Growing Green Communities

There is much more to sustainable development than positive environmental impact. . Sustainable practices can also reduce operational costs and enhance the public’s perception of a community.

Participants from a previous Growing Green Conference in San Marcos

However, pursuing these practices can be financially burdensome. In our final Growing Green Communities session at the Texas Economic Development Council’s Spring Conference, these three great speakers will provide the resources and education necessary to pursue funding opportunities for sustainable development projects.

• Jarrett Simon, who joined CenterPoint Energy in 2007, is responsible for various corporate energy efficiency programs, including budget oversight, personnel development and program selection, as well as goal and bonus achievement. Simon has over 15 years of experience implementing energy efficiency practices.

• Carry Betts has over three decades of experience with Oncor, currently serving as a Senior Program Manager in Energy Efficiency. He manages programs focused on reducing electric usage for commercial and residential customers. Additionally, Betts served as a strategic investment analyst, supervising the operation and maintenance of several electric distribution systems and service centers for Oncor.

• Allen Lambright is the USDA Rural Development Area 3 Director out of McKinney, Texas. Serving an area approximately the size of Indiana, Lambright is responsible for the oversight of over 40 loan and grant programs that increase  economic opportunities and improve the quality of life of rural America. He is considered one of the state’s experts in the Guaranteed Rural Housing Program, as well as other outreach methods for rural communities.

At Growing Green Communities, we strive to equip leaders throughout Texas with the knowledge they need to grow and enhance their communities. This session will complete what we believe to be an important opportunity to provide Texas communities with tools in sustainable development, resource use, and business practices necessary for the state going forward. We hope to see you in Rockwall on April 19th!

For more information on how rural Texas can save money, make money and create jobs, visit GrowingGreenCommunities.com or call or email Ann Lauter at 979-458-6723 or Ann.Lauter@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Register for the the Green Track at the TEDC Spring Conference, April 19, 2012 at the Hilton Bella Harbor Hotel in Rockwall, TX.

Colby Humphrey is a graduate student the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and works for the Texas Engineering Extension Service as a graduate assistant.

Comments and suggestions are welcome on the blog or you may e-mail me at colby.humphrey@teex.tamu.edu.

Our sixth breakout session during the Texas Economic Development Council’s spring conference focuses on Texas’s efforts to develop a green workforce. Technological advancements make it possible for communities to make infrastructure investments critical to the creation of a more sustainable society, without limiting the quality of life or community services. However, for Texas to take advantage of these innovations, we need a trained workforce that can implement a variety of new technologies and building practices. This session will focus on educational programs underway throughout the state that are training the Texas workforce for the future.

Pam Groce, who has spent fourteen years with the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) promoting energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability, will moderate this session. In addition, Growing Green Communities is proud to bring the following speakers together to address this topic:

Attendees at a previous Growing Green Communities conference

• Jim Wylie is the Alternative Energy Project Manager at Northeast Texas Community College.  He has developed curriculum and taught courses in biofuels production-processing and alternative energy installation. Mr. Wylie also has extensive knowledge of food production, value-added and direct marketing, horticulture-businesses development, extended season production, solar greenhouse design-operation, and alcohol-biodiesel production and processing.

• Pam Daniel is the Program Coordinator for the Institute of Sustainable Communities at Cedar Valley College. The institute houses a workforce training center for energy-efficient green building technologies. Additionally, The Sustainable Communities Institute offers a variety of educational programs and resources focused on energy efficiency, healthy buildings and sustainable communities.

• Abigail Smith serves as the Associate Director of Graduate Student Experience and Enrollment at the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. The university offers a variety of engineering degrees in sustainability and development.

We hope you will take advantage of these and our other great speakers in Rockwall on April 19th!

For more information on how rural Texas can save money, make money and create jobs, visit GrowingGreenCommunities.com or call or email Ann Lauter at 979-458-6723 or Ann.Lauter@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Register for the the Green Track at the TEDC Spring Conference, April 19, 2012 at the Hilton Bella Harbor Hotel in Rockwall, TX.

Colby Humphrey is a graduate student the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and works for the Texas Engineering Extension Service as a graduate assistant.

Comments and suggestions are welcome on the blog or you may e-mail me at colby.humphrey@teex.tamu.edu.

As the State of Texas continues to cope with one of the worst droughts on record, water conservation and reclamation have become more important than ever. Compounding the drought issues of the state, billions of dollars of new and upgraded infrastructure demands must be made in Texas to meet the growing population and economy of the Lone Star State. Growing Green Communities fifth session, “Water: Planning for Today and Tomorrow,” will address current water issues being faced by local communities. Additionally, this session will highlight initiatives being undertaken that are preparing Texas for water resource use in the future.

Growing Green Communities is proud to host the following speakers for our water session:

• David Meesey serves as a Program Specialist and for the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). He has been the project manager for the Lower Colorado regional water planning area since the beginning of the regional water supply planning program in 1998. Mr. Meesey also manages the regional water and wastewater facility planning grant program for TWDB. The goal of the program is to promote regional water and wastewater solutions throughout Texas.

• Denise Hickey serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). She is responsible for the development and communication of NTMWD services to the general public, media outlets, and various government and civic entities. Ms. Hickey currently serves as an alternate on the Water Conservation Advisory Council. She is also a member of the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation, and an active volunteer for the North Texas Chapter of Water for People.

• Steve Beachy began his public service career in College Station in 1978, serving as the Director of Parks and Recreation and as the city’s Emergency Management Coordinator. Mr. Beach was instrumental in the creation of a nationally recognized system of parks and leisure programs in College Station. Steve was appointed as a board member of the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, representing College Station and Brazos County, in 2009. In 2012, he was elected to be president of the board, leading the effort to fulfill the organization’s mission to “protect and conserve the groundwater resources of Robertson and Brazos Counties.”

We hope you will take advantage of these and our other great speakers in Rockwall on April 19th!

For more information on how rural Texas can save money, make money and create jobs, visit GrowingGreenCommunities.com or call or email Ann Lauter at 979-458-6723 or Ann.Lauter@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Register for the the Green Track at the TEDC Spring Conference, April 19, 2012 at the Hilton Bella Harbor Hotel in Rockwall, TX.

Colby Humphrey is a graduate student the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and works for the Texas Engineering Extension Service as a graduate assistant.

Comments and suggestions are welcome on the blog or you may e-mail me at colby.humphrey@teex.tamu.edu.