The Dallas Institute Festival of Ideas: Roundtable Discussion on the Environment

In each of four separate Arts District venues – different from the Focus Forum venues – approximately 25 participants will gather with each Festival team to continue the discussions of Focus Forums. These are true seminar sessions with the expert panelists and the participants jointly drilling down further to mine new ideas that have been struck during the day.

Silent- gallery seating will be available for this segment.

“The Environment”: Elizabeth Kolbert, with Hon. Tom Leppert, Judy Pesek, and Michael Decker, moderated by Glenn Arbery

Elizabeth Kolbert is a staff writer for the New Yorker and author of the 2006 award winning "Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change." Widely recognized as an expert in her field, she has written on a variety of environmental issues, from the future of the automobile to global warming.

Hon. Tom Leppert is Mayor of the City of Dallas. A businessman as well as a community leader, he has held executive positions at The Turner Corporation, Trammell Crow Co., and other corporations.

Judy Pesek is Managing Partner for Gensler Architects in Dallas. With over 30 years’ experience in interior architecture, she specializes in corporate facilities with emphasis on sustainable design.

Michael Decker is Principal with Wingate Partners. Treasurer of the World Affairs Council, he is former chair of ENSR, an international environmental and energy development consulting company.

Dr. Glenn Arbery is Senior Editor and film critic for People Newspapers. A Fellow of the Dallas Institute. He is author of "Why Literature Matters" and editor of the essay collection "The Tragic Abyss."