Sheri Davis-Faulkner, community liaison at the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, moderated a talk by Wesley Brooks at the Innovations in Economic Development forum on March 6, 2013. Brooks is Director of Special Projects at The Center for Working Families as well as the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative Coordinator for the City of Atlanta.

"The Center for Working Families Inc. is a unique gem on the Westside that advances economic development through critical social support for resident needs in the Pittsburgh and Mechanicsville communities. This event highlighted a successful model of community development through the Green and Healthy Housing Initiative which attends to intersecting concerns regarding health, environment, and employment," said Davis-Faulkner.

Brooks shared practices from a series of programs and projects that involve workforce training and sustainable development. He discussed how local residents have been trained in remediation of lead-based paint, asbestos, and other residential safety hazards and how this training has resulted in new skills, green jobs, and housing rehabilitation.

The Innovations in Economic Development forum brings together faculty, researchers, students, economic developers, and policymakers to discuss leading-edge ideas and practices in economic development and innovation policy. The events are sponsored by the Program in Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP), a joint initiative of Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute and the School of Public Policy.