When

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Central Time
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Reception at The Club

Where

Aon Center

200 E Randolph St
44th Floor in JLL's Think Space
Chicago, Illinois

Join USGBC as we gather in Chicago, Illinois for a local government leadership summit. We’ll discuss the region’s sustainability and green building successes, challenges and opportunities and work together to advance solutions and actionable next steps. You'll learn about USGBC’s program offerings targeted to local governments, including LEED, LEED for Cities, and a suite of education, policy and planning tools. 

The summit will be valuable for local government staff; elected officials; county, state and federal staff; NGOs; education and university partners; consultants and others who engage with local governments.  City and county planners, sustainability and resilience teams, building and facility managers, city/county managers, local board and commission members have found our past summits particularly helpful.

This course is approved for 3 continuing education units for both GBCI and AIA. Participants with their LEED AP ND or LEED Green Associate will receive LEED-specific credit. 

What to Expect

Connect with peers advancing sustainability leadership in the region 

Hear presentations from USGBC leaders on building and city scale solutions

Participate in hands-on activities to advance your skills and expertise

Collaborate on regional priorities and opportunities to accelerate progress

Speakers

See the full agenda with speakers, descriptions and continuing education information.

Angela Tovar

Chief Sustainability Officer and Commissioner
City of Chicago, IL

Brenda Scott Henry

Director
City of Gary Office of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs Department

Cara Pratt, MPA

Chief Sustainability and Resiliency Officer
City of Evanston, IL

Erick Shambarger

Director of Environmental Sustainability
City of Milwaukee, WI

Nora Beck

Principal Policy Analyst
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Suzanne Malec-McKenna

Director
Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability

Theresa Backhus

Director, Sustainable Buildings Team Lead
JLL

Brian Imus

Executive Director
Illinois Green Alliance

Brent Suski, LEED Green Associate

Director, U.S. Market Transformation and Development
U.S. Green Building Council

John Law, AICP, PLA

Director, Technical Development, Cities & Communities
U.S. Green Building Council

David Abell

Associate Director, Client Solutions
U.S. Green Building Council

Mackenzie Mindel, M.A., SEP, LEED Green Associate

Market Manager, State and Local Government, U.S. Market Transformation and Development
U.S. Green Building Council

Gracie Tilman

Project Manager, Policy & Partnerships
U.S. Green Building Council

Special rates for government employees, students and emerging professionals are available. 

Sponsorship

Reach an engaged audience of green building professionals by signing on as a sponsor. 

Benefits vary by level and can include speaking opportunities, exclusive branding and more. 

Contact pwessel@usgbc.org with questions.

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Thank you to our sponsors

JLL
Lotus Engineering & Sustainability

Thank you to our partners

Illinois Green Alliance
CMAP
ICLEI USA

About USGBC's Local Government Leadership Summits

USGBC’s Local Government Leadership Summits expand the USGBC public sector network by deepening engagement with local governments and practitioners on a range of climate resilience, green building and sustainability issues. In 2025, USGBC hosted Local Government Leadership Summits in four states, with 575 individuals in attendance and 85 separate local  governments. In 2026, we will draw regional audiences to Riverside, California; the New York metro area; San Antonio, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and the Chicago metro area. Explore our calendar on usgbc.org for registration.

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