Connecticut City Names First Director of Sustainability and Resilience: 5 Things to Know

The City of Norwalk, Connecticut has hired Jodi Trendler as director of sustainability and resilience, a newly created position. Here are five things to know about the city's sustainability strategy, and Trendler's professional experience.

1. City Overview: Norwalk is the sixth-most populous city in Connecticut as of the 2020 census, with a population of 91,184, according to Wikipedia. Key businesses in the area include data protection specialist Datto (now owned by Kaseya), Priceline.com and Xerox.

2. City Sustainability Plan: Norwalk in March 2024 released a draft Sustainability and Resilience Plan (SRP). The SRP "serves as a roadmap that builds on the City’s sustainability and climate resilience efforts while placing Norwalk on a fast track to becoming the greenest city in Connecticut," according to an announcement at the time.

3. Direct of Sustainability and Resilience Role: According to a statement from the city, Jodi Trendler will:

• Lead the implementation of the City’s Sustainability and Resilience Plan; 
• advise and assist the mayor, city departments, and the Common Council on sustainability best practices and policy development;
• oversee the integration of sustainable practices into city operations;
• create action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resource efficiency; and help secure grants and funding for sustainability projects.  

4. Jodi Trendler's Professional Experience: Trendler previously was:

• A sustainability consultant for the Metropolitan Mayor Caucus Environmental Committee in Chicago, where she "conducted research to create recommendations to connect environmental justice communities with community-based organizations to maximize funding opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation."
• Founding Chairperson for the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force, the official city advisory committee in Naperville, Illinois.
• Executive director and co-founder of The Resiliency Institute, an organization that focuses on building resilient communities through education and action for sustainable systems design for communities, natural resources, and daily living.

5. Leadership Perspectives: In a prepared statement, Mayor Harry Rilling said: “I am thrilled to welcome Jodi Trendler to the City of Norwalk as our Director of Sustainability and Resilience. Jodi brings a wealth of expertise in climate action planning, zero waste strategies, and fostering resilient communities. Her experiences highlights her commitment to innovative, actionable solutions for environmental challenges and her academic achievements and numerous affiliations and certifications underscore her knowledge and passion for building a sustainable future. Jodi’s leadership will be critical in this role, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, of advancing Norwalk’s environmental initiatives so we can achieve our goal of becoming the greenest City in Connecticut. I look forward to seeing the incredible work she will carry out with our City and community partners, working together towards a more sustainable City.”    

Added Trendler: "I am excited to join the City of Norwalk as the new Director of Sustainability and Resilience and honored to work alongside Mayor Rilling to achieve his goal of making Norwalk the greenest city in Connecticut. With the adoption of the impressive Sustainability and Resilience Plan last March, we have a strong foundation to develop an implementation strategy that will drive real impact for the entire community. Engaging the community will continue to be at the heart of this work, ensuring that all residents have a voice in shaping a more sustainable, resilient future. I look forward to collaborating with City leaders, local businesses and organizations to turn our shared vision into action.”   

Chief Sustainability Officers: Why Technology Partners Should Care

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.