According to CraigMichaels, Inc., a New York based executive-level events company, President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote address at the 2012 Sustainable Operations Summit, sustainablesummit.com, which will take place during Earth Week, April 17-April 19, at the Hilton New York.
The seventh annual summit will focus on sustainable initiatives and their impact on the bottom line. Key leaders from the world's most influential organizations will share how green initiatives offer enormous economic opportunities, including creating new jobs, making business more efficient, and most importantly, strengthening the United States' competitiveness around the world.
"We are honored to announce that President Bill Clinton will be joining us as the keynote speaker for the 2012 Sustainable Operations Summit, which is being held in New York for the first time," said Michael Owens, producer of the summit and VP of production & marketing of CraigMichaels Inc. "The timing is perfect as New York is now seen as a global leader in sustainability under the leadership of mayor Michael Bloomberg. From the High Line to the retrofit of the Empire State Building to improved infrastructure including bike lanes and public parks, New York is home to some of the most inspiring green building, urban renewal, and retrofit projects in the country."
Bloomberg, said, "I want to congratulate CraigMichaels for bringing the 2012 Sustainable Operations Summit to New York City, home of the boldest action plan anywhere addressing a growing population, an aging infrastructure, a changing climate, and an evolving economy. In the first four years after we launched PlaNYC, we built hundreds of acres of new parkland, enacted the most ambitious laws of any city in the country to make existing buildings more energy-efficient and reduced our greenhouse gas emissions 13 percent below 2005 levels. But there's so much more we have to learn from other cities and countries, and I'm thrilled New York will be welcoming so many visitors at the Sustainable Operations Summit."
Attendees and partners will have the unique opportunity to experience some of the city's shining examples of sustainable progress in action and learn from the people that made them possible.
In addition to President Clinton, the speaker lineup at the summit features some of the brightest minds in sustainability who will discuss innovative approaches to reduce our footprint with a focus on energy, the built environment and resource conservation.
The confirmed speakers to date include:

* David Bragdon- Director, Office of Long Term Planning & Sustainability- CITY OF NEW YORK
* Patricia Calkins- Global Vice President of Environment, Health & Safety- XEROX
* Beth Colleton- Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility- NBCUNIVERSAL
* Melissa Fisher- COO- FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE
* Robert Hammond- Co-Founder- FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE
* Heather Henriksen- Director, Office for Sustainability- HARVARD UNIVERSITY
* John Killey- Global Head of Building Operations- CITIGROUP
* Peter Malik-Director, Center for Market Innovation- NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC)
* Anthony Malkin- President- MALKIN HOLDINGS (Owner Empire State Building)
* Roger McClendon- Global Chief Sustainability Officer- YUM! BRANDS
* Summer Rayne Oakes- CEO and Co-Founder- SOURCE4STYLE
* Sukanya Paciorek- Vice President of Corporate Sustainability- VORNADO REALTY TRUST
* Christina Page- Global Director, Sustainability and Energy Strategy- YAHOO!
* Matt Petersen- President and CEO- GLOBAL GREEN USA
* Curtis Ravenel- Global Head of Sustainability- BLOOMBERG LP
* Kevin Surace- Chairman and CEO- SERIOUS ENERGY
* Brad Tomm- Director of Sustainable Operations - MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
* Drew Torbin- Vice President of Renewable Energy- PROLOGIS
* Wood Turner- Vice President of Sustainability Innovation- STONYFIELD FARM
* Andrew Winston- Founder- WINSTON ECO STRATEGIES


A number of additional high-profile speakers will be announced shortly. Please visit sustainablesummit.com for more information.

About CraigMichaels Inc.
CraigMichaels launched in 2002 and has become one of the nation's premier producers of business events. We produce summits that connect the right people with the right content through organic conversations and high-level networking. Our unique event format provides leaders with an intensive yet enjoyable way to better their business that saves both time and money. Our core objective is to initiate and foster relationships that allow you to achieve your business goals. For more information on CraigMichaels, please visit CraigMichaelsInc.com. Tags: