News

Baker College of Cadillac is collaborating with the U.S. Green Building Council, West Michigan Chapter, to present “Building Sustainable Communities: Education and Outreach in Northwest Michigan,” on March 23, from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., in the Baker College Student Center, 9600 E. 13th. St., Cadillac. The roundtable-format discussion is free and open to the general public, media, and Baker College students, faculty and staff. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain basic knowledge in various areas of sustainability and network that day in order to learn more about the topic.

Welcome remarks begin the program at 8 a.m., followed by keynote speaker Allan Oshea. He is the first president and founding member of the American Wind Energy Association, a current board member of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association and owner of Windsowwindandsolar.com in Copemish.

The first of five 30-minute roundtable sessions begins at 8:50 a.m. with 10-minute breaks between each session. Roundtable topics include:

• Recycling and reducing waste
• Greening your building operations
• Wind energy
• Solar energy
• Emerging technologies – energy
• Sustainability 101
• Sustainable food systems
• Transportation
• Neighborhood and urban development
• Social equity
• Sustainability and faith
• Creating sustainability through education

“We are very pleased to be a part of this event, as it fits well with various new programs at Baker College of Cadillac, including a new agriculture technology program,” said Mark Lagerwey, Baker College of Cadillac Dean of CIS/Technology. “Launching this fall, this program has a strong sustainability component. In addition, we are currently researching the feasibility of new alternative energy technology and/or water quality management programs in 2013.”

For more information and to RSVP for the free roundtable sessions, please contact Ruth Mitchell, Baker College of Cadillac Director of Facilities.