Meeting/Event Information

Join CWEEL New England for our first 2022 event! 

Combating climate change will take cooperation and collaboration on a global, regional, and local level. Join us on January 19th to hear the story of two coastal Massachusetts cities who worked together to develop their Resilient Together plan and how they are now working to make climate resilience a reality. Our panel of women leaders from Salem and Beverly will share their work on Resilient Together as well as their indivudual sustainability journey.

"In spring 2020, the Cities of Beverly and Salem embarked on an ambitious effort to develop a joint climate action plan. Resilient Together launched just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which has broadened our understanding of resilience and emphasized the importance of working together to face the challenges ahead. As our two Cities act to cut greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change, we know that collaboration is our greatest strength." Learn more about Resilient Together.

CWEEL New England is excited to welcome a panel of women from Salem and Beverly:

Emily Hutchings, AICP
Assistant Planning Director
City of Beverly, MA
Emily Hutchings, AICP, is the Assistant Planning Director for the City of Beverly. Emily earned her Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Clemson University, and has worked for the City of Beverly for the past four years. She manages a range of exciting projects and programs, with areas of focus including land use, coastal resilience, climate action, and historic preservation.

Erina Keefe
Sustainability Director
City of Beverly, MA
Erina Keefe is the Sustainability Director for the City of Beverly. Erina has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Public Health from UMass Amherst, and a Master in City Planning with a focus on environmental policy and planning as well as a Sustainability Certificate from MIT. From the Mayor's Office, she manages Beverly's sustainability projects focused on cutting emissions and waste, including City solar installations, City EV fleet transition, EV charging infrastructure, a composting drop-off pilot, and recycling education.

Jenna Ide
Director of Sustainability, Capital, Resiliency
City of Salem, MA

Esmeralda Bisono
Sustainability & Resiliency Manager
City of Salem, MA
Esmeralda Bisono is the Manager for the City of Salem’s newly-formed Sustainability and Resiliency Department. She has been working with the City of Salem since 2019, where she started as the Solar Coach for the Solarize Mass Plus program, promoting renewable energy technology to residents and business owners. She received her Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Sustainability from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth in 2019. Now in her full-time role with the City of Salem, Esmeralda manages several projects and programs, including community engagement efforts on energy efficiency, enhancing sustainability & resiliency at local parks, schools, and municipal buildings, and advocating for an increased focus on Environmental Justice communities. Esmeralda also led the Salem and Beverly Climate Action & Resilience Plan, Resilient Together, which was released in June 2021. She is looking forward to working with Beverly to implement the 70+ climate actions, helping to reach their overall goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Stacy Kilb
Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
City of Salem, MA
Stacy is excited to be part of the new Sustainability and Resiliency Department. Inspiration + education = conservation! She is a Certified Interpretive Guide and in 2019 received the “Friend of the Year” award from the Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network for her work as Visitor Services Supervisor at the DCR’s Middlesex Fells Reservation. Before working with the DCR, her role was Asian Longhorned Beetle Outreach Coordinator with the Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources. She occasionally had to dress up like a giant beetle. Sadly, she is no longer in possession of the costume, as it belonged to the Commonwealth.

All are welcome to this free event. Zoom information will be provided to attendees on the day of the event.