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James Beard competition-winning chef to call Overland Park Convention Center new home

The Overland Park Convention Center announced the appointment of David Ruiz as the venue’s new executive chef. Chef Ruiz, a James Beard Foundation competition-winner and International Produce Associations Chef of the Year, brings a wealth of experience and a fresh, innovative approach to the dining experience at the convention center.

He joins the Overland Park Convention Center with an impressive culinary background. Chef Ruiz has honed his skills in award-winning restaurants in Aspen, San Jose, Yosemite, and Albuquerque, drawing inspiration from mentors like Chef Scott Baumann of the Bay Area and Boris Revilla of Albuquerque at the intersection of culture, creativity, and consistency.

“I am excited to bring my culinary expertise to the Overland Park Convention Center and create exceptional dining experiences for our guests by taking ordinary food and making it extraordinary,” said Chef Ruiz. “OPCC’s strong investment in its culinary operation and its alignment with my values of sourcing local produce and proteins were key factors in my decision to join. I look forward to incorporating this philosophy into our menus and branching out in a larger city.”

Throughout his career, Chef Ruiz has been recognized for his culinary talents on national platforms. In 2024, he was named the International Fresh Produce Association’s, Fine Dining Chef of the Year. His accolades also include winning the James Beard Blended Burger Contest in 2018, a competition created in an effort to expand into and recognize more sustainable foods via a partnership with the Mushroom Council. He was also the winner of Food Network’s “It’s CompliPlated” in 2022 and has been featured on shows like “Chopped” and “Guy Fieri’s Family Road Trip.”

Chef David Ruiz was named the International Fresh Produce Association’s, Fine Dining Chef of the Year in 2024.

Of Mexican and Jewish descent, Chef Ruiz’s culinary roots are inspired by summers at his grandmother’s northern California farm. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, he is an active proponent of food education and the connection between food and farming.

“Chef Ruiz is a remarkable talent with a diverse and impressive culinary background,” said Jessica Corona, Director of Food and Beverage at the Overland Park Convention Center. “OPCC has always prioritized investing in our culinary operations because it’s the powerhouse behind our business and success. We are confident that his innovative approach and dedication to sustainability will greatly enhance our in-house offerings and leave a lasting impression on our clients.”

At the Overland Park Convention Center, Chef Ruiz will be responsible for elevating the menu and introducing new culinary concepts for high-profile banquets and catering events, ranging from small meetings to large galas of over 3,500 guests.

The post Overland Park Convention Center welcomes farm-to-table chef appeared first on Greenability.

Overland Park Convention Center welcomes farm-to-table chef

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Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Okhtapus Cofounder Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy Accelerates Ocean Solutions

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May 4, 2026

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The ocean provides half the oxygen we breathe, absorbs 30% of our carbon emissions, and helps control the planet’s climate. By 2030, it’s expected to support a $3.2 trillion Blue Economy. Yet 70% of proven ocean solutions, such as coastal resilience, coral restoration, and marine pollution cleanup, never move past the pilot stage. These projects often win awards and get media attention, but then stall because funding systems don’t connect working ideas with the cities, ports, and coastal areas that need them. Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, co-founder and ocean lead at Okhtapus, wants to change that. Okhtapus, named with the Persian word for the octopus, uses a model that links what Stewart calls “the three hearts” of successful projects: innovators with proven solutions, cities and ports ready to use them, and funders looking for solid projects.
Stewart Sarkozy-Benoczy, Cofounder and Ocean Lead at Okhtapus.org, is our guest on Sustainability In Your Ear.
The first Okhtapus Global Replicator will launch in 2026. It will bring groups of proven innovators to work on important projects in specific places, such as a single port city like Barcelona, where Okhtapus already has strong partnerships, or a group of Caribbean islands facing similar problems. The aim is to have enough successful projects that funders stop asking “where are the deals?” and start saying “we’ve got enough.” The platform focuses on late-stage startups and scale-ups, not early-stage ideas. Stewart calls these the “Goldilocks zone”—solutions that are proven enough to copy but still need funding and partners to grow. By combining several solutions for different locations, Okhtapus can offer investors portfolios that fit their needs and make a real difference in cities, ports, and island nations.
Stewart has spent 20 years working where climate resilience and policy meet. He was part of President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, led policy and investments at the Resilient Cities Network, and is now Managing Director of the World Ocean Council. “Ten years from now, if this is done fast enough,” Stewart said, “we should have pushed hard enough on the funders and the system to change it. What we don’t know is whether we’ll get to the solution status fast enough for some of these tipping points.”
To find out more about Okhtapus, visit okhtapus.org.

Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on December 22, 2025.

The post Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Okhtapus Cofounder Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy Accelerates Ocean Solutions appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/podcast/sustainability-in-your-ear-okhtapus-cofounder-stewart-sarkozy-banoczy-accelerates-ocean-solutions/

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Earth911 Inspiration: A Serious Look at Modern Lifestyle

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May 1, 2026

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Today’s quote comes from Pope John Paul II’s message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace, 1990. He wrote, “Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its lifestyle.”

Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day.

Pope John Paul II quote from World Day of Peace message

The post Earth911 Inspiration: A Serious Look at Modern Lifestyle appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-take-serious-look-lifestyle/

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Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Making Billions of Square Feet of Commercial Space Sustainable with CBRE’s Rob Bernard

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April 29, 2026

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The built environment, particularly office buildings other urban facilities, are responsible for 39% of the global energy-related emissions, according to the World Green Building Council. About a third of that impact comes from the initial construction of a building and the other two-thirds is produced over the lifetime of a building by heating, cooling, and providing power to the occupants. Our guest today is leading a key battle to reduce the impact of the built environment. Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation with Rob Bernard, Chief Sustainability Officer at CBRE Group Inc., which manages more than $145 billion of commercial buildings, providing logistics, retail, and corporate office services across more than than 100 countries.

Rob Bernard, Chief Sustainability Officer at the commercial real estate giant CBRE, is our guest on Sustainability In Your Ear.

Rob cut his sustainability teeth at Microsoft, as its Chief Environmental Strategist for 11 years, as the company was developing its world-leading approach and collaborating with other tech giants to lobby for policy and funding to accelerate progress. He discusses CBRE’s Sustainability Solutions & Services for commercial building owners, as well as the accelerating progress for renewables, carbon tracking, and economic, health, and lifestyle benefits of living lightly on the planet. You can learn more about CBRE and its sustainability services at cbre.com

Take a few minutes to learn more about making construction and building operations more sustainable:

Editor’s Note: This podcast originally aired on April 15, 2024.

The post Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Making Billions of Square Feet of Commercial Space Sustainable with CBRE’s Rob Bernard appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-making-billions-of-square-feet-of-commercial-space-sustainable-with-cbres-rob-bernard/

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