DPJ Article: Forty Years of Moving the Valley Forward

Orginally published in the Downtown Phoenix Journal on December14, 2009:

Last Friday, Valley Forward Association held its 40th annual luncheon at the Phoenix Convention Center. Valley Forward is a nonprofit public interest organization that brings business and civic leaders together to discuss important regional issues and promotes cooperative efforts to improve the environment and livability of Valley communities. With over 400 members and counting, Valley Forward is composed of some of Arizona’s largest employers and some of its smallest businesses. Its members represent a range of interests, including industrial and manufacturing sectors, municipalities and governmental agencies, educators, nonprofit organizations and Valley citizens.

During the luncheon, Roger Baele of engineering firm David Evans and Associates and Laurel Kimball of Phoenix Philanthropy Group were honored with Valley Forward’s 2009 Leadership Awards for their outstanding contributions to the organization and community over the past year. In addition, the 2010 board of directors was elected, and Jay Hick from EDAW/AECOMM was named as Chair-Elect for 2010 Chair for the Valley Leadership Association.

Ricahrd Louv

The keynote speaker at the luncheon was Richard Louv, a futurist and journalist focusing on nature, family and community. Louv chairs the Children & Nature Network, an organization helping to build an international movement to connect children with nature. He coined the term “nature-deficit disorder” in his national bestseller Last Child in the Woods to describe what happens to young people who become disconnected from their natural world.

Louv was a fitting speaker for the 40th anniversary of Valley Forward, as his message complements the Valley Forward’s long-running advocacy of land use and open space planning, desert preservation, parks, trails and connections with the natural environment and received the 2008 Audubon Medal for his work. During his address, Louv identified a clear link between the lack of nature in children’s lives to some of disturbing childhood trends, such as rises in obesity, attention disorders and depression. He then discussed some simple ways to heal the broken bond between children and nature, emphasizing the positive impact unstructured play outdoors has on healthy child development, and offered some practical suggestions for parents, teachers, urban planners and kids at heart.

The Valley Forward Association offices are located at 3800 N. Central Ave., Suite 220 in Midtown. The association can be reached at 602.240.2408 or info@valleyforward.org. Valley Forward can also be followed on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact information for Richard Louv can be found here.