If you’re reading this post you’ve already noticed the big changes with www.ladco.org. We worked with Snackbox, an Austin, TX web design and PR firm, to implement my vision of a responsive, dynamic, and clean online portal for serving content about everything Great Lakes Air Quality.  Since taking over as the LADCO Executive Director in September 2017, upgrading our website has been one of my top priorities. Needless to say, after a year in the making, I’m really excited to have a new web presence at LADCO!

All of the features that I wanted in our new site are now part of LADCO.org:

  • Content Management – we’re running a WordPress Content Management System (CMS) hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Super flexible, easy to edit, and the sky’s the limit for future site additions.
  • Responsive – our layout works across a range of devices, from mobile screens to large, multi-panel desktop displays
  • ADA Compliant – we chose a bootstrapped WordPress template, Public Institutions, that is accessible for all levels of physical ability; check out the Accessibility Options on the top right of the page to configure the content for accessibility
  • Public Outreach – the Public Issues section of the site presents the major air quality issues in our region in terms that are understandable by the general public
  • Technical Portal – the Technical section of the site presents detailed information on our work on air quality science. The Modeling Results page provides easy access to pre-generated plots of model results and data. The GIS and Mapping page includes interactive, GIS maps and data to support geospatial analysis of air quality issues
  • Reports Library – the Reports section of the site present our latest technical documents and an archive of LADCO reports dating back to the early 1990’s.
  • Training Portal – our new Training portal provides access to the LADCO region training calendar, details on the National Air Pollution Training Program curriculum, and for our members a web-based form for submitting travel reimbursement requests
  • Cool and Modern – I just generally wanted a site with an aesthetic that reflected the awesome, cutting-edge work that we do at LADCO on improving the air quality in our region…I think we got it, but I’m clearly biased

We’ve also got a sweet new logo! Thanks to the great design talents of Snackbox for putting together a concept that reflects our modeling work, environmental focus, and our commitment to collaboration.

I hope you find our new website as exciting as I do.  Please let me know if you have any comments, requests, or suggestions.

– Zac

About Author

Zac is LADCO's Executive Director. He's an environmental scientist with 20+ years experience in emissions and air quality modeling.