FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Elizabeth Lopez
Senior Program Officer, Climate Change Fellows
elopez@partners.net
(202) 637-6201

Washington, DC., March 22, 2013– Jeff Soule, a Senior Fellow in the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), will be traveling March 25th- April 1st to Suriname to examine the current challenges of urbanization in the historic city of Paramaribo, a World Heritage Site. Mr. Soule works at the American Planning Association as the Director of Outreach and International Programs.

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 sustainable urban planning and development and will work in collaboration with government agencies, university members, and local NGO’s to investigate the environmental impact of new commercial developments on the local river and green spaces in the city. He will take into account Paramaribo’s port, transportation systems, and multi-cultural community to ensure that future strategies are sustainable and long lasting. During his exchange, Mr. Soule will meet with the Commission for Monuments, representatives from the Anton de Kom University, the Secretary-General Suriname National Commission for UNESCO, Paramaribo Conservation Foundation, and the Director of Culture in Suriname.