Brandi Whetstone - From a Toy-Factory Town to MORPC

[00:00:05] Dominique: Welcome to Green Champions.

[00:00:06] Christy: Thanks for joining us in a conversation with real people sharing sustainability success stories.

[00:00:11] Dominique: This podcast is a platform for green champions to share their stories and plant new ideas. I'm Dominique.

[00:00:17] Christy: And I'm Christy.

[00:00:17] Dominique: Today we are excited to introduce our third miniseries and our sixth, question mark, season. We are partnering with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, also known as MORPC, to highlight their initiatives driving sustainability across Central Ohio and promoting MORPC's annual Summit on Sustainability.

[00:00:36] Christy: In this miniseries, you'll meet a few of the people you can expect to see at this year's summit, and we'll be there to experience the event right alongside you. Today we're joined by Brandi Whetstone, the director of sustainability at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, an organization that brings Central Ohio communities together to share best practices and plan for the region's future growth and sustainability.

[00:00:57] Brandi: Brandi has had the opportunity to see MORPC grow over 16 years at the organization where she worked to improve the quality of life for Central Ohioans. Thank you for joining us, Brandi, and for all you do. Thanks for the opportunity. I've been looking forward to this.

[00:01:11] Dominique: Brandi, I wanna make sure we call out that this is the first episode of our miniseries with MORPC. And one, I wanna comment that just I'm very glad we're doing this, and two, I wanna give you some kudos because you are the reason we're doing this. So you are our perfect spokesperson for these first two episodes, and I'm very excited to talk about your personal background today.

 But anything you wanna add about this miniseries, about MORPC, about what we should know about the summit?

[00:01:37] Brandi: Yeah. And I really appreciate this opportunity. I was really excited when we were able to form this partnership just because... I'd been listening to your podcast, so I'm a fan, of course. And I think it's a great way to help us get the word out to folks who might not be as familiar with our sustainability work in the region. But having you and Christy and your network and your colleagues join us at the Summit on Sustainability, I think also really beneficial because we wanna make sure that everyone's there who is interested in who's doing the work in sustainability, or even those that just wanna learn more and plug into what's happening in central ohio.

So again, thanks for this opportunity. I'm happy to talk with you.

[00:02:20] Dominique: Perfect. Well, Brandi, that's a perfect segue, I think, into working our way into your background. We're talking about Ohio in particular. You are a native Ohioan yourself. Tell us a bit about, like, where you're from and what it has meant to you to grow up here.

[00:02:34] Brandi: Yeah. I've been in Ohio my entire life, from Northwest Ohio, a town called Bryan. A lot of folks know when I say it's about an hour west of Toledo, so right on that border of Michigan and Indiana. 

 if you're not familiar, a lot of my family members worked at Ohio Art where they made the famous Etch A Sketch. So a toy factory. Yeah.

[00:02:54] Christy: Oh, I did not know that was from Ohio.

[00:02:57] Brandi: Yes. And from my hometown, my grandpa worked there, my great-grandma worked there, my dad at some point. So been a family tradition. They also have Spangler Candy, where they make the Dum pops.

[00:03:09] Dominique: Oh my gosh. 

[00:03:10] Brandi: Every time I go to the bank, I get one.

[00:03:11] Dominique: So you are from the heart of our childhood?

[00:03:14] Christy: Yes.

[00:03:15] Brandi: Exactly. Exactly. So can Imagine. my favorite movie growing up was "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," so I'm like, oh yeah, I see why now. Yeah, it sense. 

I guess a little bit about Bryan. Small town. I spent a lot of time outdoors, riding my bike everywhere. In a small town, you have the benefit of being able to get around fairly easily by walking and biking. Having access to local parks was really important. 

We would gather in a field at the end of the street and play kickball or play out in the woods. So all of these things, I think, really influenced my respect and just the way that I'm drawn to the outdoors and learning about it. 

 And when you think about how we design our communities and what makes folks attracted to areas and creates a high quality of life, a lot of these are the elements that are part of sustainable communities. So looking back on that, I'm really thankful for that.

[00:04:09] Christy: I can really see how, the having access to, like, the city was your playground. Where you grew up, it was your playground. It was about exploration. I think that's such a great opportunity when people have that. And I think that is interesting then to how you continued your career.

And what I mean by career is going into your experience in college, and you studied environmental policy and analysis as well as political science and government. Why did you put those two together and how did you see that? Why did you choose Bowling Green State University, too? Tell us about this. Yeah. I wanna know all the things.

[00:04:49] Brandi: My best friend was going there, to be honest, and I still wanted to have the chance to go home on weekends.  it was about an hour drive from Bryan, so I thought it was a good option for me at the time. I really enjoyed my time at Bowling Green State University. It was fun. I learned a lot. I had a lot of really great experiences. And I have to acknowledge too that my dad played a big role in kind of my interest in environmental studies and nature. He took me camping and fishing at Independence Dam State Park growing up, showed me the blue herons. We went fishing a lot in the maumee River.

He didn't have a lot of money, but he did have that appreciation for nature, and he really encouraged me in that space, I would say. So coming from that background, when I started at the university, I didn't know what I wanted to do, and I didn't make that connection that I could have a job doing anything related to that, right?

 I was initially interested in radio and TV. we had two college radio stations, so I was a DJ of both stations, which was really fun. And then I also did an internship at the public television station as a camera operator, which was also a lot of fun. But later, after I was taking some coursework in environmental studies, I enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed the political science courses and learning.

To answer your question, I brought those together and learned that we had a major there in environmental policy, and I was like, this is the combination of everything that I'm interested in right now." So pretty much how it came together. And I got involved in the local student environmental groups, hosting Earth Week events and bringing in speakers and just starting to get involved from there.

[00:06:29] Dominique: So it sounds like you had an amazing experience at Bowling Green. You found your friend group, which you had when you went there with your best friend. You discovered this connection with DJing, working cameras, and such and you found your passion with environmental science.

[00:06:48] Christy: Have you been able to use those DJ camera skills in anything? Because that's just super interesting and connected.

[00:06:54] Brandi: Well, I would say in this podcast right now, hopefully. Hopefully I'm doing well so far. But, yeah, had to do a lot of speaking engagements in my role too. Other podcasts, news interviews, radio interviews. So it's really helped with the communications aspects of the work. And when you're in this sort of role, you do have to take on a lot of different types of skills and experiences. So it has helped tremendously there.

[00:07:24] Christy: Amazing. I'm curious too, how did you decide to partner political science and government with your work here?

[00:07:32] Brandi: That interest is very closely connected. So environmental work and political science, government, just you have to have a healthy, functioning government with good policies in place in order to move forward with, environmentally responsible practices and programs. from the start, I saw how those were very much interconnected, and you needed both in place, I think. And more broadly, and not to get too philosophical, but you need a healthy democracy to move forward these important issues and engaging 

people in, I think, what's important for quality of life. So that's where I'm coming from. There's such a close connection, and they overlap.

[00:08:16] Dominique: And it sounds like during college, and you continued on after, but you got a lot of experience in terms of taking action and what it means to apply that action to these things that you're passionate about. But in particular, you got involved with the Ohio Citizen Action organization. Can you tell us what that organization is?

[00:08:35] Brandi: Yeah. And they're still around today, so they've been around for a long time. Their work, I would say in a very short summary, they started out by engaging in what's called Good Neighbor campaigns, doing community organizing, advocating for local communities. The issues that they worked on focused on environmental or consumer rights issues, and my role starting there as a community organizer. So we literally just went out, knocked on doors, got community support for different initiatives through signatures, through letter writing, and contributions.

And some of those early wins are policies that have shaped Ohio today looking at things like the Great Lakes Compact, community choice energy aggregation programs. But we also worked with local communities to address, in the Good Neighbor campaigns, those local pollution sources that were impacting people's health directly.

It was a tough job at times, but it was very eye-opening. One particular day that sticks with me is when we were knocking on doors in an area that was adjacent to an oil refinery, and the air was so thick with fumes and pollution, it was really hard to take.

I was coughing all night. People were offering me cough drops. 

The residents shared their stories about the struggles they were having with the health issues and just sort of dealing with this as their neighbor. And my coworker even had an asthma attack that day, and we had to stop working. So I think this, combined with other experiences and conversations I had with people, I think really exposed me to the real-world impacts of environmental pollution and how it really directly, impacts people's daily lives and their health. So it was really important in, I think, motivating me to give people a voice in the process and in using strength in numbers to bring about meaningful change. and you can do that through a lot of different avenues. You can apply it to a lot of things that you do in your life, not just with this particular experience.

[00:10:43] Dominique: Yeah, and I was gonna ask you what issue was most important to you at that point in your career, which was, like, very early. I mean, you were in the middle of college/just out of college. But it sounds like air quality was hitting home for you in terms of getting exposure to why that was so important early, but also being able to understand what it means to gather community input on it and start finding a way to advocate for better. Is that fair?

[00:11:08] Brandi: That is fair. That hits it.

And then is this the organization that was part of bringing you to Columbus? They did bring me to Columbus. I was able to get an office job that was more focused on election and campaign reform initiatives. So the goal was to put policies in place that support a healthy democracy. So back to my point about you need to have a healthy government, a healthy democracy to work for the people.

My former coworker there continues this important work through an organization called Common Cause, so I encourage you to check out their work as well. But, that's what brought me to Columbus. It was a really exciting time. I was able to live in a city for the first time coming from Northwest Ohio. So 

I saw all kinds of possibilities here in Columbus.

[00:11:55] Dominique: Do you remember what that felt like? Do you remember the things you would notice early that felt exciting for you that maybe today you're really accustomed to?

[00:12:04] Brandi: Yeah. I think just seeing breadth of neighborhoods around Columbus. 

When I first moved here, I moved to a small apartment in Victorian Village, so I was just amazed by the architecture that I was seeing. And, riding my bike, I didn't have a car for very long when I was here, so figuring out how to use my bike to get around.

And luckily, I lived in an area where you could do that. I could ride my bike to the grocery store and bring my groceries back in my backpack. So many coffee shops. I love coffee. but also just so many opportunities to, get involved. There's a lot of organizations and volunteer groups here that are doing so many great things. So just opened up the doors.

[00:12:48] Christy: I love how so many threads in your life are coming together throughout your career. And you also, part of bringing that thread of nature and your experience even camping, you were the executive director at Buckeye Forest Council. Tell us about that and what is Buckeye Forest Council?

[00:13:06] Brandi: Yeah. And that was really a unique experience for me at the time because 

I applied to be the executive director of this very small but mighty nonprofit, with the purpose of protecting public lands and forests. So this group advocated a lot for more responsible forest management in our state forests and state parks and also national public lands.

I learned a lot about trees. I learned a lot about the value of these ecosystems. But I have to say, I really took a leap in doing this because I didn't think that I had the skills or experience to step into that role. But with some encouragement, and just taking that leap, I was able to do it and work with a lot of great people in the process who continued to help me figure it out. 

So it was a great experience. It was like drinking from a fire hose though, because being the sole staff person, you're responsible for every aspect of the organization. 

[00:14:05] Christy: Absolutely. I love that you had someone that believed in you, or multiple people that believed in you and encouraged you to take that a little bit of a different path and something you weren't quite comfortable with. I've often found that when that happens, people pay that forward as well. I bet you have a story you could share about how maybe you encouraged someone as well.

I would just love to hear how you pay it forward.

[00:14:29] Brandi: Yeah. And, something that comes to mind is MORPC runs a summer intern program here. So grown tremendously, and we work to place interns in different positions across Central ohio, working with our local government members. We also get interns here at MORPC. Really great interns, a lot of talented young people.

And every year we're paired up with an intern, to be a, mentor, help them through that process, help them learn get something out of it and set goals. So I think that's where a lot of us are able to really pay it forward is through our summer internship program.

[00:15:06] Dominique: Brandi, I just can't help but feel the common threads of your personal story. Also Common Thread is the theme of the summit this year, which is a fun, genuinely unintentional plug. But I see so much connection between the things that you cared about all along and the things that also lit up kind of a light bulb in your personal passion for this work, and the work that MORPC does.

And so I wanna make sure we have time today during our conversation to make sure we get into MORPC a little bit and your current role. And then next time, I know we're gonna get to talk a bit more about the things that you're working on right now and how you're making progress, what we can learn from that and everything in between.

But MORPC in particular touches on work with air quality, which was one of your first passion areas, when it came to taking action, talking about getting neighbors and communities involved in advocating for one another, but also thinking about things at a community level. In terms of action, that's a MORPC concept.

 also, you talked about biking around and, how you had to navigate going to the grocery a new community member of Columbus. And I think that's really awesome. You first found MORPC as an outreach specialist, which I can only imagine put you really close to the people you were trying to serve, and I'm sure you learned a lot pretty quickly.

But how did you find MORPC in the first place? Because it aligns so strongly with your passion areas, and that must have been just really serendipitous

[00:16:28] Brandi: Absolutely. You're right. And I'll tell you, I was introduced to MORPC through a previous role I had working on water quality issues with the sierra Club. I joined their Greenways and Water Quality working group at the time, and I really enjoyed interacting with the team. I didn't know there were so many people that were coming together to talk about these important issues, and I thought it was so helpful to have that network of people through that committee.

So through that, I was really interested in what MORPC was doing with sustainability. And when they had an opening, I applied, and 16 years later, here I am now. No regrets.

[00:17:06] Dominique: And I also just wanna kinda tease too that you are perfectly queuing us up for our next few episodes where we're gonna get to hear more about the people behind and the initiatives that are happening around air quality and our greenways and trail towns, and all the great things that keep us connected from a recreation standpoint.

So, thank you for sharing a bit about your passion for those topics, but also why they're important because they're so relevant right now, and I am excited for the episodes to get shared. But Brandi, what was your role there as an outreach specialist? You talked about why Sierra Club was, really good preparation for that, but there's a big jump between starting as an outreach specialist and now you're director of sustainability.

So what did that role teach you, and what skills do you think you bring with you that were formative?

[00:17:48] Brandi: Yeah. Starting out as an outreach specialist, I'm still incorporating a lot of what I did into my work today, right? Because at mORPC, we're really a trusted convener for our communities and for our partners to bring people together, to connect them with resources, to collaborate on common goals. And so I feel like that's at the heart of everything that we do, is to support our communities and provide the information and resources they need to make good decisions. from the start, I think that's been, at the core of the work that I've done, whether it's in a role where I'm focused more on community events and engagement, as when I first started at MORPC.

I also planned the Summit on Sustainability at that point, which I'm happy to say that we have a really strong event planner now who's taken on that role and has done an amazing job with it. 

But back then, I think I knew that I wanted to move into more responsibility, more leadership roles as I got more experience at MORPC, and they've been really supportive and encouraging along the way. So I'm really grateful for those leaders who've given me that encouragement, who've offered professional development, and ways to help build my skills so that I can get to this point where i'm at now.

[00:19:07] Dominique: I gotta also add though, you're giving them too much credit. I think that they also probably were really excited to have Brandi walk through the door and have so much passion for their areas, especially of expertise. But also, I think that there's so many natural skills that you bring to the table that I can tell as somebody who's not you, but I feel like you probably take for granted because you've always been Brandi.

[00:19:33] Brandi: Possibly. I have been in it for the long haul. I will say that it is a passion of mine, and so I think or I hope that comes through in my work and when i'm talking about it too. I really appreciate the work that we do here and the people that I work with. They're so amazing, and they also really care about the work they're doing at mORPC.

And I do wanna say one thing that really motivates me and inspires me working at this level, at the regional level where we get to, see what our local governments are doing and help them figure out and solve local problems. It's across the board, across political spectrums, there's a lot that we have in common, whether it appears that way or not.

And at the local level, when you get to know people and what they value and what they care about, you can find those common threads with sustainability because everybody wants a high quality of life. 

Everybody wants clean air and water, and everybody wants opportunities to get around with a variety of transportation options and access to nature.

So I think that it's hard to argue with some of those desires and values that we have as a region.

[00:20:46] Christy: I think that's what everyone can expect that attends to hear more about those things that you mentioned. What else would you want anyone that's on the fence about the summit? 

 to know if they're thinking about coming?

[00:20:59] Brandi: Yeah. I don't even know where to start really. I love the Summit on Sustainability. I look forward to it every year. We have such great programming lined up, but also it's really a great opportunity to connect with other professionals, make new connections, and find a supportive space where you can share your challenges and learn about what others are doing in their communities. And, we encourage you to recycle ideas and adapt them for your local community because it's not gonna be a one-size-fits-all, right? So I think the summit provides that opportunity to learn what's going on and how you can plug into these great initiatives that are happening in Central Ohio and beyond.

It's a great way to get inspired by what others are doing. And also, we have a really great keynote lined up. We have Pecha Kucha talks. We have a day full of breakout sessions on all of the different topics that are important in the region.

[00:21:57] Christy: Oh my gosh, it just sounds amazing, right? I'm so excited for it

[00:22:01] Dominique: Brandi, I'm really excited that we got to kick off this miniseries by talking to you, and I'm just very grateful that you give us a chance to tell your story and talk about what drives you personally. Today we learned that Bryan, Ohio, is the home of the Etch A Sketch and Dum pops, and that is a fun fact I'm gonna carry forward, for no personal reason of mine.

I can't wait to share that and talk about it. But next time we'll get to talk more about your role at MORPC in terms of the fact that you're the director of sustainability and you lead quite a few initiatives across so many really important key topics. And next episode in particular, we'll talk about the 2050 initiative for a sustainable 2050. And then we'll also talk about where MORPC's seeing progress right now and all the things that we can learn from you, as citizens, but also as outside communities. How can other organizations understand what MORPC's doing and how they're making progress, and how can we make that progress on a larger scale.

So thank you so much for being with us. How can people follow along with you and stay connected with MORPC?

[00:23:02] Brandi: You could start by visiting our website at morpc.org. 

I do want to emphasize the Summit on Sustainability does tend to sell out rather quickly. 

And so you're gonna want to get on our website and register, at morpc.org/summit. So make sure you register, get your spot, so that you can enjoy that day with us.

[00:23:24] Christy: That's so amazing. All three of us look forward to seeing new attendees there, Thank you, Brandi. Each guest brings a different approach to sustainability. We're here to highlight the people doing the work that inspires us because climate action takes many forms.

[00:23:38] Dominique: As always, you can find our episodes and support the show at thegreenchampions.com. If you enjoyed the episode, you can follow, subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. You can also find us on LinkedIn and Instagram, @greenchampionspod. Our music is by Zayn Dweik. Thanks for listening to Green Champions.

We'll be back with the second half of Brandi's success story in our next episode.