Speakers
Mayor T. M. Franklin Cownie
City of Des Moines, Iowa
Biography:
A lifetime resident of Des Moines, Mayor Cownie has a long history of civic leadership and community involvement. Prior to joining the Des Moines City Council, Cownie served three terms as chairman of Downtown Des Moines Incorporated, (DDI) an affiliate of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and five terms as the chairman of the City of Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission.
Cownie’s focus in his second term as Mayor is to continue to promote the City’s goal of creating a sustainable green community for future generations. He established the Des Moines Energy and Environmental Task Force, and his efforts have paid off with the announcement that Des Moines has been selected as the site of only one of four regional centers for the study and measurement of environmental factors. Other recent successes include partnerships to re-forest the city, and the receipt of a federal grant to purchase a fleet of energy-efficient hybrid, and hydrogen-powered, automobiles.
Cownie is also rapidly gaining national recognition through his leadership roles with the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Cownie was one of only eight U.S. mayors chosen to formulate regional environmental policies for American cities through his work with the international group, Local Governments for Sustainability.
Named one of the nations “cool mayors” by the Mayors for Climate Protection, Mayor Cownie believes in looking to the future. Asked about his unfaltering work on environmental initiatives, he says: "I do this because I have a moral compass that tells me it’s the right thing to do. It’s not about me. In my heart and in my head I know it’s the right thing for the future of our children, for our city, for our state and for this country, if not the world."