Esteemed Community Advocate and Business Icon, Arthur M. Blank, to Keynote 2018 Green Sports Alliance Summit

Iconic business leader, co-founder of The Home Depot, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, and celebrated philanthropist, Arthur M. Blank, will address attendees from the main stage of this year’s Green Sports Alliance Summit in Atlanta, June 26-27. A long-time steward of sustainability, Mr. Blank will discuss his role and the sports industry’s role in sustainability and social advocacy.A renowned philanthropist, Mr. Blank bases all of the organizations in the Blank Family of Businesses on six core values, including “Giving Back to Others” and “Leading by Example”. These values and his service to others manifests through his business approach of giving back to the people, environment, and communities in which they do business.With the construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Blank set out to create a venue that would not only be an architectural marvel for the city of Atlanta but would also serve as a catalyst for positive transformation and connection to the community. Through thoughtful design and long-term, meaningful community investments, Blank and Mercedes-Benz Stadium ensured the larger development would promote a healthy community. Atlanta residents can walk and take public transportation easily and safely through increased connectivity and new walking and biking paths, and the environmental impact of the development is minimized by incorporating greenspaces, an advanced stormwater management system, and an urban garden is in development which will engage local residents."We are excited to welcome the sports industry to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Green Sports Alliance Summit June 26th and 27th.  Arthur’s commitment to the environment and to Atlanta is clearly evident, and we look forward to thought-provoking conversations around how our industry is making meaningful differences in the communities where we live, work, and play," said Scott Jenkins, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.This year’s Summit theme, PLAY GREENER™: Get in the Game will focus on taking action through collaborative problem-solving to achieve sustainable change across the sports spectrum. Attendees will engage in multiple skill-building and problem-solving workshops to develop solutions that inspire environmental and social responsibility across operations, supply chains, and fan bases.For the second year, the Summit will feature youth programming taking place concurrently, mixing students with Summit attendees and offering the opportunity for these audience segments to learn from each other. Sam Gordon, 2018 winner of NFL’s inaugural Game Changer Award, will speak to students and Summit attendees, sharing a message focused on perseverance and courage to create change in sports.The full Summit program features opportunities for industry stakeholders to learn from leaders at the forefront of the sports greening movement.Among the confirmed speakers are:

• Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr., Former Major League Baseball manager, retired player
• Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot, owner of the Atlanta Falcons & Atlanta United
• Sam Gordon, NFL’s inaugural Game Changer award winner, girls tackle football league player
• Scott Jenkins, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, AMB Sports & Entertainment Group
• Ovie Mughelli, former Atlanta Falcons fullback, founder Ovie Mughelli Foundation
• Ryan Newman, NASCAR driver, founder of Rescue Ranch
• John R. Seydel, Director of Sustainability, City of Atlanta
• Laura Turner Seydel, Chairperson, Captain Planet Foundation; Board Member, Turner Foundation
• Stephanie Stuckey, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Atlanta

Summit Plenary Panels & Highlights Include:

• Athlete Panel focused on how athletes can use their unique position to promote sustainable communities where they live and play.
• Environmental Leadership Award & Innovators Awards presentation & Celebration. Past recipients include Allan H. (Bud) Selig (Major League Baseball); Andrew Ference (Former NHL Player); Christina Weiss Lurie (Philadelphia Eagles Owner).
• Thought Leadership Forum will convene leading corporations in the sports greening movement to discuss how innovation, creativity, and collaboration can advance the movement.
• Turner-Seydel Family Interview where Laura and John R. will speak about their family’s philanthropic work, the City of Atlanta, and the importance of taking care of the environment.
• 6^th Annual Women, Sports and Environment Symposium will feature perspectives and challenges of thought leaders working at the confluence of sports and the environment.

Event DetailsThe Green Sports Alliance Summit presented by NatureWorks will be held June 26-27, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.Registration is open online at summit.greensportsalliance.org/register.