FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shannon Binns Named One of “Seven to Watch”

Executive Director of local nonprofit Sustain Charlotte recognized for local influence

Charlotte, NC (December 30, 2014) – Shannon Binns, the founder and current Executive Director of Sustain Charlotte, was named by the Charlotte Observer as one of the community’s “Seven to Watch” yesterday, December 29.

 Binns founded Sustain Charlotte in 2010 and later that year published Charlotte 2030: A Sustainable Vision for Our Region, based on input from nearly 100 local residents representing a diversity of interests and organizations. Since then, under his leadership, Sustain Charlotte has been working to advance that vision, and in August, they published their 2014 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sustainability Report Card, which used data to assess the county’s progress toward sustainability using 57 metrics that spanned nine critical issues.

 Binns, a native of Oskaloosa, Iowa came to Charlotte in 2007 and quickly saw an opportunity to apply his expertise and passion to helping his new city not lose sight of the negative, long-term costs of rapid growth if not managed in a sustainable way.

 Sustain Charlotte has grown to include an active fifteen member board of directors, a $200K annual budget, more than 50 local businesses and foundations contributing monetary and in-kind support, and has just added their third full-time employee earlier this month.

“We continue to see tremendous opportunities to increase the community’s awareness of the sustainability issues that we face locally,” said Binns. “We are poised to continue addressing those challenges head on, engaging more community members, businesses, nonprofits, and local government leaders to help us make change for the better.”

 Sustain Charlotte was also named a 2014 Charlottean of the Year and one of "Six Charities Worth Your Dollar" by Charlotte Magazine in their December issue.

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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sustain Charlotte Announces 2014 Partners

Local agency received notable community support from businesses, nonprofits, and foundations

 Charlotte, NC (December 31, 2014) – Sustain Charlotte, a community based nonprofit dedicated to educating, engaging and uniting citizens to solve Charlotte’s sustainability issues, announced the many businesses and foundations who provided financial support in 2014.

 “Without the resources provided by more than 40 other local organizations through our Partnership Program this past year, we would not have been able to have the tremendous community impacts we have had.” said Sustain Charlotte Executive Director Shannon Binns

 Recently named a 2014 Charlottean of the Year and one of "Six Charities Worth Your Dollar" by Charlotte Magazine, Sustain Charlotte received monetary or in-kind support in 2014 from:

Sustain Charlotte Partners provide critical operating support to Sustain Charlotte through annual contributions. These contributions enable Sustain Charlotte to advance sustainability across the Charlotte Region through collaboration.  In return, Sustain Charlotte provides extensive visibility of what partners are doing to advance sustainability within their organization or within the community at-large.

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