The Nordic and Baltic Chambers of Commerce in Washington, D.C. hosted their fifth annual networking event on Tuesday, June 2nd at the prestigious House of Sweden on the Georgetown, D.C. waterfront.

The popular annual event provides a forum for dialogue and networking among members of the Nordic and Baltic business community in Washington and other members of the local international business community, including public policy, trade, and economic development organizations.

This year’s lunch event was held at the House of Sweden, the new home of the Embassy of Sweden and winner of Sweden’s most prestigious architecture award. Kevin Matthews, Vice President, NSI Energy and Environment Practice, delivered the keynote presentation addressing the topic “After the Stimulus: Green Business Opportunities in the Energy and Environment Sector.”

His presentation demystifies the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act legislation, highlights key areas for green business development, and introduces business strategies with state and local governments, prime recipients of the stimulus funding.

Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Matthews served in various positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. where he worked for Administrator Carol M. Browner and served as both Special Assistant and Senior Congressional Liaison. Additionally, Matthews served as lead liaison to the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy during his tenure with AIG and continues to serve as an advisory board member for the National Brownfield Association.

“With the stimulus legislation in place seeking to double U.S. renewable energy capacity, Federal cap and trade legislation being hotly debated, and the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, the stage is set for continued growth of green energy businesses. The Nordic Countries have provided leadership in both creating public-private solutions and innovative clean energy technologies to tackle climate change. Our goal with this year’s event is to highlight the legislation’s impact on the green business environment and provide a roadmap to state and local opportunities available in the U.S. market.” Fridtjov Markussen, Event Committee Chair and Board Member, Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce Mid-Atlantic Inc.

Participating Organizations
• The Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
• The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
• The American-Danish Business Council
• The Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
• Members of Icelandic-American Business Community
• The Latvian Chamber of Commerce in the Americas
• Corporations, international trade, public policy, and local economic development organizations