EPN Field Trip - Tuesday, June 10th, 2025: Sustainability in Growth at the New Albany International Business Park

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Note: There are 5 spots remaining for this limited event!

Program Overview:

On June 10^th, 2025, Ohio State’s Environmental Professionals Network, in collaboration with the city of New Albany, Ohio and The Nature Conservancy, will highlight how corporations in the New Albany International Business Park implement sustainability strategies to balance economic development with environmental conservation and community health. During this EPN field trip event, attendees will learn about, discuss, and tour efforts related to the sustainability of new development in the New Albany International Business Park. By bringing together environmental and conservation-focused professionals with sustainability-minded corporations, this event intends to build trust and inspire cross-sector solutions oriented partnerships.

During this EPN field trip program, guests will hear from city planners (i.e., economic development specialists) and sustainability specialists from industry users about the importance of water reuse and general sustainability within the development of the New Albany International Business Park. The program will begin with a catered lunch and panel discussion about sustainability projects in and around the New Albany International Business Park.

Following the lunch and panel, guests will take part in a networking session intentionally designed to create connections between a variety of resource managers and resource users to build community and shared understanding of water resource management in the region. Then, attendees will be part of a guided bus tour of the business park and several of its occupants’ important sustainability-oriented projects, with a special stop for refreshments at Intel. In total, the tour will last about 1.5 hours. The tour will conclude at 4:30 p.m. and guests will be dropped off at Brick House Blue.

Agenda:

Note: Guests will meet at Brick House Blue New Albany (7775 Walton Pkwy, New Albany, Ohio 43054), NOT at Ohio State.

11:00 a.m. Doors open at Brick House Blue New Albany. Catered boxed lunches are served; open networking session.

12:00 p.m. Gary Pierzynski, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at Ohio State, provides opening remarks on the importance of building trust across sectors to balance development and sustainability.

12:05 p.m. Alex Klosterman, Economic Development Specialist, City of New Albany

12:15 p.m. Carol Kauffman, CEO, Ohio Environmental Council

12:25 p.m. Adam Lehmann, Central Ohio Water Manager, The Nature Conservancy

12:50 p.m. A panel of presentations on the intersection of development and sustainability in the New Albany International Business Park, moderated by Amy Newsock, Global Associate Director of Freshwater Outcomes, The Nature Conservancy

• Joe Rozza, PE, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ryan Companies
• Jeff King, MBA, Vice President of ESG, Bath and Body Works
• Usman Khan, PhD, MBA, Water Strategy Lead, Amazon Web Services

1:35 p.m. Break

1:50 p.m. Networking session to connect corporate sustainability professionals and local environmental professionals to inspire solutions-focused partnerships and projects. Led by EPN and The Nature Conservancy.

• Remarks from local leaders in conservation.

2:45 p.m. Break and snacks/coffee are served to participants, who are encouraged to load on tour buses.

3:00 p.m. Narrated tour of the New Albany International Business Park's development and sustainability efforts, led by Alex Klosterman and Sara Ziegler, City of New Albany Economic Development Specialists. The tour will include a site visit at Intel, led by Emily Smith, Director, Site Development and Community Affairs, Intel.

4:30 p.m. Buses return to Brick House Blue and event concludes.

Speakers

 Carol Kauffman, Chief Executive Officer, the Ohio Environmental Council

 As Chief Executive Officer for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) and OEC’s 501(c)(4) affiliated organization, the OEC Action Fund, Carol Kauffman is responsible for providing vision and strategic leadership for both organizations. Kauffman brings more than two decades of nonprofit and corporate experience advocating for environmental, community, and social justice issues, as well as directing sustainability programs and strategies. She serves on the Board of  Directors of the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Board of Commissioners for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. She is also a member of the State Advisory Board for Climate Power. Kauffman earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Taylor University and a Master’s in International Development from Eastern University.

 Adam Lehmann, Central Ohio Water Manager, The Nature Conservancy

 In his role as the Central Ohio Water Manager, Adam helps to coordinate a freshwater conservation program focused on building conservation capacity in Central Ohio. Adam and his colleagues work with local conservation partners to identify and fill capacity gaps, match high-quality projects with corporate funders (often associated with Net Positive Water Impact), and assist local jurisdictions with planning and development of zoning/ordinances that facilitate freshwater conservation. Prior to beginning this role in 2023, Adam worked as the Watershed Conservation Program Manager for the Hamilton County Conservation District. He also has an extensive background in water resource ecological monitoring and assessment. He received his BA and MS in Environmental Science from Miami University.

 Emily Smith, Director, Site Development and Community Affairs, Intel Ohio One

In support of Intel’s $28B investment, Emily Smith leads Site Development and Community Affairs for Intel across the buckeye state. Emily previously served as the Senior Vice President of PR and Media Relations at Huntington National Bank where she oversaw corporate and regional media and public relations activities across Huntington’s multi-state footprint. She also served on the ESG Council, Climate Risk Committee, and the Green Team. Emily spent fifteen years in state government including the Ohio Senate, Ohio Department of Education and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Her prior experience also includes serving as Vice President, Media Relations and Community Engagement at JPMorgan Chase where she served as point person for all media relations, community engagement and green team activities for Ohio and five additional states which encompassed six million customers and 30,000 employees. Emily holds degrees from The Ohio State University, Capital University Law School, and Franklin University. 

Additional Information 

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle, EPN Program Assistant (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs. 

Masks are optional for all event attendees at this event, in accordance with Ohio State’s Safe and Healthy Protocols as of this date. In-person attendees will be expected to follow Ohio State protocols regarding the prevention of COVID-19 transmission. More health and safety information available on this Personal Safety Practices page.