Dan Pike to discuss Bellingham's waterfront at Western Feb. 7

Dan Pike will present “Bellingham's Waterfront: Where We're Going, Where We Should Be Going, and How My Huxley Education Helps Me Understand the Difference” as part of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.7 in AW 204 on Western’s campus.

The winter quarter speaker series will feature distinguished Huxley alumni; the presentation is free and open to the public.

A Huxley College of the Environment alumnus and former Bellingham mayor, Pike will provide his thoughts on the state of Bellingham's waterfront redevelopment project. The project is the largest waterfront brownfield redevelopment project in North America, slightly larger than Vancouver, B.C.'s redevelopment that created, among other things, the Olympic Village for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The speaker will share the current status of the project: what's happening, what's not happening and candid commentary about what could and perhaps should be happening, according to what he learned at Western and elsewhere. Since he is a fan of seminar-style learning, come prepared with your own questions and thoughts for the question and answer session to follow.

Pike is the president of Sustainable Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in helping firms in need of strategic, transportation, and management planning and assistance. Prior to his current position, Pike served as the 20th mayor of Bellingham. Pike’s administration focused on an open, collaborative government while addressing key issues such as waterfront redevelopment, Lake Whatcom water quality, permitting, environmental protection and neighborhoods. Pike graduated from Western with a bachelor’s degree in 1994 and from Harvard University with a master’s degree in Public Administration in 1998.

Anyone interested in these topics is encouraged to come and participate; the presentation will include a question and answer period. The speaker series is held by Western's Huxley College of the Environment to bring together the environmentally minded community and other interested members of the Western and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

For more information, please contact the main office of Huxley College of the Environment, at (360) 650-3520.

Western’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The college’s academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. Huxley College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.