UW-Green Bay’s EMBI hosts sustainability symposium

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Environmental Management and Business Institute (EMBI) will celebrate sustainability during Earth Week with “Green Innovations 2010.” The two-day event begins on the evening of Thursday, April 22 with invited keynote speaker, David Wann, co-author of the best-selling book, Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic.

Wann’s presentation, “The New Normal: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle,” begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 22 in the Phoenix Room of the University Union at UW-Green Bay. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Green Innovations continues on April 23 at The Meadows Conference Center, Kepler Drive, Green Bay, with a full day of events and breakout sessions on sustainability in transportation, wind energy, regional health and regional sustainability. Among the opportunities:

• Keynote presentations: “Embracing the Triple Bottom Line” panel discussion by local business leaders; “Building the Regional Sustainability Vision” by Jeff Rafn, president of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; “Water Management” by Doug McLaughlin, principal research scientist, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement.
• Greetings from Matthew Frank, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
• Networking opportunities with investors, community leaders, business leaders, educators and students.
• Presentation of the new “UW-Green Bay Alumni Earth Caretaker Award.”

The EMBI helps support one of UW-Green Bay’s founding principles — establishing itself as a leader in the promotion of environmental awareness and ecologically prudent initiatives. The establishment of the EMBI is a step in the evolution of UW-Green Bay’s historic mission of studying environmental issues and developing solutions to problems by recognizing the critical interconnections between science, policy and business, and their social contexts.

UW-Green Bay earned early recognition and national acclaim by Harper’s Magazine and other national venues as “Eco U” due in large part to its multidisciplinary approach to solving problems, including those of the environmental nature. EMBI complements the University’s solid reputation as a campus that impressed sustainable practices on campus and its community long before “being green” became trendy.

Partnering with public- and private-sector interests throughout the New North region, EMBI is working to make Northeastern Wisconsin synonymous with sustainability and environmental leadership.

On campus, EMBI has developed a certificate program integrating environmental science, policy and business, with 12 students currently enrolled.

This year’s campuswide Common Theme follows a “green theme.” Students across campus will share in “Realizing our Sustainable Future.” The campus Common Theme is designed to encourage students, faculty, staff and community members to focus on a general theme from multiple perspectives and have a shared experience with open discussion and critical thinking.

Schedule of Events – Friday, April 23:
8:30 a.m. — Introduction

8:40 a.m. — Keynote: Matthew Frank, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

9:15 a.m. — Panel Discussion: “Embracing the Triple Bottom Line”
Panelists: Tim Weyenberg, CEO/President, Foth; and Theresa Lehman, Director of Sustainable Services, Miron Construction

10:40 a.m. — Concurrent Breakout Sessions:

• Track 1: “Sustainability in Transportation”
  Moderator: Paul Lemens, Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, UW-Green Bay
  Panelists: Craig Dickman, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer, Breakthrough Fuel; Robert DeVos, Senior Vice President, Business Development, GENCO Supply Chain Solutions; and Dean Haen, Port Manager, Port of Green Bay
• Track 2: “Wind Energy Focus”
  Moderator: David Ward, President, NorthStar Economics, Inc.
  Panelists: Jerry Murphy, Executive Director, New North Inc.; and Kiah Smith, Next Generation Energy Coordinator, Lakeshore Technical College

Noon — Lunch and Presentation: “Building the Regional Sustainability Vision” with Jeff Rafn, Ph.D., President, NWTC

1:10 p.m. — Concurrent Breakout Sessions:

• Track 1: “Regional Health: Greening the Workplace”
  Moderator: Christine Vandenhouten, Assistant Professor of Nursing, UW-Green Bay
  Panelists: Paul Summerside, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of BayCare Clinic, LLP; Lynn Green, RN, APNP-BC, MSN, Occupational Nurse Consultant; Frank Winingham, CHST, OHST, OSHA Area Director, Appleton, Wis.
• Track 2: “Regional Sustainability in Northeast Wisconsin”
  Moderator: Jay Dressen, Account Manager, Wisconsin Public Service
  Panelists: Rob Bermke, Sr. Environmental Engineer, Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP; George Fickau, Manager of Sustainable Packaging, Coating Excellence; Kevin Fermanich, Associate Professor, UW-Green Bay

2:45 p.m. — Keynote: “Water Management: An update on the Fox River clean-up progress”
Presenters: Mike Kraft, Professor, UW-Green Bay; Scott Stein, Senior Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations; Doug McLaughlin, ’85 and ’83, Principal Research Scientist, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement

4:00 p.m. — Presentation of the UW-Green Bay Alumni Earth Caretaker Award

4:15 p.m. — UW-Green Bay Alumni Reception (all invited)

Registration:
Deadline — Monday, April 19, 2010

Fee — $99 includes conference materials, lunch, breaks, parking. Payment due at time of registration.

To Register — Registration materials are available online at www.uwgb.edu/embi/workshop, or call (920) 496-2117

Website — www.uwgb.edu/embi/

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