Energy Efficiency + Material Efficiency = Resource Efficiency

Enabler --- Circular Economy and Sustainability

Aster Girma is the founder and President of the Nevada Green Institute a nonprofit corporation. She has over 20 years of experience nationally and internationally, as a city and regional planner, economic development consultant, and management analyst. Throughout her professional career, she has worked on various projects that focused on developing strategies for economic and major planning projects; environmental industry cluster analysis, program development, and evaluation.

In her experience as a consultant, she has studied the strength and the impact of environmental business clusters in promoting sustainable development in the region. However, she has learned that sustainability issues are complex and interwoven. What is missing in the area of advancing sustainability principles is that the public is not well informed about sustainability best practices and implementation—innovative ideas and technologies.

For our understanding of these issues in a timely fashion, they need to be explored from multiple angles simultaneously—economic, environmental, and community. For this, we need to promote sustainable best practices and implementation collectively. She brings her experiences and reflection to focus on developing forums where businesses, organizations, educational institutes, government, and the public at large are invited to play a greater role in the advancement of sustainability best practices.

She holds a BS. in City Planning, MSc in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of

International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Urban Studies/

Economic Development, Cleveland State University; LEED Green Associate Credential from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); Certificate in Sustainable Best Practices and Implementation, University of Vermont. Certificate in Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities. Lund University, Sweden —

She is the co-author with William M. Bowen of a chapter titled “The Impact of Environmental Hazards: An Overview of some Ancillary Research.” Environmental Justice through Research-Based Decision-Making. New York: Garland, Publisher Inc. 2000.

She is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and U.S. Green Building Council.

Western Nevada Development District (WNDD)

Carson City Chamber of Commerce