Background

Headwaters principal Beth Conover has over 20 years of outstanding experience implementing sustainable environmental and economic practices. She was appointed by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper in 2003 to serve as a policy advisor, and in 2004 created Greenprint Denver – the Mayor’s high profile sustainability program. Now the largest single program in the Mayor’s Office, Greenprint Denver catalyzed widespread change in city operations and behaviors, placed Denver squarely within the top ten cities nationally in its environmental leadership practices, and documented hundreds of thousands of dollars of annual savings as a result.

Beth holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University and an MBA and Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies from Yale University. See full CV here: Conover CV 2008

Experience

Founding Director, Greenprint Denver, Office of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (2004-2007)

• See www.greenprintdenver.org for program highlights.

• Developed and implemented citywide Greenprint Operating Plan – The central theme of the Mayor’s 2006 State of the City Address. Engaged over two dozen city employees to craft program priorities, metrics and tactics.

• Oversaw development of the Denver Climate Action Plan in 2007, with the University of Colorado at Denver and Mayor’s Greenprint Council.

• Raised over $2 million in program support over a two year period.

• Developed and staffed a high-level community advisory council of top civic and business leaders, the Mayor’s Greenprint Council.

• Established greening as priority theme for Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008.

• Built Greenprint Denver into the largest single program in the Mayor’s Office, with a staff of five, an Executive Order governing citywide activities and Departmental Liaisons working in ten agencies citywide on Greenprint goals.

• Helped city attain recognition as a Top Ten City for Sustainable Practice nationally (by SustainLane, The Green Guide and Tufts University Study) as well as The University of Colorado’s Wirth Chair Award in 2006.

Owner, Headwaters Consulting LLC (1998-2003)

The first incarnation of Headwaters Consulting focused on strategic planning and program development for natural resource conservation.

Representative Clients:

• Green Industries of Colorado: Developed, funded and implemented statewide water conservation strategy and message for $2 billion landscape industry that garnered widespread recognition and support from both industry and government.

• The Nature Conservancy of Colorado: Led development of Medano-Zapata Ranch Master Plan, Phases I&II, for 100,000 acre bison ranch and resort (including business transition plan).

• Cherry Creek Watershed Partners: Facilitated Regional Water Quality Memorandum of Understanding for Colorado Department of Local Affairs with several local government and nonprofit interests. EPA Leadership Award recipient.

Director, Parks & Environment, Stapleton Development Corporation (1994-1997)

Co-author of award-winning master plan for 4700-acre urban infill site that was an early model of sustainable urban development. Managed early implementation and served as part of executive leadership team for site design, master planning and disposition. Initiated multi-jurisdictional Sand Creek Regional Greenway planning and construction. Received Governor’s Smart Growth Award in 1994, Wirth Chair Award in 1996 and DRCOG award in 1998.