NMSA supports the implementation of green infrastructure (GI) to address urban stormwater challenges as GI has the capacity to not only treat pollutants but increase community resilience in flooding, coastal impacts, economics, and social dimensions. To put this support into action, NMSA is establishing the Green MS4 Ambassador program to highlight those MS4 leaders who are going above and beyond in the use of GI in their stormwater program and who are willing to leverage their experience with others. This program is also supported by the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange (GI Exchange) whose mission is to accelerate the affordable and equitable implementation of green stormwater infrastructure throughout North America by supporting peer learning, innovation, and collaboration among cities, counties, and utilities. 
Green MS4 Ambassadors are those MS4 program managers who have:
- Overcome challenges at the local level associated with political and public will and opinion,
- Facilitate substantive input and changes to local/regional technical documents (standards, codes, policies, ordinances, guides, etc.) that encourage and better enable the adoption of GI practices,
- Have successfully addressed implementation barriers such as funding shortfalls/issues or on-site construction constraints, and/or
- Used technologies or innovative approaches to successfully address ongoing support services for GI practices, such as inspection and maintenance.
Green MS4 Ambassadors will welcome engagement with other MS4 program managers who wish to expand or improve their own GI programs and who are seeking out peer-to-peer information exchanges. Think of this as a GI match-making network between those with experience and knowledge, and those who are looking for input on how to better implement GI in their community and program.
To apply to become an NMSA Green MS4 Ambassador, please provide information via the questions below. Note that candidates for the program are not required to provide answers/input for all questions, but applicants are asked to answer as many as possible. Follow up will be made by NMSA to confirm your status as a Green MS4 Ambassador. Your name, position, and your community’s name will be listed along with other Green MS4 Ambassadors on this page as a resource for those who may wish to reach out and inquire on ways to overcome local challenges on growing GI implementation within their own communities.
NMSA will also recognize a subset of Green MS4 Ambassadors via a webinar to showcase how GI can be used in unique and significant ways in MS4 programs. The goal of this webinar will be to share GI challenges and solutions. Overall, our hope is that through an enhanced peer-to-peer network we can catalyze growth in GI implementation in communities of all sizes, permittee types, geographies, climates and vegetative regimes. For more information, please see the summary document on this program.
If you have any question, please contact Seth Brown, Executive Director of NMSA at seth.brown@nationalstormwateralliance.org or Paula Conolly, Executive Director of the GI Exchange at paula@giexchange.org.
