WASHINGTON, DC - September 25, 2007 - The Greater Washington Board of Trade's 2007 Potomac Conference, entitled "Green as Competitive Advantage," is scheduled Oct. 29-30, 2007. The invite-only, CEO-level Conference will gather private, public and nonprofit executives to develop a regional leadership agenda for the environment. In an historic joint appearance, VA Gov. Tim Kaine, MD Gov. Martin O'Malley and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty will each discuss their vision for a "green" region, and how our community can work together to address environmental challenges and take advantage of green business opportunities.

Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute, will keynote on the evening of Oct. 29 at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, VA. Andrew Winston, sustainable business expert and co-author of Green to Gold, will keynote the day-long program on Oct. 30 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in DC.

Also at the Conference, the Greater Washington Green Indicators, will be unveiled. Developed by the Greater Washington Initiative, the Board of Trade's economic development affiliate, the Indicators will compare key U.S. metro areas on measures such as sustainable development, business management, energy use, water and air quality. The research project will help guide the Conference’s leadership agenda and post-Conference actions.

A preliminary agenda for the 2007 Potomac Conference is available upon request. Media are invited to attend; RSVP is required by Oct. 25.

The Conference is being planned by an Advisory Committee, chaired by Patricia McGuire, President, Trinity (Washington) University and Robert Pinkard, CEO, Managing Director, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers.

The title sponsor of the 2007 Potomac Conference is Pepco. Lead sponsors include Bank of America, Calvert and Meyer Foundation. Additional conference sponsors are rand* construction corporation, Marsh, Inc., Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, Brookfield Properties, Prince Charitable Trust, and Trinity (Washington) University.

"The reduction of greenhouse gases and preservation of our natural environment are both a social imperative and an opportunity to gain competitive advantage. The Potomac Conference is uniquely suited to convene the public, private and non-profit sectors to collaborate on our regional agenda to make the Greater Washington region a national leader in sustainability," said Potomac Conference Co-chair Robert M. Pinkard, Managing Director, CEO, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers.

"Consistent with Washington's standing as one of the world's most important cities, through the Potomac Conference this region now joins other major international metropolitan areas in setting the pace for environmental sustainability. Surrounded by magnificent natural resources, with the national engines of environmental law and policy close by, along with a highly educated workforce and extensive capacity for research and development in the universities and government laboratories, the Washington region can become a global model for making "green" business the gold standard," said Potomac Conference Co-chair Patricia McGuire, President, Trinity (Washington) University.

The Potomac Conference, a program of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, is a CEO-level leadership forum that brings together public, private and nonprofit executives from Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and suburban Maryland to focus their expertise and influence on improving the region's economic health and quality of life.

The Greater Washington Board of Trade is the region's premier business organization, providing advocacy, research and programs for the area's business community. For more information, visit www.boardoftrade.org.

Greater Washington Board of Trade

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