Growing Green Communities

Our fourth breakout session in Rockwall will discuss process optimization, and how cities across Texas can use it to develop sustainable businesses in their communities. A component of being a sustainable business or community is finding ways to reuse manufactured waste or scrap materials instead of discarding them. Growing Green Communities will explore how reclaiming these resources can lead to new businesses and job growth in Texas.

We are proud to bring three outstanding speakers together for our material reclamation and job growth session:

• Frank Wright is responsible for all environmental and regulatory compliance issues at Kimberly Clark Corporation’s facilities in Paris, Texas. These initiatives typically go well beyond regulatory requirements, and include elimination of the use of priority toxic chemicals, process water use reduction, energy efficiency improvements, landfill avoidance of manufacturing wastes, and the development and implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS).
• Elizabeth Combs has been with IESI for close to six years, serving as the Public Relations and Recycling Coordinator. IESI has over 266 municipal contacts within Texas. Elizabeth is responsible for promoting recycling education with local community groups, businesses and school districts.
• Jose De Leon, who is a Senior Sustainability Consultant for Waste Management (WM),  has been in the environmental industry for 15 years. His work has included working with water quality analysis and sampling methodology, conducting phase I and II environmental site assessments, enforcing state and federal waste regulatory compliance and monitoring and being a WM Project Manager for three Chemical Manufacturing customers. This work history has taught him to be customer focused, quality driven and results oriented, which he hopes to bring to sustainability development and implementation.

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.

Continuing in our series of breakout session discussions, Growing Green Communities third session will address how leaders can use lean practices to make their business more sustainable. Lean practices are those that seek to maximize customer value while minimizing waste. Companies often turn to lean operations and practices to streamline processes and save money. This session will explore how going lean can lead to green outcomes and how process optimization can assist in development more sustainable businesses.

Growing Green Communities is proud to have two outstanding speakers from the public and private sector for our lean business session:

• Mark Sessumes, Operations Manager, Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, has 30 years of progressive operations management experience in diverse manufacturing and production environments. He has trained over 5,000 people in lean enterprise techniques and has completed numerous lean projects resulting in millions of dollars of impact
• Kristi Boyett, Manager for Organizational Development, City University, City of Tyler, is a Lean Sigma Black Belt who has been with the city of Tyler since 2005. She holds a certificate in training from the American Society for Professional Development, and manages the continuing education of city employees.

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@teexmail.tamu.edu.

For our upcoming Growing Green track at the Texas Economic Development Council’s spring conference, we are pleased to be offering seven breakout sessions. Our second session will address the idea of sustainability and competitiveness for local communities. In order to succeed and be accepted, any efforts in sustainability must be profitable. This session will explore the return on investments of incorporating “green” technologies or methods in local communities and businesses.

Growing Green Communities is proud to have three outstanding speakers for our sustainability and competitiveness session:

• Steve Gilbert, Executive Director for the Paris Economic Development Corporation, will be discussing his communities efforts in this area. With over 25 years of experience, Mr. Gilbert has overseen numerous successful local and regional economic development initiatives throughout the country.
• John Adams, Program Director for the Texas Engineering Extension Service, holds Certified Economic Developer (CED) credentials and was previously the President and CEO of Enterprise Florida Inc. Mr. Adams has also served as a delegate to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations in Geneva, Chairman of the Industry Sector Advisory council for trade policy review at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and has extensive experience on U.S.-Mexico border infrastructure issues.
• Jason Ortgies, General Manager of Rockwall Toyota, has a background in sales and marketing and is knowledgeable on how to keep your business competitive.

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 theHilton 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@teexmail.tamu.edu.