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History
Sustainable Solutions was founded in 2004 by Jessica Yorko to build
capacity of Michigan's environmental organizations and projects. Past
projects and clients are described below and within this site. Staff have
included Melissa Lott, Paul Steiner, Lina Chapman, Joy Baldwin and Chip
Kosloski, who all contributed immensely to the successful implementation
of company projects and client services.
In 2010, Jessica's energy shifted away from the company and toward new
endeavors with the Lansing City Council and, in, 2011 with the Ingham
County Health Department.
Jessica has served on the Lansing City Council since 2010, representing
the city’s northwest quadrant (4th Ward). Jessica Yorko has been the
Environmental Justice Coordinator for Ingham County Health Department
since January 2011. As Coordinator of Ingham County’s first-ever
Environmental Justice Program, Jessica is working to create equitable
access to environmental benefits and protections across race, income,
age, ability and other forms of difference. This involves connecting,
enhancing and infusing health equity considerations into systems and
policies that influence transportation, food, housing, land use,
neighborhoods, employment and youth development. Initial projects:
assessing health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations,
increasing accessibility of community gardens and other community
activities for people with a wide range of physical and developmental
abilities, convening a Mid-Michigan Tenants’ Association and facilitating a
county-wide vision for Environmental Justice.
Jessica was hired away as Manager of Lansing’s Westside Commercial
Association (WCA). Jessica was hired by the NorthWest Initiative in 2006
to implement a community vision for revitalizing the Saginaw Street,
Oakland Avenue and adjacent areas. During her tenure with WCA, Jessica
coordinated exterior improvements to more than 40 buildings and public
rights-of-way along four miles of Saginaw Street (M-43) in Lansing;
created a robust business association following the Michigan Main Street
approach; initiated Lansing’s Westside Summer Fest; assisted with
numerous business start-ups and expansions; and advanced the Saginaw
Street Road Diet to calm traffic and transform a state
trunkline/thoroughfare into a multi-modal public space for transportation,
local commerce and neighborhood activities. Jessica still volunteers with
WCA: planting flowers, coordinating murals and assisting with
organizational development and road improvements.
While managing WCA, Jessica also continued serving clients through her
consulting company started in 2004-- Sustainable Solutions. Her most
notable consulting projects have been with the Mid-Michigan
Environmental Action Council, centering on non-motorized transportation
and low-impact development. In 2006, Jessica convened the Lansing
Walking & Bicycling Task Force with Mayor Virg Bernero and Transportation
Planner Andy Kilpatrick. Jessica Co-Chaired the Task Force until 2010,
leading Walk and Bike Lansing! plan development in 2008 and the Lansing
Complete Streets Ordinance in 2009. This ordinance was the first complete
streets policy adopted in Michigan and paved the way for other Michigan
communities to re-envision road work to include all roadway users of all
ages and abilities. Michigan adopted statewide legislation in 2010, and as
of 2011 had more local complete streets policies than any other state in
the nation. Jessica also led the successful advocacy campaign for Lansing
City Council’s acceptance of $3.2 million in state funding to build the
Michigan Avenue Rain Gardens, enhancing a major commercial corridor and
the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers.
Jessica’s major contributions on the Lansing City Council have included:
advocating (fiercely) for and adopting a new Snow Removal policy to
ensure safe walkways in during winter months; navigating the complex
legal, labor and incentive issues surrounding Marshall Street Armory and
Marketplace developments; facilitating communication and negotiation for
the honorary renaming of Grand River Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue;
supporting the renaming of Main Street to Malcom X Street; and exploring
options for increasing bicycle parking at private and public locations.
Jessica started her career with the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality, first revamping her unit’s financial and performance tracking
systems and later coordinating partnerships with hundreds of
environmental, business, trade and other groups around the state.
Jessica was recognized in 2008 by the Lansing Regional Chamber of
Commerce and Grand River Connection as one of the “10 Over the Next
Ten” young leaders expected to contribute most significantly to the region
over the next 10 years. She was honored in 2010 by Lansing City Pulse
readers as “Best Environmentalist” and by the League of Michigan
Bicyclists as “Bicycle Advocate of the Year”, and has received other honors
and tributes from Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, the Capital Area Health
Alliance and the Tri-County Environmental Leadership Committee.
Jessica was born near Gary, Indiana, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. She
moved to Michigan in 1996 to attend Kalamazoo College, where she
earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics and Environmental Studies. From
1998-1999 she lived in Clermont-Ferrand, France, studying at L’Ecole
Superieure de Commerce. She moved to Lansing in 2001 to work for the
State of Michigan. In 2002 she became a mother to the light of her life,
Nicholas Yorko. Jessica and Nick live in Lansing’s Genesee Neighborhood,
surrounded by amazing friends and neighbors, and enjoy bicycling and
other outdoor adventure, and playing soccer, hockey and most other
sports. Jessica has loved coaching the Diamondbacks 8 & under soccer and
floor hockey teams since 2010 with Justin Hidalgo, Steve Hicks and Tom
Menzies, and also enjoys painting and practicing yoga.
Get Jessica's full resume at www.linkedin.com/in/jessicayorko
Sustainable Solutions was founded in 2004 by Jessica Yorko to build
capacity of Michigan's environmental organizations and projects. Past
projects and clients are described below and within this site. Staff have
included Melissa Lott, Paul Steiner, Lina Chapman, Joy Baldwin and Chip
Kosloski, who all contributed immensely to the successful implementation
of company projects and client services.
In 2010, Jessica's energy shifted away from the company and toward new
endeavors with the Lansing City Council and, in, 2011 with the Ingham
County Health Department.
Jessica has served on the Lansing City Council since 2010, representing
the city’s northwest quadrant (4th Ward). Jessica Yorko has been the
Environmental Justice Coordinator for Ingham County Health Department
since January 2011. As Coordinator of Ingham County’s first-ever
Environmental Justice Program, Jessica is working to create equitable
access to environmental benefits and protections across race, income,
age, ability and other forms of difference. This involves connecting,
enhancing and infusing health equity considerations into systems and
policies that influence transportation, food, housing, land use,
neighborhoods, employment and youth development. Initial projects:
assessing health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations,
increasing accessibility of community gardens and other community
activities for people with a wide range of physical and developmental
abilities, convening a Mid-Michigan Tenants’ Association and facilitating a
county-wide vision for Environmental Justice.
Jessica was hired away as Manager of Lansing’s Westside Commercial
Association (WCA). Jessica was hired by the NorthWest Initiative in 2006
to implement a community vision for revitalizing the Saginaw Street,
Oakland Avenue and adjacent areas. During her tenure with WCA, Jessica
coordinated exterior improvements to more than 40 buildings and public
rights-of-way along four miles of Saginaw Street (M-43) in Lansing;
created a robust business association following the Michigan Main Street
approach; initiated Lansing’s Westside Summer Fest; assisted with
numerous business start-ups and expansions; and advanced the Saginaw
Street Road Diet to calm traffic and transform a state
trunkline/thoroughfare into a multi-modal public space for transportation,
local commerce and neighborhood activities. Jessica still volunteers with
WCA: planting flowers, coordinating murals and assisting with
organizational development and road improvements.
While managing WCA, Jessica also continued serving clients through her
consulting company started in 2004-- Sustainable Solutions. Her most
notable consulting projects have been with the Mid-Michigan
Environmental Action Council, centering on non-motorized transportation
and low-impact development. In 2006, Jessica convened the Lansing
Walking & Bicycling Task Force with Mayor Virg Bernero and Transportation
Planner Andy Kilpatrick. Jessica Co-Chaired the Task Force until 2010,
leading Walk and Bike Lansing! plan development in 2008 and the Lansing
Complete Streets Ordinance in 2009. This ordinance was the first complete
streets policy adopted in Michigan and paved the way for other Michigan
communities to re-envision road work to include all roadway users of all
ages and abilities. Michigan adopted statewide legislation in 2010, and as
of 2011 had more local complete streets policies than any other state in
the nation. Jessica also led the successful advocacy campaign for Lansing
City Council’s acceptance of $3.2 million in state funding to build the
Michigan Avenue Rain Gardens, enhancing a major commercial corridor and
the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers.
Jessica’s major contributions on the Lansing City Council have included:
advocating (fiercely) for and adopting a new Snow Removal policy to
ensure safe walkways in during winter months; navigating the complex
legal, labor and incentive issues surrounding Marshall Street Armory and
Marketplace developments; facilitating communication and negotiation for
the honorary renaming of Grand River Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue;
supporting the renaming of Main Street to Malcom X Street; and exploring
options for increasing bicycle parking at private and public locations.
Jessica started her career with the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality, first revamping her unit’s financial and performance tracking
systems and later coordinating partnerships with hundreds of
environmental, business, trade and other groups around the state.
Jessica was recognized in 2008 by the Lansing Regional Chamber of
Commerce and Grand River Connection as one of the “10 Over the Next
Ten” young leaders expected to contribute most significantly to the region
over the next 10 years. She was honored in 2010 by Lansing City Pulse
readers as “Best Environmentalist” and by the League of Michigan
Bicyclists as “Bicycle Advocate of the Year”, and has received other honors
and tributes from Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, the Capital Area Health
Alliance and the Tri-County Environmental Leadership Committee.
Jessica was born near Gary, Indiana, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. She
moved to Michigan in 1996 to attend Kalamazoo College, where she
earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics and Environmental Studies. From
1998-1999 she lived in Clermont-Ferrand, France, studying at L’Ecole
Superieure de Commerce. She moved to Lansing in 2001 to work for the
State of Michigan. In 2002 she became a mother to the light of her life,
Nicholas Yorko. Jessica and Nick live in Lansing’s Genesee Neighborhood,
surrounded by amazing friends and neighbors, and enjoy bicycling and
other outdoor adventure, and playing soccer, hockey and most other
sports. Jessica has loved coaching the Diamondbacks 8 & under soccer and
floor hockey teams since 2010 with Justin Hidalgo, Steve Hicks and Tom
Menzies, and also enjoys painting and practicing yoga.
Get Jessica's full resume at www.linkedin.com/in/jessicayorko
| SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS |
Creating community and organizational change.
| Sustainable Solutions - 517-214-5684 - jessicayorko@sustainablesolutions.biz |