THE 2010 CONFERENCE
The second Massachusetts Green Careers Conference was held October 1, 2010 at the Marlborough Holiday Inn. The event strove to answer the timely question “What is My Role in the New, Green Economy?” by connecting stakeholders from business, education and government, and offering career guidance to job seekers from throughout the Commonwealth. This was a unique opportunity to reach these important constituents all in one place, grow green careers and help accelerate the greening economy in Massachusetts. The conference attracted 350 people and sold out 3 days in advance.
KEYNOTE PANEL
- Mark Sylvia (Introductions) Green Communities Division Director, MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER)
- Joan Fitzgerald (Moderator) Author of Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development, Professor at Northeastern University, Director of Law/ Policy and Society, Program Director of Undergraduate Urban Studies
- Kevin Doyle Principal of Green Economy and New England Clean Energy Council Workforce Development Co-Chair and author of popular green careers guides, including The ECO Guide to Careers that Make a Difference: Environmental Work for a Sustainable World
- Patrick Cloney Executive Director of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which is accelerating the growth of the clean energy industry in Massachusetts through direct investments in businesses and workforce development
- David J Hess Professor in Renssalaer’s Department of Science and Technology Studies and director of the program in Ecological Economics, Values and Policy, and author of the Green Jobs Project about state and local government policies in the US.
SPEAKERS
Adam Lupino Regional Public Policy Coordinator, Laborers’ Int’l Union of North America Alex Risley Schroeder MA Green Careers Coach, FHREB, Mass Workforce Alliance Amy Beaudet Sales/Training, Alternative Energy Store Amy Cannon Co-Founder, Beyond Benign Amy Perlmutter Environmental Technologies Consultant, Perlmutter Associates Angela Rizzolo Program Analyst, US DOL Women’s Bureau Audrey Schulman Founder of Home Energy Efficiency Teams (HEET) Bill Bean Green Planning and Coaching Blake Sosnow Recruiting Manager, KEMA Carl Hakansson Sustainable Policy, Framingham State University Chris Russell Green Job Spider David Gibbons National Grid David Graziano Marketing, Rise Engineering Eric Hudson CEO Preserve Products Ethan Jackson Center for Ecological Technology Greg Morose Professor at UMass Lowell Halina Brown Professor at Clark University Jeremy Shenk Senior Organizer at Community Labor United John Jones National Technical Director of Building Performance Institute (BPI) Judy Chang President of New England Women in Energy & the Environment Julia Gold Director of the Green Center at Bristol Community College Karen Martinson Fleming MBA Program Director, Green Mountain College
Lisa Will President of Capaccio Environmental Engineering Lisa O’Neill IDCE Graduate Admissions Clark University Mark Fournier Professor, Lasell College Marybeth Campbell Workforce Development Program Director, MA Clean Energy Council Matt Commons CFO FloDesign Wind Turbines Megan Raye HR Director, Next Step Living Pat Arntzen Human Resources, EFI Pat Fox Director of Operations for IREC (Interstate Renewable Energy Council) and ISPQ Patricia Pelletier Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MassCAP) Rena Kottcamp Director of Research, Mass. Division of Unemployment Assistance Stan Swiercz Training Manager, Center for Ecological Technology Susan Lawton Professional Science Master’s Program Coordinator, UMass Lowell Thomas Michelman Boreal Renewable Energy Development Trevor Capon Regional Lead, US Department of Labor, Office of Workforce Investment
EXHIBITORS 7am-12:30pm
Education/Training Programs, Businesses – Hiring and Accepting Resumes, Career Resources, Organizations Seeking Interns
- Aerotek
- Alternative Energy Store
- American Superconductor
- Appalachian Mountain Club
- Boreal Renewable Energy
- Bristol, Cape Cod and Massasoit Community Colleges
- Center for Ecological Technology
- Clark University
- Evergreen Solar l Energy Federation Inc
- Framingham and Westfield State Universities
- Green Job Spider
- Green Mountain College
- Green Planning and Coaching
- KEMA
- Laborer’s Int’l Union of N. America
- MA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP)
- Massachusetts Audubon Society
- Mass Energy
- Mass GREEN Initiative
- Mass Maritime Academy
- National Grid
- NStar
- Next Step Living Inc.
- Rise Engineering
- Triumvirate
- UMass Lowell and more
- Whole Foods
Exhibitors were accepting resumes for these positions and more: Administrative Assistant, Assistant Team Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Business and Home Energy Advisors, Coffee Buyer, Customer Service Assistant, Customer Service Team Member, Customer Service Representative Spanish/English, Electrical Engineer, Electrical Energy Specialists, Employment Specialist, Energy Efficiency Analysts, Food Preparation Team Member, Interns with Backgrounds in Environmental Science/Biology/Chemistry, Journeyman, Marketing Associate, Prepared Foods Executive Chef, Project Engineer/Analyst, Professors/Teachers/Trainers for Energy & Sustainability Programs, Senior Relay Test Technician, Site Superintendent w/ Energy Retrofit Experience, Solar PV Panel Layout & DC Design, Technical Support Consultants with Experience, Weatherization and Insulation Technicians/Installers/Crew Leaders
ATTENDEES
People learning about and participating in the greening economy, such as: local & state government staff, business people, educators, academic administrators, career service staff, workforce & economic development professionals, environmentalists, college students, professionals, job seekers, green career transitioners, and more.
LINKS provided by speakers and exhibitors
- Alternative Energy Store – http://www.altestore.com/store/Books-Classes-Educational-Videos/Classes/c1065/
- Appalachian Mountain Club – www.outdoors.org/employment
- Clark University – http://clarku.edu/departments/idce/default.cfm
- Green Mountain College – www.greenmtn.edu “#1 Green College in the US” Sierra Magazine
- Laborers’ International Union of North America – www.liunatraining.org
- Mass Energy – www.massenergy.org/energy-efficiency
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy – http://www.maritime.edu/index.cfm?pg=440
- Massachusetts Audubon Society – http://www.massaudubon.org/Jobs/index.php
- National Grid – http://www.nationalgridus.com/aboutus/a2-3_careers.asp
- UMass Lowell, The New England Consortium – www.uml.edu/tnec
- UMass Lowell, Professional Science Master’s Program – http://www.uml.edu/grad/PSM/default.html
- US Department of Labor Help for Laid Off Workers
- US Department of Labor Employment and Training Funding Opportunities
- Westfield State University – http://www.gobacknow.com/
THE TOPICS
- Introductory Training
- Gain knowledge and learn about careers from leading educators & experts in Massachusetts.
- Sustainability
- Weatherization
- Renewable Energy
- Waste Management
- Green Production
- Green Chemistry
- Careers
- Are you looking for a green career in Massachusetts? Are you greening your career or helping others?
- The Green Economy & Careers in Massachusetts
- Green Career Transitions and Pathways
- Education/Training
- Listen to experts talk about hands-on training, industry standards (BPI, IREC), and academic programs.
- Hands-On Training Beyond the Classroom
- Accredited Training in MA
- College and University Programs
- Business
- Hear from businesses that are hiring, successful entrepreneurs & a business network.
- Businesses that are hiring
- Entrepreneur Success Stories
- Business Networking
- Government/Labor
- Learn about the latest labor market trends in MA.
- Labor Market Research and Government Funding
- Union and Trade Trends
THE SCHEDULE
- 6-7am Exhibitor Registration and Set Up
- 7-8am Registration, Networking, Breakfast
- 8am Keynote Panel
- 7am to 12:30 Exhibits Open
- 9am-noon Coaching
- 10am, 11am, Sessions
- 12-12:30 Networking
COACHING & RESOURCES
- Sit down with one of six experts for a one-on-one meeting at the conference at no additional charge.
- Green Career Experts – Coaching and resume feedback for people in career transitions
- Sustainability Experts – Coaching for business owners/staff who want to go green.
- Books – FREE raffle for seven excellent books about green careers and sustainability
CONFERENCE GOALS
- Develop green careers in Massachusetts
- Provide green career guidance and connect people to resources
- Promote Massachusetts businesses and education/training programs
- Network stakeholders from business, education, government and organizations to foster growth
GREEN EVENT FEATURES
- Coffee and tea are Fair Trade and organic.
- Breakfast items baked on the premises or purchased from a local bakery.
- Reusable dishware (glass, ceramic, metal) instead of disposable (paper, plastic)
- Carpooling with colleagues was encouraged. Ridesharing to this event available through www.Viamerge.com.
- The estimated C02 created by this event from car travel and electricity was offset by a donation to www.LiveCooler.org to install energy efficient lighting in low-income family homes in Massachusetts.
The second Massachusetts Green Career Conference, Photo by Matt Baldelli