A sustainable Great Lakes region – the well-being of its people, the health of the environment, and the competitiveness of its economy – cannot be achieved without the leadership, involvement, and commitment of businesses across all industries and sizes.
As a result, businesses hold a unique opportunity to make decisions and investments that can quickly and effectively impact the region, as well as individual cities and states/provinces, from decarbonization and the circular economy to water stewardship and workforce development.
In this free, in-person event jointly organized by the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) and the Sustainable Business Network of Detroit (SBND), we heard from business leaders who share our commitment to sustainable development and learned about the actions they are taking to embed sustainability in their operations and corporate strategies.
Speakers:
Edna Lorenz is energy director for Corewell Health, a position she has held since June 2022. Previously, she was health system energy manager for Beaumont Health and also spent eight years with Environmental Systems Design Inc. in Chicago, where her responsibilities included being an energy and sustainability consulting engineer, analyzing trends in energy management and sustainability, and being an internal sustainability champion.
Mark Schrupp has served as Executive Director of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority since March of 2021. There he has worked to develop new business opportunities for the Port and obtain infrastructure funding for terminal operators. A major project at the Port Authority is the development of a Decarbonization and Air Quality Improvement Project for the entire Port of Detroit, including all private terminals. Prior to joining the Port Authority, Mark served as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant General Counsel for Detroit Public Schools. He joined Detroit Public Schools after working as business and public finance attorney at Miller Canfield in Detroit and a corporate reorganization and bankruptcy attorney with Sidley & Austin in Chicago. Mark also taught history in Chicago Public Schools.
Lillian Woolley is an environmental consultant for Fishbeck working in the Southeast Michigan office primarily on air quality permitting and compliance projects. Her clients include manufacturing facilities, food processing plants, and electric utilities. Lillian is also the Air Quality Policy Committee Chair for the Michigan Manufacturers Association and is actively involved in discussions on Michigan’s ozone nonattainment areas and participates in the Climate Council Workgroups. Lillian also worked for DTE Energy for ten years where she supervised its air quality program.
Shanelle Jackson is a charismatic Government Affairs leader, with an impressive 21-year career in Federal, State & Local Public Policy, Issues Advocacy and Community Engagement. Her career includes serving as a Michigan State Representative and House Speaker Pro Tem, where she made history as the youngest woman of color ever elected to serve in either chamber of the Michigan Legislature. Currently, she serves as Senior Manager of State Government Affairs- East, at LyondellBasell where she continues to make a positive impact on environmental sustainability polices around the nation. Prior to joining LYB, Shanelle worked as the Director of State Government Affairs at Opportunity Financial in Chicago, IL. She has also lent her expertise to renowned public and private sector organizations such as Marathon Petroleum, Detroit International Bridge Company, United States Census Bureau, Michigan Department of Transportation, and the City Of Detroit.
