Washington, D.C., June 20, 2013 – Jeff Soule, a Senior Fellow in the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), will be traveling June 22nd-27th to participate in meetings and events in Barbados including Heritage Month activities. Senior ECPA Fellow Jeff Soule works as the Director of Outreach and International Programs at the American Planning Association and is representing the Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean Initiative. The Senior ECPA Fellows program is a network of high-level technical experts in the fields of climate change and energy who travel between countries in the Western Hemisphere to consult with governments or other institutions. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs and is administered by Partners of the Americas. There are currently 20 Senior ECPA Fellows who participate in these international exchanges. The main areas of focus for the program are: energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy infrastructure, energy poverty and access, sustainable forestry and land use, and climate change adaptation.

Mr. Soule is an expert in historic cities and sustainable urban planning and development; he has a long-standing commitment to historic preservation through U.S. ICOMOS and has reviewed several UNESCO World Heritage Site applications. Jeff will be visiting Barbados on the occasion of its two year anniversary since receiving a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, and will be discussing how historic city centers can serve as models of sustainable and energy-efficient urban development in Caribbean countries. While in Barbados, Mr. Soule will meet with town planners, tourism officials, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth, the Barbados National Trust and the Barbados Museum and Historical Society. He will deliver a public lecture at the Barbados Museum entitled “Historic Core Cities: Lessons for contemporary sustainability.” He will also participate in Heritage Month activities designed to mark the second anniversary of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Partners of the Americas is an international network that promotes social and economic development in the Americas through leadership, voluntary service, and development programs. Its mission is to connect individuals, volunteers, institutions, businesses, and communities to serve and to change lives through lasting partnerships. Partners envisions an interconnected hemisphere that maximizes the social and economic potential, and leverages the full diversity, of the Americas.