone to experience and appreciate excellence in art and culture - like the IMPACT. And don't forget to join us at The Wadsworth for our 2026 Awards Celebration on November 10. It'll be a masterpiece!

We're joined by Bridgeport's dynamic duo, Sustainability Manager Chadwick Schroeder and City Planner Dianalys Bonilla, to talk about how the coastal city is meeting the challenges of climate change and making sustainability a central part of municipal action. Listen to find out how they came to be knocking on certification's golden door.

This summer's cohort of Sustainable CT Fellows analyzed data from all 169 Connecticut municipalities to build the first of its kind database of tree ordinances and zoning laws. Guiding them through the process was Dr. Danica Doroski, urban forestry coordinator with the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection and Drew Goldsman, urban conservation director with The Nature Conservancy. Doroski and Goldsman join guest hosts Anna Hilary and Grace DiTunno to talk about the project and how it could inform and benefit municipal decision-making in the area of urban and community forestry.

Guest producers for this month's show are Fellows Natalie Crowley and Maya Avilés. Jim Hunt just smiles and waves.

This fun and interesting show features two of our fabulous 2026 Fellows - Grace DiTunno and Natalie Crowley. We learn how they came to the program, what they hope to accomplish, what they think - about sustainability, about politics, about life - and how they see the future. They'll be joined by our equally fabulous Fellows Program Coordinator, and guest producer of this episode, Lilly Adamo. And, just to make things really exciting, Sustainable Communities Fellow extraordinaire Katie Meder takes over the host chair. It's wall-to-wall Fellows this month on the IMPACT. Don't miss it!

Since its creation in 2019, the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund has invested in over $5 million in more than 400 community-led projects in 88 Connecticut municipalities. We hear from our founder, Lynn Stoddard, about the origins of the CMF, and from project leaders Annie Geitner and Tom Martin who have done remarkable things with the support of this program. Listen, learn, get inspired, and start a Community Match Fund project in your own community!

We catch up with Jayson Velazquez at 'the nation's first green bank' to hear how they're supporting Connecticut towns and cities. A green bank accelerates the green economy using limited public dollars to attract multiples of private capital investment, making clean energy more affordable and accessible to consumers. Established by the Connecticut General Assembly in July 2011, the Connecticut Green Bank supports the Governor’s and Legislature’s energy strategy to achieve cleaner, less expensive, and more reliable sources of energy while creating jobs and supporting local economic development. In 2021, the Green Bank’s model was expanded to include new areas of environmental infrastructure related to climate adaptation and resiliency, land conservation, parks and recreation, agriculture, water, waste and recycling, and environmental markets, including carbon offsets and ecosystem services. Join us to hear how Connecticut Green Bank is supporting towns and cities work towards "a planet protected by the love of humanity."

Lori Brown and the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters work to protect our state’s environment by making environmental issues a priority for our elected leaders and holding lawmakers accountable with an “Environmental Scorecard” that they publish each year. Lori is a registered lobbyist at the Connecticut General Assembly, working with all of Connecticut’s statewide environmental advocacy groups to push for important legislation that shapes our state’s policies on air, water, land, wildlife, energy and climate change. Hear what the League's priorities are for this legislative session.

Dr. Adam Whelchel has spent the better part of two decades at The Nature Conservancy, currently serving as TNC's Director of Science. His forte is Community Resilience Building - "a unique, 'anywhere at any scale', community-driven process to improve community resilience for all hazards today, and in the future." Adam has been a faithful partner of Sustainable CT since we administered our very first certification process in 2018, providing Community Resilience Workshops to Sustainable CT-registered towns seeking to gain certification points under Action 5.4, Assess Climate Vulnerability. We - and municipalities all across Connecticut - are the beneficiaries of his commitment. Join us to hear how and why he does what he does.

Mary Ann Chinatti is the Economic & Community Development/Redevelopment Director in the Town of Putnam. The Town has done some amazing work through its Arts Council and they've made "arts and culture" a substantial part of their economic development strategy. We find out why, how, and with what result.

We catch up with Adrian Huq – a new, and decidedly accomplished, member of our Board of Directors. Adrian has done – is doing – so many wonderful things that it’s hard to keep track: they are currently a grad student at the Yale School of the Environment; they are a cohort member of the Nonprofit Management Program for Emerging Leaders of Color under the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; they serve as cofounder of the New Haven Climate Movement Youth Action Team, which advocates for bold climate policy change on the city level; and let’s not forget that Adrian has worked across four summers as a Sustainable CT Fellow, working with both the Naugatuck Valley and Capitol Region Councils of Governments. This month, please join us for a view from the Boardroom with Adrian Huq.