Presentation
Alice Madden, holder of the Wirth Chair in Sustainable Development at the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs, shared her perspective about the effective advocacy of policy based on climate science. The former state house Majority Leader discussed how to persuade target audiences, creating the next generation of environmental stewards, and relevant topics before the 2013 Colorado legislature.
Background Info
Alice Madden is the holder of the Timothy E. Wirth Chair of Sustainable Development, University of Colorado at Denver, where she works to develop sustainable clean energy economies and educate future environmental stewards through a variety of efforts. Ms. Madden creates programs training varied constituencies to better communicate their message and build broader collaborations, thereby increasing successful implementation of their sustainability goals. Alice works to advance environmental literacy curriculums in K-12 education and increase the interest of minority students in sustainability fields. She also hosts a monthly Sustainability Series and teaches Political Advocacy at the School of Public Affairs and is a founding board member of the Rocky Mountain Sustainability & Science Network which creates collaborations in research relevant to sustainability.
Prior to being awarded the Wirth Chair, Ms. Madden served four terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, including four years as the House Majority Leader. She played an integral role in building the policy foundation for what is now referred to nationally as the New Energy Economy. She continued to apply her experience and passion for economic and environmental sustainability as Governor Ritter’s Climate Change Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff. Alice also served as a Senior Fellow on Climate Change at the Center for American Progress.