"APQC Reports Out" Sustainability Conference on February 5-8 Features Keynotes by Renowned Expert Hunter Lovins and Frito-Lay's Dave Haft.

HOUSTON -- Increasingly, organizations are responding to the call of sustainability, taking steps to acknowledge the interdependency of social, environmental and economic health. The APQC Reports Out: Case Studies in Excellence -- Focus on Sustainability training and conference event, taking place February 5-8 at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa in Houston, will offer an outstanding program of educational tracks and networking focused on best practices in corporate sustainability. Organized by APQC, a recognized leader in benchmarking and best practices, conference details may be found at www.apqc.org/08winterconf.

Renowned expert Hunter Lovins, president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, will provide the opening keynote. Lovins, a sociologist and attorney by training, is an expert in natural capitalism, sustainable development, and globalization. Recipient of such honors as the Right Livelihood Award, Lindbergh Award and Leadership in Business, she was named the TIME 2000 Hero of the Planet.

A second conference keynote address will be given by Dave Haft, vice president of sustainability and productivity at Frito-Lay. Other sessions will include speakers from such organizations as BearingPoint, Becton Dickinson (BD), Johnson & Johnson, ProLogis, Subaru, the U.S. Army ARDEC, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the conference February 7-8, leading organizations will share best practices identified though APQC's recent research. Attendees will learn how their peers have effected process and performance improvement across their enterprises; how they have aligned their functions with corporate sustainability efforts; and how to spearhead similar changes within their own organizations.

Four pre-conference workshops will be held on February 5-6 on topics including: Applying Benchmarking Skills; Building and Sustaining Communities of Practice; and Effectively Managing Performance Measurement Systems. A new course on Applying Sustainable Practices will feature a half-day site visit to The Kirksey Center for Sustainable Architecture, recipient of the first LEED[R] Existing Building certification in Texas.

Due to the interest in the topic of sustainability, The "APQC Reports Out" event is open to both APQC member and nonmember decision-makers charged with organizational improvement and change management. The conference offers unparalleled networking with fellow business leaders, strategists, decision makers, and change agents.

Additional information and registration are available at www.apqc.org/08winterconf or by calling 800-776-9676.