Santa Maria, California

defining sustainability: Melvin W. Cook, founder of Filtration Dynamics

defining sustainability: Martin Chavez, executive director, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, USA

defining sustainability: Jon Proulx, planner, village of Plainfield in Ill.

defining sustainability: Rob Guttridge, waste reduction specialist, Clark County, Washington

defining sustainability: Mick Barry, Greenstar North America, a recycling services firm

defining sustainability: Donovan D. Rypkema, PlaceEconomics, Washington, D.C.

defining sustainability: Monica Stone, Iowa Office of Energy Independence

defining sustainability: Paul Schultz, resource management coordinator, city of Dubuque, Ia.

defining sustainability: Stephanie Ashe, development planner, city of Decatur, Ill.

defining sustainability: Brad Palmer, utilities director, city of Pierre, S.D.

defining sustainability: Bill Veno, senior planner, Martha’s Vineyard Commission, Dukes County, Mass.

defining sustainability: Beth Strommen, sustainability director, city of Baltimore

defining sustainability: Susan Anderson, director of planning and sustainability, city of Portland, Ore.

defining sustainability: Alex Dews, Office of Sustainability, city of Philadelphia

defining sustainability: Taylor Newton, AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer, Montpelier, Vt.

defining sustainability: Paula Jones, director of food systems, San Francisco

defining sustainability: Christopher Harrell, brownfields project manager, city of Indianapolis

defining sustainability: Dan Fox, co-editor, Urban Garden Magazine