Western North Carolina Greenforce Summit

The Western North Carolina Greenforce® Summit provided participants with an opportunity to come together to identify and share region-specific solutions and resources to accelerating green workforce development initiatives. The Summit was a forum for building relationships, sharing best practices and for addressing resource challenges pertaining to timely green jobs creation.

• NC Code Green Initiative Overview, Rose Johnson, Haywood Community College
• NC Code Green Curriculum Improvement Project (Super CIP), Butch Grove, Wake Technical Community College
• Western North Carolina Regional Green Jobs Outlook, Matthew Raker, Advantage Green
• Campus Actions and Best Practices at Blue Ridge Community College, James Hutcherson
• Campus Actions and Best Practices at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, David Waechter
• Campus Actions and Best Practices at Central Piedmont Community College, Ernie McLaney
• Campus Actions and Best Practices at Haywood Community College, Preston Jacobson
• Campus Actions and Best Practices at Western Piedmont Community College, Penny Peeler
• Connecting Campus Sustainability to Green Workforce Development, Carly Queen, National Wildlife Federation

Goals of the Summit:

• Explore new opportunities within North Carolina's emerging green economy, specifically in the Western region;
• Examine ways that community colleges and other key stakeholders can help prepare the workforce in this region to meet employer needs and help to grow the green economy;
• Identify opportunities to align economic development and economic opportunity in the green economy;
• Build relationships, share best practices, and develop strategies to address resource challenges related to creating green career pathways and engaging lower-skilled adults; and
• Learn how to use campus sustainability projects as hands-on training opportunities for students in green education and training.

The Greenforce® Initiative, a partnership of Jobs for the Future and National Wildlife Federation, is collaborating with the Code Green Initiative, the Code Green Super Curriculum Improvement Project (CIP), and the North Carolina Community College System to host a summit in the Western region of North Carolina. The purpose of this summit is to provide in-person opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, sharing best practices, and networking among curriculum-level education, workforce development, basic skills and sustainability leaders from community colleges in each region. The gathering will service as a launching point for a regional learning community focused on increasing the capacity of North Carolina community colleges in the Western region around educating the green workforce.

With support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, participants will have full access to the summit, with no registration fee. Free breakfast and lunch will also be offered, along with travel reimbursement for college teams.

Partners:

• The Greenforce® Initiative (a partnership between National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future)
• Code Green Initiative
• Code Green Super Curriculum Improvement Project (CIP)
• North Carolina Community College System

Participating Campuses and Organizations:
Advantage West Economic Development Group - Advantage Green
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (Host)
Blue Ridge Community College
Caldwell Community college and Technical Institute
Catawba Valley Community College
Central Piedmont Community College
Code Green Initiative
FLS Energy
Haywood Community College
Isothermal Community College
Johnson Controls
McDowell Technical Community College
NCCCS Super Curriculum Improvement Project (CIP)
North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)
North Carolina Department of Energy
Office of Congressman Heath Shuler
Office of Senator Kay Hagan
Southwestern Community College
Tri-County Community College
Western North Carolina Green Building Council
Western Piedmont Community College
Wilkes Community College

Agenda:

• Explore new opportunities within Western North Carolina's emerging green economy;
• Examine ways that community colleges and other key stakeholders can help prepare the workforce in this region to meet employer needs and help to grow the green economy;
• Identify opportunities to align economic development and economic opportunity in the green economy;
• Build relationships, share best practices, and develop strategies to address resource challenges related to creating green career pathways and engaging lower-skilled adults; and
• Learn how to use campus sustainability projects as hands-on training opportunities for students in green education and training.

9:00am - Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:30am - Welcome and Introductions
Dr. Hank Dunn, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Randy Flack, Office of Congressman Heath Shuler
David Brown, Merrell Lynch
Gloria Mwase, Jobs for the Future (JFF)

9:45am - Code Green Overview and Updates

Dr. Rose Johnson, Haywood Community College

9:55am - Super CIP Updates

Butch Grove, Wake Technical Community College

10:10am - Regional Green Jobs Outlook

Matthew Raker, Advantage Green

10:40am - Break

10:50am - Regional Green Jobs Employers Panel
Facilitator: Gloria Mwase, JFF
Larry Raines, Johnson Controls
Michael Shore, FLS Energy
Matthew Siegel, Western North Carolina Green Building Council

11:50am - Lunch and Best Practices Panel
Facilitator: Carly Queen, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
James Hutcherson, Blue Ridge Community College
Jon Snover, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Penny Peeler, Western Piedmont Community College
Ernie McLaney, Central Piedmont Community College
Preston Jacobson, Haywood Community College
David Waechter, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

1:10pm - Discussion of Next Steps
Facilitator: Lisa Madry, NWF

1:30pm - Breakout Session I
Room 209 Strategies for creating green career pathways
Facilitator: Gloria Mwase, JFF

Room 127 Connecting campus sustainability to green workforce development
Facilitator: Carly Queen, NWF

Room 129 Creating sustainable curricula
Facilitator: Butch Grove, Wake Technical Community College

Room 200 Green sectors roundtables
Building construction sector roundtable - Rob Holsten, CIP Construction Sector Lead
Energy sector roundtable - Andy McMahan, CIP Energy Sector Lead
Engineering sector roundtable - Rosemary Seymour, CIP Engineering Sector Lead

2:40pm - Breakout Session II
Room 129 Strategies for creating green career pathways
Facilitator: Gloria Mwase, JFF

Room 127 Connecting campus sustainability to green workforce development
Facilitator: Carly Queen, NWF

Room 209 Creating sustainable curricula
Facilitator: Butch Grove, Wake Technical Community College

Room 200 Green sectors roundtables
Transportation sector roundtable - Chris English, CIP Transportation Sector Lead
Environment sector roundtable - Holly Weir, CIP Environment Sector Lead
Code Green Implementers roundtable - Chad Bledsoe, Implementers Co-Lead

3:45pm - Tour of Blue Ridge Food Ventures at the Global Institute for Sustainable Technologies
Tour Leader: Mary Lou Surgi, Blue Ridge Food Ventures

4:30pm - Adjourn