Resource Management by ICOSA Magazine

the changing world â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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table of contents

october - December 2011

In this Issue 6 Letter From The Editor 8 Letter From The Publisher 10 Inspirations 12-14 Advisory Board 22 Making Air Waves 24-27 Book Review 28 Opinion 92-94 Collaboration Close Up 96 Thank You

R emembering

Noel Cunningham December 16, 1949 – December 1, 2011

iving is something our parents teach us when we are small children. We are reminded every day to give and share with others. And it is easier to give when you can see someone and look at the difference you made in his or her life. Making an impact and reaching out to people is tried and tested every day. But how do you give to people you can’t see and who you may never know, or the impact you might have in their life? Who are these people, how do you reach them, what do they need and how long can you realistically give?

I doubt Noel Cunningham ever thought twice about what he could give. He just did. His inspiration stemmed from being a serial entrepreneur, always figuring out new approaches and strategies for business. His skill was being able to combine what he knew about business with the fundamentals of being a good and decent human being; and he always kept these two characteristics in balance. Work was never work for Noel; it was always interesting and fun. Continued on pg.16

Alberta’s Oil Sands An Energy Journal By Michael Connors pg. 54

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» "We should focus on

moving as rapidly as possible to a position where our economy and security interests are no longer tied to declining Chinese rare earth exports" « - Mark Smith

Quote worthy pg.66

"Local community investment is how we can leverage that investment and multiply it, creating a dramatic change in communities." - Karl Dakin

Community Impact Investment pg.80

DA N I EL S CO L L E G E O F B U S I N ES S

Ethical Practice. Thought Leadership. Global Impact.

Changing the way business thinks about the world, and how the world thinks about business.

Together, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll lead the way. Âť daniels.du.edu

table of contents

october - December 2011

Academia

COMMUNITY

32 Finding the Collaborative Gene The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center

36 Perspectives on the Oil Sands, Climate, and New Energy A Discussion with David Keith

38 Salt Lake City-It Is A Changin’

How the Metropolitan Area’s Economic Centers are Undergoing Profound Changes

78 Communication, Art, and BUSINESS

Resources

Creating a Deeper Meaning

42 Sustainable Careers

80 Community Impact Investment

48 The Galápagos Diaries

82 Two Worlds Colliding

Work for the Long Run

An Ecuadorian Energy Odyssey

52 Maptek

Berkeley Information Center

The Center for Immigrants & Immigration Services

Innovative Technology Solutions for Mining and Engineering

54 Alberta’s Oil Sands An Energy Journal

58 Financial Resources for Small

Businesses

Funding for America’s Backbone

62 A Nuclear Renaissance

Is it Shifting Towards Small Modular Reactors?

64 Is TIME a Resource? 66 In Our Quest to be

84 The Greenhouse Project

A Revolutionary Approach to International Development

86 Looking For Jane Goodall

A C all to Action from Pathfinder Solutions

Environmentally Friendly, Are We Alienating Our Own Economy? Impacts, Implications and R are E arth Oxides

70 Boyer’s Coffee

Conserving Resources, Saving Money, Doing Good

72 Invest in People, Improve Profits and the Global Economy

76 Information Technology

The Systems Aren’t the Only Resource

90 "Cut the cloth to fit the suit..."

Microcredit Takes a Lesson from American Business

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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS VISION The Pembina Institute envisions a world in which our immediate and future needs are met in a manner that protects the earth's living systems; ensures clean air, land and water; prevents dangerous climate change, p and provides for a safe and just global community.

OUR MISSION To advance sustainable energy solutions through innovative research, education, consulting and advocacy.

LETTER FROM the editor

You’ll Move Mountains!

Get On Your Way!

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER Gayle Dendinger

PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jan Mazotti

VICE PRESIDENT & EDITOR-AT-LARGE Kim DeCoste

Kid, you’ ll move mountains! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way! - Dr. Seuss

here are so many definitions for resources. It could be an economic or productive factor required to accomplish an activity or as means to undertake an enterprise and achieve a desired outcome. The three most basic resources are land, labor, and capital; but other resources include energy, entrepreneurship, information, expertise, management, and time. Or, you could say that resources are materials and components that can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural resources. A natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water and air, as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, oil, and most forms of energy. This issue is jam packed with stories from academia, business, and community organizations that are using resources to maximize the use of money and talent to accomplish amazing things all over the world. So instead of another boring letter from me, perhaps Dr. Seuss can demonstrate some of the lessons within. Be a thinker of great things to bend your world in wonderful ways. "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" This is the underlying message of the Canadian Oil Sands story. It is about the collaborative nature of various organizations—friend or foe— who are thinking of new and productive ways to create energy, while sustaining the community and the environment. Don’t put yourself in a box. Dream it and do it. And, that is exactly what the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke, Massachusetts is doing. They found their (6)

“collaborative gene” and engaged academia, business, and government to create jobs, build technological capacity, and improving state-wide collaboration. As Seuss says, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” “There are so many things you can learn about, but you’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” Denver-based Boyers Coffee proves that focused persistence pays off. Founded in 1965, the company strives to do the right thing for its employees and the community, believing whole-heartedly that sustainability serves as a foundation for their new operational strategies—benefit consumers, benefit the company, and benefit the environment. They know that, “If you read with your eyes shut, you’re likely to find that the place where you’re going is far, far behind. So that’s why I tell you to keep your eyes wide, keep them wide open... at least on one side!” Whether writing about Cats in Hats, Grinches, Sneeches, Gacks, or Whos, Dr. Seuss always found a way to string together the ridiculous and fun, while sharing moving messages. He was a master storyteller who encouraged us all to have big hairy audacious goals, and to never settle for anything less. He taught us to “think and wonder, wonder and think.” And considering the world around us, isn’t that what we should all commit ourselves to doing? Success is a journey, and we all have our own paths, where each voice counts. We must stay focused, and we must recognize that, “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way” in order to make change. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” All the best,

MANAGING EDITOR: Annette Perez STAFF writers: Michael Connors, Emily Haggstrom, Maria E. Luna, Tammy Schmidt

CONTRIBUTING writers: Jane Ball, Maggie Cronin, Kelly de la Torre, Jesse Golland, Tom Hobelman, Diane Irvin, David Jones, Rebecca Kersting, Eric Nakajima, Osea Nelson, Karen Newman, Karen M. Radman, Eric Reamer, John Reed, Graham Russell, Rebecca Saltman, Stan Sellner, Paul Suter, Angel Tuccy, Darryl Watson, Mike Wiesner, Nick Wolfe COPY EDITORs: Maria E. Luna, Laura Rothenfeld

ART DIRECTOR: Nick Heckman - EKMN creative PHOTOGR APHY and design: Andrew Thompson, Shelby Soto

VIDEOGR APHY: Tim Bungum, Blake Rubenstein, Tammy Schmidt Social Media: Annette Perez, Eli Regalado

Advertising inquires: Please contact Jan Mazotti at janm@icosamag.com ICOSA® welcomes editorial submissions from its readers. Whenever possible, submissions should be sent in electronic format. All unsolicited materials should be submitted to the publisher at the address below. Items not sent electronically will not be returned. The publisher reserves the right to decline use of materials at their discretion and assumes no liability for unsolicited materials. ICOSA® (ISSN1938-2081) is published four times a year. No part of ICOSA® may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ©2011

ICOSA® CORPOR ATE HEADQUARTERS 4100 Jackson Street Denver, CO 80216 Office: 303.333.3688 Fax: 303.333.4832 Email: janm@icosamag.com Website: www.icosamag.com All third-class postage paid at Denver, Colorado. To view an electronic copy of ICOSA® (ISSN1938-209X) or to get your free subscription, go to www.icosamag.com. Friend us at ICOSA Magazine® on Facebook or check the ICOSA® Channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ICOSAmagazine.

- Jan Mazotti P.S. – It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

The title ICOSA® is an analogy for great connections and collaboration. An icosahedron, the strongest of the polygons, combines 20 equilateral triangular faces together. We use this analogy because we believe that if we all work together and collaborate, we too can become stronger – just like the triangles. Cover Photo by Thomas Cooper at lightboximages.com

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We bring together private equity, donors, foundations and lenders around a common goal:

her.

Women and girls are often the most over-worked and under-represented groups in the developing world. And yet they represent the greatest hope for lifting impoverished families out of despair. Time and time again, they have proven to be the best possible investment we can make in improving the welfare of struggling households and communities. Together with its partners, The Paradigm Project is changing lives by developing sustainable social enterprise that empowers women, improves health, reduces environmental degradation and spurs economic growth at the local level. All while providing a competitive return on investment. The Paradigm Project is creating no-compromise triple bottom line results through the power of collaboration. To learn more about how you can become a part of the change, visit www.theparadigmproject.org or call 801.608.2338. The Paradigm Project: Innovating Social, Economic and Environmental Change.

LETTER FROM the PUBLISHER

Resource

Management Working Together for Competitive Advantage By Gayle Dendinger with Annette Perez

s was noted in the last issue of ICOSA, we are heading in a new direction. As indicated in our inaugural issue, this magazine is a “work in progress,” and over the past three years, we have fine-tuned it to maximize our internal and external resources. About five years ago, my team and I wrote a book based on years of notes and research on what I believe demonstrates a model for connection and collaboration. This issue focuses on resources, of which I look to the bee as a guide. Our goal is to show you in future issues that the creation of an infrastructure (spider), a resource management system (bee), and a vision (dragonfly) are all required before action can begin. Once all preparation has taken place, we look to transform (butterfly) the vision into action and continuously (snail) build and improve in subsequent rounds. There is an abundance of resources in our world and in our community, and many of the stories in this issue highlight the significance of these resources. I would argue that the business world has many means available yet wastes innumerable amounts of resources. In order to operate a successful business, the following resources are vital for an organization to survive—financial, human, information technology, and other intangible resources.

Financial Resources It is imperative to have financial resources available. Financial resources include everything from inventory, operating materials, supplies, property, plant and equipment, accounts receivables, bonds, stocks, cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, buildings, machinery, real estate, vehicles, tools, bank loans, venture capital and lines of credit. Simply stated, money or hard assets are needed to run the business. Resource reserves allow collaborative efforts to continue in times of scarcity. For (8)

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purposes is so powerful. Teams are made up of different people with different roles who unite for a common purpose. Collaborative efforts strive to connect passionate and productive people who bring different skill sets and resources to the table. By connecting quality people, quality information, intelligence, ideas and innovation can be gathered together for collective purposes, therefore propelling the organization.

» Strong connections between peers, colleagues, and outstanding leaders are the key to acquiring intelligence, information, ideas, and ideals to effectively run a business. « example, ICOSA started because of terrible difficult economic circumstances. We needed a tool to maximize and share our stories and the stories of our collaborative partners. This entire magazine and media engine would not be possible without years of financial planning to get through rough periods that have ultimately affected the whole world.

Human Resources After financial resources are established, the second greatest significant resource, in my opinion, is people—otherwise known as human resources. Since organizational performance depends so heavily on the people we interface with, we must be selective about who is hired. Once they are hired, we must give them the tools and support they need to shine. Strong connections between peers, colleagues, and outstanding leaders are the key to acquiring intelligence, information, ideas, and ideals to effectively run a business. This again reminds us of why connecting people for collaborative

Information Technology Resources Information technologies resources can be viewed as information, data, physical computers, laptops, hardware, software, servers, and cloud computing, to name a few. Although information is easy to access (i.e. internet, social media sites, multiple documents and spreadsheets), it becomes cumbersome if the information is scattered. An information management system is an absolute necessity, storing the information and tools that support the organizational functions. It provides a means to organize and archive all forms and records for human resources and provides a universal communication system. A proper information management system helps groups to stay organized and maintain a shared vision by keeping all records and research in one location. Resources, such as data and information, must be shared if the organization is to survive. And, if the members of the organization are properly tied together, they are able to quickly relay information and create meaningful knowledge. Moreover, technological advancements play a huge role in modern society. It is for this reason that businesses must first require a system that facilitates the information sharing necessary for true collaboration to occur. In today’s information age, a group that can systematize, access, and use the right resources has a huge competitive edge, and quality output should increase as resource management systems help to magnify the power of cooperative supporters.

Intangible Resources

consistent and standardized. Creating a proper system able to consistently increase productivity while improving quality over time is a serious challenge. It needs to be designed in a fashion so that its form fits its function, helping collaborative members to create value and benefitting all involved. People are the workers of the collaborative “hive.” They are responsible for gathering both the tangible and intangible resources, and for using these resources to further the work of the organization. However, it is important to remember that while increasing the number of team members is likely to mean greater input of resources into the system, it will not

It’s easy to ignore intangible resources for obvious reasons—they are intangible. But they are important. They can be anything from reputation, brand, intellectual property, or company culture. These resources are all very important in keeping a business prosperous. Building a trustworthy and strong reputation for an organization takes many years and uses financial and human resources to keep it continuous;, unfortunately, reputation can be broken down within a matter of minutes if proper training and criteria are not established. Equally important is a company’s intellectual property. Every company has a “golden nugget” that was specifically built for that Information Technologies organization. Case in point, an Resources information management system • Computers may be built to include all the • Database “bells and whistles” that is fit for • Information security that organization, but if that trade • K nowledge Management secret is not protected, then that System valuable piece of information can • SaaS be duplicated, and as a result be Human Resources worth nothing, causing loss in • Benefits value, lost customers, and perhaps • Intuition lost competitive edge. • K nowledge Finally a company’s culture • L eadership is a treasured resource. In my • Management organization, we strongly embrace • People the “value of now,” and we • Reasoning infrequently find anyone sitting • Retention on a task. When an assignment • Skills is delegated, it is quickly and Accounting Resources proficiently completed. As I’ve • Bonds mentioned in previous issues, we • Inventory are a freight forwarding company • Operating materials whose ultimate goal is to move • Short-term investments equipment globally—NOW. And, • Stocks because of our freight background, • Supplies we are extremely agile. Intangible Resources

Wasted Resources The duplication of resources results in wasted time, money, effort, and space. When members of a collaborative effort can proficiently navigate within the system, keeping a constant flow of necessary information, waste is thereby reduced and collaboration becomes infinitely easier. Whatever the method, all members of an organization should be required to use the group’s mode of information sharing so that communication is sustainable,

• Brand • Company Culture • Competitive Advantage • Core Competencies • Cultural Attributes within the company • Goodwill • Intellectual Property • Reputation • Strategic Alliances • Training Natural Resources • L and • Precious Metals Necessity Resources (Maslow Hierarchy of Needs) • Physiological

necessarily increase the output of results. Productivity, not size, determines the success of a collaborative effort. Organizations that attempt to proliferate too quickly will have gaps in both their infrastructure and their resource management system—they cannot grow strong if they are spread too thin. Collaborative systems must start with a small group of outstanding people, who each bring a large amount of resources to the group. If expansion is a necessary part of completing the vision, growth must be careful and deliberate. The infrastructure must remain strong and well connected, while the resource management system continues to maintain order amongst the newly compounding resources during the subsequent infrastructure growth.

• S afety •L ove/Belonging •E steem • S elf-Actualization Abiotic Resources •A ir • Copper •G old • I ron •L and • S ilver •W ater Biotic Resources •C oal •F orests •P etroleum Physical Resources •B uildings •M achinery •P lant and equipment • Property •R eal Estate •T ools •V ehicles Financial Resources •A ccounts Receivables •A sset Value •B ank Loans •C ash and cash equivalents • I ncome • I nvestment Management • I nsurance •L ines of Credit • S avings •V enture Capital Collaborative Resources • S oftware • Connections •P rofessional Relationships • I ncubator •N etworked infrastructure • S trategic Resources

Conclusion While an efficient resource management system must have a common structure for all members to utilize, it also requires flexibility in the types of imperative resources it is able to store. Collaboration works by allowing different individuals, departments and companies to do what they do best, while still working towards a common vision (the dragonfly). Regardless of how well-managed a resource system is, it will not further a collaborative effort if there is not cooperation among members in using that information for a common good. In nature, individual bees do not inherently know what actions will benefit their collective hive. They must communicate well in order to coordinate their efforts. We must take this lesson from the bee and realize that simply having and storing resources does not make them valuable. The success of honeybees comes from their ability to communicate while collecting and storing resources as a group, and utilizing these resources in a way that benefits the entire hive.

- Gayle Dendinger

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inspirations

a colony where the density of bees is very high, there are thousands of bees whose sole purpose is to convey information. They communicate using complex dances, pheromones, and direct contact. Bee dances are able to transmit information regarding direction, distance, and abundance of food supply. They release pheromones that distinguish one bee from another and when two bees meet, they communicate through the use of their antennae. Every time a bee meets another bee, a new message is conveyed. There is a constant flow of information in and out of the hive, even though some of them will never leave the hive. Utilizing their innate communication skills, bees have constructed an impressive communication system. All bees, from

he last issue of ICOSA focused on the importance of infrastructure, symbolized by the spider and its web, as the foundation for collaboration. However, infrastructure is only one of five components necessary for true collaboration to occur. In this issue, we will look at how effective resource management can be exemplified by the bee. Commonly known for their honey-hoarding behavior and their use as a domesticated species, honeybees are among the most studied and best known insects. Their operation, as well as their social nature, makes bees a fascinating specimen. As eusocial insects, honeybees live in large colonies that consist of strictly defined castes. Each individual bee depends on the colony and can survive only as a member of the social community. The hive consists of queens, workers, drones and soldiers—each with specific roles. Although they are individually weak and tiny, they use the power of their critical mass to execute monumental tasks. The hierarchical infrastructure of honeybees equips them with advanced problem-solving capabilities. Using a simple yet effective colony structure, thousands of individuals with different various job functions are able to align. Bees cooperate to find food, build their hive, take care of the young, and defend the colony. The hive is built to be the core infrastructure for honeybee colonies. Each worker has special glands on the underside of its body that secrete a waxy substance, which they use to construct their elaborate honeycombs. Each honeycomb is comprised of a collection of hexagonal shaped chambers. This shape allows the maximum number of chambers to be packed into the smallest area. These cells are multi-functional, storing and protecting the colony’s most valuable resources—honey to feed the colony when flowers are scarce and protection for, and the numerous developing larvae—the key to the next generation of the hive. Bees collectively gather and relay information very quickly throughout the population without dependence on a central repository or command center. However, in the middle of

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Creating a unique collaborative output is dependent upon the availability of resources, combined with the ability to work together and communicate toward a common goal. drones, to workers, to the queen, have a specific duty inside the hive. Each bee has an individualized task explicitly designed to fit its strengths. By each fulfilling its duty, each bee does its part in fulfilling the goals of the hive as a whole. Collaborative organizations are created to provide some sort of value—whether it is a service or a product. Creating a unique collaborative output is dependent upon the availability of resources, combined with the ability to work together and communicate toward a common goal. In this issue we will look at real examples of groups who, like the bee, are finding, organizing, managing, and capitalizing on resources in a unique or exemplary way.

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Advisory board

JERRY PETERSON

fter receiving his Bachelors of Science in 1961 and a graduate degree in 1966, both in physics, from the University of Washington, R.J. (Jerry) Peterson was an instructor at Princeton University and part of the research faculty at Yale University. Jerry's research interests have covered many arenas of nuclear physics, including nuclear astrophysics, nuclear reactions, nuclear fission, and applications of nuclear reactions to computer memory elements. These experimental studies have used beams from a wide variety of particle accelerators, often involving foreign collaborators. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Copenhagen (Niels Bohr Institute), the University of Tokyo, and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a Foreign Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Jerry is also a member of the faculty in the UCB Program in International Affairs. His recent teaching has included classes in physics, environmental studies, journalism and international affairs. Jerry worked as an analyst in the Office of Economic Analysis of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research for the U.S. Department of State, where he focused on energy and the environment with an emphasis on coal and nuclear energy. Based on his research and analyses, he wrote assessments, memos, and papers on the aforementioned issues and presented briefings and seminars to U.S. officials and to the associated intelligence community. Following his fellowship year, he returned to his academic career but remained available to the State Department for short-term projects over a period of five years. Today, Peterson is a professor in the physics department specializing in the area of nuclear physics. In the past, he was an administrator in the CU-Boulder Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research for six years, including posts as Assistant Vice Chancellor, Associate Vice Chancellor and Interim Vice Chancellor. He is currently chair of the Boulder Faculty Assembly, the representative body of the CU Boulder Faculty.

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JERRY PETERSON University of Colorado Department of Physics UCB 390 Boulder, CO 80309-0390 Phone: 303.492.1686 Fax : 303.492.3352 jerry.peterson@colorado.edu www.colorado.edu

Cultivate fresh ideas and help them take root.

Live, learn, and work with a community overseas. Be a Volunteer.

peacecorps.gov

Advisory board

Kelly de la Torre

elly de la Torre is an attorney with ALG | Attorneys in Colorado, a Denver-based law firm founded in 2008. The attorneys at ALG believe in collaborative implementation. They work together to blend insights, innovation, and expertise to leverage the team’s goaloriented strategy for the benefit of the firm’s business clients. The ALG strategic approach lets the attorneys be a more powerful partner in service of business growth and momentum. De la Torre has a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and a Master of Science in chemistry. During graduate school, she worked as a research fellow in the Fuel Science Department at Sandia National Laboratories designing biomimetic catalysts for CO2 activation. The goal of the project was to design a catalyst to convert CO2 to a reusable fuel source. So began de la Torre’s interest in energy and energy systems. While assessing the ultimate goal of her research, Kelly wondered, “What if emerging technology could be developed that would reduce U.S. oil consumption? What would that do to the world’s politics?” It was then that de la Torre read The Prize, Daniel Yergin’s 1992 Pulitzer Prize winning book about the history of oil; she then and took her first steps into the world of energy policy. She attended Rutgers-Camden School of Law in Camden, New Jersey. While in law school, she worked as a technical advisor on patent litigation cases. After graduation, she moved to Denver and landed her first job as an attorney working with the McIntosh Group. The group focused on commercialization of energy technologies primarily in the energy space including, innovations in electrical power cable technology and wind and solar technologies. De la Torre has a true admiration for inventors and the challenges that they face in bringing their products to market. Some of these barriers can be addressed through

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K elly de la Torre ALG Attorneys 55 M adison Street #650 Denver, CO 80206 720.536.4683 kellydlt@antonlaw.com www. antonlaw.com

policies designed to create demand for the product and others through creative partnerships and consumer education. She uses her technical background and these strategies to assist companies in overcoming barriers to market penetration. Energy influences every part of our lives. It is a complex landscape of integrated and moving parts where the equilibrium is constantly challenged by emerging energy needs and policy changes. It is the intersection between business, law and policy that de la Torre finds most intriguing, and it is this intersection

that can be used to engage the energy consumer. Consumers should understand that they can influence policy; however, this influence should be informed influence because good energy policies can lead to efficient and cost effective energy initiatives and decisions. This is why when asked to participate in the “Connect and Collaborate with ICOSA” radio show, she jumped at the chance to start the recurring segment entitled Energy 101. Jan Mazotti, ICOSA editor and de la Torre use the show to discuss energy from the perspective of the consumer. In her law practice, de la Torre advocates on behalf of her clients for statutory and regulatory changes to support emerging business models in the energy sector. This type of effective advocacy however, requires a broad understanding of how business, law and policy intersect across the energy spectrum. To help facilitate a better understanding of this intersection, she tracks emerging regulatory and statutory changes on her blog, the “Rocky Mountain Energy Blog” which can be found at http:// rmenergyblog.blogspot.com. Complex issues further require collaboration. To provide a forum to facilitate discussion amongst women in the energy industry, she co-founded Women in Energy, a networking group for women. In addition, since its inception, de la Torre has been actively involved with the annual Global New Energy Summit, an event that highlights the energy spectrum in the states of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. The event brings together the key elements that facilitate energy development, specifically science and technology, finance, industry and policy. Coordinating the leadership across these disciplines encourages collaboration that is necessary to address the changing energy landscape in the region and the nation and is a key goal supported by her and the summit.

Nature talks. We listen. A thriving herd of bison is testament to our successful land reclamation program. Since our operation began we’ve replanted 5 million tree and shrub seedlings, contributing to a healthy environment for two-legged and four-legged creatures alike. We’ve now reclaimed thousands of hectares of former mining land and we’re pioneering new methods in re-establishing wetlands. That’s why we’ve been industry leaders from the beginning— innovating in all areas of oil sands development. For continued updates on our environmental initiatives and commitment to responsible development, sign up for our e-newsletter at syncrude.ca

The Syncrude Project is a joint venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Limited, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership, and Suncor Energy Oil and Gas Partnership.

Remembering

N oel Cunningham December 16, 1949 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December 1, 2011

iving is something our parents teach us when we are small children. We are reminded every day to give and share with others. And it is easier to give when you can see someone and look at the difference you made in his or her life. Making an impact and reaching out to people is tried and tested every day. But how do you give to people you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see and who you may never know, or the impact you might have in their life? Who are these people, how do you reach them, what do they need and how long can you realistically give?

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By Jan Mazotti with Gayle Dendinger and Mitch Jelniker Photography by Thomas Cooper lightboximages.com

elegance, humility and impact. Forever seared into my memory, I will always remember Noel walking with his head tilted down slightly, graciously humbled by those around him. When you were with Noel he was always polite and made you feel like you were the most important person, because to him, you were. As an entrepreneur, Noel constantly surrounded himself with people. When he started his restaurant, Strings, it was the relationships he forged that ultimately saved his fledgling business. Today Strings is

a neighborhood staple and a place where friends gather to share in the truly aesthetic experiences of life. Strings helped him to be recognized as Businessman of the Year during one of the most desperate economic times, but his ingenuity and passion ambitiously pushed him through, weathered but not broken. Noel, without prejudice helped launch ICOSA by sharing his ideas, his wisdom, his guidance, and offering his moral support. He let us use his restaurant as meeting space, and graciously displayed our magazines for patrons to peruse.

As a “newbie” in the community, I was a little apprehensive to meet Noel, but what I quickly learned was that Noel was everyone’s friend. He was visionary. He was resourceful. He was a connector. He was a collaborator. He was a doer—he got it done. No excuses! We lost that dear, dear friend on December 1, 2011 to suicide. And while we're troubled and saddened by his death by suicide, we know the way he lived touched thousands of lives in a positive way. Continued on next page

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ICOSA

Remembering Noel Cunningham

oel and Tammy Cunningham are known globally as much for their humanitarian work as for the amazing dining experience they offer at Strings Restaurant and 240 Union. As if elegance and indulgence needed a balance, the couple turned much of their attention over the years to the poorest of the poor—they focused on the children of Yetebon, Ethiopia, most of whom can’t get clean drinking water, much less a decent meal or a pair of shoes. The Cunningham Foundation was founded in 2003 with the mission of helping the courageous people of the impoverished areas of Ethiopia to help themselves. The Foundation was the vision of the Cunningham’s who were struck by both the poverty and the amazing resilience they witnessed in a visit to Project Mercy in Yetebon, Ethiopia nearly 10 years ago. Since its inception, the vision has grown beyond belief. Cunningham had a genial face, graying beard and kind eyes, and was an icon in Denver. Born in Dublin in 1949, raised in Los Angeles, trained at the Savoy Hotel in London, Noel once worked as a chef at Touch, an exclusive supper club in Beverly Hills. In 1984, when there was a famine in Ethiopia, the idea was raised to hold a benefit for the victims, but the owner refused. Noel vowed that when he was in charge, things would be different—and they were. The Cunningham’s, married since 1990, were passionate about all of the projects they took on. Tammy went to Ethiopia in 1998 with Project C.U.R.E., where she was moved and motivated by the need and poverty she saw all around her. As a result of that visit, the Cunningham’s sponsored a container of medical supplies for Ethiopia through Project C.U.R.E. and so began a long-term relationship with the organization. Says W. Douglas Jackson, Project C.U.R.E.’s CEO and president, "There was a unique joy that Noel Cunningham found in giving to others. I watched that joy light up his warm Irish eyes as we sat together at a shabby wooden table in some little

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village in the middle of Ethiopia. We talked about solutions to poverty, about the importance of compassion, about healing and caring—and giving. It energized him. Noel used his restaurant and his reputation as a weapon in the struggle against need and unfairness. When he thought a connection between people would change the future, Noel would ignite his network, without guile or greed and never expecting anything for himself in return. When that happened, things moved. The world became a different place. American presidents and African paupers were all treated with dignity and respect because Noel Cunningham's eyes of joy peered into the soul of others. I will cherish the time we had to work together, the drop of difference we made in a sea of need. And I will grieve what might have been. Beyond his effectiveness and his example, Noel was a friend. I will miss him. We all will." Or, there is Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® the premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid grows up hungry. Each spring and summer, the nation’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at nearly 40 events across the United States and Canada, with one goal in mind—to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger. So with the help of many of his close friends, including restaurant critic Pat Miller, Noel launched the program which has raised almost $80 million for 450 groups in the U.S. focused on ending hunger. “Noel and I became friends 12 years ago when he approached me about chairing Share Our Strength, a grassroots fundraiser which was supported through the efforts of local restaurants, Coors Brewing, and other community volunteer organizations. Through the years we grew the event and eventually moved the venue to Coors Field where we welcomed over 2,000 patrons. As a result of us working together we became very close friends. My husband, Leo Kiely and Noel immediately bonded because of their big Irish hearts and great senses of humor. Through the years Leo and I have shared many a wonderful evening planning and dreaming about Noel's latest way to save the world. Noel has never said ‘NO’ to anyone who has asked for help. I know that he is in heaven looking down and asking God to bless the efforts of those who must carry on with the good work that he began in Denver,” said Susan Kiely, the founder of Women With A Cause Foundation. In 2001, on a tour sponsored by Share Our Strength, the Cunningham’s fell in love with Yetebon, a village in Ethiopia. Yetebon, at almost 8,000 feet, is the home of Project Mercy, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency relief aid, operates a school, an orphan support program, and now, a well-staffed community hospital. Project Mercy is run by Marta Gargre-Tsadick and her husband Deme Tekle-Wold. When Marta and Tammy met, they bonded quickly, and since 2003, the Cunningham’s have used their Foundation to help “the courageous people of the impoverished areas of Ethiopia help themselves.” The couple was struck “by both the poverty and the amazing resilience of the people.” At first, Noel was impatient with the speed of change in Yetebon—he wanted to change things quickly. But stepped back and let things happen at a pace more comfortable to the families there, all the while rallying support for the area from people all over the world. In 2003, the couple took their first group trip to Yetebon. Working with Cindy Brown, owner of www.cindybeads.com, the group decided to teach the Yetebon students to make limited edition bracelets. This project would teach the students a skill, while helping them maintain some quality of life. In year one, the group returned to the U.S. with 500 bracelets that raised $50,000 for the MedhaneAlem School. Since then, the bracelets have generated more than $500,000 with the generous support of volunteers across the U.S. and abroad. In fact, the 2008 bracelet sales generated enough money to complete the building of the orphanage dormitory and move over 100 students from a rickety cow shed. Brennan Boehne was part of the 2010 trip to Ethiopia and he swears it changed his life. At just 18 years old, he says he was spoiled and, “Only cared about becoming rich. Typically, I would only work with community service organizations because it looked better on my resume and made me look good.” What Boehne learned after his trip

The couple turned much of their attention over the years to the poorest of the poor—they focused on the children of Yetebon, Ethiopia, most of whom can’t get clean drinking water, much less a decent meal or a pair of shoes.

with the Cunningham’s is what is so meaningful. “All of these heart-wrenching experiences took a toll on me emotionally. Most people don’t think I am emotional whatsoever. To be honest, I probably cried more than any other person there. I even cried more than the girls. The other thing that I loved there was the love, that was spread by everyone. The Cunningham’s and Ethiopia changed my life,” he said. As a result of the bracelet project, some of the Yetebon students learned the art of glass bead making, enabling them to make a living. At the urging of Jeannie Ritter, wife of former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, the heart beads would be made in school colors to sell to high schools across the country. At $25 each, the multi-year project has been highly successful, raising over $75,000 for U.S. students to visit Ethiopia. Because of the grassroots efforts of the Cunnigham’s, the school in Yetebon has more than doubled in size—to 1,200-plus students from first through tenth grade— many walking up to five miles to receive an education, meals, books, tuition and shoes. As Noel always said of his travels to Ethiopia at the holidays, “It is an amazing place, where there is a lot to be thankful for. It is all around us.” These HOPE bracelets were recognized by renowned jeweler, David Yurman, who awarded Noel with the David Yurman Humanitarian Award for his efforts to help children, an award that had been previously received by Steven Spielberg and Elton John. Marta Gabre-Tsadick and Deme TekleWold, on behalf of all the children and staff at Project Mercy in Yetabon, Ethiopia said at the news of Noel’s death, “Over 13 years ago Noel and Tammy visited us in Yetabon, Ethiopia while on a fact finding trip for international relief. Since then, they have visited annually at Thanksgiving. In the spring they coordinated students and teachers from Regis University, Johnson and Wales University and Denver Metropolitan high schools. He has held fundraisers to support various Project Mercy endeavors. He and Tammy have brought skilled artisans to Yetabon and they have taught many of our students how to produce beautiful one-ofa-kind bracelets. Over the years these bracelets have been sold at Strings and through the internet. Noel has been passionate in his efforts at Project Mercy and this is his legacy. We will miss him dearly from the bottom of our hearts.” “I would describe his time and progress there as pure joy. Listening to the stories of the time he spent there made his eyes sparkle and his heart shine,” said ICOSA Publisher Gayle Dendinger. “For over 10 years, he traveled back and forth, noting progress each time he

"Noel has never said ‘NO’ to anyone who has asked for help. I know that he is in heaven looking down and asking God to bless the efforts of those who must carry on with the good work." Susan Kiely returned, but it was after one trip specifically that he told me he noticed something different. At first he couldn’t put his finger on what had changed but then it came to him—there was no more crying. After years of determination, Noel and the friends who had accompanied him finally saw the enormously positive difference they had made for a community of 100,000-plus people. The Cunningham’s wanted to inspire and engage Colorado students to be involved and reach out to students like themselves in the developing world, so they launched 4 Quarters for Kids to raise money to feed and clothe 1,500 students at Project Mercy. It was another ambitious program that has proven successful. And there was the I Remember Momma Brunch. Each Mother's Day, Noel, Tammy and the entire Strings staff would serve moms who might otherwise be alone a lavish, free brunch. “Noel told me whatever he had become it was thanks to his mother,” said KMGH 7NEWS Anchor Mitch Jelniker. He always shied away from any recognition, so in 2002, 7NEWS surprised Noel at the Mother’s Day brunch. Sneaking up on him was a must. Earlier that year 7NEWS was secretly working with Tammy to honor Noel with the 7NEWS 7Everyday Hero award for outstanding volunteers. Unfortunately, when Tammy stepped away from the computer, he sat down and discovered our secret e-mails about the honor. Noel promptly called the TV station and was less than pleased—he flat out told us not to honor him. “He never did anything for show—he served others because it was the right thing to do. He was the epitome of a 7Everyday Hero,” said Jelniker. We decided to honor Noel anyway. We figured with TV cameras rolling,

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ICOSA

Remembering Noel Cunningham

he wouldn't dare get upset with us again. Our ploy worked, though Noel always promised to get even. Cunningham believed in the motto, “Dream big! Maybe big things will happen.” Brent Weaver, Managing Partner at HotPress Web has worked with Noel for several years. Weaver commented, “Noel was my mentor and my buddy. He had the single greatest impact on who I have become in the world of business and philanthropy. Since I met him, I can barely imagine a day that has gone by where we didn't text, email, chat about an upcoming philanthropy project, think about the next move for the restaurant's marketing, or shoot the sh&%. He instilled in me that the world takes care of you when you give—that's just how he saw it.” Although Noel engaged with Weaver philanthropically, he also taught him how to connect with people in a deeper way—even more than traditional networking. “We worked on projects together constantly with some of the most amazing members of our community. When I met him, I was in my mid-20s, so just a kid in the business world. He invited me to galas, governors mansions, and presidential introductions. He helped me define my business, my views on the community, and understanding how you can engage with people beyond profits. And, he also made the best damn chicken nuggets this planet has to offer,” he said. And just in the last year, Noel launched “A Dinner of Unconditional Love” which benefited the amazing work of Dr. Rick Hodes, an American doctor living in Ethiopia. The dinner raised almost $500,000 for Hodes’ work in Ethiopia where they treat children with spinal deformities as a result of spinal tuberculosis. Moreover, Cunningham and many of his connected inner-circle worked to bring Oscar-winning Prudence Mabhena to Denver to get her life-altering surgery to help her cope with arthrogryposis, a birth defect that left her with amputated limbs. ICOSA collaborator Rebecca Saltman remembers him this way. “Noel’s entrepreneurial spirit and extraordinary vision encouraged my social entrepreneurship career choices, as well as exponentially broadening my perspectives. He was someone that would see an injustice, come up with a way to address it, and then figure out how to enact a solution. I remember him passionately talking about what he wanted to do to solve the problems of Haiti after the earthquake, saying simply,

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Nearly 8.3 million adults aged 18 and older in the U.S. have had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year according to a national scientific survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In fact, depression is a mental health illness that affects one in 10 Americans—mostly middle-age men. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline coordinates the network of 140 crisis centers across the United States providing suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to individuals seeking help at any time, day or night.

“We need to provide jobs by building up the coast with hotels and tourism.” He said it in such a matter of fact way—like this would be no problem whatsoever—and everyone listening to him would have easily followed him to help, while riding the wave of his enthusiasm. Noel was a beacon in my life as well as in many others’. I will not let that light be extinguished. Thank you Noel, I am so grateful.” This last week while we have thought a lot about Noel, I have thought about the thousands of people that are forever changed by Noel’s passion, persistence and care. Noel had the ability to take his dreams and through hard work, transform them into inspiring stories for others on how to accomplish whatever it is that you set your mind to. Noel mastered how to survive, grow and evolve through good times and bad; and he knew how to be tender, compassionate and kind to whomever he met. “He will be missed forever as a model citizen, an enigmatic entrepreneur and a fantastic philanthropist, but I will also miss him as a man of great character and most of all a dear friend,” said Dendinger. “Noel was a remarkable person—to me and to all. He was my best friend, the brother I never had, and the most caring and charitable man to everyone. I will miss his smile, his chatter, his way of getting things done his way, and what he ‘tinks.’ He will be sadly missed by all—but mostly by me. A best friend for 27 years can never be replaced. There is only one Noel,” remarked Pat Miller. “In no way does this diminish the significance of all his contributions,” said former Governor Bill Ritter to the Denver Post. “Not a single good act that Noel Cunningham did on behalf of others is changed by this.” Many may wonder why governors, mayors and the media are making such a big deal about a modest man who said he expressed his love through food. The answer is simple: Noel Cunningham made all of us better, no matter rich or poor. And while we may sit and wonder “why” this fantastic and caring man is gone, we cannot forget—nor should we—the hope, the courageous spirit, the generosity, and the joie de vivre of Noel Cunningham. You will be missed by all of us! To learn more about the Cunningham Foundation, visit www. cunninghamfoundation.org or to buy a bracelet or pendant, please visit www. cunninghamfoundation.org/buy-a-hope-bracelet.

making air waves

Experience Pros Radio

Full Radio

Programming By Eric Reamer and Angel Tuccy

t has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. If that's true, then perhaps we can agree that it takes many villages, lots of repetition, and a solid foundation to create a revolution in the way people treat other people in business. To this end, the Experience Pros Radio Show and ICOSA work every day to provide listeners across America with compelling stories of philanthropy, business development, advances in technology, and extreme customer service. The show, recently named "The most positive business talk show in America,”* offers listeners a well-rounded cornucopia of resources covering a wide range of elements essential to building a collaborative business model. From developing sustainable business practices to exporting to a world full of eager buyers, guest experts and regular segment hosts provide information over the airwaves that challenges business owners and managers to take a hard look at how their business really operates. "We are the catalyst for the internal combustion that leads to revolutionary change in business", says Eric Reamer, co-host of the radio show. James Fischer hosts the Monday segment, "Navigating the Growth Curve." During his time on the air, Fischer guides listeners through the seven stages of business development. His practical approach, called the Growth Curve, allows him to teach business owners how to identify issues that cause problems and to literally be able to predict the future of a company's growth regardless of economic environment. He has served more than 750 companies ranging from the solo-preneur to the Fortune 100. He helped one company go from $0 to $30 million in only 18 months. Fischer's training follows the principles written about in his book, Navigating the Growth Curve, available for free in digital format from www. SustainableBusinessGrowth.com. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Scott Barclay, who joins the show every Tuesday morning,

offers listeners a rare look inside the investment business from a (reformed) stockbroker's perspective. His segment, "Investing in You" offers candid insights surrounding all types of investment opportunities without the motivation of using your money to make money for himself. This approach to financial education—minus the less-than-altruistic motives of most broker/managers—yields an ROI that is in the best interest of the most interested party when it comes to investing—YOU. Barclay's book, audio tips, reports and workshops can be found at www. HowTheInvestmentBusinessReallyWorks.com. Dentists, by the very nature of their work,

them to outperform all of his marketing efforts. Get to know "Dr. D" yourself at www. DentalWellnessDC.com. Few people have ever been able to say that they've lost more than a million dollars, because in order to make that claim, one must have had a million dollars to lose. Australian serial entrepreneur Michael Russo has not only lost millions, but now makes a living helping others avoid the mistakes he made in business. His Wednesday morning segment is called "Up and Over from Down Under," and though he calls in live in the middle of the night, his business tips and marketing prowess is a favorite feature of the show. Russo is currently producing a television program called "Bankruptcy Rocks TV" which hopes to launch early 2012 in Australia, and then here in the U.S. later the same year. For more information on Russo and his program, please visit www. BankruptcyRocks.com. Jan Mazotti, editor of ICOSA and host of the "Connect + Collaborate with ICOSA" segment of the radio program assembles a who's who in the business community to appear as guests during the show. From inventors to Nobel Laureates, educators, to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Mazotti connects collaborators with a national audience. "We love bringing stories of high-impact worldchangers to listeners all across the country," she says. "The issues we discuss on the show affect all of us locally, nationally, and even globally." The Experience Pros Radio Show, hosted by Angel Tuccy and Eric Reamer airs daily for two hours in Denver, Colorado and nationally for one hour on WXJC (850 AM and 92.5 FM) in Birmingham, AL and KJSL (630 AM) in St. Louis, MO, as well as for an hour a week on KFNX (1100 AM) in Phoenix, AZ.

» (Experience Pros Radio Show), recently named "The most positive business talk show in America,"* offers listeners a well-rounded cornucopia of resources covering a wide range of elements essential to building a collaborative business model. «

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are predisposed to be low on the list of people whom others wish to visit. And yet, one dentist in the Denver suburb of Centennial, Colorado has a long line of people bringing their business to him—and an even longer line of current clients literally singing the praises of a customer experience that transcends expectations. Dr. Camillo DiLizia offers this explanation for the virtual flood of clients his practice serves, "I do my best to live life on the bright side." His regular Wednesday radio segment of the same name allows many thousands of listeners a glimpse into what makes this dentist special. Sure, he's formally trained and has over 25 years of practical experience, but it's his uplifting, positive attitude, spiced with a little left-over New Jersey flavor, that drives people through the doors and motivates

*"Most positive business talk show in America" - Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder, BNI Networking Groups.

Mobility is Mine Economy TAKRAF The use of conveyors for material transportation significantly improves the economics of mining operations. A newly developed Tenova TAKRAF “state of the art” fully mobile crushing series provides a flexible link between mining shovel and face conveyor, eliminating the use of haul trucks. The versatile TMCS mobile crushing system can serve three mine benches with heights of more than 15 meters each by either directly feeding the face conveyor, or by utilizing a belt wagon or mobile bridge. The mobile crusher is extremely manoeuvrable catering for continuous and synchronous movement with the face shovel. A crawler support located directly below the shovel dump hopper results in a very robust design. The TMCS layout allows for the installation of either a twin shaft sizer or double roll crusher. The fixed and oversized discharge conveyor below the crushing unit equalizes material flow and minimizes spillage. The TMCS series has been designed to work in conjunction with the standard shovel range of 20 to 65 m³, yielding a design throughput from 3,000 up to 12,000 t/h.

TAKRAF GmbH - Torgauer Straße 336 - 04347 Leipzig / Germany phone +49 341.2423 - 500 - fax +49 341. 2423 - 510 - sales@takraf.com TAKRAF USA. Inc. - Regency Plaza - 4643 S. Ulster Street - Suite 1150 Denver - CO 80237 - USA phone 303. 714. 8050 - fax 303. 770. 6307 - takraf.us@takraf.com www.takraf.com www.tenovagroup.com

book review

The Quest Book Review

Electricity Underpins Modern Civilization By Kelly de la Torre

lectricity Underpins Modern Civilization. With this simple sentence, Daniel Yergin sums up our way of life as it relates to energy and frames the three fundamental issues that shape the narrative in his book, The Quest. These issues include adequate supply, energy security, and the associated environmental impacts. Yergin’s writing demonstrates that the energy landscape consists of more than supply security—the energy landscape is a system with numerous moving parts that make the whole. Yergin deftly maps out the interconnected nature of this system and using this groundwork explains why we should care about the energy industry and energy policy. A critical question throughout the book relates to fuel choice and what fuel mix will enable the generation of enough electricity to meet the nation’s growing demands for power? “The prospects for electric power in the twenty-first century can be summarized in a single word: growth.” Our lifestyle and economic growth is intimately tied to energy, and the world’s appetite for energy keeps growing. Decades have passed since the “Live Better Electrically” campaign that was launched by Ronald Reagan in the 1950’s to extol the benefits of an all-electric home. At that time, it was a luxury to have a vacuum cleaner, a toaster, and a television. It was during the 1950’s and the 1960’s that America became an electrified society. Electricity spurred industrial growth and created a better lifestyle. According to Yergin, Reagan and his daughter summed it up, “You really begin to live when you live better electrically!” Today’s consumer doesn’t need any convincing about the virtues of electricity. In fact, it’s

quite the opposite. We can’t function without it, and we need a lot of it. The statistics are staggering. Yergin says, “Electricity consumption, both worldwide and in the United States, has doubled since 1980. It is expected, on a global basis, to about double again by 2030.” But, the costs and logistics of this growth are also staggering. In fact, Yergin argues

that the cost for building the new capacity to accommodate this growth between now and 2030 is currently estimated at $14 trillion, and is rising. But that expansion is what will be required to support what could be by then a $130 trillion world economy. Yergin says that these big numbers generate big and complicated questions and at the crux: fuel choice. He says, “The centrality of electricity makes the matter of fuel choice and meeting future power needs one of the most fundamental issues for the global economy.” Fuel choice, however, doesn’t just involve selection of the energy source, but includes considerations surrounding energy security, physical safety, economics, environment, geography, carbon and climate change, values, public policy and reliability—all decisions that are critical to the state of our electricity grid. Interwoven into this conversation is the gap between public expectations and the reality of what can actually get built in the face of dramatic swings in markets and popular opinion. “Meeting future needs for electricity means facing challenging and sometimes wrenching decisions about the choice of fuel that will be required to keep the lights on and the power flowing,” states Yergin. Yergin addresses the lack of certainty over rules, politics, and expectations and how this lack of certainty defines the reality of what can get built. The huge capital investment and the timeframe for which these plants and facilities will operatee, further complicate the decision-making process. For example, power plants and facilities are typically in operation for 60 to 70 years. New coal-fired plants can cost as much as $3 billion, and new nuclear facilities can cost upwards

» "Meeting future needs for electricity means facing challenging and sometimes wrenching decisions." «

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- Daniel Yergin

of $6 or $7 billion or more. Thus, today’s decisions will impact the energy landscape now and into the next century—while the rules, politics, and public perception continue to change. Further analysis underscores the importance of understanding the risks and requirements of energy security. Any major disruption of supply demonstrates how fundamental access to energy is to our modern life and how important it is to protect our access to it. The Quest explains the simple definitions of energy security and the availability of sufficient supplies at affordable prices, so that one can delve into the multiple dimensions of the energy landscape. Physical security relating to infrastructure, supply chains and trade routes, access or supply security, systems management to provide coordinated response to disruptions and emergencies, and certainty with respect to the policy and business climate in order to promote investment and development are all key factors when considering the current energy debate. Beyond the physical infrastructure, The Quest highlights how energy security now extends into cyberspace. Yergin refers to the difficulty of protecting our electric grid this way, “The bulk power system is comprised of over 200,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines, thousands of generation plants, and millions of digital controls. It is also one of the most complicated to secure.” Unfortunately, the threat is not limited to the grid. The threat extends to other systems relating to energy production, pipelines and water. One solution proposed in the book is investment into the architecture of these systems with increased focus on design and security. The question of security, however, underscores the need for innovation across the energy spectrum. Yergin says, “Today there is a great bubbling in the broth of energy innovation as has never occurred before.” The challenges of energy supply, usage, security, environmental impact, and climate change drive innovation. One example provided by Yergin is the natural gas revolution driven by fraccing and incented in the 1990’s by a federal tax credit. Fraccing knowhow was combined with skills in horizontal drilling, and the result was a transformation of the U.S. natural gas market. New innovations could once again dramatically change the supply outlook. Yet another way to dramatically change the supply outlook is to conserve energy by implementing energy efficiency technologies and processes. The book notes that a global consensus is emerging around the key role of energy efficiency. Call it a “C-change

in attitudes” around conservation and climate change. Energy efficiency goes by many names but the effect is the same—using less for the same or greater effect. Yergin explains that energy efficiency is applying greater intelligence to consumption, and its potential application is huge. “The United States uses less than half as much energy for every unit of GDP as it did in the 1970’s. A good part of the improvement is certainly pure efficiency,” he says. In the United States, the industrial sector consumes about a third of total energy. Industry strives to understand how to manage energy costs and how to ensure payback on efficiency investments. Yergin again emphasizes the need for some certainty and predictability in fuel choice. Small investments in operations and maintenance can lead to low-cost gains. However, large capital investment hinges on predictability in the market. “Volatility – the way that prices can rapidly move up and down – can be a real challenge. Companies are more likely to invest the money and effort – and stick with it – if they believe that process will be high enough to have a significant impact on their costs and bottom line.” The Quest concludes with the “Great Revolution”—a time where we all recognize that energy transition generally takes a long time, but that there are principles that can define a place to start. Yergin says it best, “Diversification of oil resources needs to be expanded to diversification among energy sources—conventional and new. This represents a realization that there are no risk-free options and that the risks can come in many forms. Energy efficiency remains a top priority for a growing world economy.” He goes on, “The real advances, whether in developed or developing nations, will be embodied in behavior and value, but especially in investment in new processes, new factories, new buildings, and new vehicles. Sustainability is now a fundamental value of society. Environmental priorities need to continue to be integrated into the production and consumption of energy. They should be analyzed and assessed in terms of impact and scale and cost-benefit analysis, assuring access to energy, with appropriate environmental safeguards.” Fundamental to the “quest” is the continuing search for knowledge which will spur innovation to meet the rising challenges of energy demand. Energy is fundamental to all of our lives and no revolution can happen without our input to solve the challenges of today and our energy future. No one explains that quite like Mr. Yergin.

» "Centrality of electricity makes the matter of fuel choice and meeting future power needs one of the most fundamental issues for the global economy." « - Daniel Yergin

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book review

Technology-Fueled People Power

Good Company, Business Success in the Worthiness Era An Interview With Laurie Bassi By Maria E. Luna

merging global economic security starts with the Worthiness Era. Good Company, Business Success in the Worthiness Era, by Laurie Bassi, proves that in order to yield high profits, companies must make investments in employees, customers and investors. Good Company was written for leaders on the frontlines and to demonstrate that in The Worthiness Era “halfhearted corporate responsibility efforts common today,” can be marginalized. Bassi says, “Only thoroughly worthy companies that genuinely see to do more than enrich a narrow set of shareholders and executives will thrive.” Such enrichment comes about through managing and inspiring employees effectively, and avoiding The Worthiness Era will result in not only a poor reputation, but poor business in general. ICOSA: What’s the most surprising thing you learned from writing Good Company? Bassi: Through our systematic compilation of information on the Fortune 100 we gave each company a grade from A to F. And, there were two surprising things we learned. The happiest thing we learned was how good many of these companies were doing. We looked at how they used their core capabilities to make contributions to the community and society. For example, Proctor and Gamble learned that in India adolocent girls tended to miss school a couple of days every month because they didn’t have access to hygiene products. This ultimately caused them to drop out of school, get married, have children at a younger age, which then increased childhood mortality, and poverty rates. So the simple act of using their core

capabilities and distributing the products they produce to these girls in India helps break the cycle. They have been able to document the impact—reductions in childhood mortality, increases in female education rate, and overall increases in income. Some may look at that

cynically and say they are just in this for the money when incomes raise—but I say they have earned it. ICOSA: You say your title has a double meaning. Tell us more. Bassi: What we are discovering is that people are requiring more of companies. We are tired of greed, as evidenced by the Occupy Wall Street efforts. The double meaning of Good Company is it pays for companies to be good and we want companies in our lives that are good companies. ICOSA: The economy is sluggish, the deficit is astronomical; yet do you think things are getting better? Bassi: At a micro-level, as opposed to a macro-level, the power is shifting from big corporations to people. There is a lot that we as individual consumers and investors can do to make things better for ourselves, our families and ultimately the society in which we live. People are exercising that power. ICOSA: What is The Worthiness Era? Bassi: There is a convergence of forces going on. It’s a convergence of economic, social and political forces that is actually forcing companies towards better behaviors; being good employers, being better sellers and good stewards of the community and environment. That is what we Laurie Bassi define as a good company. It’s not about being good for goodness sake. It’s about being good because it is the way to make money. In the end it all boils down to technologyfueled people power. That is what is giving people the power to force better behavior on companies. To be a good employer you need to simultaneously be caring, exacting

» "Only thoroughly worthy companies that genuinely see to do more than enrich a narrow set of shareholders and executives will thrive." «

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- Laurie Bassi

and inspiring. It’s not enough anymore Top 10 Fortune to just make money. Most of us expect 100 companies more out of our work today. ICOSA: How is what you’re 1. Walt Disney A doing different from other socially 2. FedEx Aresponsible assessments, like the 3. Cisco Systems B+ KLD 400 Social Index or the Dow 4. IBM B+ Jones Sustainability Index? Hasn’t this already been done? 5. Intel B+ Bassi: The Good Company Index 6. Kraft Foods B+ we created is a comprehensive look 7. Procter & Gamble B+ at companies versus the Dow Jones 8. Travelers B+ Sustainability Index which focuses primarily on the environment. 9. United Parcel Service B+ And the KLD Index is not all that 10. American Express B Dan McMurrer, Laurie Bassi, & Ed Frauenheim, authors of Good Company exclusive. We think most concepts of social responsibility are the how they can contribute and benefit from think this is the place boards need to get more starting point and the other Indexes this unfolding Worthiness Era. This is not involved in now. don’t look at the concept of being a good a political message. In fact, people from ICOSA: What concrete advice do you employer. Their concepts of good employers the far left and far right can agree that we have to give to investors? People looking are minimal. We go beyond the concept of need to focus on this. The book lays out the for jobs? Customers who want to use their social responsibility. Goldman Sachs has common grounds. Remarkably the message spending to encourage better corporate been “socially responsible” according to the is the same for investors and people looking stewardship? others, but clearly they have demonstrated for jobs. Both should ask the question, ‘Is this Bassi: This book is written for thoughtful some behaviors like betting against their own a good employer I’m investing in—whether people who want a broader and deeper customers. Goldman is “socially responsible” I’m investing my work life or my hard earned understanding of the forces at work and by the technical definition—but that is not dollars?’ To learn more about these good enough. companies, go to a website called ICOSA: You talk about a www.glassdoor.com, it enables users turnaround whereby firms that have to see into these companies. It has tried to insinuate themselves into employee reviews on 133,000 firms— our lives as “friends” or “family” another example of technology-fueled are now getting more attention from people power. What we have found people than they ever wanted. Tell us is that employee satisfaction is very more about that. powerfully correlated with stock prices, Bassi: We start the book with so investors should be looking at it a story about Home Depot back in too. They should want to know the 2007. Remember Home Depot’s same thing an employee would want motto, “You can do it, we can help.” to know. Well, in 2007 Home Depot's service ICOSA: Is the CEO of XYZ quality was declining. An MSN company overpaid? blogger wrote a piece complaining Bassi: Often yes. We have a rock about the decline at Home Depot star celebrity culture in the United and within a week there were States for CEOs. That is one of the over 4,000 additional blog entries reasons I say boards of directors need commenting—mostly complaints. As to be paying more attention to the a result, the newly appointed CEO people side of the business. went online and apologized for the ICOSA: Final thoughts? oversight and bad service. This is an Bassi: In an interview for the example of technology-fueled people book with Mitch Markson, president power. It is fundamental to what of consumer marketing at Edelman, a is causing the shift we are talking large public-relations firm, we learned about—The Worthiness Era. that companies that become catalysts ICOSA: What should boards for social change and respond to rising of directors do differently to help consumer expectations, their brands promote sustainable profitability? will help make the world a better place Bassi: This is where boards of and will not only survive, but thrive in directors really need to get more ways their competitors will not. involved, not at a micro-management For up-to-date ratings, visit: level, but at the macro, good employer www.goodcompanyindex.com. level. People actually do the work and I

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opinion

FIXING THE EDUCATION DILEMMA

Why Don’t We Lead

By Example? By Kim DeCoste

here is little doubt that the future of children in the United States and around the world is one of the most pressing “resource” questions we must address. Educating and nurturing young minds so that we cultivate future leaders, workers, thinkers and citizens is essential to sustaining the nation and the planet. That is not a hyperbole. Never mind chauvinistic concerns, though some people approach the issue that way. Focus instead on the idea that if we do not determine where our children’s education ranks on the long list of priorities, it will be too late for many of them to recover easily. Perhaps it is already happening. When focusing on the United States, an interesting paradigm emerges. It’s not entirely clear when and how this started, but young Americans are losing the competitive edge—right here in this country, and in the universities. Current data substantiates the fact that a large percentage of students in our universities are international students. So, on the one hand American universities are attractive to foreign students—which is a good thing. But on the other hand, we face the issue that we are educating foreign students and then either letting them go back or in some cases forcing them to return to their home countries and not benefitting from the wisdom and knowledge they gained here, a point we highlighted in our October 2011 story “The Broken System of Immigration.” The Institute of International Education (www.iie.org) reported last year that though international student enrollment only rose “modestly” at an overall rate of three percent in the previous academic year, it was driven, for example by a 30 percent increase in Chinese student enrollment to a total of nearly 128,000 or more than 18 percent of the total international student population. Then, consider the two percent increase in Indian students last year (total of 105,000), which

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» "Active engagement between U.S. and international students in American classrooms provides students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across cultures and borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead." « - Allan Goodman

represents 15 percent of all international students in U.S. higher education you get a better picture. States most impacted by foreign students are California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois. Another consideration is that these international students are some of the best and brightest in their own countries. They endure a lifestyle of academic rigor unfamiliar to most American students—so when they arrive here, naturally, most are smart and motivated. And, they

are raising the bar or changing the academic curve, even for entrance to college, in those states specifically. It has become harder for American students in those states to get into their state universities than for those in other parts of the country and the world. “The United States continues to host more international students than any other country in the world,” according to Allan Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of

International Education. “Active engagement between U.S. and international students in American classrooms provides students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across cultures and borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead.” Of course, we absolutely want to see future generations collaborate, as Mr. Goodman suggests, but increasingly we worry that the American students will come up short. Is that really possible in the long term? Certainly there is increased pressure on U.S. public colleges and universities to do more with less. How can they compete? Underfunded by many states, they have become creative in raising funds. Alumni, generous donors, foundations and other private sector benefactors provide capital improvements and other university projects. The pressure on institutions of higher learning to continue to contribute in a meaningful way through their research and writing has increased exponentially, as tuition continues to rise. They are competing for the best students, the best athletes, the best professors, and the highest achieving academic and thought leaders. And with international students, they are competing for students who are not only bright, but who are also fully funded at the “published rate.” International tuition is much higher than state tuition, and it is in the schools’ financial interests to enroll them. Another consideration: There is also a significant trend in proprietary—private, for profit—universities to accept international students if these students have the financial

resources to pay for their education outof-pocket. Many of these open enrollment institutions allow any person who can provide proof of high school equivalency completion and a functional knowledge of English to enroll in the university. The school’s position is that the institution is filling a need—in this case a business need—for international students to get educated in the United States. They are regionally accredited, which makes them legitimate institutions of learning, and they are often better able to help foreign students make their way through the programs because the for-profit institutions are revenue driven, so they do go out of their way in many cases to help students succeed. They are also not constrained by the funding issues that hamper traditionally funded schools. They can be quite flexible with faculty who are mostly adjuncts—employed elsewhere and “teaching on the side.” There is no tenure. No big pensions. No faculty housing. No need to publish or do research. These colleges and universities, some would argue, are very pragmatic. They just teach. For profit vs. not-for-profit institutions is a very hot topic. Currently there is rigorous debate about the way the for-profit schools recruit and draw funding through the federal government’s financial aid programs for U.S. students. There have been challenges to the use of GI Bill funding for former military students, and there have been challenges on the basis of resulting “gainful employment” to the work these institutions do. On the one hand, they are serving a demographic that would otherwise likely not be supported in a traditional setting. Open enrollment means

» Accruing debt while out of work is a risk. « there really are few if any roadblocks (such as admission requirements) to enrollment. Proof of high school education, sometimes a writing sample, transcripts, English proficiency and sometimes a background check are all that is usually needed. So, on the one hand, the for-profit schools have leveled the playing field—anyone can go to college now. On the other hand, is going to college enough to be successful in these competitive times? Maybe that is the underlying question. Is traditional college necessary? Or, would society be better served to focus on vocational education for some students? The American educational system is unique, based on the size of the country and the number of students served. In the U.S., the educational system purports to educate every student through grade 12 if they want to attend school. Unlike many countries who push all children through to a point and then distinguish educational tracks that will limit later options for them, Americans say no child will be left behind in the United States. But then, are we really doing them all a favor if the best we can offer is a mediocre education? The consensus seems to be that U.S. public education is in a crisis, both at the K-12 and higher education level. Arguably, an honest conversation about higher education must begin with an in-depth look at a child’s formative years and the rigor (or lack thereof) of instruction that a child receives before he/ she enters college. It is a fact that more time is being spent in the first year of college remediating freshmen. That means that parents and students are paying college tuition so that deficient enrollees can learn educational skills that should have been mastered in K-12 schools. Further, with the economy as rocky as it has been, college enrollment is way up. More people are out of work, sometimes chronically, and they believe getting more education will help them. That might be true in some cases, but accruing debt while out of work is a risk. It’s important to note that some schools remind students that if they enroll and seek federal financial aid, they can also get a stipend through financial aid to cover cost of living expenses. There are many people in

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opinion

The Education Dilemma

this country living off of unemployment or social security and a college stipend. Some are working on advanced degrees just to stay in school and keep the money coming. Never mind that they are doing nothing to make themselves more marketable on the employment front from a practical standpoint. Many do not work outside jobs; they become full-time students. They are not constrained by age, so they can be at entry level or post retirement levels of schooling. Is this what we want the American higher education system to look like? Finally, we must look at the ultra-success stories. Yes, there are exceptions. But the truly incredible success stories are often told by people in the most dynamic and challenging industries who want to share their stories of academia. Oftentimes, their stories include tales of being struggling students and/or dropouts. An example is Dale Stephens, chief educational deviant and poster child for Generation Y, who at 19 years old states, “College isn’t just an idea or a website. It’s a movement. It’s a lifestyle. We believe that college isn’t the only path to success.” (www.UnCollege.org). Dale’s website goes on to explain that he is not “against college” but that he and others are paying too much to learn too little. Stephens says, “Hacking your education means deciding how, when and what you want to learn. Hacking your education means bending institutions to your reality. Hacking your education means making the most of the best years of your life.” (Yes, we know some would say those college years were the best years of their lives! But we don’t think that is what he’s referring to here.) Maybe they’re right—for some kids. There isn’t an easy answer to the questions surrounding this tricky topic, but we need to ask the question to American adults: How important is supporting public higher education to you? I would speculate that the prevailing answer is that supporting education is very important. The direction of education in the United States must be a collective decision. It’s not just about increasing education funding or raising taxes—it’s about a generation needing a direction in the education process for our country to remain competitive. Yes, but we might need something more fundamental. We need them to focus on ( 30 )

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» The system is limping along and it is not in the system’s best interest to fix itself. « what they want to be and what they want to do with their lives. Then we need them to figure out the best path to their own vision of success, and then we need them to search for that success. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it.” Society needs to find a way to begin to talk about the “elephant” in the room with respect to public education: tenure in higher education as well as in K-12. What is the old adage? “If what you are doing isn’t working, stop doing it.” The system is limping along and it is not in the system’s best interest to fix itself. Like most things, change will be imposed from the outside by forces willing, or not, to continue to support—through funding or enrollment—the work being done. An example is what Geoffrey Canada is doing in Harlem, or what Michele Rhee at StudentsFirst. These people are using innovative strategies that need to be presented in a national conversation on education. These innovators want to see change in the way educational institutions conduct business. Without a steady stream of funding, the colleges and universities will begin to disappear. It is already happening in some small rural areas—community colleges and land grant institutions in rural areas are really struggling due to a lack of funds. Problems are further exacerbated by lack of human resources or facilities and dwindling enrollment. At the end of many programs, there are not enough jobs available in many

fields. This cycle can continue for some time to come. So what can society do to fix the current education dilemma? U.S. citizens need to find a way to dissect this massive problem and start tackling it from multiple angles. Everyone needs to roll up their sleeves to find ways to make institutions be relevant and flexible in their approaches to education. We need to help institutions be relevant and nimble. Issues relating to international students must be addressed so that the collective best interest of the American public is met. A bigger picture must come into focus whereby the melting pot that is America can do right by international and “homegrown” students. Action must be taken quickly so as to bolster the American educational experience. Every nine months or so, the next generation of leaders moves up a grade in school. They are inching toward their futures and we, as a society, have an obligation to help them see the world as it is, to help them imagine how it might be when they “arrive” at adulthood, and then make sure that they are educated in a practical way so they can accomplish what they set out to do, whatever that is. We can’t be certain what the future will bring, but we can still prepare them for the many possibilities and opportunities that may arise. They need imagination and skills. They need the confidence to believe they can make a difference. And they must have the flexibility to change when change is demanded. We need to lead by example.

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Academia

Green Computing Center

Finding the

Collaborative Gene The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center By Eric Nakajima

inety miles west of Boston, in one of the poorest cities in Massachusetts, arguably the most significant public/ private collaboration in state history between government, industry and academia is taking shape. Five of the state’s premier research universities, two global technology corporations and the administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick are partnering to develop the state’s first high performance computing center. The center and related initiatives will strengthen the state’s position as the leading knowledge economy state in the nation and extend the reach of the Massachusetts’ innovation economy far beyond greater Boston. The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC), which is currently under construction and scheduled to open at the end of 2012, will be a shared resource facility that will dramatically improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the universities. It will catalyze new research partnerships between faculty of the universities, helping them break new ground on critical scientific questions and better compete for federal research dollars. In the community of Holyoke, where the MGHPCC is located, the MGHPCC initiative leverages the existing assets of the city and region to become a focal point for innovation-based economic development. The MGHPCC facility is being developed and managed by a nonprofit corporation established in 2010, by the five largest research universities in the state. The partners include: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts, Boston University, Northeastern University and Harvard University. The building is being financed through investments by the five universities and contributions from EMC Corporation, Cisco and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The center costs approximately $95 million to build, with an additional $75 million of computer equipment to be located in ( 32 )

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» All of the partners were keen to get it right this time. « the finished building. The universities are contributing $10 million each for the project, with $25 million invested by the state, $5 million combined from EMC and Cisco, and the remainder of the project financed through federal New Markets Tax Credits. Once finished, the five universities will locate state-of-the-art high performance computers in the 90,300 square-foot facility, with up to 10 megawatts of computing power. The universities are shifting all of their current and future high performance computing from their campuses to the MGHPCC, which will dramatically improve the efficiency of their operations and save money. The center will also have university-industry demonstration space, to allow for unique research activities on-site and classroom space to provide on-site training and education extending from the K-12 level through community colleges and the universities.

Has Massachusetts Found the Collaborative Gene? Massachusetts leaders from business, academia and government have often heard that the state is hampered by the absence of the kind of “collaborative gene” that makes Silicon Valley so successful. Whether true or not—and there are many people in the state who would agree—Massachusetts, through the MGHPCC initiative, appears to have discovered its collaborative gene. How did that happen? In October 2008, MIT President Susan Hockfield invited a small group of leading business, academic, and government leaders to breakfast at Gray House on the MIT campus in Cambridge. In attendance were Massachusetts Governor Patrick, Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers, EMC

Corporation’s chairman and CEO Joe Tucci, University of Massachusetts president Jack Wilson, and Akamai’s president Paul Sagan, among others. At the breakfast, the leaders forged a common relationship and discussed their shared interest in reinvigorating the state’s innovation ecosystem through some still undefined collaborative effort. Following that meeting, in January 2009, Susan Hockfield initiated a conversation with UMass President Jack Wilson about MIT’s critical need to expand and rationalize its high performance computing infrastructure. MIT had conducted a New England-wide feasibility study of the best locations to develop an integrated high performance computing center and settled on Holyoke as the ideal place. Holyoke had significantly less expensive electricity than elsewhere in New England, thus saving MIT millions of dollars in operating costs, and it had excellent broadband connectivity to Cambridge. MIT had been planning on building the facility itself prior to the current “Great Recession,” but was now looking for partners to share the expense. Necessity and the familiarity created through the breakfast had catalyzed the collaborative gene. Once UMass and MIT launched their partnership, their planning efforts rapidly expanded to include other attendees at President Hockfield’s breakfast. Governor Patrick committed his economic development team to the planning effort, and Cisco’s John Chambers and EMC’s Joe Tucci enthusiastically joined the conversation. In turn, Boston University President Bob Brown committed BU as a third university partner in the project. President Brown turned out to be a key voice early on because he had led a previously failed effort to develop a multipartner supercomputing center in Massachusetts while at MIT. All of the partners were keen to get it right this time. In June 2009, project partners signed a letter of intent that launched an extensive planning process that would end with the selection of a building site in downtown Holyoke and an October 2010 groundbreaking for development of the center. The project planning phase took a shared commitment to collaborate and to project goals,

further forging the working institutional relationships and understandings that made that collaboration real. In less than a year and a half, the MGHPCC partners developed a series of goals and commitments that extended from university-based actions to inter-university research collaboration to partnerships with community leaders in Holyoke and Western Massachusetts to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and cultivate the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. One of the first shared goals of the MGHPCC partners was to build a green high performance computing center.

Why Is It Called Green? The MGHPCC is called the “green” computing center due to three significant qualities that differentiate this project from other data centers. First, the center is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a city with a municipal utility that manages a large hydroelectric dam that provides about 78 percent of the city’s electric needs with green power. The

utility, Holyoke Gas & Electric, is uniquely entrepreneurial and is forward-looking in its efforts to expand renewable generation and deploy smart grid technologies on its system. Holyoke’s commitment to expanding the use of green power and efficient technologies gives the MGHPCC a critical local partner. The second “green” commitment made by the universities was to pursue efficient and green technologies in the development of the center. The MGHPCC sought LEED certification and are currently seeking a best-in-breed standard for the efficient use of power in the building. Data center efficiency is typically measured by its power usage efficiency (PUE), where a PUE of 1 means every watt of power is being used by the computers with no loss of energy, and a PUE of 2 (which is common for many data centers) means two watts of power are used to get one watt of computing. The MGHPCC is targeting a PUE of 1.2, which will place it at a leading edge for major data centers. Third, the MGHPCC is committed to applying its world-class research capabilities to “greening” the infrastructure and organization of the center itself over time. Leading computer scientists from all five universities have been involved in designing the computing center, and they will continue to optimize the facility through applied research in green storage, green networking, and data center management.

» The MGHPCC partners developed a series of goals and commitments that extended from university-based actions to inter-university research collaboration to partnerships with community leaders in Holyoke and Western Massachusetts to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and cultivate the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. «

Leading the Next Scientific Revolutions Massachusetts is fortunate to be home to many of the world’s finest research institutions, from MIT and Harvard, to Longwood Medical Area, to pioneering private companies like EMC and iRobot. Current research and development leadership will work to ensure that Massachusetts continues to out-compete other states for increasingly scarce federal research dollars and translate university-based discoveries into new innovative products or services. Beyond the benefits of the shared-resource computing facility itself, the MGHPCC initiative creates a platform for improving collaboration across the state’s innovation pipeline. In June 2010, the universities held a joint New England Faculty Summit on

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Academia

Green Computing Center

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101 Walnut Street, PO Box 9151 Watertown, Massachusetts 02471 617.924.1770 FAX 617.924.2286

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CyberSecurity to discuss plans to establish a regional academic consortium on the topic and have since joined privately-led efforts by MassInsight to develop an Advanced Cyber Security Center in Massachusetts. In September 2011, the universities launched a $500 million collaborative research seed fund to support research collaborations, including faculty from two or more of the schools on topics in high performance computing. And, the universities have partnered with the Patrick Administration and leaders in the Holyoke area to launch innovation-based initiatives that leverage the advantages of the MGHPCC facility and the region. Governor Patrick continues to seek ways that state government and policymakers can play a positive role in catalyzing innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurship in the Holyoke region and statewide. Governor Patrick has led the state through the recession with a clear agenda focused on fiscal discipline and investments in education, infrastructure and innovation—and that focus has itself provided confidence to the private sector. Strong leadership from the state does not have to mean top-down solutions. Massachusetts does it differently.

Strengthening the Economy in Western Massachusetts The MGHPCC is focused on creating a world-class computing resource that will profoundly improve the competitiveness of the member universities, while improving the economy of the City of Holyoke and Western Massachusetts. From the beginning of the project, officials from the City of Holyoke have been essential partners to executing the project. The former and current Mayors, Mike Sullivan and Elaine

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A-1 Pluta, and City Council have ensured rapid permitting of the project, while the Planning and Economic Development staff and Holyoke Gas & Electric have provided everything from technical support to the developers to management of the site demolition and remediation that ensured a clean site for construction of the facility. Everyone involved in the project believes that the successful completion of the MGHPCC building provides world-class evidence that Holyoke is a great place to do business. If Holyoke is the best place in New England for MIT to be, maybe it will work for other businesses, too. The MGHPCC project has also attracted new resources to Holyoke that will help it compete for business. In September 2011, the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded $2.1 million to substantially modernize Holyoke’s downtown utility infrastructure with a new substation and cabling that will enable highly reliable transmission of enterprise grade power. In addition, the Patrick Administration and the MGHPCC universities are partnering with the Holyoke region in three significant ways to improve the economic future of residents in the region. First, the MGHPCC universities have committed themselves to working with the Holyoke community to extend their education resources into the community. The five universities launched a planning effort with the Holyoke Public Schools, Holyoke Community College, and local community-based nonprofits to develop projects collaboratively. In September 2011, the first of what will be many projects at the center received a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Faculty from MIT and UMass—Amherst are jointly developing curriculum that will allow students in the Holyoke and Springfield Public Schools Sheet

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to use tablet computers to conduct STEM experiments using computers at the MGHPCC. Second, many of the MGHPCC leaders, in particular MIT President Susan Hockfield and EMC’s Joe Tucci, immediately saw opportunities to enhance the Holyoke economy by developing the city as a testsite for innovative renewable and smart grid technologies, either from the universities or private companies. Through the diligence of Holyoke Gas & Electric General Manager Jim Lavelle and others, the MGHPCC project team kept focused on developing this radically-innovative concept. In November 2011, Holyoke hosted a major workshop including leaders from MIT, UMass, ISO New England, numerous companies and the Patrick Administration to launch this effort. Finally, the Patrick Administration and its local partners at the MGHPCC and in Holyoke have sought to learn from and cultivate the entrepreneurial leadership that already exists in the region. Holyoke and Western Massachusetts are currently home to competitive start-ups, angels and venture investors at a greatly smaller scale and with less visibility than greater Boston. Encouraging the growth of that innovation ecosystem is critical. In 2010, the Patrick Administration helped to seed-fund MassChallenge, a global start-up competition in Boston. MassChallenge was successfully marketed in Western Massachusetts, and a local company was a finalist in the 2011 competition. The Patrick Administration also seed-funded Idea Mill, a Holyoke-based entrepreneurship networking event that brought together for the first time technology leaders, such as iRobot CEO Colin Angle, with innovators from throughout the region. In October 2011, 150 people joined a daylong gathering that was the first of an annual selfsupporting event.

A Solid Foundation For the Future The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center brought together a historic partnership between the state’s leading research universities, corporate partners and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In partnership with Holyoke and leaders throughout Western Massachusetts, the state is also building a local foundation to enhance the competitiveness of the region and better connect to the state’s innovation economy. In three years, Massachusetts has found the collaborative gene and set a solid foundation for continued global leadership of the innovation economy.

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Academia

Insights Into Alberta's Oil Sands

Perspectives on the Oil Sands, Climate , and New Energy A Discussion with David Keith By Michael Connors & Tammy Schmidt

lberta’s Oil Sands are a nexus of heated debate concerning the future of energy exploration, both in the United States and Canada. Development of this resource is an economic benefit to both Canada and the U.S., but there are serious climate implications. During a trip to Alberta’s Oil Sands, ICOSA had the opportunity to spend some time with environmental scientist David Keith at the University of Calgary. Mr. Keith has worked closely with the interface between climate science, energy technology and public policy for 20 years. He took first prize in Canada's national physics prize exam, won MIT's prize for excellence in experimental physics, and was listed as one of TIME’s Heroes of the Environment 2009. Keith’s academic appointments are at Harvard where he serves as the Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and as Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He divides his time between Boston and Calgary where he also serves as president of Carbon Engineering, a start-up company developing industrial scale technologies for capture of CO2 (carbon dioxide) from ambient air. His expertise has guided numerous government panels on climate science and theory, and in an interview with Keith, we were able to glean a new, broader perspective of the climate debate with regard to the Alberta Oil Sands. Essentially, Keith contextualizes the Oil Sands development in a way that makes the over-arching climate debate accessible to an average person. While most believe that the Oil Sands will be developed, Mr. Keith advocates transitioning away from Oil Sands ( 36 )

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Photo by University of Calgary

» "You would want to actually think about putting enough money into one or two areas that you could build globally competitive industries on energy technologies that are going to win in a carbon concerning world." « - David Keith

development as soon as possible and replacing that fuel source with lower carbon energy alternatives. Right now, he notes that Calgary is a mecca for people who know how to develop large capital projects, and industry will do what industry does. “If we're serious about being a clean energy superpower," Keith said with a wry smile, "you would want to actually think about putting enough money into one or two areas that you could build globally competitive industries on energy technologies that are going to win in a carbon concerning world." Mr. Keith, essentially, helps place the development of the Oil Sands within a broader context. Simply put, Mr. Keith advocates the abandonment of oil itself. However, his angst and concern about the future of oil sand development lies with the people who make the policy. Ideally, he suggests, Canada should take the wealth generated from the sale of oil from Alberta and re-invest that money into a low carbon energy source that could be developed and advanced in Canada and then sold to other countries when carbon becomes too expensive to release. "I don't think we should shut down the Oil Sands today, but we need to use that wealth to invest it in things that allow us to thrive when those things are shut down. I don't see that the current federal government gets that long-term challenge," said Mr. Keith. Countries like China are currently developing renewable energy technologies to the tune of $1 trillion dollars per year, and will, in the future, be able to resell this technology to countries like the U.S. and Canada. The prospect of losing competitive advantage to other countries is

particularly frustrating to someone who knows that the same talent and know-how is available in Canada. "You could make strategic decisions to actually develop a new reactor technology or adapt one," he explained. "China has made a single decision to go with a certain reactor design. They've got multiple vendors and they are actually building them. And when we decide what we want 30 years from now, we are going to have to buy that technology from them. That is not a way to make a successful economy in the long run." He is personally involved in developing a carbon capture method that would pull carbon out of the air, and in the long run this technology could be used to produce carbon neutral hydrocarbon fuels from carbon free energy sources such as nuclear or solar power. But the carbon debate surrounding the Oil Sands, in his view, is one focused on tactics and strategies by both industry and environmentalists and often misses the big picture of energy 100 years from now. Professor Keith opines, "The environmental community will say all sorts of stuff about why they don't like the Oil Sands, but the underlying sensible strategic view is that they want to kill them. They're not interested in making it 10 percent better because 10 percent better isn't the issue. You could eliminate the emissions from the Oil Sands process, and you still have only solved 10 to 20 percent of the problem." He continues by noting, "In the long run if we are serious about climate risk, and we should be, we must be serious about moving away from oil as a transportation fuel. This means ending Oil Sands production no matter what. The problem for climate is not the environmental emissions from the Oil Sands production, it is the carbon in the product itself. In the long run, we cannot keep burning carbon we took from the ground if we want a stable climate." These types of conversations tend to result in governments legislating bit-bybit solutions—adding wind power or eliminating tailings ponds, for example. Keith would prefer to see the Canadian government plan for years and generations ahead. "They're not at the point where the regulation is going to come by itself. I presume that we are not going to keep putting carbon into the air at this rate, but maybe we will," he said. He goes on to say that when stiffer regulations do come, it will be devastating to the Alberta economy because new investment will stop instantly.

» "You could eliminate the emissions from the Oil Sands process, and you still have only solved 10 to 20 percent of the problem." « - David Keith

There will be a transition from fossil fuels to some renewable energy at some point, when carbon becomes too expensive, both financially and environmentally. And as history has taught, transition is painful. Keith advocates for selecting and developing technologies now that will advance into the distant future. He said, “It would require the kind of leadership and drive that Japan had in post-war times. I mean, it requires people to really think 30 years out and to reduce some current consumption in order to build stuff in the future.” This leadership would do more to secure Canada's long-term economic and environmental future. He maintains that by taking climate change seriously and its impact on future economies as well as environmental hazards, sensible decisions can be made. "One of the problems is, we put a little money into everything," said Keith. "Our competitors aren't doing that. We can't innovate everything. We must make some strategic national choices." Again, Mr. Keith helps the public to envision a country’s energy picture into the distant future. In reality, it's not as simple as making an energy choice. With a government committed to accelerated growth, it is difficult for technologies and industries to not only keep up, but to develop the best methods. Says Mr. Keith, "It's harder to develop other industries here because it raises all the wage and labor rates. It makes us more and more committed to it, and it's going to make the crash that much more devastating." Progress in climate change is a long, slow road. The first major report by a president on climate change was from President Johnson in 1965, and according to Keith, it had all the correct science. Since then, it’s been a pattern of discussion, regulation, legislation and gradual change. Says Keith, "We've made huge environmental progress since 1959 on climate. He concludes by encapsulating the climate debate thusly: "Climate action is not popular now, but the climate risk goes up with every ton of carbon we put into the atmosphere quite independent of current opinion. The Clean Air Act really did make a big improvement. Water quality also got better, and we solved the ozone problem; so it's not like we can't do these things. We still should go further."

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Academia

Salt Lake City Community College

Salt Lake City–

It Is A Changin’ How the Metropolitan Area’s Economic Centers are Undergoing Profound Changes By David Jones

alt Lake Community College is faced with providing the educational and training needs called for by many—especially the significant population increase in the southern Salt Lake Valley. Given the recent goal of Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert and local education partnership group, Prosperity2020, to create a state workforce that will have twothirds of its population with a post-secondary ( 38 )

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degree or credential by 2020, providing this training is a weighty responsibility. The total population of Utah is 2.9 million. Salt Lake City is the largest city in the state, with a metropolitan area hovering near 200,000 people, but the entire Valley hosts as many as 1.2 million residents. Salt Lake Community College is Utah’s only comprehensive community college and is responsible for meeting the education and

training needs for the residents. Those who have seen the Broadway smash hit “The Book of Mormon” might have a sense that Utah is demographically different from the rest of the United States. And it is. In 2010, Utah’s population saw a net increase—as it has every year since 1990. The state’s population growth of 29.6 percent in 2010 more than doubled the U.S.’s 13.2 percent increase. Much of this increase—88 percent to

be exact—is attributable to a high birth rate. But many people are relocating to Utah as well, even though in-migration was only 12 percent of Utah’s total population increase. In fact, 2010 marked the 15th consecutive year that the state saw more people move into the state than move out of it. Fortunately, Utah does have some characteristics that help the college provide the training people need, and that makes a college education a realistic goal for the state’s residents. Utah, for example, has the nation’s highest literacy rate and fourth highest percentage of high school graduates. It lags behind, however, in percentage of college graduates with only the 11th highest percentage in the country. And more of those people need a college education than elsewhere in the U.S., as Utah's median age in 2011 is 27 years, well below the national figure of 35. Lately, more and more of Utah residents are located south of where they once lived, as the southern end of the Salt Lake Valley is growing at a remarkable rate. The population of West Jordan city alone increased by 125,000 residents between 2000 and 2010; Herriman City saw an increase of more than 1,200 percent during that period. While the rate of these two cities’ growth is unusual, their neighboring cities south of Salt Lake City are also experiencing robust growth. Providing an education for all of these newcomers is challenging, particularly given that Utah, like many states, has seen significant budget cuts in public and higher education. This, coupled with several consecutive years of record enrollment increases at SLCC, is creating huge funding issues. Administrators and industry leaders clearly recognized that providing training that the burgeoning population south of Utah’s capital needs will require both facilities and programs to suit the area’s changing needs. As an institution with an open-door policy, Salt Lake Community College can’t simply deal with the region’s sizeable population increase by capping enrollment or by implementing more selective admissions policies. Instead, the college, already the largest institution of higher education in Utah, with 13 locations and more than 60,000 students annually, recently partnered with a major land developer to obtain 90 acres in Herriman City with plans to expand into the southern part of the valley.

Both human and energy resources are the key to the decision by the college to move south. By building new facilities and putting energy programs in that part of the valley, the college is able to maximize both the state’s human capital and naturally abundant energy stores. Because the location is in a natural wind corridor, the college and the developer—which donated 30 of the total 90 acres—accepted the challenge of meeting the area’s twin needs to produce education and energy opportunities. To that end, the college plans to build its full array of energy programs at the new site. Already a national educational leader in the fields of energy management and green technologies, the college has established a Green Academy that will

» The college has committed not only to providing access to the highest quality education throughout the Salt Lake Valley but also to preparing Utah’s workforce for a future in renewable energy technologies and energy conservation. « ultimately be moved to the Herriman campus. The Green Academy is an academic entity that houses numerous programs in alternative and renewable energy fields. Courses in these programs provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare them for emerging opportunities in green technologies. The new Herriman Campus and the Green Academy will offer students access to several programs in alternative and renewable energy fields, such as electric power technology, green retrofitting, lineman apprenticeship, smart grid technology, solar photovoltaic systems, and a compressed natural gas (CNG) certification program. As such, the college has committed not only to providing access to the highest quality education throughout the Salt Lake Valley

but also to preparing Utah’s workforce for a future in renewable energy technologies and energy conservation. This commitment and effort have been aided by a $3.7 million U.S. Department of Energy grant that makes the college the training site for the entire Mountain West Region. Through this program, the college will be the institution that educates the solar installer trainers in most of the Western U.S. SLCC is the only community college to be a part of this grant and is one of only nine institutions selected to participate. Along with the Rocky Mountain Solar Training Consortium, Solar Energy International, and the Utah Solar Energy Association, the college will assist 11 states in adopting and using solar electrical technologies and in developing or improving existing photovoltaic or solar heating and cooling installation courses. The college will assist state directors of career and technical education and other institutions in making sure solar installation training in the region is coordinated at the college level and will make sure high school students receive training opportunities that will enable them to take full advantage of the postsecondary opportunities that will become increasingly available because of this grant program. “The training we will be able to provide as a result of this grant is tremendous,” said Karen Gunn, dean of SLCC’s School of Professional and Economic Development. “Of course, all of our involvement with new and emerging alternative energy technologies is exciting. But our role in this consortium is especially rewarding because we’re able to take the absolute best practices in the industry and ensure that enterprising professionals who live and work anywhere in the region can have access to and benefit from them. In this way, we are truly capitalizing on the promise of these clean energy technologies.” Another federal grant, this one a $4.6 million State Energy Sector Partnership grant, allows the college to lead Utah’s Energy Cluster Accelerator Partnership efforts. Through these efforts, SLCC is promoting environmental sustainability and teaching the next generation of green champions— those who will in turn help build more sustainable communities. The college is the lead institution of the State Energy Sector Partnership that brings together educational institutions and state government along with the private sector to

» Utah has the nation’s highest literacy rate and fourth highest percentage of high school graduates. «

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Academia

Salt Lake City Community College

develop new jobs in energy fields. As lead institution in this partnership, the college has been integral in creating four regional energy academies that teach workers skills in industries that promote energy efficiency or the development of renewable-energy resources. The State Core Energy Curriculum is comprised of the following regional academies: green construction, energy management and efficiency, renewable energy and transmission, and alternative fuels. These core areas were decided on as part of an overall statewide approach that meshes with with the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development’s efforts to promote cluster accelerator projects. The projects capitalize on the state's strong points that begin with energy development

than 1,400 people in Utah alone. "Our goal in this partnership is to get people trained for good-paying jobs that will last a long time," said Tim Sheehan, SLCC vice president of Institutional Advancement. Training programs in these areas were designed specifically with industry needs in mind. “We certainly looked closely at data from various employment projections in creating and designing the curriculum for these programs,” Layne Ashton said. “We knew to be successful, we’d need to carefully consider and fully understand where the demand is and what the industry needs now and in the future. We engaged in discussions with our private-sector partners every step of the way to ensure we had that understanding.”

» The college will assist 11 states in adopting and using solar electrical technologies and in developing or improving existing photovoltaic or solar heating and cooling installation courses. «

and include numerous other resources such as outdoor recreation industries. “This program is obviously a great benefit to the State of Utah and to students as well, especially those who want to get into energy industries,” said Layne Ashton, director of the State Energy Sector Partnership. “Students are able to begin their study in an array of energy programs, and this grant provides funding that covers their total expenses for their programs of study, from tuition to books and supplies. Perhaps best of all, students can complete the training so quickly—those in the program finish their study in less than a year and are completely job-ready at that time.” Funding by the U.S. Department of Labor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 saw $190 million be appropriated to green jobs training grants nationwide and will provide training to more

As an institution accustomed to accommodating the vagaries of busy students’ hectic schedules, the college has tailored numerous features in these programs to allow people to get the training they’re looking for in ways they can use. Beyond the plan to physically relocate to the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley, the college also makes many courses available online. Students can also finish training in a core area and then return to school to complete a more specialized training certificate in areas such as natural gas vehicle conversion or solar voltaic installation. As a result of these efforts, Utah—already recognized as being one of the country’s most business-friendly states—will be wellpositioned to make the fullest possible use of the resources at its disposal. “The great thing about what both of these grants allow us to do is that we can

directly target the specific needs that local communities have and can adapt to those needs as circumstances and economies change,” said Sheehan. “These grants, coupled with our long-standing commitment to developing training programs in alternative energy fields will allow Salt Lake Community College to play such a vital role in stimulating the local and regional economy. Our new Herriman Campus will be a big part of that.” Salt Lake Community College has recognized how the region is growing and how the business climate is changing. It is moving aggressively to provide the instructional and physical resources that Utah needs to make the best use of its resources. And, the college will be recognized for progress in sustainability with the Green Business award in November 2011 from Utah Business.

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”Close your eyes and wish that companies that were good to their employees, their customers, their communities, and the environment made more money than ‘the bad guys.’ Now open your eyes and read this fascinating book. Amazingly, Bassi, Frauenheim, and McMurrer marshal evidence that it’s true. Read it and smile.” — Dr. Alan Blinder Gorden S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University and former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

By Laurie Bassi, Ed Frauenheim, and Dan McMurrer, with Larry Costello

Available now at your favorite bookseller.

www.GoodCompanyIndex.com

BUSINESS

Sustainable Careers

Baby Boomers in the U.S. are currently between the ages of 47 and 65. The sheer size of the generation is going to place tremendous strains on Social Security and Medicare, and the reliability of 401(k) accounts for retirement is questionable, at best. In addition, with life expectancies in the 80s, it is unreasonable to assume that any pension plan could affordably support this large population for 20-30 years of retirement. Finally, Boomers are not very good savers. They cannot afford to retire. Baby Boomers have changed many things about life in the U.S. since their births, and they are not finished. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 10 percent of the labor force was age 55 or older in 2000. By 2015, 20 percent will be 55 or older. And a recent survey by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that 39 percent of respondents plan to retire after age 70 or not at all. How do we productively engage the aging workforce in work now, and how do we craft careers for younger employees that will serve them well through all stages of their adult lives?

Sustainable

Careers Work for the Long Run By Karen Newman

on arrived for his last day of work as usual, before anyone else was in the office. He tried to ignore the knot in his stomach as he turned on his computer and prepared for his first conference call of the day. Ron had risen through the ranks of his international consumer products company, stayed current in his field, become a manager, and participated in many projects that had been very profitable for the company. It made Ron physically ill to think about this being his last day at work. True, he was past retirement age and was fully vested in his retirement program. True, he was no longer striving for promotions. Yet he still had plenty to offer. Unfortunately, the company didn’t see it that way. Ron wanted to keep working, but wanted to dial back his hours. But the company’s philosophy was “all or nothing” – employees are either fully engaged or are not ( 42 )

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employed here. The truth was, Ron was being pushed out, and he didn’t like it. “I’ ll show them,” he thought to himself. “I’ ll take my know-how and my business relationships with me tonight when I leave. To heck with them.” Yet no matter how much indignation Ron tried to muster, he still had that knot in his stomach. He didn’t want to leave. We all know a “Ron.” The 78 million Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 in the U.S. have challenged us as a society for over sixty years. We built new schools to educate them, new suburbs to house them, and new industries and jobs to challenge them. Women’s widespread entry into professional positions is a Baby Boomer phenomenon, as are 401(k) retirement accounts, credit card debt, dissolution of the nuclear family, and increasing reliance on science and technology for a better and longer life.

The Aging Advantage Contrary to common beliefs, older employees are not stubborn, rigid, low performing liabilities. Numerous researchers find older workers to be more engaged, more loyal, less likely to quit, less likely to be absent voluntarily, more willing to work hard, and just as adaptable when given the opportunity, compared to their younger colleagues. This is especially true for jobs in which the physical requirements of work are not a limiting factor. Older employees are better qualified, more interested in accomplishment, more interested in doing meaningful work, more motivated by autonomy and flexibility and less interested in promotions than their younger co-workers. Older employees hunger for an opportunity to make a difference, to bring their years of experience to bear and help others. They want to make a contribution and be respected for their wisdom and expertise.

Sustainable Careers “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” ~ Charles Darwin Sustainability implies preserving and enhancing human capital rather than depleting it. It implies restoring and maintaining balance. To be sustainable throughout life, careers must have three features. They must include renewal opportunities, times when

employees pause briefly to reinvigorate themselves. They must be flexible and adaptable. Half of what we think we know now will be obsolete in a few years. Individuals and firms need to be continuous and flexible learners, ready to travel new roads as conditions dictate. Finally, sustainable careers must include opportunities for integration across life spheres and experiences that lead to wholeness, completeness, and meaning. Let’s look at each of these in more depth.

Renewability Renewability implies replenishment in a reasonable amount of time. It implies the ability to refresh, to extend, and to be available indefinitely. The renewability feature of careers prevents burnout, akin to allowing time for muscles to recover after a rigorous workout. Renewable career practices provide periods of time for consolidation, reflection, rethinking and retooling. The case of Nancy Tuor of CH2MHill is an example. Nancy was the project executive for CH2MHill charged with cleaning up a highly complex hazardous waste site that was littered with radioactive waste. She and her team completed the estimated 60-year job in less than 10 years at a cost of one-fifth the original estimate. The project was a quintessential high visibility, high stakes, fast moving and extremely successful experience in her career. After completing the project, her career trajectory took her to a less visible, less turbulent assignment as vice-chair in which she developed future revenue streams through project proposals. She was not stagnated or plateaued, as might happen in another firm. She was investing in the future. After her time as vice-chair she went back into another high visibility job as the company’s project executive for building a carbon neutral city in the Middle East.

» Older employees hunger for an opportunity to make a difference, to bring their years of experience to bear and help others. They want to make a contribution and be respected for their wisdom and expertise. « Nancy’s story is not unique in engineering firms, yet it is also not common. Too often we move ourselves (or our employees) rapidly from place to place, assignment to assignment. A lull in the action is an indication of a problem, not an opportunity. Not so at CH2MHill. While the firm certainly keeps its billable hours at a reasonable level, it also has a practice of asking people to contribute from time to time in a different, less turbulent, less visible role, as Nancy did. The company benefits, as do its employees.

Flexibility Flexibility means being easily shaped and reshaped, adaptable, agile and capable of change. Flexibility implies range of movement, elasticity, and the ability to bend without breaking. Flexibility produces resiliency and confidence, two key components of positive psychology. Careers of the future must be flexible and adaptable, characterized by continuous learning both in response to change and in anticipation of change. We know things will not be the same next year as they were previously, but we do not know how they will be different. At Intel and many other technology-based companies, the majority of profits in any one year are from products that did not exist two years previously. Continuous learning is akin to tennis players always keeping their feet moving. The best players may not know where the ball will be, but being in

Figure 1: Sustainable Careers Career Feature:

Renewable

Flexible

Integrative

Characteristics

Consequences

Renewing assignments Refocusing Re-education

Less burnout More engagement More resilience

Continuous learning Changeable Adaptable More options Variable engagement

Better alignment between employer and employee needs Up-to-date knowledge Less stagnation More innovation

Bring desperate information together Perspective Knowledge management

See big picture Apply knowledge in new ways Meaningful contribution Retain critical knowledge in firm

motion helps them get to the ball more quickly. Daniel started his career in the financial services industry, working in operations – the backroom activities that keep the system working. It was not a job that led to trading or investment banking or wealth management, yet these were the types of jobs Daniel wanted. He continued his education, learned the fundamentals of investing, and achieved professional certifications necessary for advancement in investment analysis and wealth management. He made himself available for task forces and special projects that gave him visibility among investment professionals; he learned everything he could about the business on the job; and he found a mentor who straddled his world (operations) and the other functions in the firm to which Daniel aspired. After several years in operations, Daniel was asked to lead a project team that gave him great visibility among investment associates. When the project was completed, he was asked to manage the new activity – located in the investment management part of the firm. He is now a managing director in a prestigious investment bank. Daniel’s case illustrates one person’s tenacity and flexibility. Even better are examples of employers who have flexible, on-demand talent management strategies so that many “Daniels” can develop simultaneously. These firms are likely to be young and doing business in rapidly changing fields, firms such as Google, Zappos, and Apple. Their flexibility and adaptability are part of the reason for their success—being able to deploy the right talent at the right time on the right task. And these firms attract talent that is excited about flexibility and not worried about a lack of fixed career paths.

Integration Integration implies completeness, wholeness, consistency between values and actions, and connectedness. From integration comes meaning. Older adults seek meaning in their lives. They are asking the question, “Have I lived a meaningful life?” and “How can I make a positive difference in the time I have left?” Older adults have perspective, see connections and draw conclusions from disparate bits of information more readily than younger adults. They see patterns and networks younger workers often do not see.

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BUSINESS

Sustainable Careers

Imagine engaging experienced employees as one company did. Sam, a long-time employee at a mid-sized international engineering firm, had become marginally productive and difficult to work with. He was isolated at work, both physically and interpersonally. At 65 years old, he was as sharp as ever mentally, showed no signs of wanting to retire, but had lost his ability and willingness to work effectively with others. As a result, he was given tasks that reinforced his isolation and that were not at the cutting edge of the business. His new supervisor, Tony, realized that Sam’s talents were wasted in his current job. Taking advantage of Sam’s years of experience and solid customer relationships, Tony created a customer quality assurance role for Sam, representing projects holistically to the customer rather than contributing as one of the project engineers. Because of his years of experience, Sam was able to evaluate project quality and integration as a whole and was able to be the go-between with customers. Tony also moved Sam to the front of the office area in a prominent and visible space, paid attention to him, and ultimately honored Sam’s experience. He supported Sam’s job activities. Sam completely turned around his performance. Where previously Sam was a troubled, even dysfunctional employee, he became productive, valued and respected by his peers. This is an example of adding integration opportunities to talent management practices. Not everyone can be a “Sam,” but how many “Sams” are pushed prematurely out the door with a gold watch, or relegated to trivial work at the margin of the company? Sustainable careers engage the “Sams” of the world in ways that are appropriate to their stage in life, building on and using their need for integration.

The Business Case for Sustainable Careers The aging Baby Boomer Generation presents an opportunity to reinvent personal and organizational career strategies. For 40 years, society has made only incremental changes around the edges of traditional career practices in response to more women in the workplace, advances in information technology, and the rise of knowledge-based work. Vestiges of old assumptions remain—employment policies that punish or prohibit flexible work; promotion patterns that punish child-bearing and childrearing; job descriptions that require face-to-face work when not necessary; and retirement plans that push people out the door based on age rather than engagement and value.

The time for change is long overdue. As has happened so often in the last 40 years, it may be the large Baby Boomer Generation that triggers significant and lasting change in the way society engages people in work throughout life. Sustainable careers can help companies in at least five ways.

Knowledge Management Knowledge retention and knowledge transfer, huge issues now for companies, can be enhanced with continued engagement of more experienced people who have stayed current, who have not burned out, and who possess unique knowledge. As work in the U.S. becomes more knowledgebased, the need to manage knowledge will increase.

Figure 2: Benefits of Sustainable Careers

Knowledge Management Integration across Units and Functions Coaching and Mentoring Intergenerational Management Employment Costs

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Retain older employees in fully engaged, flexible capacity to impart knowledge. Use specialized knowledge of older employees in new ways. Older employees with perspective see connections. Older employees are more likely to see the big picture. Increasing pace of decentralization increases the need for integration – a need that can be met by older employees. Employees with current knowledge who are engaged and not burned out are more likely to be effective mentors and coaches. Employees with varied experiences are more likely to be better mentors. Support careers for Millennials that are balanced, growthful, and meaningful which enhances hiring and retention. Provide mentoring, coaching, and guidance to Millennials. Improve inter-generational relationships and facilitates career and personal development ofMillennials. With lower turnover and knowledge retention, need to hire and train is lower. With up-to-date employees who are flexible, need for retirement incentives is less.

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BUSINESS

Sustainable Careers

Employees who have experienced periods of renewal in their careers are less likely to feel burned out, more likely to be current, and more able and willing to stay engaged productively. Employees in firms that have flexible, adaptable talent management practices are more likely to stay engaged in their work, particularly if they can go to more flexible work schedules. And, employers that incorporate integration into their talent management practices will define new roles for their elders that facilitate knowledge transfer. Older employees can find meaning out of chaos that less experienced employees often cannot.

Âť The Boomer and Millennial cohorts represent an opportunity to rethink how society develops and deploys human capital over time, over employment opportunities and across generations. ÂŤ

FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION Integration across functions, activities, products, and time is facilitated with older employees who have the perspective to see how the pieces and parts fit together. As the pace of change increases, organizations must become more agile and adaptive. To do this, they must decentralize and delegate so that individuals on the front line are empowered to solve problems and take action. But who will bring the decentralized bits and pieces back together? Who will look across functions and businesses to find synergies and opportunities for coordination and integration? Older employees can, particularly if they have had flexible careers and experienced continuous learning. As work becomes more complex and change more rapid, the pressure to delegate and decentralize is stronger, creating a counterbalancing need for integratorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;roles well-suited to the wisdom held by older employees.

Coaching and Mentoring Coaching younger employees is more possible with seasoned veterans on board who are still fully engaged. As with knowledge management, older employees can show younger employees the ropes, give them advice about work relationships and career strategies, and support them as they meet their needs for fitting in and getting ahead. Modern mentoring relationships are really co-learning, as young people bring technical knowledge to the workplace that ( 46 )

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work, personal growth, flexibility, and balance between work and non-work arenas. The Millennial cohort craves mentoring, a role that can be filled by Boomers. Millennials are completely comfortable with using technology at work to facilitate meetings, maintain relationships, and support an anytime, anywhere approach to job performance. They place a strong emphasis on personal growth which is enabled by the renewability feature of sustainable careers. They value life balance, a likely outcome of career flexibility. The opportunity to embrace the demographic facts of life by re-inventing work and careers will be a competitive advantage in hiring and retaining Millennials in the years ahead.

Employment Costs Finally, sustainable careers lower employment costs by reducing turnover. They meet the development needs of employees and the adaptive talent management needs of employers. Sustainable careers are adaptable, flexible and changeable, which reduces the risk of obsolescence and stagnation. They include positions that use the unique talents of more senior employees. And they support flexible work arrangements which can be cost effective for employers and satisfying for employees.

Conclusions

can be valuable to older employees. Mentoring relationships represent continuous learning opportunities for both parties and may represent renewal or integration or both for older employees.

Employing Millennials Though the Baby Boom Generation is large and influential, the Millennial Generation is just as large and likely to be just as influential. People in the Millennial workforce, those born between about 1980 and 2000, though different from others in fundamental ways, are compatible with Boomers. Both generations want meaningful

The sheer size of the Baby Boomer Generation will force changes in talent management practices. Sustainable careers represent a viable, attractive future that will benefit employers and employees alike. The desire for flexibility coincides nicely with the changing needs of employers for talent over time. Many Boomers do not want promotions when they age, but they do want meaning in their work. They may not need big salaries and significant responsibilities in their later years, but they appreciate engagement, usefulness, and respect. Sustainable careers can help subsequent generations enact careers that sustain and nurture, that change and adapt, and that integrate and complete. The Boomer and Millennial cohorts represent an opportunity to rethink how society develops and deploys human capital over time, over employment opportunities and across generations.

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BUSINESS

ENERGY IN THE GALáPAGOs ISLANDS

cuador is substantially dependent on its petroleum resources that account for more than half of its export earnings and 75 percent of the primary energy mix. As the smallest producer in OPEC, around a third of the country’s revenues are derived from the 500,000 barrels per day it produces in the mainland near the Amazon Rainforest. Hydroelectric power represents 22 percent, and renewable energy production remains small, but continues to grow, mirroring similar trends worldwide. While the United States and other areas of the world are developing unprecedented natural gas shale plays to power their economy, these unconventional options are not available for the small Latin American nation. Starting in 2000, the caring people and history of Ecuador carved a special place in my heart, and I became interested in learning more about its future. On my third journey some nine years later, I spent a month in the Galápagos Islands to analyze their current energy dilemma and learn about their future plan to transition to 100 percent renewable energy. The following dialogue chronicles my personal experience.

OFF THE COUCH

The Galápagos

Diaries

An Ecuadorian Energy Odyssey By Nick Wolfe with Osea Nelson ( 48 )

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It was the summer of 2009 when I watched a segment of Dan Rather Reports. Little did I know how much that program would influence my life in the coming months. The veteran newsman was broadcasting from the legendary Galápagos Islands, located 500 miles off the coast of Ecuador. The purpose of Rather’s journey wasn’t to sail the path that Darwin once took or snorkel with the abundant sea life. He was there to report on an issue that parallels the greatest crisis of this century—too many people have moved to the islands, putting a severe strain on resources available to support the increased population. Soon after viewing the Rather report, I began learning more about the specific problems facing the delicate Galápagos Islands, a location designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the endemic species found in their “evolutionary showcase.” One fact little known to the outside world is that the amazing natural paradise experienced the ugly side of energy when a tanker ran aground in 2001, dumping 150,000 gallons of fuel into the delicate ecosystem. Fortunately, the accident had minimal harm on the environment thanks to strong currents that carried the fuel away from the islands. The near-catastrophic event, however, prompted policy officials to carefully re-examine their

energy practices and priorities. After days of meetings and assessments, they decided to set an ambitious goal of meeting 100 percent of the islands’ electricity needs with renewable resources by 2015. I began contacting organizations working in the Galápagos and brainstorming how I could become involved with the project. Galápagos I.C.E.(Immerse Connect Evolve) and its President Emily Pozo offered me the opportunity to work with them and conduct my research. I knew I had to experience the islands firsthand in order to research solutions for what seemed to be an improbable goal. I also needed to understand the broader implications of the global energy crisis in the context of what the Galápagos was experiencing. I booked my flights for December 2009 and invited Osea Nelson, a long-time friend and colleague, to join me on the excursion. Nelson is an energy development consultant with Lafayette, Colorado-based Next Generation Energy. A flight departing Denver and connecting in Miami took us to Quito, the capital of Ecuador— the second highest administrative capital in the world. Hours after touching down and clearing customs, Nelson and I spoke to locals who revealed that energy was in short supply in this ecologically diverse Andean nation. Several factors were contributing to the shortage. The region was dealing with the most severe drought in decades, with dangerously low dams unable to supply hydropower for daily power demands. Rolling blackouts and periods of two-hour electricity rationing had become a part of everyday life for Ecuadorians. Generators and their constant low-end humming could be seen and heard on almost every block in the capitol city. Ice cream vendors scrambled to sell their products along the avenues before their products fell victim to the power outages. In short, daily life had become much more difficult for citizens and businesses alike.

same landscapes that have graced the covers of National Geographic and created timeless memories for those fortunate enough to see this magical place first-hand. After a quick layover in Guayaquil, we touched down at the Baltra Airport, a former U.S. military base. We passed through the Galápagos Immigration Office of INGA and cleared a quick security screen to ensure no non-native fruits, vegetables, or animals become introduced species. Then it was on to a bus that took us one step closer to paradise. It soon became clear to Nelson and I, that despite the awesome beauty of the Galápagos each twist of the road served up, environmental challenges were as daunting on the islands

toured the naval headquarters and inspected the ground-based PV array. While holding a very prominent location visible from the main tourist pier downtown, it appeared to be in good working condition. However, the naval officers would not allow our investigation to go deep enough to collect actual performance data from the 4-kW of power it provided. Next we traveled to the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Station, which boasts several different PV installations at the compound. A small 1-kW array is set up near the tour entrance, featuring an inverter mounted in a clear display box so that the output can be viewed by station visitors. While the array served as a nice technological demonstration, it was not well-maintained and proved not to be a substantial source of power output. Nelson observed some of the administration buildings and living quarters equipped with various small PV arrays. The main office complex of Charles Darwin Research Station featured a very nice 6-kW array mounted on the front entrance of the building—a system installed by the same Japanese researchers responsible for the Marine Station site next on our list. A bus ride across town ended at JICA. As we ventured out towards the long and beautiful boardwalk to the main beach, we inspected a pole-mounted 4-kW PV array. Like the arrays we discovered elsewhere, we were unable to precisely find out the exact output from the panels. Back in the apartment, Nelson and I compared our observations from the day. It was clear that while the handful of solar PV arrays on the island of Santa Cruz are a noble starting point, they are not nearly expansive enough to provide the utility-grade solar necessary to completely overcome the diesel generation by the 2015 deadline. The following day we traveled to San Cristobal Island to meet with the directors of the provincial electricity company Elecgalápagos SA to discuss the operation and performance of their wind site. Transportation to San Cristobal required a choppy three hour boat ride from Santa Cruz over open water in a cramped watercraft. We remained happy and hungry for adventure while diesel fumes and equilibrium challenges left several other passengers seasick. Upon arriving at the main headquarters, we gave attention to several topics regarding the energy crisis, including the government’s role in the expansion of clean power and overall thoughts from the community on the positive effects of clean energy.

» While the handful of solar PV arrays on the island of Santa Cruz are a noble starting point, they are not nearly expansive enough to provide the utility-grade solar necessary to completely overcome the diesel generation by the 2015 deadline. «

PARADISE CHALLENGED We had pre-arranged a meeting in Quito with some of the individuals involved in the Galápagos energy projects that were already underway. After visiting the ERGAL (Energia Renovables Galápagos) offices and listening to the perspectives offered by officials there, Nelson and I had a greater understanding of the five-year renewable plan and the Galápagos energy situation. The next day we departed Quito for the sacred islands to the west. For us, it was an unprecedented journey into the

as those of the mainland. As we peered out the windows of the bus charging towards the main town of Puerto Ayora, we wondered if the five-year renewable energy described to us earlier would even be possible. Could this magical group of islands have a fighting chance to preserve their heritage and, at the same time, deal with a future population projected at 30,000 residents? Our apartment for the month was nestled in the highlands of Buena Vista, a few miles inland from the main port city of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Each day the journey into town provided breathtaking views of a boundless ocean and miles of pristine coastline. Though mesmerized by attractive vegetation, lush forests, and enticing clear waters shielding vibrant reefs, Nelson and I remained devoted to the question before us—how realistic is ERGAL’s energy goals for the Galápagos Islands? ERGAL’s master plan is to have large utility-scale installations on three of the islands. Currently, a variety of smaller distributed generation systems exist on the main island. The first solar photovoltaic (PV) project sites we visited included the Naval Captain’s port headquarter building, Charles Darwin Research Station, and the Japanese Marine Station, JICA. Upon arrival, we

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BUSINESS

ENERGY IN THE GALáPAGOs ISLANDS

In October 2007, the first wind energy project in all of Ecuador began operation on the secondmost populous island of San Cristobal. The United Nations Development Program and members of the E8 Group funded more than half of the 2.4-MW project while the other portion came from national government funds and voluntary contributions. Located in the highlands of the island, the site consists of three on-shore mounted turbines that together contain the highest consistent wind-capacity factors. It is currently owned by the private entity EOLICSA which will transfer its assets to Elecgalápagos SA in 2014. The three 800-kW wind turbines generate 6,600 MW/ year and reduce diesel consumption on the island by 52 percent. The discussion with Elecgalápagos SA revolved around the obstacles in achieving energy independence for the islands and also outlined some of the unique challenges to the Galápagos Islands. Questions to the speakers were followed by a tour of the five main diesel generators on the site. This impressive and noisy set of heavy duty Caterpillar machines provides the majority of the island’s daily electricity. One of the main obstacles here is wind intermittency—the island experiences relatively zero wind three months out of every year. After touring the local site, we traveled up to the highlands to see the wind turbines firsthand. Precipitation prevented a full view of the site, but we were astonished by the array we could distinguish through the thickening clouds and fog. To complete our site tour and data collection, we ventured to one of the operating turbines and observed the internal electronics and generation systems modeled inside. To raise additional awareness of the benefits and applications of renewable energy, the 100foot MS PlanetSolar Tûranor yacht visited the islands in January. PlanetSolar’s Tûranor is the world’s largest solar-powered vessel, floating an expansive breadth of 500 square meters of solar photovoltaic panels, and it is aiming to be the first to circumvent the entire globe. The PlanetSolar crew met with officials from the World Wildlife Federation to help

» The three 800-kW wind turbines generate 6,600 MW/year and reduce diesel consumption on the island by 52 percent. «

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» Solar energy seemed a clear choice for the Galápagos - they receive upwards of 5.5 kW per square meter each day. « develop clean energy for use in transportation, tourism, electricity generation, and fishing on the islands. Because the sun’s rays are strongest at the equator, solar energy seemed a clear choice for the Galápagos - they receive upwards of 5.5 kW per square meter each day and can reach inhabitants who live in rural off-grid areas. With earlier support for the small solar applications at the Charles Darwin Research Station, an additional $10 million donation was received from the Japanese International Cooperation System Company in July 2010. The funding will be used towards implementing a 1400-kW system on Baltra, with interconnection to Santa Cruz.

A SKEPTIC PUBLIC?

The town of Puerto Ayora has now grown to more than 10,000 people, and it will continue to be a nucleus of growth for all of the islands. While the plans to implement the projects are strong, there are little to no developmental incentives for small businesses or homes to integrate their own renewable sources. Introducing electric vehicles in Santa Cruz would also greatly benefit the reduction of fossil fuels; unfortunately, this is not currently on the drawing board. Overall, the San Cristobal project established the first utilityscale renewable source for the islands that set precedent for future projects and continuing wind developments on the main island. We discovered that, although many of the local residents are cognizant of the importance of protecting their environment, attempts at displacing the diesel generation with renewable energy brings its own public relations battle to San Cristobal. With the slow and gradual process that is social change, residents are quick to blame the turbines for problems with the generators or any other part of their electrical grid. New technologies are frequently met with skepticism and possibly with resistance. In our experiences communicating with local residents and workers, many were critical of relying on these new energy sources. We really couldn’t help but wonder how the community’s apprehension might affect Ecuador’s energy future. We’re impressed by continued progress on the islands, particularly given that many of these plans and promises were formulated in the months prior to the global recession. Though impressed with the initial installations, based on our findings in 2009, we remained skeptical that the plan to eliminate 100 percent of fossil fuel for electricity would be possible by the 2015 deadline. A determining factor in whether the overall project is truly successful in the long term will be whether citizens of the islands embrace the efforts to eradicate fossil fuels, or if this goal is simply a lofty dream of the international community.

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MINE PLANNING SOFTWARE

Maptek Innovative Technology Solutions for Mining and Engineering By Jane Ball

aptek is a leading provider of software and solutions for the mining and engineering sectors. Listening to customers and responding to their needs underpins Maptek’s development philosophy. Maptek products have emerged as the benchmark in the industry. Products include Vulcan software for 3D geological modeling and mine planning and I-Site hardware and software for 3D laser scanning and imaging. They are in use at most major operations. The company provides technical and professional support to customers at the local and regional level, while drawing on a pool of global specialists for complex projects.

Early Beginnings Maptek was established in 1981 by Dr. Bob Johnson, a geologist in Sydney, Australia. Today, Maptek employs more than 300 people in a network of 14 offices across Australia, Europe, South Africa, Asia, North and South America. Headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, Maptek maintains a global structure with regional sales and support. A vigorous expansion policy began in 1986, in order to deliver local services to customers. In the first 20 years, offices opened in the USA (1986), the UK (1989), South Africa (1992), Chile (1994), Brazil (1997) interlaced with the Australian network in Sydney (1981), Perth (1989), Adelaide (1990), Brisbane and Newcastle (2001). Products are also represented in Mexico, New Zealand, India, Japan and Canada. Maptek is fundamentally a software company. Vulcan 3D modelling and mine design software, a pioneer in the industry,

has more than 6000 users worldwide. Vulcan accounts for about 30 percent of the global market for mine planning software. I-Site Studio software emerged onto the market in 2000 and has since revolutionized the modeling and analysis of 3D laser scan data. In 2004, Maptek entered the surveying equipment market with the I-Site integrated 3D laser scanning and digital imaging instrument. So successful was this move into laser surveying that Maptek has subsequently released a long range I-Site 8800 laser scanner and a medium range I-Site 8400 for routine topographic survey applications.

The Maptek Vision The Maptek vision is to help companies realize the benefits of implementing new technology. As Barry Henderson, Maptek chief executive officer explains, “We see our role as creating innovations for our mining customers, helping them develop their resources in a safe and efficient manner.” Aiming to be the first choice of customers and to maintain a leading reputation, Maptek continues to develop applications that address issues facing customers. By understanding customer challenges, the company is able to deliver targeted products while building value into their deliverables. This has cemented Maptek as the leading provider of innovative technology solutions to the mining and engineering sectors. Local support is important to customers. Maptek’s hallmark is providing quality training and responsive services. Each of the 12 offices operates as a sales and business support unit, backed by networked product and

» "We see our role as creating innovations for our mining customers, helping them develop their resources in a safe and efficient manner." « - Barry Henderson

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development units in Australia the USA, and Chile. Close contact with customers promotes a collaborative relationship. Every year, the company invests almost 20 percent of revenue back into research and development, allowing for continuous evolution of existing products and commercialization of new ideas.

Emerging Strongly From the GFC “In 2009, the economic climate forced us to re-evaluate how we did business. We looked to achieve greater revenue diversification,” said Barry Henderson. “Our strategy proved successful and positioned us to emerge strongly from the global downturn.” Aggressive goals are pursued for all regions, aiming for continued growth in traditional mining markets and developing a presence in new areas. In fact, the company is currently adding staff in Calgary, Canada to address the needs of the Oil Sands. The North American mining market has always been strong and continues to do a lot of business in this region. In South America, Vulcan design and scheduling tools are widely used by mine planning engineers. The emerging market in Brazil is expected to represent a large amount of business for the company in the future. In addition, Maptek will increase its focus on other countries in the North American region such as Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. A new office in Delhi is tapping into the huge market in India, which has a wellestablished industry mining commodities including iron ore, copper, nickel and coal. Sales and marketing of Maptek products into central Asia is also being ramped up in response to the strength of mining activity there. And a significant customer base in Mongolia is serviced by the Denver and Australian offices. The Australian mining industry leads the way in applying technology solutions to mining. Since mining represents a significant portion of Australia’s GDP, it is no surprise that this is Maptek’s biggest market. Africa is another region where Maptek sees the opportunity to expand its operations. The team in Johannesburg has been strengthened to move beyond the current customer base with a renewed emphasis on services and training. The company continues to partner with universities the world over, training students to use modern mining software systems and sharing technology insights. Students will then graduate with the skills that will equip them for working in the real world of geoscience. New Maptek scholarships were established in several regions in 2011, as one of the initiatives undertaken to commemorate 30 years in business.

A Bright Future Technology is continually evolving and improving the mining industry; Maptek’s technology will be incorporated into ongoing development agendas. A customer’s need for integrated applications that share a single source of data across networks, sites, and operations will drive planning going forward. Henderson comments, “There is certainly a positive uptake of technology in the mining industry. My attendance at APCOM, an international symposium on the Applications of Computers in Mining, held in Wollongong, Australia recently, reinforced our assurance that technology is the answer to increasing productivity and enhancing operational efficiencies. The challenge for us is to continue to innovate and deliver products that anticipate and more than meet their needs.” The 2010 release of the Maptek I-Site 8800 laser scanner, followed by the I-Site 8400 system in 2011, highlights Maptek’s success in diversifying into quality hardware that matches its software products. The I-Site 8800 was developed in response to customer demand for a robust and reliable long range scanner integrated with powerful software. Concomitant enhancements to the I-Site Studio modelling and analysis software give surveyors even more tailored tools to deliver data and models for planning, design and feasibility studies. Earlier this year, Maptek unveiled a customized truck to showcase the I-Site laser scanning system to U.S. mines. The team embarked on a five state roadshow in late March. Site personnel were able to see how the I-Site 8800 mounted on a vehicle with an integrated laptop running I-Site software could obtain nearinstantaneous data and how results are processed while scanning continues. “It’s a very powerful demonstration of the benefits of the technology when mine staff can see the surveyed results, and fly-throughs of their data, virtually in real time. The venture has been a huge success, with inquiries and follow-up work

Maptek Founder, Bob Johnson [left] and CEO, Barry Henderson at the 2010 Maptek conference in Englewood, Colorado.

» "Technology is the answer to increasing productivity and enhancing operational efficiencies. The challenge for us is to continue to innovate and deliver products that anticipate and more than meet their needs." « - Barry Henderson

Eureka, a new Maptek product scheduled for release in 2012, can model data sets containing billions of points.

Vulcan software has the most powerful geological modelling and mine visualisation tools on the market.

still underway,” added Henderson. The rapid uptake of the I-Site 8800 laser scanner and the proliferation of sites with multiple scanners for different purposes pointed Maptek toward another market. The recently released I-Site 8400, an entry-level scanner, will appeal to specific sectors of the survey market and is aimed squarely at quick turnaround for topographic, pit and stockpile survey tasks. Onboard controls, extendable memory, and removable scan storage are just some features of the new survey instrument. Maptek is continuing to develop Vulcan software to streamline the processes that geologists and mining engineers use every day. Ongoing redesign of Vulcan modules will introduce new mine planning and scheduling functionality and strengthen existing tools. Vulcan will run more efficiently on 64bit systems which will allow the development of a platform for mobile applications and tablets. Seamless data import/export will make Vulcan multi-compatible. New software solutions are being developed as a result of direct collaboration with customers. BlastLogic is a comprehensive system for collating and analysing drill and blast data and performance. Input from a large Australian mining company will ensure BlastLogic meets the requirements of modern operations. An exciting new product, Eureka, is expected to set best practice standards for exploration work, another market which the company hopes to explore further. These products are set for release in early 2012. All solutions, even those addressing specific requirements from individual companies, are developed with the global customer base in mind. The world’s expanding needs will drive operations to become more efficient at finding and developing resources. Maptek intends to work alongside the mining industry to provide solutions to the complexities they will face going forward. Learn more about Maptek at www.maptek. com, or contact them at info@maptek.com.

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BUSINESS

Alberta's Oil Sands

Alberta’s Oil Sands An Energy Journal By Michael Connors

he United States gets 20 percent of its energy from Canada, and of the 18 million barrels of oil Americans use every day, approximately 1.4 million barrels comes from the Canadian Oil Sands of Alberta. Demand for oil is expected to double by the year 2035, and oil sand production is expected to more than double in the next 10 years. Most Americans want to see more Canadian oil in the United States since Canada is a long-standing ally with many shared cultural and historic traits and is a stable, free-market economy; but there are many misconceptions about the oil sands here in the States. For every oil sands job, there are three more created in Fort McMurray, the nearest municipality to the oil sands, two in Canada and one in the U.S. At a time when people, communities, states and countries are struggling, development of the oil sands fulfills many needs. But to do so recklessly and without concern for the environment is in no one’s interests. I have heard stories about the oil sands of Alberta, namely that they are environmental nightmares and that the oil sands themselves are a gooey mess that sticks to anything it touches—in short, an environmental, political and social "tar baby." So naturally I jumped at the opportunity to visit the mining and extraction sites in person and speak with those directly involved with the oil sands. Sponsored by the Canadian government, this tour was intended to expose people like myself to the realities of the oil sands and oil sand development and help dispel the myths and preconceptions that seem to consume the topic. We met with representatives from the government of Alberta, Syncrude, Connacher, CAPP (Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers), Woods Buffalo Environmental Association, the Pembina Institute, Shell and Suncor. In many ways I came home more conflicted than when I left, but I feel much more qualified to discuss the topic and to introduce a general audience to what the oil sands are, how they are developed, the challenges surrounding this development and the collaborative ( 54 )

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highlights that give me hope that this resource will be handled in a responsible way. The oil sands are essentially a large deposit of a mixture of sand, water, clay and a heavy oil known as bitumen that lies under 55,000 square miles of land situated in north eastern Alberta. The bulk of the mining and extraction takes place in the Woods Buffalo region, an area northeast of Edmonton, and the hub of the activity lies in Fort McMurray, a small community of 80,000 which is undergoing a boom that is as dynamic as it is intense. Needless to say, the resource is vital to Canada’s and the United States’ national interests, and

as the government of Alberta notes, “Alberta has proven oil reserves of 171.3 billion barrels, consisting of bitumen (169.9 billion barrels) and conventional oil (1.4 billion barrels). These reserves make up the third-largest proven crude oil reserve in the world, next to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.” Expectations are that both demand and production will double by 2035 and this expansion means that cities like Fort McMurray are fast becoming a flash point where environmental, economic, social, technological and political interests converge and, is in many ways, a proving ground for regulatory, environmental, municipal and economic policy.

» The benefits of the OSTC is that it provides a platform where other producers have access to this technology and can then improve upon it. «

Processes

piping system and brought to the surface for separation and further processing. The Connacher plant that we visited produces about 10,000 barrels of oil a day. While there is less obvious damage to the surface, some argue that the overall land disturbance is about the same as open pit when seismic lines, drill pads and roads are taken into account. The advantages are that these smaller operations are easier to finance and build, but they typically only recover up to 30 percent of the oil. However, due to the absence of tailings ponds and relative ease of construction and financing, many believe that open pit mining will eventually be phased out completely in favor of in situ operations.

» Alberta has proven oil reserves of 171.3 billion barrels. «

Extracting the oil out of the bitumen is accomplished primarily by two processes: surface mining and a heat extraction method known as in situ (Latin for “in place”). Our first tour was of the open pit mine and processing facility owned by Syncrude, one of the largest and oldest producers in the Fort McMurray area. This operation extracts about 300,000 barrels a day, and I can attest to the fact that these open pit mines are massive in scale and are nothing like the smaller coal and gold mines I am familiar with in Colorado. Essentially, a fleet of 400-ton haul trucks are loaded by enormous shovels and then they truck the oil sand to a large crusher that begins the process of separating the bitumen from the sand and prepares it for further processing. Most bitumen in the area needs to be processed to a heavy crude state so that it can be piped to refineries in Canada and the United States. There are currently four upgraders in the region that help process the bitumen and make it

suitable for pipeline transfer; a fifth is under construction. Interestingly, surface mining of the bitumen is actually required further north of Fort McMurray because the resource is only a few hundred feet from the surface—in situ steam would only punch through the ground. Only 20 percent of the recoverable oil in the region is accessible through open pit mining because south of town, the bitumen deposit moves deeper into the crust, necessitating in situ recovery. The advantage of open pit, however, is that 90% percent of the resource is recovered versus 30 percent from in situ. In situ mining is a technologically advanced method of extraction using a process called SAGD (steam-assisted gravity drainage) where steam is used below ground—ideally around 800 feet—to heat the bitumen to a viscous state that is then recovered by a second

Challenges The Alberta Oil Sands are a nexus, a focal point of conflicting interests that share in the reality of the costs and benefits that oil brings. While there are certainly legitimate concerns associated with air and water quality and the

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Alberta's Oil Sands

much larger issue of greenhouse gasses and whether the oil sands should be developed at all are too broad in scope for me to deal with here. The environmental, technical and political challenges associated with tailings ponds make them a useful lens with which to amplify the overall issues associated with oil sands development. With open pit mining, one of the most concerning of the land issues is the creation of the tailings ponds. Tailings ponds can be found in any mining operation around the world, but oil sands tailings are unique due to the fact that the fine clay that is produced is very difficult to break down and integrate into the ecosystem. This fine clay is referred to as mature fine tailings (MFT) and is difficult to break down because the clay is suspended in molecules of water. It takes decades for this material to settle on its own. To this point, only two tailings ponds have been reclaimed -one from the Syncrude site and one from Suncor’s mine. The PEMBINA Institute, a leading third-party environmental think tank, assesses the lack of progress in a current oil sands press release, “Although Suncor’s Pond 1 has achieved a revegetated solid surface, this represents less than 1 percent of the total area occupied by tailings ponds today.” The Alberta government has taken the issues so seriously that they have instituted Directive 74 which mandates a much faster schedule for tailings pond mitigation. David Sands, spokesman for the government of Alberta described the policy as, “A measure implemented by the Energy Resources Conservation Board, aimed at tackling one of the bigger environmental issues that we have with oil sands development, and that’s tailings ponds. Our government directed the regulator to put this measure in place to ensure that all resources are brought to bear on the biggest problem we are facing right now.” The industry responded and has come together to form an Oil Sands Tailings Consortium (OSTC) that works together in collaborative ways to innovate and create new technologies and techniques for ramping up tailings reduction operations (TROs).

Collaborative Solutions One of the top priorities for the government of Alberta, environmentalists and the oil sands industry is the reclamation of the tailings ponds. Companies like Syncrude, Shell, and Suncor have taken the lead and ( 56 )

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the barriers that existed previously. Finding the best solutions will always involve a partnership of industry, government and academia, and will likely including some of our critics because that’s how you get the best feedback in terms of where people see the best opportunities to improve." Echoing this sentiment was Steve Douglas, VP of Investor Relations at Suncor, “We are able to find common ground without co-opting. I think PEMBINA is the best example because you’ll hear them criticize us quite vocally... You take a step back in your criticism when the relationships are there and when you recognize the good faith in the other party.” So not only are new relationships forged that bring together disparate and diverse viewpoints, there are also opportunities for those involved to help shape and guide future policies, regulations and goals that instruct oil sand development. Therefore, collaborative models like OSTC create a mechanism whereby technological advances, experiential knowledge and a diversity of relationships can benefit all involved in the organization, and by extension, the society at large. In this special place, the Buffalo Woods region, there is a cacophony of voices both for and against the development of this vital resource. They all agree, however, that the resource will be developed to meet demand— ultimately, the question is how. Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake has seen her community double in the last 15 years and expects it to do so again in another 10 to 15 years, and is facing infrastructure challenges rarely seen by most cities. She has been involved in the dissuasion from the beginning and has lived many sides of the debate. Perhaps she says it best, “Above anything, I believe in the human capability of overcoming challenge and in no place is that more prevalent than my community.” Her optimism and hope is emblematic and encouraging, for after talking to even the most pessimistic of environmentalists, they still have great faith in their fellow Canadians to come together and solve some really tough problems.

» Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake has seen her community double in the last 15 years and expects it to do so again in another 10 to 15 years, and is facing infrastructure challenges rarely seen by most cities. « work together through the Tailings Pond Consortium. As noted in a recent Canadian news wire, “The membership of the OSTC is comprised of Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Imperial Oil, Shell Canada, Suncor Energy, Syncrude Canada Ltd., Teck Resources and Total E&P Canada.” Following a landmark agreement announced in December 2010, member companies pledged to share existing tailings technology and research and to work together to accelerate the pace of reclamation. Suncor even has a trademarked TRO process that implements new technological breakthroughs in order to hasten the breakdown process. As noted in their 2011 Sustainability Report, Suncor states that, “In this process, MFT is mixed with a polymer flocculent, then deposited in thin layers over sand beaches with shallow slopes. The resulting product is a dry material that is capable of being reclaimed in place or moved to another location for final reclamation. This drying process occurs over a matter of weeks, allowing for more rapid reclamation activities to occur.” The benefits, thusly, of the OSTC is that it provides a platform where other producers have access to this technology and can then improve upon it. In a meeting with John Broadhurst, chairman of OSTC and vice president of Heavy Oil Development for Shell, he noted, “We put the Tailings Consortium together because we really wanted to create an environment where we could foster open collaboration... attempting to break down

To learn more about the Canadian Oil Sands: www.pembina.org www.syncrude.com www.junewarren-nickles.com www.alberta.ca www.wbea.org www.suncor.com

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ACCION U.S. Network

Financial Resources for

Small Businesses Funding for America’s Backbone By Jesse Golland

n May 2011, during National Small Business Week, President Barack Obama recognized small businesses as the “backbone of America’s economy.” According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses provide just over 50 percent of private sector employment. Small business owners these days have plenty of concerns. Will there be demand for their products in a sluggish economy? Can they afford insurance for their employees? And most importantly, where are they going to find the funding to weather slow periods, support their growth, or help them get started? The SBA’s 2011 fiscal year recently ended September 30th, and they had a record lending year. According to the New York Times, the agency supported $30.5 billion worth of small business borrowing in 2011, up 35 percent from 2010. However, there are a few concerning trends that accompanied this increase in small business lending. The number of 7(a) loans (a popular SBA loan program that can be used by small businesses to finance a variety of general business purposes) of $150,000 or less fell by about 13 percent, and the average traditional 7(a) loan nearly doubled to $624,000. It’s reassuring to know that more and more small businesses are getting the financial assistance they need. Yet, the average size of traditional 7(a) loans may overwhelm the financial needs and repayment capacity of the typical mom-and-pop stores. Many

» The agency supported $30.5 billion worth of small business borrowing in 2011, up 35 percent from 2010. « ( 58 )

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Yashoda Naidoo

neighborhood businesses like laundromats, hardware stores or barber shops need smaller loans to manageably operate and grow. What about the landscaping business that needs $10,000 for equipment? Who is going to lend to the stay-at-home mom looking for $2,000 to sell concessions near her house? Or the flea market vendor who only needs $500 for more inventory? Who is serving these entrepreneurs?

Microfinance The concept of microfinance, or the provision of small loans to the unbanked or under-banked, gained prominence in the 1970s when Muhammad Yunus, future Nobel Peace Prize winner, promoted the use of micro loans to pull families out of poverty in Bangladesh. On the other side of the globe, ACCION International, a nonprofit microfinance organization, was experiencing success in its microlending efforts in Latin America. In the early 1990s, concerned about

growing inequality and unemployment at home, ACCION International decided to bring its model back to the U.S. After a successful pilot project in Brooklyn, ACCION International helped establish a network of five organizations in the mid-1990s that today is the largest microfinance network in the U.S., providing loans nationwide through over 20 field offices and an online lending platform. The lending model was similar, and at the same time, quite different from the international model. Lending in Latin America was primarily to rural women entrepreneurs. Traditionally, in international microfinance, a group-lending approach was used where social pressure would encourage repayment and help mitigate for a common lack of collateral among borrowers. Loan sizes were often no more than a few hundred dollars or less. Microlending in the U.S. has evolved to reflect the unique realities of American business owners. The dollar amounts required to open, operate and expand microenterprises and small businesses are typically larger in the U.S. Most

American entrepreneurs have some form of collateral. Credit scores are easily accessible. Credit cards applications get mailed in bulk to many Americans, even those with low credit scores or troubled borrowing histories. The ACCION U.S. Network and other domestic microlenders have adapted the international model to a system that is working well and on an increasingly large scale in the United States.

Access to Capital So, how does the ACCION U.S. Network differ from traditional financial institutions such as banks? Members of the ACCION U.S. Network are nonprofit organizations that have the ability to tailor their underwriting criteria to meet the needs of many entrepreneurs and small business owners who do not typically qualify for traditional business credit. These organizations provide credit to small businesses along with financial education and training. While ACCION New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado’s loans range anywhere from $200 to $300,000, the average loan is approximately $6,500. Domestic microlenders typically differ from traditional financial institutions by displaying flexibility in the following ways: Working with Lower Credit Scores: If a person’s personal credit score is below 650, it can be difficult to obtain credit from traditional financial institutions. ACCION New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado can work with credit scores of 500 and up. The organization can even provide loans to individuals with no credit score or with just an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Jennifer Brown and Steve Kudron

Does this mean that an applicant with a 500 FICO score can receive a $300,000 loan? No. They likely will not receive a loan larger than a few thousand dollars. However, this loan offers these individuals the opportunity to start building their credit, establish a relationship with a lender and get some initial working capital for their business. For business owners who have taken a financial hit due to unprecedented economic turmoil, these small loans offer a chance to rebuild. A 2009 FDIC survey found that 25 percent of U.S. households are unbanked or under-banked. That same study found that minorities are more likely to be unbanked,

Fernand Loumouamou

» The ACCION U.S. Network offers additional services to its clients to help foster business and personal success, often at lowto no-cost. « with African-American households coming in at 21.7 percent and Hispanic households coming in at 19.3 percent. Under-banked and unbanked clientele can use domestic microlending programs to build their credit and become familiar with the lending process. Start-ups: While every bank has different lending policies, many banks require two years of operating experience or an established banking relationship before they will consider lending to a business. While members of the ACCION U.S. Network differ in the start-up loans they offer, 36 percent of the loans ACCION New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado issued in 2010 went to start-up businesses. Collateral: Collateral is an essential component of most loan applications. As a sign of a borrower’s commitment to repayment, collateral can be especially important for microlenders working with start-up businesses or entrepreneurs with credit scores lower than a bank would require. Reflecting the flexibility of many microlenders, the items pledged as collateral

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ACCION U.S. Network

can oftentimes have more symbolic or practical value than liquid value. In its 17 year history, ACCION New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado have accepted horses, an exotic snake collection and a saxophone as collateral! Lena Carris was an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker in New Mexico who needed a little capital to complete a project. She was reluctant to offer anything ACCION usually accepted as collateral, such as a vehicle or equipment. However, she did have something of deep value to her, a traditional Navajo dress woven by her mother. While it was difficult to assign a monetary value to the dress, Lena’s ACCION loan officer knew the pledging of the dress meant Lena was completely committed to repaying her loan. Financial Education and Business Development Training: The ACCION U.S. Network offers additional services to its clients to help foster business and personal success, often at low- to no-cost. These services can include mentorship programs, educational workshops and free marketing opportunities. But more than anything, ACCION loan officers serve as an open ear to their clients’ concerns or questions. They’ll take time to listen to their clients’ issues and connect them with the appropriate community partners who can help solve their issues.

» The ACCION U.S. Network has provided over 42,000 loans for over $305 million to support entrepreneurs. «

Success Stories Quacker Gift Shop - Jennifer Brown & Steve Kudron Seven years ago, Jennifer Brown was selling homemade soaps with loofah sponges at fairs and festivals. One day, she decided to sell soap with a rubber duck in it. After numerous customers inquired where they could buy just the duck, a light bulb went off. Jennifer and her husband Steve began traveling around the state of Colorado in a bright yellow vehicle with thousands of rubber ducks. In 2008, they decided they wanted to open a rubber duck store in Denver, Colorado. Brown, a former hedge fund manager and Kudron, who ran sales teams at a media group’s newspaper, were no slouches when it came to business know-how. However, they found it difficult to obtain financing to open their store. ACCION New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado provided them with a loan which helped them open their store and increase inventory. Since 2008, Quacker Gift Shop has gone on to achieve over $1,000,000 in sales, and the couple has opened their second store in

Manitou Springs, Colorado. They have been featured in CNN Money and have provided ducks to be used in a movie. The store sells ducks of the president, pirate ducks, surfer ducks and dozens of additional varieties. With a lot of talent, vision and passion on the part of its owners, and a little microcredit, the business has been extremely successful. Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café Yashoda Naidoo Yashoda was working as a certified public accountant in 2000 when she decided it was time for a change. She was inspired to recreate her favorite childhood dishes from India, so she quit her job and began a food delivery service out of her kitchen in Albuquerque. Naidoo approached ACCION with her mission statement and target customers written on a napkin. She wanted to open a restaurant. She refined her business plan, and ACCION provided her with a loan for $20,000 to lease and renovate space to open her first restaurant. Since that initial loan, Naidoo has gone on to open three of her restaurants, Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café. Two are located in Albuquerque, and one is located in Santa Fe. She has built a business that employs 45 people and had sales of $1.5 million in 2010.

» The ACCION U.S. Network has provided over 42,000 loans for over $305 million to support entrepreneurs. «

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Naidoo will never forget that ACCION took a chance on her and her start-up restaurant. In fact, she has gone on to commit over $15,000 in charitable contributions to ACCION so that the organization can continue to support entrepreneurs. “ACCION is a place where success is available to anyone with the passion, commitment and character to realize it. ACCION is the window through which entrepreneurs can envision a future of prosperity, regardless of our stations in life,” she said. Additionally, Naidoo has volunteered as an ACCION mentor, offering guidance to other business owners.

Agribusiness Tucson, Fernand Loumouamou Fernand Loumouamou has been a farmer since 1975. Living in his native Congo, Loumouamou cultivated fruits and vegetables to sell. Everything changed in 1999. As the Second Congo War ravaged his country, he lost his family to the war. Forced to flee for his own safety, he had to start over in a Benin refugee camp where he lived for nine years. Loumouamou was once again resettled in 2008. This time, however, he would have to start over on a new continent, moving from Benin to Tucson, Arizona, with the support of the International Rescue Committee. He was eager to return to farming, but had no resources. Through the care and support of Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Loumouamou found ACCION. His request to ACCION was simple. “I wish to request some materials to start gardening or farming work, in order to take care of myself,” said Loumouamou in a letter. ACCION provided him with a $200 step loan in the fall of 2009 for materials to start a landscaping business. Now with a fourth ACCION loan, he owns tools, his own truck, and a blossoming business.

A Growing Industry Skeptics often think that with a flexible approach to lending and a client base that many perceive as risky, many of these microloans go bad. But that’s far from the case. ACCION New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado’s historic repayment rate is over 93 percent. Other organizations in the ACCION U.S. Network have had similar repayment success. The ACCION U.S. Network has provided over 42,000 loans for over $305 million to support entrepreneurs, and the network continues to widen its reach. What started in San Diego, Chicago, New York, Texas, and New Mexico has expanded into many more communities and states and continues to grow. As ACCION continues to grow, it increases its impact in difficult economic times. This year, in Colorado alone, the number of loans ACCION issued through September has increased 138 percent over the same period last year. As the ACCION U.S. Network increases its growth, it hopes to support small businesses everywhere.

CHANGING THE WORLD!

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BUSINESS

Hyperion Power Generation

A Nuclear

Renaissance Is it Shifting Towards Small Modular Reactors? By Emily Haggstrom

ranium ore is the product of a massive star explosion that happened millions of years ago. It is a naturally occurring element found in soil, rock, water, plants and even our bodies. The basic makeup of uranium allows it to be discovered with modern technology due to gamma radiation from the nucleus of the atom. Discovered in 1789, uranium ore is now widely mined and enriched to higher concentrations for use as fuel in nuclear reactors. Of the three naturally occurring uranium isotopes (U-238, U-235 and U-234) only U-235 is capable of maintaining a sustained chain reaction, which produces the energy for nuclear power. Second only to coal, a baseline fuel for electricity, nuclear power accounted for almost 20 percent of total electricity generated in 2008.1 With electricity demand set to increase dramatically by 2030, researchers, scientists, engineers and policy makers are working to forge new energy paths. Proponents of nuclear power contend that the energy produced from uranium is not only clean but an abundant resource that could meet our country’s energy needs far into the future. Like other sources of energy, nuclear power’s public perception image is long on opinion but short on facts. Now, in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, the fragility of public opinion on the subject of nuclear power continues to weaken, and the industry’s nuclear stigma has become its own worst enemy. In Japan, contaminated adults have been alienated and children bullied as if radioactivity is contagious like an infectious disease.2 However, hold a Geiger counter near tile, kitty litter, a granite counter top or even the banana display in the produce section and it’s sure to click a few times; but that’s because like uranium, they all hold elements that naturally decay. It is society’s lack of knowledge on the subject that continues to fuel the fear brought on by media outlets and fringe environmental groups. Without a true understanding of current regulations and safety standards, we

stand to stall further energy generation efforts, intrinsically increasing all energy prices. Currently, in the United States alone, there are 104 nuclear reactors in 31 states, operated by 30 different power companies, generating 805 billion kWh of salable power.3 Most of this power comes from large nuclear power plants operating either boiling water reactors (BWR), which use the heat from fission to boil water into steam, or by pressurized water reactors (PWR), which takes heat from the fission core by one water loop being used to heat water to steam in a second loop.4 These large reactors are called light water reactors (LWR), because they use regular water, as opposed to deuterium enriched, or “heavy” water, as a moderator. “The average nuclear power station produces enough energy to provide for the needs of about 650,000 Americans,” said nuclear physicist, R.J. Peterson. And while these large-scale reactors supply a significant amount of energy to the grids that are located nearby, the cost structure, electrical systems and demand associated with

them aren’t practical for every city and town. In addition, it is the above ground structures combined with natural occurring hazards such as tornados and hurricanes, as well as the man-made elements, that make these plants susceptible to the man’s inherent nature of uncertainty and fear. “All methods of power generation involve trade-offs, a balancing of risks against returns,” said author Todd Tucker.5 Nevertheless, accepting mistakes and learning from them is the nature of innovation and unfortunately an unintended consequence to advancement. But science and technology continue to progress, and current methods are being more defined. Once the technology is instituted, then the regulations ensue. But regulating an industry, especially the nuclear industry, is difficult, due to the disparate sizes, fittings and technologies in 440 facilities across the world. Demand for these large facilities will not stop; the trend will be ongoing, and the search for renewable energy sources

1 World Nuclear Association, “Nuclear Power in the USA,” US Nuclear Policy, 19 September 2011, http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.html | 2 ABS-CBNnews.com, “Nuclear stigma adds to Japan’s pain,” World News, 12 May 2011, http://rp1.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/ world/05/12/11/nuclear-stigma-adds-japans-pain | 3 World Nuclear Association, “Nuclear Power in the USA,” US Nuclear Policy, 19 September 2011, http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.html

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will continue right along with demand. But for now, renewable energy sources can’t provide enough viable electricity to meet that demand. Therefore, it is crucial for society to continue to use traditional energy sources while the search for new innovative technology contines. It is for these reasons that there is a new market for nuclear power; although, it really isn’t that new. In 1951, 45 kW of electricity from nuclear energy was generated from a reactor with a low electrical output in the high desert of southeastern Idaho.6 These units, more commonly known as Small Modular Reactors (SMR), have been used in remote military installations, submarines and Arctic markets. They are noted for their portability, standardization and ease of control. While there are many idea prototypes, the scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) conceptualized a mini Fast Neutron Reactor. The intellectual property was eventually licensed to The Altira Group LLC, a Denver-based venture capital firm funding Hyperion Power Generation Inc., which is currently seeking credible engineers to complete a detailed design of the concept for manufacturing. The Hyperion Power Module (HPM), without its steam plant, is roughly the size of a MINI Cooper and was designed to fill the unmet need of clean electric power for mining, oil and gas operations, government facilities needing secure power and remote communities. The transportable, HT-9 steel encased module is a clean, sustainable and cost-efficient alternative to medium and large-scale nuclear plants, as well as diesel-fueled generators. Designed as an underground silo with a 30year lifespan, the system protects against worstcase scenarios and tampering. To ensure this, the 30-ton reactor vessel is sealed at the factory before it is transported and stored underground to “virtually eliminate any potential radioactive contamination.” The system is complete with a steam plant that sits above ground to convert the heat into electricity. “This system emits no greenhouse gases and could supply the steam and the power for oil and gas extraction operations over the entire span of a drilling contract license. It is a clean way to provide electricity in very remote locations,” said Bob Prince, CEO of Hyperion Power Generation. During its 10 year lifespan, each individual HPM is designed to deliver 25 MW of electricity, which is comparable to the electric demand for over 20,000 U.S. homes, during its 10-year lifetime. After 10 years, when the fuel is depleted, operators insert another fully fueled HPM underground, next to the first

» It is a clean way to provide electricity in very remote locations. « - Bob Prince

one. Because the HPM is sealed, the vaults are designed to allow the decay heat to diminish in situ before it is removed and transported when the HPM system is decommissioned. While most large-to-medium scale PWR plants use uranium fuel with U-235 enriched to three to five percent, requiring them to refuel on average every 18 to 24 months; the fuel for the HPM system is enriched to 19.75 percent, allowing it to operate for 10 years without refueling. This attribute has several unique advantages. It requires no fuel shipments, it is an economic logistical plus for companies and a proliferation safeguard for society at large; it locks in a fuel price for 10 years, it has an economic advantage unheard of in the energy sector; and the reactor is permanently sealed at the manufacturing facility, providing for zero maintenance within the reactor, another safeguard against proliferation. “Natural uranium is made up mostly of the isotope U-238, with U-235, the easily fissile portion. Uranium enrichment is increasing the ratio of U-235 to U-238. Because U-235 is fissile, you need more of it to easily generate a chain reaction. Fission breaks the bond of the atom, and when it splits, it releases energy as gammas, betas and alphas,” explains Prince. The important by-product of this release is heat, which is captured to create steam and then converted to electricity. The Fukushima Daiichi meltdown occurred because external power from the earthquake and the tsunami dismantled the grid, shutting off power to external pumps supplying cold seawater to the cooling ponds where the spent fuel rods were being stored. As the rods began to overheat from lack of water, the fuel assemblies actually began to melt. In an emergency situation, the underground steel containment vault housing the HPM system does not need pumps or electricity to remove heat, instead cooling by natural circulation of the lead bismuth mixture. This allows safety crews up to two weeks to tend to the system if an emergency occurs. Other scenarios are presented discussions about the use of water within a reactor. All LWR plants use water to moderate the

reaction, which slows down the neutrons enough to allow a chain reaction from the uranium. The HPM system uses a “fast reactor” because it is easier to control and can be made much smaller, although higher enrichment is needed. A fast reactor does not need water because it has enough uranium atoms so that the neutrons do not have to slow down to hit the atoms, eliminating the need for water within the reactor and the assicated dangers. The fast reactor also uses a lead bismuth solution as a coolant instead of water, which allows the fission process to occur close to atmospheric pressure, eliminating the high-pressure water-to-steam process used in larger plants. The lack of high pressure in the reactor, coupled with less uranium than larger plants, makes for much simplified accident scenarios that must be dealt with. By using lead bismuth instead of sodium, a more traditional liquid metal coolant used in fast reactors, the HPM eliminates accident scenarios generated from violent reactions between air and water with sodium. Combined, these attributes greatly lessen both the threat and severity of most accident scenarios and will alleviate many of the longstanding nuclear proliferation concerns around the globe. Appropriately, the licensing process for a new design of nuclear reactor is exhaustive and time consuming. Currently, Hyperion is looking to seek approval from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Hyperion does not foresee the licensing to happen until 2018 but is optimistic about using the time to ensure the design is complete and that all questions are answered to avoid delays in the regulatory process. The markets Hyperion intends to serve are predominantly powered by diesel powered electrical generation. Based on today’s diesel prices and Hyperion’s cost projections, the HPM will deliver electricity to those applications at nearly half the current cost for diesel systems, and will produce zero greenhouse gas emissions. The price, capacity and inherently safe design makes it ideal for remote locations underpowered or developing parts of the world, those lacking transmission infrastructure and even in the U.S. where on-site, dedicated, base load power is mission critical. In an age where no country’s energy future is certain, while renewable resources are still being improved and properly scaled, and where generation and transmission infrastructure is not available, the HPM is a cost effective, clean, and safe option to carry the nuclear industry into the future.

4 Peterson, R.J., “New Nukes For New Niches?”, The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, Summer/Fall 2010. | 5 Tucker, Todd, “5 Myths on Nuclear Power”, Washington Post, 22 October 2009, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2009/03/20/AR2009032001781.html | 6 Stacy, S. “The Reactor Zoo Goes Critical”, Proving the Principle, https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=257&PageID=5534&cached=true&mode=2&userID=3338 10.11 - 12.11

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Time As A Resource

Is TIME a Resource? By Maggie Cronin

loses money, he can make more money. But if time is lost, it’s gone forever.

Use of technology Whatever one’s role in any organization may be, everyone is affected by time management. Every day we encounter time wasters. Every day we have to manage tasks in a timely and efficient manner. Every day we try to manage our own personal time well, in order to gain personal time. But with more types of mobile media now available, things and “times” are changing—and changing fast. Common Sense Media gives this perspective, “Today — 20 years after the birth of the World Wide Web, 13 years after the launch of Google Search, eight years after the start of the first social networking site, six years after the first YouTube video, four years after the introduction of the first touch-screen smartphone, three years after the opening of the first “app” store, and a little over a year after the first iPad sale—the media world that children are growing up in is changing at lightning speed. Fifty-two percent of kids under age eight have access to mobile media.” And, if our children are using so much of their time on new technology, one can only imagine how much this new technology affects our everyday business and personal lives.

e’ve all heard the old adage, “Time is of the essence.” But, how often have you heard about “time” being a resource? Time is a resource just like any other “tool” we use to get from point A to point B. The mind, money, physical tools (cars, computers, etc.) are all resources, but if not used in conjunction with time, what can be accomplished? Time is an intricate part of everything we do or that we accomplish. It is as essential as food and water. Without time, having other

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resources is a moot concept. No one can drive without time, have a child without time, or work and earn money without time. Time isn't usually considered a resource because unlike resources such as energy, food, minerals, it can’t change. A person can't get more time within a business or within one’s life. Unfortunately, not everyone will recognize that time is indeed, a resource. Other resources are freely exchangeable or replaceable, in whole or in part, for another of like nature or kind, but not time. If a person

Mobile Media Use Percent of children who have ever used a smartphone, video iPod, or similar device to play games, watch videos, or use other apps: 0 to 1 year-olds

2 to 4 year-olds

5 to 8 year-olds

52% 39%

10%

What’s to be done? Pay ATTENTION!!!!! At the heart of time management is an important shift in focus—a concentration on results, not on being busy. Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little because they are not concentrating on the right things. This is neatly summed up in the Pareto Principle, or the 80:20 Rule which argues that 80 percent of unfocused effort generates only 20 percent of results. The remaining 80 percent of results are achieved with only 20 percent of the effort. While the ratio is not always 80:20, this broad pattern of a small proportion of activity generating non-scalar returns recurs so frequently as to be the norm in many areas says a study by Mind ToolsTime Management. By applying various management tips and skills, one can optimize time and effort to ensure concentration on as many high payoff tasks as possible, further ensuring achievement with the greatest possible benefit. As Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi notes in his bestselling book “Flow,” People experience the deepest satisfaction in their work when they are “marshaling full attention toward the work at hand.” Csikszentmihalyi claims that people report higher satisfaction in their work—even when the work itself is less intrinsically interesting—when they achieve the flow state, which is characterized by feelings of being “in the zone” and “losing all track of time.” It’s hard, if not impossible, to lose all track of time when one’s overscheduled. It’s also hard to give full attention to one task when you feel that the task list is out of control.

The Four Types of Time Many time experts agree that there are four types of time during our working hours, including boss-imposed, systemimposed, self-imposed, and subordinate-imposed time. • Boss-Imposed: when meetings run over and cut into other work time • System-Imposed: when you should automate some of the repetitive stuff.

» Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little because they are not concentrating on the right things. « • Self-Imposed: spending time getting “lost” in thought or research on the web • Subordinate-Imposed: not empowering your subordinates to solve their own problems, instead of allowing them to add to yours.

Managing Time Everyone is busy. Because of the daily rush, it’s tough to find the time to plan and strategize career development. Job seekers who are in this mode make the mistake of simply relying upon a resume to do the job for them, instead of finding the time to develop a list of networking contacts or attend local networking events. Dave Jension of Science says, “When you get home tonight and wonder where all of your time went, perhaps you should consider analyzing your day. You will never be free from the demands that people and circumstances place on you during

any given time period, however, there are always some ways that you can find more time for those tasks that are of utmost importance. Imagine what you could do every evening if you had two extra hours.” Managing time by prioritizing tasks is key—and that includes the need for rest, thought processing, physical tasks (meetings, writing documents, preparing slide decks, etc.)—and those priorities can be a fluid throughout the day. When you need to eat— eat; if you have a deadline—plan to meet it; if you need a mental stretch—take it. Managing time is like managing anything else, it’s based on priority, ability, need, and cost.

Conclusion In the age of the Smartphone, the iPad, the PC, and other technological breakthroughs, the world is more connected than ever. We are connected to emails, phone calls, text messages, the Internet, and social media sites—all of which give the perception of people having more time, when in reality, these devices may actually take valuable time out of our already hectic schedules. Because of these connections, we are expected, as a society, to meet more and more demanding deadlines. But using basic time resources and the right tools will help us all work smarter not harder. “Time evolved life at a very slow pace, and it probably had good reason. We have made a huge impact with the Internet, and everything is changing at a ferocious pace. We are building, demolishing, and then rebuilding at such a fast pace that we may not have the time to learn from our mistakes. We work and think and play fast, so much so that our lives are just units of time; we are negating our own time because everything is expanding today, with only one exception: time,” says author Gerry McGovern. He argues that inventiveness gives us more tools and ways to use our time and to save our time, and yet the process of learning to use each new tool means that we have less time now than we ever had. We squeeze so much learning, leisure and evolution into these modern times. We may be missing the time to enjoy, the time to live, and the time to relax and to adapt.

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BUSINESS

Impacts & Implications of Rare Earth Elements

In Our Quest to be Environmentally Friendly, Are We Alienating Our Own Economy? Impacts, Implications and Rare Earth Oxides By Emily Haggstrom

Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger. - Theodore Roosevelt - 1894

n the last 20 years, some developed and emerging markets around the globe have taken to the environmental movement hatched from the Kyoto Protocol. These countries have increased money flow through a quasi-capitalistic growth spurt created under government command and are lavishing in the new luxuries of productivity formulated from modernization. For example, the proclivity for advancement within the green movement helped to implement e-readers to stop deforestation, electric vehicles (EV) to slow dependence on foreign oil, and wind turbines to harness “clean” energy. The digital revolution spawned innovation and development of new technologies to increase efficiency through the use of smartphones, ultra-slim LED televisions and lightweight laptops. Similarly, governments from various nations have excelled using

satellites in space, radar systems on the ground, and sonar transducers underwater. Societies thrive off these advancements and continue to stock pile these products through profligate spending. Whether they make people feel connected or provide a sense of morality, societies have become dependent on them and the uses they provide. While we've limited the need for printed publications and oil where its deemed relevant and regulating the businesses that produce them; society has traded one perceived and quantified evil for another. These vital technologies exist and function due in part to the rare earth elements (REE) that support their systems and infrastructure. The growing demand for these products and others like them, together with continuously imposed export quotas from China, has slowly decimated the rare earth mining industry, which in turn will create chronic shortages of minerals by 2014.

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS While deposits of rare earth ore were originally believed to be a rarity—giving the elements their name—it is a historical misnomer, with persistence of the term reflecting unfamiliarity rather than true rarity.1 Rare earths elements and rare earth minerals (REM) are a combination of 17 elements found on the periodic table that are used in hundreds of applications around the world. China is known to have the largest reserves and also controls the lion’s share of the market with between 95-97% of production.

» Because China produces roughly 97 percent of rare earth elements, these export quotas will prove to be severely detrimental to the United States and others who rely almost exclusively on the communist nation for their mineral export. «

Other significant mines exist across the globe to extract these abundant elements from the earth’s crust, but finding them in “concentrated mineable ore deposits is rare.” Geologists are constantly searching and sampling the earth’s core to find new locations to mine for these elements. However, once these reserves are found, it is typical for a site not to start production for five to 10 years as a company establishes infrastructure and receives proper permitting or subsidies dependent upon the location and the regulatory environment.

MINING RARE EARTH ELEMENTS Beginning in the early 1950’s, Molycorp began business as the sole rare earth oxide producer in the Western hemisphere, extracting and producing rare earths in its Mountain Pass, California facility as the Molybdenum Corporation of America. The company remained a leader in the industry, through various corporate acquisitions, supplying the majority of the world’s rare earth elements until the mid-1990s. During this time, the lucrative commodity industry was turned upside down with the emergence of the Chinese trading their rare earth elements in the export markets. “From 1990 to 2004, there was a systematic underinvestment across the commodity spectrum,” said Anthony Young, an analyst for Dahlman Rose & Co. Investment banks and other financiers were focused on the upward trend of oil and gas exploration and development. Mining companies, especially Molycorp, couldn’t find the funding to update their aging facilities. Between high costs of maintenance, labor, manufacturing and other business expenditures like insurance and excise taxes, the cost to run the Mountain Pass facility became overwhelming, leaving them unable to compete with the cheap labor market and subsidized manufacturing costs in China. Prices for rare earth elements surged again in 2011 after the Chinese nearly doubled its export quota from what it was a year ago.2 In

1 Gordon B. Haxel, James B. Hedrick, and Greta J. Orris, “Rare Earth Elements—Critical Resources for High Technology,” U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 087-02, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2002/fs087-02/ | 2 Jason Scott and Jennifer Freedman, “EU Says China is Tightening Rare-Earth Access Even as Sale Quotas Increase,” 14 Jul 2011, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-14/china-almost-doubles-rare-earth-export-quota-in-second-half-after-wto-move.html

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addition to manufacturing, mining in China has exploded, using coal as a cheap source of energy. Because China produces roughly 97 percent of rare earth elements, these export quotas will prove to be severely detrimental to the United States and others who rely almost exclusively on the communist nation for their mineral export.

SPIKE IN DEMAND Whether through systematic avoidance or by slow integration of environmental

controls, China’s economy sustained steady growth across every industry. The lack of labor laws, along with a market flooded with devalued currency, allowed the Chinese to compete at an advantage over other markets. This market advantage has also led to sustained growth domestically for the Chinese, only fueling the burden of internal demand, with Chinese citizens amassing more familial wealth and spending it more freely on consumer products. “Consumers have no direct need for the commodity itself as a consumer good. As a result, the demand for rare earth elements depends on the strength of the demand for the final product for which they are inputs,” said energy policy specialist, Marc Humphries in a September 2011 report to Congress. Government commodities include aircraft components, guns, missiles,

helicopter blades and satellite systems, much of which is used by the Department of Defense. Business applications include medical x-ray units, cancer treatments, magnets, wind turbines and batteries; they are even used to reduce carbon emissions from exhaust gas.3 Plus, final consumer products include: hard drives, televisions, headphones, hybrid engines for cars, iPods, cellphones, and more. Some families don’t just have one product; they may have a collection of these things. As innovation and demand continue to update these

» While the need for printed publications and oil are limited, where deemed necessary, regulations of businesses that produce them are causing many problems. Society has traded one perceived and quantified evil for another. «

products, the desire for the latest and greatest will continue to support the need of mining globally. It is because of the growing need for these products and their applications that industry insiders like Mark Smith, President and CEO of Molycorp, believe that greater domestic production will be needed to sustain worldwide demand. “China has no intention of remaining the world’s major supplier of rare earths and will gradually shift focus to domestic demand,” said Smith in submitted testimony to the U.S.

House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, “We should focus on moving as rapidly as possible to a position where our economy and security interests are no longer tied to declining Chinese rare earth exports.” The need has been recognized by hundreds of geophysicists, scientists, commodities insiders, government officials and businesses. While the near-term trends indicate a strained market, the long-term trends look favorable. However, Mike O'Driscoll, editor of Industrial Minerals, said in an interview with the UK Guardian’s Tom Bawden, "Most experts in the industry think we are going to reach a crisis point in 2014 and 2015. There are 200 to 300 developers trying to bring new projects onstream to increase supply, but many of these are in the early stages."4

3 http://www.cnbc.com/id/40027130/How_Are_Rare_Earth_Elements_Used?slide=1 | 4 Bawden, Tom, “Cost of Metals Used in Hi-Tech Devices Soars as China Limits Supply”, 18 June 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/19/rare-earth-minerals-china 10.11 - 12.11

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Impacts & Implications of Rare Earth Elements

IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS The countries growing unrest concerning environmental regulations accompanied by the lack of understanding about the mining industry and its processes have only added pressure to the current situation. U.S. businesses are facing enough restrictions and financial limitations as it is without having to be a mining company on top of it. As it stands, some American businesses are already outsourcing jobs or relocating to countries with less stringent Federal policies. Currently, the Chinese are offering their own domestic manufacturing incentives while systematically cutting back on exports to remain the dominant source of rare earth oxides and metals. Between increasing tax burdens, insurance requirements and regulations, the cost to do business in the United States is much different than in China. These expenses have led these same businesses to cut costs in foreign markets as corporations recognize the need to produce returns for their shareholders while adversely bruising the

continues to reinforce the world’s need for alternate production sources outside of China. There have been two recent geological discoveries in Greenland and in the Pacific seabed, roughly 1.5 to 2.5 miles down. However, while the discovery in the Pacific is interesting, the extraction technology, cost implications and the certainty of the deposits are not feasible at this time. Weighing in on the possibilities of production in Greenland, Young said, “I think that there are some interesting targets in Greenland, but it will take a long-time for this production to commence. Climate conditions aren’t impossible. But it will require a higher long-term price before a company will be willing to make the capital investments that are necessary to bring on production in this jurisdiction. I don’t think the prospective deposits in Greenland change the medium-term supply and demand fundamentals for rare earths.” In the interim, investment strategy lies mostly with near-term producers, particularly as new mining projects like

» "We should focus on moving as rapidly as possible to a position where our economy and security interests are no longer tied to declining Chinese rare earth exports." « - Mark Smith

already tarnished U.S. job market. Because the cost of labor is much lower in many foreign markets, the domestic economy risks losing highly needed jobs and domestic investment. Regardless of business practices and policies, it is the American market that stresses the need for increased efficiency and advanced energy sustaining products, which require many rare earth oxides. Currently, China’s ban is said to last into 2015, intensifying near-term global prices of rare earths, which will concurrently affect bottom-line consumer pricing. Whether skyrocketing prices lead to a decrease in the number of products made or the manufacturer's suggested retail price increases, nobody can be quite sure what the consequences will be. One thing is for sure—consumers, governments and business from North America to Europe will ultimately feel the end result.

MOVING FORWARD Although the situation seems bleak, it is not insurmountable. Worldwide exploration

Molycorp’s Project Phoenix and Lynas Corp’s Mt. Weld are set to start production in 2012. Molycorp is positioned to do well when mining commences at its new facility, with expected annual production to reach roughly 20,000 metric tons by the end of the year.5 If Australian producer, Lynas, meets the Malaysian’s industry regulation demands, the company, whose advanced materials plant is undergoing inspection, should open in early 2012 with much anticipation. Nobody, however, is anticipating the commercial production more than the Japanese, who are asserting external pressure within the industry in an effort to eliminate its dependence on Chinese supply following a trade embargo imposed on the nation after it detained a Chinese fishing boat captain. Currently Japanese companies such as Sumitomo and Siemens are lining up to sign joint venture agreements for manufacturing to maintain corporate production schedules of new hybrid technologies in addition to current high-

tech devices. Japanese investments to secure supply will surely help companies like Lynas and Molycorp establish themselves as stronger worldwide players within the rare earth industry, providing for more competitive advantage, market stability and jobs in the places where they do business.

Rare Earths Used Every Day 6 Scandium Aerospace components, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, bicycle frames, handguns, high-intensity light bulbs Yttrium LED televisions, applications in the treatment of various cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, ovarian, pancreatic and bone cancers Lanthanum Hybrid car batteries, vacuum tubes, cameras, telescope lenses, steel additive and certain medications Cerium Catalytic converters in cars, reduces carbon emissions from exhaust gas, diesel fuel additive, magnets, glass manufacturing, carbon-arc lighting Praseodymium Metal alloy for aircraft engines, coloring for cubic zirconia and glass Neodymium Permanent magnets, microphones, loudspeakers, headphones, disks, lasers and florescent lighting Promethium Nuclear batteries, beta radiation source for thickness gauges Samarium Neutron absorber in nuclear reactors, treats severe pain associated with bone cancers Europium Plasma and LED televisions, computer screens, florescent lamps, energysaving light bulbs, smartphones, used for screening genetic diseases, used as an anticounterfeiting phosphor in a Euro note Gadolinium MRI imaging, makes alloy metals resistant to high temperatures, marine propulsion systems, x-ray units Terbium Alloys, crystal stabilizer of fuel cells, naval sonar systems, color television tubes Dysprosium Laser materials, neutronabsorbing control rods in nuclear reactors, hard disks Holmium Magnets, nuclear control rods, microwave equipment, medical devices, lasers safe to use on the human eye Erbium Fiber optic cables, medical and dental lasers Thulium Surgical lasers, portable x-ray devices, high temperature superconductors Ytterbium X-Ray devices, solid state lasers, stress gauges that monitor for earthquakes or explosions Lutetium Petroleum cracking (distillation)

5 “U.S. House of Representatives. Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia. “Submitted Testimony of Mark A. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Molycorp, Inc.” (Date: 9/21/11). Available from: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39905109/Molycorp_Testimony_House_ Foreign_Relations_FINAL.pdf | 6 http://www.cnbc.com/id/40027130/How_Are_Rare_Earth_Elements_Used?slide=1

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BUSINESS

Boyer's Coffee

Boyer’s Coffee Conserving Resources, Saving Money, Doing Good

ounded in 1965, Boyer’s Coffee is based in Denver, Colorado. When Jim McManus took over as CEO from founder Bill Boyer in 2009, the business was struggling to deal with a 140 percent spike in the global price of coffee beans, and McManus realized he would have to initiate major changes to set the business back on the road to prosperity. The company had always tried to do the right thing, especially with respect to its employees, most of whom had been there for many years. The company, however, did not have any green programs in place. McManus had no special predisposition toward sustainability either, but he knew that it was becoming the norm in the coffee roasting ( 70 )

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By Graham Russell

business. Moreover, Boyer’s was a supplier to WalMart in much of Colorado and parts of Wyoming. McManus knew WalMart was ramping up its green supply chain initiative. He saw that sustainability could be a key driver of the new strategy he needed and settled on the idea that the company’s activities must always, “Benefit consumers, benefit the company and benefit the environment.” Boyer’s first called upon local sustainability consultants Renewable Choice Energy, which measured its carbon footprint but determined that the company was generally fairly energy efficient, recommending only that an air curtain be installed at its loading dock. They did, however, identify significant issues concerning the amount of waste the company

was paying to dispose of its waste in landfills. McManus formed a green team and called in Boulder-based ClearGreen Advisors to help identify priorities and create a sustainability action plan. WalMart and Sam’s Club represent a significant percentage of Boyer’s business, and Dan Hayes, who handles the account, felt it made sense to show that the company understood WalMart’s green supply chain initiative and was proactively seeking ways to “get ahead of the curve” and build a productive relationship around sustainability. Boyer’s policy is to ship coffee within a few days of roasting using large cardboard cartons to deliver coffee bags to stores. The practice was for drivers to restock the in-store display units, break down the cartons, and leave them for WalMart to recycle—a one-time use of the cartons. Even though WalMart gets paid for the cardboard it recycles, Boyer’s persuaded store managers to let the company bring the delivery cartons back for reuse. This change increased the number of trips a box could make before wearing out from one to an average of five or six, reducing the company’s carton costs by over 50 percent, an annual savings of $50,000. Many of Boyer’s office coffee customers are now also allowing drivers to restock their cupboards and bring the delivery cartons out for reuse. McManus realized that the company’s packaging should be a major part of an effort to rebrand the company’s coffee and that its packaging processes were inefficient, using no less than 11 different types of film for its coffee bags. Len Smith, operations manager, and Mark Morrison, roastmaster, attacked these issues, and by eliminating the materialintensive 16 ounce bags and working with a package design firm to redesign the remaining bags, they were able to reduce the number of film types from 11 to just four. Each time the packaging machinery is switched from one film type to another, 12-15 bags are wasted, so the longer production runs of each new film type not only cut the labor involved in the changeover process, but drastically reduced the volume of wasted film material. Converting over to the new film types is still a work in progress, but the company estimates that the combination of lower prices on larger orders for each film type, labor savings, and reduced film waste will eventually reduce packaging costs by 20-30 percent. Moreover, inventory carrying costs have been reduced by at least $200,000. The new films also allow the machinery to run at temperatures 50 degrees lower than formerly required, thereby generating a measurable energy saving.

The reduced volume of film waste, coupled with a program to recycle worn out delivery boxes, as well as cartons holding incoming supplies, has reduced the volume of trash Boyer’s is sending to the landfill. In fact, trash pickups have been reduced from three to two times per week, which Smith estimates saves the company an additional $2,000 a year. Another small but effective energy-saving move was to replace the company’s in-store display cases with new ones made out of local beetle-kill pine that each hold 50 percent more coffee bags and thereby reduce the number of truck trips required to replenish store supplies. Building upon its successful effort to achieve multiple uses of the delivery cartons, the company recognized that there might be boxes made of sturdier material that could be re-used many more times for coffee delivery. It eventually located Technology Container Corporation (TCC) of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts which manufactures corrugated plastic boxes that can be used as many as 300 times and assemble and collapse quickly with a simple arm movement, eliminating the labor-intensive process of tape assembling and disassembling cardboard cartons. Although each one costs about five times as much as a cardboard carton, TCC estimates that the new cartons will save Boyer’s $450,000–$500,000 over a five year period. The return on investment on the initial $50,000 order—scheduled for early 2012—will therefore be just a few months. Further, the dramatic reduction in the total number of boxes manufactured by TCC and shipped to Boyer’s over the five-year period will reduce energy consumption by an estimated 87 percent or 5.8 billion BTUs, eliminate over 400 tons of CO2 equivalent, and reduce solid waste disposal by 97 percent or more than 70 tons. In keeping with the principle of working closely with WalMart on sustainability initiatives, McManus and Hayes attended WalMart’s Annual Sustainability Summit in February 2011. Casting around for a use for waste coffee bag film, it was here that they found ITW Angleboard, a leading manufacturer of products used for sustainable protective packaging. ITW agreed not only to remove—free of charge— six tons of old packaging film which had been taking up badly needed space in Boyer’s warehouse and would have cost a great deal to dispose of in a local landfill, but also to take waste film from Boyer’s plant on an

ongoing basis, further reducing the volume of waste going to the landfill and perhaps eventually enabling the company to drop down to one weekly trash pickup. Boyer’s commissioned Maine-based designer Jill Dugas to redesign and reconstruct an on-site coffee shop using as much recycled wood and other material as possible to visibly demonstrate the company’s commitment to sustainability. Old gymnasium flooring and bleachers were purchased from a local highschool undergoing renovation at a fraction of the cost of new lumber. Even after accounting for the labor cost of refinishing, the final cost of the flooring and shelving made from the

recycled wood came in no higher than it would have been if all new materials had been used. And the serving counters were constructed from old cabinets from a Denver bank that was also undergoing renovation. Recognizing that community service is also a part of a sustainability-based strategy, Boyer’s created a conference room above the coffee shop that is open for use, free of charge, to any company or nonprofit organization in the local community. Boyer’s employees have responded with enthusiasm to its sustainability initiatives, and the Green Team is constantly receiving new ideas for enhancing them. The company is working on persuading their office coffee customers to collect the empty two-ounce “pillow packs” used in coffee machines so that they can be picked up by drivers, added to the waste film generated at the plant and recycled by ITW. While this won’t generate or save any money for Boyer’s, Phil Harbison, who is responsible for the office coffee business, explains that many of his customers are interested in starting some green initiatives and respond eagerly to this type of suggestion. It reinforces Boyer’s ongoing efforts to be a responsible company and, in any case, reduces the volume of waste the customer has to dispose of. Another example of how Boyer’s sustainability thinking inspires customers to expand their own green initiatives concerns Oppenheimer & Co., a major mutual fund and financial brokerage house that has a large operation in Denver. In discussions with Harbison, the company recognized that it could cut waste and save money by providing its employees with reusable drinking mugs, thereby significantly reducing the volume of disposable cups it was purchasing. Another developing initiative is to make use of the chaff, or waste organic material from the roasting process, which amounts to about 100 pounds per week or over two tons annually. Possible uses would be for wood stove pellet production or as compost material for organic soil production. Either way, it will further reduce the volume of waste Boyer’s is paying to dispose of in the landfill. Management also thinks that replacement of old fluorescent lighting in the production shop with LED lighting will yield an excellent ROI, and that is on the agenda for early 2012. With all of their initiatives and cuttingedge efforts, Boyer’s Coffee really is conserving resources, saving money, and doing good.

» The total number of boxes manufactured by TCC and shipped to Boyer’s over the five-year period will reduce energy consumption by an estimated 87 percent or 5.8 billion BTUs, eliminate over 400 tons of CO2 equivalent, and reduce solid waste disposal by 97 percent or more than 70 tons. «

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The New Bottom Line: Human Capital

Invest in People , Improve Profits and the Global Economy By Diane Irvin

very business, regardless of size, is impacted by, and in turn impacts the global economy. As business leaders focus on rebuilding to pre-recession status and improving the bottom line, their successes are inherently part of the solution—a resource—for what ails the global economy. The workplace is an organized system, and much like an organism, it is a vibrant, dynamic human ecosystem. To get past the challenges that most companies face today, to positively impact their local economy, and to expand their financial success to the state, the nation, and beyond, organizations must operate at peak performance. Investing in people to retain, reward, and develop quality, committed, employees—the human resources of a business—will shorten the road to prerecession status, and beyond that, to growth, while also improving profits. People are the biggest budget item for many companies. As managers rise to higher positions, they know less of the employee experience and how it impacts workforce effectiveness. For decades, organizations have conducted employee satisfaction surveys to get “the inside story” on how employees perceived specific organizational dimensions that impact productivity (i.e., feelings about the immediate supervisor, top management, compensation, and related factors). After seeing the survey results, managers then target areas for improvement and make adjustments with an eye toward improving employee satisfaction, partly to reduce turnover costs. The pre-recession theory was that satisfied employees are more productive and do not leave. Instead of spending human resource (HR) dollars on recruiting, selection, hiring, boarding, and training replacements, in an organization with satisfied employees, HR could focus its resources on achieving business objectives. This would theoretically result in growth, and HR could recruit for new positions, with new challenges in everexpanding organizations. ( 72 )

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The theory that increasing employee satisfaction would reduce turnover, however, was not as real as expected, particularly in service industries and for high performers in most industries. Why were satisfied employees leaving? The easy answer was compensation. In most cases, low pay was one of the top three reasons, but rarely the first reason for employee attrition. Surprisingly, money was not the reason satisfied employees became disengaged and began job-hunting. In 2007, the economy trembled, and managers implemented process efficiencies to reduce labor costs. As sales dropped, layoffs replaced efforts to stem turnover. From 2008 to 2009, management cut mid-and upper managers who no longer had enough direct reports to justify their salaries. By 2010, the survivors—top talent who are needed for their experience, innovative thinking, customer

retention, and ability to develop others—were feeling overworked. Now, in 2011, they wonder if the grass is greener. They are now less excited about rebuilding organizations where their valued coworkers were expendable than they were when they were hired to take the company to “the next level.” The road to recovery is one that management cannot travel without top talent being not just satisfied, but committed, focused, intent on the mission and vision of the organization—fully engaged in their jobs, with the vision of a brighter future, and the firm resolve that they themselves will create it.

Satisfaction vs. Engagement – The ROI What are the behavioral and financial differences between employee satisfaction and

» Investing in people to retain, reward, and develop quality, committed, employees–the human resources of a business–will shorten the road to pre-recession status. «

to answer questions based on their perceptions of the organization that is sponsoring the survey, if they know who the sponsor is, rather than providing their own honest responses. This phenomenon, known as auspices bias, dilutes the quality of the research when conducted internally to save a few dollars. This savings is a high price to pay for less than optimal data on which managers must base data-driven decisions for allocating limited resources. Second, to get the most accurate data, the right questions must be asked. The questions must be reliable and communicate exactly what they intend, and they must be organization-specific, using the jargon and acronyms of the organization. The extent to which respondents quickly understand the questions prompts automatic, unfiltered responses. The greater the quantity, the more reliable data sorts can be reported. Third, the process for data collection and reporting must consider Retention Savings: Saved For a 1,000 employee organization and 20% turnover current issues like the history of previous Reduced Turnover by 1% $150,000 Estimated cost of turnover at $15,000 per employee* assessments and how that data was used, Use of Internal Resources Redirected human resources formerly allocated to surveys $40,000 how the data will be and interviews used this time; who Re-recruited 4 FTEs will see the results; Costs for recruiting, training, unemployment benefits, $60,000 how comments will be temp agencies, etc. reported; and the extent to which confidentiality is assured. This, and more, will impact the mission, vision and values of the company. participation and the quality of the responses. When a major contract that could have Fourth, for cost-effective time efficiency, catapulted a company forward falls through, results should be easily interpreted. This engaged employees are foul-weather friends will save scarce, expensive management who have no time to cry about it. Driven by time discussing what the data means when a sense of urgency and their commitment to comparing engagement survey results to find an even better piece of business, engaged other HR and OD data like exit interviews, employees will go through long hours without performance reviews, and customer complaining, based on their determination not satisfaction scores. to survive, but to thrive! And finally, the data must be actionable. Managers know an engaged employee If the questions are complex or if there is when they have one, but how do they measure not enough data for reliable conclusions, engagement? Employee engagement surveys ask some responses will be of no value. So it is feeling, values-based questions, not the justimperative that there is enough data for “deep satisfied queries of pre-recession days. It takes dives,” especially if managers want to know experience and skill to measure what is invisible more about a question that is reported by at work—loyalty, vision, commitment, trust, selfdepartments. For instance, they may want motivation, and more. To measure engagement to see if there are differences when a with the degree of accuracy that produces question is sorted by gender or dependable data for driving crucial business tenure. Interventions targeted decisions, the survey and its implementation to small subpopulations are process must include several things. much more cost-effective First, outsourcing the assessment process than one-size-fits-all to a reliable human resource research and interventions, especially consulting firm is the only way to get “the inside if the broad solution has story” from internal employees, especially if unintended consequences they feel insecure about their employment or for subgroups. When action employer. Research shows that respondents tend engagement? Employee retention authority Rim Yurkus, CEO of Strategic Programs, Inc., says, “Any seven engaged employees will do the work of ten satisfied employees. What’s more, employees attract their own kind.” Do the math. If ten satisfied employees at X-dollars is reduced to seven employees at the same rate— that improves profits! Therefore, it is worth investing in engagement research to learn how to improve productivity in organizations. Employee satisfaction surveys measure exactly what they propose—satisfaction. Hiring people with skills and ability will get the company a satisfied employee who can get the job done in full compliance. But to move a company to economic recovery and then to growth requires investing in and developing a workforce whose level of engagement includes the employee’s heart and mind, as well as eyes and ears, skills and ability that are aligned with

» "Any seven engaged employees will do the work of ten satisfied employees." « - Rim Yurkus

plans have been outlined and accountability for results is assigned, it is time to sort engagement data by high performers.

Retain High Performers HR performance reviews or managers’ observations can identify employees who are essential to driving an organization forward. Letting them know their value to an organization’s success can be an important part of an overall human capital retention strategy, but communicating it verbally is not enough. If high performers are asked how committed they are, only if they are committed will they reply honestly. They may not be looking for greener grass today, but in the war for talent, an organization’s competitors may attempt to lure high performers away. High performers do not often leave for compensation reasons, unless a personal situation requires it, or if compensation is how they “keep score.” They are more likely to leave for professional development or a better career opportunity. Identifying this pool of talent, along with identifying competent employees in hardto-fill positions is essential to an organization’s recovery strategy. Internal professionals cannot get accurate, candid information from this group.

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BUSINESS

The New Bottom Line: Human Capital

Third party HR research firms can design client-specific stay questions—a wise investment in this human capital group. These firms are trained to conduct sensitive interviews, and depending on the job level of the high performers, stay interviews may be effectively conducted in person or by telephone. Questions are in the organization’s language and are both quantitative and qualitative. Information that helps managers forecast how engaged this group is and what will keep them engaged is priceless. An extended professional development plan may be the best insurance to keep the best and brightest invested in the organization and to continue to attract other quality employees. This also brands an organization as a great employer— the best weapon against competitors.

Exit Interviews, Lessons Learned What does it cost to lose one competent employee? The conservative formula is 1.5 times an employee’s salary. Do the math. Losing a single $40,000 employee per month is $60,000 times twelve, or $720,000 per year. And consider this, just ten percent of that will buy years worth of good research and action plans for retaining employees. What can managers learn from people who are already out the door? Very little from internally conducted exit interviews, but a great deal from skilled third party interviewers who may be seen as welcome confidantes. Responses like, “personal reasons” or “retired” is what exiting employees give internally as reasons for leaving. The same employees told strategic programs interviewers

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» Driven by a sense of urgency and their commitment to find an even better piece of business, engaged employees will go through long hours without complaining, based on their determination not to survive, but to thrive! « - Rim Yurkus

they were leaving “Because the DM was taking merchandise out of the store, and I didn’t want to get involved,” or “I took an early retirement because I hated my supervisor.” Good exit analysis research will compare exit data to other HR or organizational assessment results. Dividing data by manager to learn who is losing more people and who is retaining and developing people is immensely valuable. Comparing this information to performance reviews can show which managers could benefit from coaching or training, and which ones may be either reassigned or become part of a “turnover management” strategy. Investing in a year of exit interviews and using the data to reduce turnover by even one or two valued employees

can more than pay for the research, reduce turnover costs, and increase profits. Sorting exit data for high performers will show where they are most at risk. A comeback campaign for rehiring can readily offset the cost of this research. Skilled interviewers can link a broken relationship to HR if there is a misunderstanding, and reassignment to a different site or supervisor may be a costeffective alternative—with an ROI. Whether exit interviews are used for retention or not, there is no more candid data available about the workplace. Despite low turnover in a down economy, most companies continue this service because of “the inside story” that is not available from any other source. Employees who experience unsafe work conditions, potentially litigious situations, policy or procedure errors, or violations of ethics want to tell someone. And they often leave because they do not want to get involved in controversy by reporting their experience. Eager to make a difference for their former co-workers, they readily unload their experience confidentially to a third party expert interviewer. Investing in former employees, perhaps rehiring them, or learning how to avoid one lawsuit or improve workplace safety is worth far more than the cost of exit interviews. Every business, regardless of size, contributes to the human and financial global ecosystems. When business leaders develop and grow the pool of human resources in their organizations, they improve not only their profits, but their very lives, those of employees, their employees’ families, and the surrounding community, which ultimately contributes to the global economic climate that impacts everyone.

BUSINESS

Information Technology Is A Resource

Information

Technology The Systems Aren’t the Only Resource By Stan Sellner and Darryl Watson

orporate and organizational technology groups are not typically viewed as a source of supply or support, as it relates to resources. Instead, the information technology (IT) groups in many organizations are seen as very expensive cost centers, a detriment to budgets and even as black holes with a life of their own. However, as companies learn how to foster cooperation and collaboration with the IT department, the likelihood of attaining the company’s goals increases proportionately. Usually when technology groups are referenced, IT is the first type of group that comes to mind. The reality is that most companies have multiple departments that

company to achieve better market advantage. To be effective though, the direction and focus of these groups needs to be in alignment with the company’s overarching business strategy and goals. Once specific business goals have been identified, the strategy to attain these goals becomes a joint responsibility across the entire company. This represents a call to action for the technology group to collaborate with others to define the potential business focused technology solutions that support the organization and move the business plan forward. The IT team then becomes a significant resource, helping a company achieve its goals, contributing to its success and creating the intellectual capital to sustain and grow its endeavor.

» As the state of the economy continues to fluctuate, technology groups have been tasked with assisting business leadership in laying out a coherent and actionable strategy that leverages increasingly scarce resources. « utilize or have an element of IT within them, making the group the de facto center for defining collaborative solutions. These IT groups also play various key roles in the continued viability of their companies, assisting company leadership by helping to define solutions as they are presented within departments. As the state of the economy continues to fluctuate, technology groups have been tasked with assisting business leadership in laying out a coherent and actionable strategy that leverages increasingly scarce resources. Therefore, doing more with less has also become a constant challenge for the leadership of every company and the IT groups that support them. And, as this business climate continues to evolve and adapt, leaders will begin to recognize that their technology groups are truly valuable resources that can help the ( 76 )

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The New Frontline of Information Technology Today’s business environment is substantially different than it was 10 years ago. While salary is still a motivator, it is job satisfaction, team successes, and a stimulating working environment that now figures prominently in growing human capital. The original top-down style of command and control, which presumes that employees are obedient, regimented and focused on their narrow roles, fails to consider the advantages of employees who form collaborative, independent teams. A team that is dynamic, adaptable, and easily re-directed may seem chaotic to the unversed, but this new regimen has proven to be a hallmark of success for pioneering teams. This type of collaborative environment

Data

people

systems

intellectual capital

overall business vision

defined business goals (Supporting the Vision)

Strategy to Achieve Business Goals Define the Business Requirements Provide a Technology Solution Implement the Solution Evaluate the Solution

Continuously Refine & Tune the Strategy

has become a cornerstone in building the intellectual capital needed to deliver innovative solutions that separate one company from another within the marketplace. No matter how much is invested in technology, the greatest influence on the effectiveness of any IT resources is its people. Managers who encourage and foster collaboration between departments tend to build better teams and enhance the ability to use IT as a resource for the organization. An encouraging byproduct of collaboration is that it has the possibility to uncover disparate talents and hobbies that each of its team members possess that may not fall within the realm of their daily responsibilities. These talents can also be leveraged to help provide support for the business' goals. By fostering a culture of innovative ideas, efficient work processes, honest communications, team collaboration, realistic expectations, and an ethic of high quality, a company has the ability to maximize the effectiveness and contributions of its technology teams. Concurrently, these same employees can then develop a sense of ownership to the overarching business objectives of the company by providing their own unique contribution to successfully accomplish those goals.

» A team that is dynamic, adaptable, and easily redirected may seem chaotic to the unversed, but this new regimen has proven to be a hallmark of success for pioneering teams. « Within most organizations, managers have traditionally viewed IT’s hardware, software and personnel as overhead or expenses rather than as key assets or resources. While systems are expensive to acquire, customize, develop, implement and maintain properly, they become even more expensive, wasting valuable resources when they do not help fulfill a stated company goal or strategy. When the IT group is engaged in building and deploying the best value solution to align with a company’s defined business requirements, it leverages the IT systems investment as a resource. As companies assess their businesses processes, it is important to take a structured approach that will allow the IT group to understand what the individual system’s needs really are. This is vital because the proper system's solution leads to business intelligence insights that help foster collaboration across the organization, which in turn shortens the feedback and correction lifecycle that results in a more nimble and successful company. But in many cases, once a solution has been deployed, companies make the erroneous assumption that it will run unattended. As automation continues to grow and businesses rely more heavily on IT, the proper tuning and systems adjustments are essential to the life of the business if they intend to remain focused on their goals. A nimble IT platform that can

function as a delivery resource necessary to help meet a business' next market challenge is the product of a collaborative and engaged technology team. As the costs of data acquisition and retention continue to fall, IT departments end up holding and managing vast amounts of uncategorized data. And as the emerging business intelligence sector has demonstrated, this data can be used both to measure past successes as well as to drive new activities. Therefore, information such as customer needs, preferences and location gathered via a company’s business system is another major asset housed within the IT arena. While much of the data is relevant to the current business environment, it can also be relevant for future business initiatives. Collaboration and sharing business objectives between the business units and IT can result in capturing previously untapped business intelligence from the collection of information. Additionally, the data collected can be retained to provide insights about product successes and to refine the business strategy and goals. As with any endeavor that first maps out its direction, strategy and goals before deciding on a technology solution set, companies that are in a better position to achieve success are using technology as a resource to actively leverage their full potential.

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COMMUNITY

Communication, Art, and Resources

as inventors, creators and maintainers of culture, said Kathryn Grushka, Ph.D. and senior art and design lecturer at the University of Newcastle. Artists can create work, and once an audience sees the work, it becomes an expression of the artist’s life. And, it can go beyond creative expression and be a method for healing or growth. If art is used in this way, it can change lives. Art work often reflects four different areas of an artist’s life— individual, family, society, and world. The art work may represent these areas by metaphor or other modes of expression. What makes the difference is the artist taking note of the process. By taking note, the artist is able to make a record of successes, failures, and ideas. These notes will help the artist grow by giving the artist a basis for later reflection—and later inform understandings of truth.

Communication, Art, and Resources Creating a Deeper Meaning By Maria E. Luna

rt as a means of communication between artists and viewers is basically about the experience. It serves as a method to grow one’s spirit. Today’s art content and form tends to be glazed over by most viewers. The popular perception of beauty takes art back to the days of painted seashores, Parisian boulevards and umbrellas at outdoor cafes. Or perhaps, one might recall the Pop Art genre of Lichtenstein—fragmented musical instruments or comic-book-like paintings. However, today’s modern artist is likely to bring discarded objects into acknowledgement as a means of social awakening or as a way to comment on social irresponsibility. The role of art has become a social adventure—more than one of aesthetics. And, the most important resource an artist uses is an art journal to guide their work. The journal becomes a tool to the artist as it records the art process. The process of using a journal in conjunction with creating art can increase the benefits for the artist, as well as give the viewer a more expressive artwork to view. There are reflective exercises an artist can follow to help produce work which fully develops ideas. In society, artists have many roles and thusly, their work can be considered as a perspective into and of society. They are known ( 78 )

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Often, the artwork becomes a statement of the artist’s life—an example of their social, personal and cultural stances. And, the audience validates the work. Art can be used to express oneself and serves as a language between people. In some circumstances, speaking an expression or opinion can be difficult, painful or too emotional to verbally express. In addition, physical disabilities can also limit verbal expression, and art can become a device for expressing complex thoughts. “Art is a language unto itself helping us say the things we don’t have words for,” said Jeanie Lerche Davis of WebMD. If someone has a limited vocabulary, art can be used as an alternative means of expression. By using artwork to say something, the artist can express ideas with some self-reflection. Self-reflection can be done by taking note of the process in a journal.

The recording cycle process Participating in any of the arts helps the artist find their voice and way. When done within a journal to track voice and way, meaning is created. The expression then becomes communication between two or more people. The process is the initial thoughts that form an idea of an artwork to the final stage of the audience’s reaction. This can be done through journal techniques geared towards art-making. There are many techniques to use, three of which will be mentioned later. Writings about a possible idea are the beginning thoughts in forming an artwork. The artist should keep in mind the journal is being used as an idea and development journal. Creating art is receptive. It increases self-awareness and confidence in the creator. In addition, it can help heal physical and mental illnesses. In one case, a depressed patient found creating artwork released emotions and focused thoughts. The depression gradually lifted. In another case, a teenager learned to control impulses when he began to learn how to draw. Creating art was a form of meditation for the patient. The patient also experienced increased focus, quieter impulses and learned control. In other cases, creating art increased self-esteem; it became a way to release anger, gave focus, decreased stress and created happiness. Creating art as a way to heal is about expression and not skill. The work created for the purpose of well-being can be done at any skill level. “Art allows people to express those things for which they have never had words, but which currently affect their lives,” said Davis. If someone is an artist and can use their skill to increase well-being, then their ability has touched their individual, family, society and world areas of life. It touches the individual by physically increasing healing. It touches the family by mentally settling their lives by knowing a

Exercise Two One technique in journal writing that can help an artist is prompts. This technique can help an artist get past creative blocks and develop ideas. The following exercises can be used in a journal and carry over into an artwork. An artist can ask themselves questions in a journal. These questions can be about any event the artist can remember. Possible questions include: What are my visual memories of the event? What colors are standing out in my particular memory? What shapes are present? What are my overall impressions of the topic?

person they care for is healing. It touches society by the artist being able to create work for viewing. It touches the world by becoming communication possibly between multitudes of global viewers. Creating art has benefits for the creator by providing a link to past and present experiences. By exploring past experiences, the artist can introspectively build on strengths. Artwork can serve as life’s review which can create significance in one’s life by honoring the artist’s life experiences. An artist’s education and skill makes a better artist. Creating a journal can teach an artist to have a deeper connection to their artwork. The journal can be a teacher to the artist. The artist will find the journal will refresh “creative foundations because one is alive to the process, risk taking and the power of choices and mistakes; provoke deeper questions of oneself and art-making; circumvent cynicism because of fostering and witnessing, awe, wonder and the raw power of artistic engagement on a regular basis,” said Eric Booth in the Teaching Artist Journal. Combining the art process and reflection will refine an artist. Artists are not the only ones to benefit from art-making. In fact, art plays a role in society and the world by being part of “the fields of education, community revitalization, health and healing, urban design and creating sustainable environments,” says Debra Ingram in Why Invest in Creativity. The following three exercises aid the process. An icebreaker warm-up can be done before each exercise.

An artist can also assist another person by asking the questions to someone who will want an event recorded. The event can be recorded by any medium with which the artist is comfortable.

Los Angeles, USA - January 20, 2008: Sam Rodia, an Italian immigrant, worked alone for 34 years to create this openwork set of towers embedded with pieces of tile, glass, shells, and pottery. Today the Watts Towers are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

» Today’s modern

artist is likely to bring discarded objects into acknowledgement as a means of social awakening or as a way to comment on social irresponsibility. «

The classic method of gaining focus is finding a comfortable place, closing one’s eyes, taking a slow, deep breath and holding it—and releasing it; then the person repeats the process until completely relaxed and focused on the exercise. Exercise One Create a time capsule by adding embellishments to a journal. Each embellishment adds to creating a cohesive story. Depending on how many embellishments are added, they can become an entire collection of works. Think of artist Bruce Conner’s piece Looking Glass, 1964—a sculpture piece comprised of mannequin arms, a dried blowfish, magazine photographs, a shoe and other seemingly unrelated objects. It’s important to date the adding of embellishment. To add writing to the embellishment, the writer can note the emotions, people, places, time of life, atmosphere, colors and perspectives associated with the object. Adding embellishments enhances a journal through adding tangible objects, making the journal more factual and more than a one person perspective. Embellishments add a sense of bringing the journal to life and three dimensional.

Exercise Three To reveal one’s true nature, the artist must reflect on their values. An exercise using photography is taking four values and writing a reaction to those values. One example of this is taking the value of faith and photographing religious buildings. Start this exercise with the following prompts: My values are…, Values I would like to have are…, I think values are…, I get my values from…, and I use my values by carrying out…

Then, the journalist numbers a paper from one to 100. A list of 100 thoughts related to this list is created. The values can repeat themselves. The writing of thoughts must be done quickly so that the writer does not think too long on any one value. After making the list, the writer reviews the values and picks four that stand out the most. Those four values will become the basis for the next art project. The values can be photographed, drawn, painted of sculpted. The artist may want to select more than four values and representations of those values. To achieve a balanced life, an artist can use a journal to combine their life and art-making. There are many ways to go about writing in a journal, and there are just as many ways to use a journal to express the self. Journals are often thought of as a tool for a writer, but it can be a tool for developing art work. Art work is the final product. However, the artist has many benefits to using a journal that goes beyond creating artwork. Using the aforementioned process, artists can oftentimes bring their work to a new level. It will do this by giving the artist the opportunity to develop original ideas of the self. Many times artwork is developed from a thought without an awareness of how the artist’s background and values played into the process. The process of using a journal creates the background, thus giving the artwork a deeper meaning.

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COMMUNITY

REGIS UNIVERSITY AND THE BERKELEY COMMUNITY

Community Impact

Investment Berkeley Information Center By John Reed

Information Center. The center is intended to provide a broad range of local information to the citizens of the Berkeley District of Denver, Colorado. At present, there is no single, central depository of information regarding the many recreational, professional, civic, and domestic activities needed in daily life by individuals, families and businesses within the community. The Berkeley District Merchants’ Association identified a lack of information as the major obstacle to economic development, and as a clear limitation on the district’s quality of life.

Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day, But teach a person to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. - Chinese Proverb However, if you build a fish cannery, you create jobs and feed the entire community. - Karl Dakin, Executive Director, Sullivan Chair for Free Enterprise, Regis University

s local governments continue tightening their belts in the face of economic realities, the prior funding to address community problems is becoming scarce. Communities are faced with finding new ways to finance solutions until the economy recovers. The Sullivan Chair for Free Enterprise at Regis University is advancing an idea for funding a variety of community projects: a Community Impact Investment. This idea attracts private funding resources from within the community and utilizes those funds within a business investment model, monetizing the solution and paying back the money. Successful execution of this approach may prove a renewable, repeatable way to answer the pervasive question of “Where’s the money?” “We know that there are more than 535,000 locally owned businesses fueling our state's economy, and employing more than 1,632,000 Coloradoans. Local community investment is how we can leverage that investment and multiply it, creating a dramatic change in communities,” said Karl Dakin, executive director of the Sullivan Chair. “My backyard is becoming the center point for economic planning. And entrepreneurial approaches are needed. As the largest economic force within the Berkeley community, Regis University is making available the knowledge and creativity of its faculty and students to develop new economic models that are free enterprise approaches for communities,” he went on. Work is currently underway on the pilot project Community Impact Investment—the Berkeley ( 80 )

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“The greatest challenge that we have as a business is getting our information out to our potential local customers. In this age of social media, the web, and other forms of information dissemination, there are too many outlets for information, all with varying degrees of credibility,” points out Dan Taylor, Merchants’ Association president. “Trying to use just a couple of these methods of communication is not only time consuming, but fails to reach a broad enough audience. What is really needed is a hub to allow access to local information and a central location to disseminate information.”

» "Local community

investment is how we can leverage that investment and multiply it, creating a dramatic change in communities." « - Karl Dakin

Community Impact Investment is a community development and revitalization activity that is conducted to address a community problem. Funding for the activity may be provided through a social investment model without government monies or charitable gifts. By looking to local money and providing a means for repayment, a community can achieve a level of self-determination. The Berkeley project will use a two-stage process of planning and action. Regis University will lead the first stage supported by the Berkeley community. In the second stage, the Berkeley community will lead the start and growth of the information center, while Regis University provides support. “Working together we can build a more durable, healthy and connected local economy,” says Rebecca Saltman, project manager for the Berkeley Information Center. “The more we can do in our own backyard, the more stable our local economy will be.” During the planning process, information will be gathered from citizens and businesses within Berkeley as to their common information needs. Information in this context

could include anything from soccer game schedules and field usage, to merchant coupons, or police reports, government forms, real estate listings and virtual tours, community billboard postings, Regis University activities, and entrée to all forms of social media. After completing an inventory of all types of Berkeley community information, the citizens of Berkeley will be surveyed to determine what information is most important. Then, different delivery options will be considered based upon available technology. The Berkeley Information Center will make use of the latest Wi-Fi and smartphone systems for collection and distribution of information. The Sullivan Chair will present the Berkeley Merchants’ Association with different funding options on January 5, 2012. The plans will provide for the operation of the center to generate revenue from which investors may be paid back. This monetization of the Berkeley Information Center may include advertising fees for banner ads, tag ads, and coupons, transactional fees on sales of products and services, subscription fees by members of the Berkeley community, and information distribution fees by government agencies. Total fees need to be sufficient to cover operational costs and recover investment dollars.

» "Only those with the deeply ingrained capacity for

continuous learning and self-reflection stand a chance of surfing the waves of change successfully." «

Regis University students will be integrally involved in both the planning and launch of the center so that they can learn entrepreneurship. The immersion-based educational approach allows students to learn entrepreneurship by engaging in entrepreneurial activities. “To best prepare students to enter the workforce, they must learn entrepreneurial practices for managing constant change,” stated Marilynn Force, an adjunct faculty member at Regis University and an educational consultant to the Sullivan Chair. She offered a quote by Chris Lowney from his book “Heroic

- Chris Lowney

Leadership,” “Only those with the deeply ingrained capacity for continuous learning and self-reflection stand a chance of surfing the waves of change successfully.” Regis University advocates this kind of surfing regularly by applying the principals of Jesuit education, inculcating the characteristics of a modern entrepreneur. The measure of their personal greatness is less what they found at journey’s end and more the depth of human character that carried them along the way: their imagination, will, perseverance, courage, resourcefulness and willingness to bear the risk of failure…” Force goes on, “Regis University strives to instill in students the discipline of continuous self-reflection that the Ignatian process demands. For in that process one can define order to one’s life and know self-awareness as the foundation of leadership. Entrepreneurs, if not self-aware, are subject to a loss in understanding of their market place/demographic, community and self-actualization which connects them to their customer base.” If the Center can meet the needs of the Berkeley community and achieve sustainable operations, the Sullivan Chair will package the Center's plan in a kit with lessons learned from the plan’s implementation. The kit will be offered for sale to other communities. In this manner, a single project may be widely replicated and locally funded across the nation. John Reed is a volunteer at Regis University with an interest in rural economic development.

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COMMUNITY

The Center for Immigrants and Immigration Services

“Many of the immigrants who come to CIIS don’t know how to turn on a computer, much less how to use technology to its full capacity,” said Jayweh, who was a practicing attorney in Liberia before coming to the United States. “They want to learn the very basics so they can complete job applications online and better adapt to modern society. Our greatest challenge was finding a person or group who could provide the essential technology training to the people who so desperately want to learn.”

Two Worlds

Colliding The Center for Immigrants & Immigration Services By Paul Suter

ine years ago, Augustin Niamkey came to Colorado from the Ivory Coast on a church mission. In the midst of his journey, word came that war had broken out in his homeland and that he would not be able to return to his country. It was devastating news, but Niamkey accepted the challenge and focused on making a new life in Colorado. Niamkey’s story is not uncommon. In fact, every year scores of African immigrants—many of whom have survived torture, rape, war trauma, human trafficking, and other forms of human rights abuses—find asylum in Colorado. They come here with little more than the clothes on their backs and the hope of being able to establish a new life in the modern world. For some, that prospect can be as overwhelming and as frightening as the conditions they escaped in their native countries.

In December 2010, Jayweh submitted a request for a grant from the Rose Community Foundation’s Roots & Branches Program. As part of the process, he and some of the staff of CIIS were interviewed by a review committee that was charged with the responsibility of awarding the available grants. One of the committee members was a gentleman named Yosh Eisbart, a technology expert and co-founder, along with his business partner Michael Pytel, of the fast growing, Denver-based tech company, NIMBL. Jayweh continued, "Following the review process, we were awarded the grant, and a few days later, I received a call from Eisbart saying that he wanted to help us with our technology needs,” said Jayweh. “It was like the frosting on the cake to get that call!" “Before I knew it, Pytel, Eisbart, and the NIMBL team had established a new database for us and had recruited the help of Evolution Marketing Group to create a new website for CIIS. They also committed their technology experts to come to CIIS twice a month and instruct computer classes. We feel very fortunate and are incredibly grateful.”

» It is critical for

Fortunately, these African immigrants are not alone. A local organization, the Center for Immigrants and Immigration Services (CIIS), is helping to make the transition from third world conditions into the 21st century easier for these immigrants and is finding incredible support from the local community along the way. Individuals, companies and organizations have become familiar with the work of CIIS and have donated time, money and resources to CIIS’s important and life-saving work.

the immigrants to learn about modern technology for many reasons, including everything from finding a job to avoiding the scams that are rampant across the internet. «

One of the more significant challenges for CIIS and the incredible survivors it supports is the ability to adapt to modern society and understand the technology that fills most of our daily lives. While searching the internet, finding friends on Facebook, enjoying YouTube videos, or getting LinkedIn is commonplace for many of us, the immigrants who come to CIIS sometimes don’t know the difference between a television screen and a computer monitor. They are decades behind the technology revolution. According to Frederick Jayweh, an immigrant from Liberia who established CIIS in Colorado in 2009, it is critical for the immigrants to learn about modern technology for many reasons, including everything from finding a job to avoiding the scams that are rampant across the internet.

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“We deal with very complex technology issues on a daily basis, so this is a great way to not only help people, but also return to, and appreciate the very basics of what technology can do for all people,” explains Eisbart, whose company helps small businesses, as well as Fortune 100 companies maximize their business operations via technology. “Our team includes some of the world’s brightest tech minds, and yet they all love the opportunity to teach these courses and explain how to double-click on an icon, attach a document or search Craig’s List. It’s somewhat of an escape for them, but they also appreciate being able to help these new students of technology.” So far, Niamkey has attended about a dozen classes at CIIS. He started his own janitorial services business a few years ago, and wanted to learn more about technology and how he could apply it to his business. He also wanted to avoid internet scams, like the one he had previously fallen victim to. “My countrymen were in need of automobiles to transport war refugees from the Ivory Coast border to refugee camps in Ghana,” Niamkey begins his story. “I was here in the United States, and worked to find cars that could be purchased and delivered to my friends in Ghana. We found three cars on the internet that were perfect for our needs and paid a total of $12,300 for all of them. They arrived safely in Ghana, but when my friends tried to start the cars, nothing happened. They opened the hoods, and there weren’t any engines!”

Niamkey smiles about the mistake, but also points out that many people—immigrants and longtime U.S. citizens alike—still get taken by unscrupulous characters who victimize people via the internet. “I want to learn about and better prepare myself for the dangers of the internet,” he says since he fell victim to a fraudulent check scam not too long ago. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can.” The technology classes at CIIS began in early summer of 2011, and so far nearly three dozen immigrants have been attending on a regular basis. All of the individuals have experienced extreme hardship and welcome their new home in Colorado and the world of technology with open arms. One of the students who recently arrived from Libya has already learned how to use Skype. He made it a priority, as his wife and three young children are still in Libya and hope to soon join their father in Colorado. In the meantime, they can still enjoy an attachment to one another thanks to another amazing advancement in technology.

» "We deal with very complex technology

issues on a daily basis, so this is a great way to not only help people, but also return to, and appreciate the very basics of what technology can do for all people." « - Yosh Eisbart

“The work that the NIMBL team is doing is highly essential to the integration and settlement process for the immigrants,” said Jayweh. “The immigrants have as few as nine months to prove that they have the skills necessary to find work in the United States, and computer skills are obviously high on that list. Because of these classes, they are learning how to create Word documents, network, develop resumes and generally become computer literate. Many of these people are the survivors of terrible atrocities and are thankful for the opportunities in the United States. The work of the CIIS and of NIMBL is helping them to discover an entirely new world for themselves and their families.” Niamkey has already learned a great deal at the computer classes, and on a recent snowy day was settling in to better understand Excel. However, he freely admits he is not the most advanced computer student, even in his own family. His two children, Fidele (8) and Emmanuel (14), have been taking computer classes of their own at school, and like almost any parent, he is finding that his children are much more adept at computers than he is. “They’re more advanced than me! I’m not sure I can keep up with them anymore!”

About CIIS The Center for Immigrants and Immigration Services was established on October 1, 2009 to provide curative and rehabilitative services to all immigrants and their families in Colorado who are survivors of torture, asylum seekers, war trauma survivors, and victims of other forms of human rights abuses including human trafficking victims. CIIS works with those who have treatment options or recuperative centers to help them recover and heal from the wounds of torture. CIIS provides immigration and legal services, social support and community resources, health care, mental and counseling, and research and multicultural training services. Please visit the new CIIS website at www.ciisdenver.org. About NIMBL NIMBL is a leading SAP consulting firm focused on nimble delivery and SAP specialized solutions. NIMBL's business- driven initiatives provide recognizable ROI for their clients and best-in-class SAP services. With expert consulting focused on enhancing customers' SAP platform, companies across the United States are actively seeking engagement with NIMBL. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Denver with offices in L.A. and Chicago, NIMBL serves both Fortune 500 organizations and the small to mid-sized marketplace. Privately held with annual growth of over 400 percent, NIMBL has quickly become one of the industry's hot new SAP stars. For more information regarding NIMBL, visit www.benimbl.com.

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COMMUNITY

The Greenhouse Project

The Greenhouse Project A Revolutionary Approach to International Development By Karen M. Radman

revolutionary approach to the way that international development nonprofits achieve their missions is making its way to the Mile High City. Shared resources, collaboration and economies of scale are the impetus for its creation. Between the climate of the global economy and the fact that there are over 19,000 public charities in the state of Colorado alone, nonprofit organizations must consider innovative and improved ways of conducting business in order to thrive— and survive. Rather than competing with each other for resources, progressive nonprofits are instead seeking ways to collaborate in order to best achieve their individual missions. Denver’s Greenhouse Project is the result of this kind of thinking. Conceived in early 2011, by the international development organization, iDE, and former Colorado House speaker, Andrew Romanoff, the Greenhouse Project (Greenhouse) has quickly gained momentum. With over 100 internationally-focused nonprofits in Colorado, Romanoff started recruiting partners the old-fashioned way—by picking up the phone. Although predicated by iDE’s need to relocate its offices, the idea of forming an international development nonprofit center suggested many more opportunities than simply leasing a new office. Many of the organizations that Romanoff contacted recognized this potential. In only a few months, Romanoff ( 84 )

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was able to recruit 15 international development partners who plan to move in together, once the space is confirmed and renovated. Expected date for move-in is August 2012. Anticipated ways to share resources and maximize impact in the developing world is infinite.

The United States’ First Collaborative Center for International Development According to its website, “the Greenhouse Project (www. greenhousefund.org) will be the nation’s first collaborative center for international development with a common goal to produce more innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions to global poverty.” By bringing together like-minded organizations whose missions complement one another, the Greenhouse Project intends to become a resource itself—by acting as an incubator for new business ventures for the developing world. Serving the global community, the geographic span of the work of the Greenhouse’s current 15 partners ranges from the Navajo Nation of the U.S. to Latin America to Africa to Asia. The focus of the work covers the fields of agriculture, education, health, microfinance, water and sanitation, girls’/women’s empowerment, infrastructure and technology—directly impacting many of the Millennium Development Goals set forth by the United Nations. By utilizing the skills and

ingenuity of its partners, the Greenhouse aims to become known as an informational hub on international development, where ideas, best practices, and more, are shared. The facility itself will be designed to allow for the hosting of lectures, workshops, educational programs and community events—with the goal to draw acclaimed speakers and experts in the field of international development. “We also intend to generate new sustainable ventures—advising entrepreneurs on the viability of their plans, developing business models, providing field trials, etc.,” commented Romanoff. Numerous intersections between the programmatic work of its partners will open up many new opportunities for the individual organizations—but more importantly, opportunities will also increase for the people of the developing world who are being served by the Greenhouse partners.

The NCN study demonstrates that the benefits that center partners experience are numerous, including: an increase in awareness and credibility of the organization, enhanced staff morale, higher visibility to funders, greater accessibility for clients and overall collaboration. Through integrating services and systems and eliminating duplication, nonprofits participating in a joint venture, such as the Greenhouse, are able to increase their organizational efficiency. Small organizations have access to resources that they would not normally have. Staff has access to a larger pool of volunteers, as well as peers with whom they can share ideas. Economies of scale are achieved, offering increased visibility of the individual organizations, as well as a unified voice and greater influence in society, business, government and public policy. Organizations gain the capacity to expand their programming and geographic reach. And, important to the sustainability of nonprofits, collaborations tend to attract more funders. Due to the role that philanthropic foundations have played in promoting collaboration amongst their grantees, proposals from collaborations have a higher potential to receive funding than from organizations operating in isolation. In fact, taking the lead from the Lodestar Foundation in Arizona, a group of prominent Colorado foundations joined together this year to create the Colorado Collaboration Award, which offers a $50,000 annual award to the most successful collaboration in Colorado. When nonprofits share ideas, work together and avoid duplication of services, the benefits are far more-reaching than to the individual organizations alone—they directly impact the communities they serve.

» Anticipated ways to share

resources and maximize impact in the developing world is infinite. «

As a nonprofit center, the Greenhouse will offer its partners office space, based on the individual needs of each organization, as well as shared conference rooms, kitchen, office equipment and services, all of which should reduce operating costs and increase capacity. The possibilities for shared back office services include phone, internet, IT support, printing, training, legal assistance, billing, data management, PR/marketing, design and more. Not uncommon with other nonprofit centers throughout North America, the Greenhouse will house not only nonprofit organizations but also private sector companies whose products or services are synergistic with the work of the nonprofit partners. To this end, there are several service providers that plan to sign on as tenants and three for-profit companies that offer low-cost products or economic opportunities designed for and targeted at the developing world who have joined as partners.

A 21st Century Approach to Capacity-Building According to a first-ever study conducted this year by Nonprofit Centers Network (NCN), there are 212 operating centers in the U.S. and Canada and many more in the developmental phase. Since nonprofits are judged by the percentage of each dollar they spend on program work, administrative costs and fundraising, the increasing trend in the development of nonprofit centers is understandable. Every nonprofit strives to decrease overhead costs in order to apply more of its revenue towards advancing its mission. By collaborating with other organizations to share resources, nonprofits can cut back on overhead costs, while also building capacity that they may not otherwise have had. The organizations that have signed on as Greenhouse partners recognize this potential. As Robyn Long, Bridges to Prosperity’s director of operations commented, “Bridges to Prosperity is excited to join a collaborative space both for gained efficiencies of scale and to learn from other similarly-focused organizations’ experiences."

For the partners of the Greenhouse Project, these added benefits are already being realized. From the process of simply meeting to make the Greenhouse a reality, many of the organizations are already having discussions about how they can work together to advance their missions. The Greenhouse Project is evolving every day, and its partners are taking a strategic, deliberate and thoughtful approach to its evolution. Although still in the development phase, the partners are excited about the possibilities that the collaboration will bring. More than simply shared space, the Greenhouse Project is a 21st Century solution to not only a resource shortage but it will also create lasting change in the lives of impoverished people worldwide. Keep on the lookout as the Greenhouse Project evolves and occupies space—not only in Denver but also as a pioneer in the field of international development. Karen M. Radman has 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector and currently serves as the development director at the international nonprofit, Friendship Bridge. She has a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University, where she focused her research on the strategic re-alignment and collaboration of nonprofit organizations.

The Greenhouse aims to become a top destination for talented leaders and entrepreneurs—the hub of international development activity in Colorado and a broader region. The Greenhouse Project Partners include: Adelante Foundation - www.adelantefoundation.org; AfricAid - www.africaid.com; Africa School Assistance Project – www. africaschoolassistanceproject.org; Bridges to Prosperity - www.bridgestoprosperity.org; Edge of Seven - www.edgeofseven.org; Educate! www.experienceeducate.org; El Porvenir – www.elporvenir.org; Elephant Energy – www.elephantenergy.org; Engineers Without Borders – www.ewb-usa.org; Global Health Connections – www.globalhealthconnections.org; HealthKind – www.healthkind.org; iDE – www. ideorg.org; Nokero – www.nokero.com; OneSeed Expeditions – www.oneseedexpeditions.com; PowerMundo – www.powermundo.com

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COMMUNITY

Pathfinder Solutions

Looking For Jane Goodall A Call to Action from Pathfinder Solutions By Tom Hobelman and Rebecca Saltman

“We need more and more people to be heroes. It’s just us. There’s no way to step off the planet and try something somewhere else. One little planet; one little us. That’s it!” – Dave Mathews

ne can argue that most people would like to make a difference in the world—an impact that doesn’t revolve around a promotion at work or the approval of family members. This vision can be as prosaic as enlisting friends in a fundraiser via Facebook, or as involved and far-reaching as establishing a nonprofit to tackle a particular shortfall of civil society. “You and I are created for goodness,” relates Archbishop Desmond Tutu in his preface to a seminal new work regarding nonprofit talent development entitled, Path With A Heart: An Invitation To Do Work That Matters. Tutu urges, “I invite you to dedicate your life to this goodness—to have an impact on the world. It will change your life and wipe the tears from God’s eyes.”

people don’t think of the humanitarian field as a legitimate career. The philanthropic sector stands passionately behind every celebrated cause, while remaining largely invisible and endemically undervalued. Nonprofit employment includes more than 12.5 million jobs—10 percent of the U.S. population. There are currently 1.5 million nonprofits, paying $322 billion in wages. The combined assets of U.S. nonprofits make the sector the seventh largest economy in the world—larger than that of Brazil, Russia and Canada combined. In 2009, American charities reported $1.4 trillion in revenue and reported $2.6 trillion in assets. And, nonprofit workers outnumber the combined labor pool of the utility, wholesale trade, and construction industries. Twenty-six percent of Americans volunteer an estimated 50 hours each per year, totaling 8.1 billion hours of service. Whether or not it is a down economy, there is an urgent need to fortify the philanthropic workforce, for success and sustainability of the sector depends not only on adequate financial resources, but also on solid human capital and quality leadership. Talent defines what is possible in any field, and this is as equally true, if not more profoundly true, of the nonprofit sector. The sector must learn to cultivate and keep the talent it has, as well as draw in new talent. And it is not enough to be outrageously passionate in this world—one must combine this passion with heavy doses of tactical strategy.

And why would God be weeping, you may well ask? Maybe because an indispensable component of society—the nonprofit sector—is in grave danger and most people don’t even know it. The millions of organizations that together stand up for the rights of humanity are losing visionary leaders who have been behind the most remarkable accomplishments in civil rights, education, basic health maintenance, and environmental stewardship. Who will follow in their footsteps?

» "I invite you

to dedicate your life to this goodness—to have an impact on the world. It will change your life." « - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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Not-for-profit organizations have had an immense economic and cultural impact on the world. Witness the image of humongous National Football League players wearing pink shoes because the Brinker sisters at the helm of the Komen Foundation have entirely changed the way the world responds to breast cancer. Workers with nonprofit operations have been predominantly responsible for the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, sitting at the bedside of the dying, sheltering the homeless, and addressing the healthcare needs of the uninsured. Nevertheless, most

Dr. Jeffrey Pryor

Dr. Jeffrey Pryor and Alexandra Mitchell have focused their attention on the issue of cultivating talent throughout the nonprofit sector and ardently urge others to do so as well. The book Path With A Heart is just one part of a larger effort of a Colorado-based nonprofit consulting group Pryor and Mitchell have co-founded, called Pathfinder Solutions. Pryor recently stepped down from 20 years as the executive director of the Anschutz Family Foundation, and he now dedicates his time as the CEO of Pathfinder Solution. He is also a professor, EMT, volunteer firefighter, and is considered by many to be a nonprofit sage. Pryor is joined at Pathfinders by Mitchell, a researcher, writer, teacher, trainer and wizard in organizational development. She is cofounder and president of the organization. The mission of Pathfinders is to invite passionate and talented individuals to seek cause careers in the philanthropic workforce, as well as to provide cause-focused organizations, including nonprofits, foundations, international non-governmental organizations, and corporate citizenship programs, the tools and training they need to attain higher value, performance, and measurable impact. Pathfinders is made up of a specialized group of associates who have coached, trained, and consulted with a diverse range of multi-sector organizations. The team has expertise in every area of nonprofit management, with experience that literally spans the globe. Between them, they have worked

» The philanthropic sector stands

passionately behind every celebrated cause, while remaining largely invisible and endemically undervalued. « Alexandra Mitchell

with social leaders in a long list of countries and contexts, including Asia, Africa and Latin America. All are committed to a partnership approach in which their focus and role is definitively collaborative. The problem with nonprofit organizations is that they are typically myopically fixated on a given circumstance or conflict facing a community, with operational concerns taking a back seat to mission priorities. The consequence of this perspective is a short-sighted fog. These organizations aren’t investing in their own futures, and therefore aren't remotely self-sustainable. There are missed opportunities for program growth and a concomitant decrease in quality of service and overall impact. Observing nonprofit organizations while parked at this untenable position has generated some startling statistics. Two-thirds of nonprofit executive directors say they plan to leave their jobs in the next five years according to a recent Compass Point and Meyers Foundation report, yet no attention is focused on replacement plans. A recent study that Pathfinders conducted, collecting information from nearly 2,000 nonprofit respondents, shows that only 4 percent have formal succession plans in place. Furthermore, though multiple studies have shown that good leadership is the leading predictor of organizational sustainability (TCC Group, 2009), fewer than one in five nonprofit workers have a university degree or certificate related to nonprofit management, and two-thirds have never taken a single academic course related to the field (Pathfinder Solutions, 2011).

Meanwhile, more than 65 percent of nonprofit executive directors say they are underpaid, and prevailing job descriptions are unappealing to the next generation (Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, 2007). Frustration is high over lack of mentorship and career paths: for-profits hire two-thirds of their senior management from within, while only a third of nonprofit leaders are internal hires (Bridgespan Group, 2006). And, the prime U.S. workforce, aged 34 to 54, expanded by 35 million between 1980 and 2000; from 2000-2020, this pool will grow by just three million. Essentially, the talent pool for nonprofits is evaporating and there isn't a “rainmaker” in sight. Pryor and Mitchell have been shouting this information from the mountaintops—literally when in Denver, a mile high above sea level—and yet their day-to-day experiences provide training in conference presentations and lecture hall meetings that evince a decided lack of awareness in the general populace. Volunteerism and working in social programs is considered sexy but hardly lucrative, and literally static in terms of career advancement. “According to our surveys, 100 percent of young people could identify Captain Morgan and Paris Hilton, but one quarter could not name a single nonprofit!” exclaims Dr. Pryor. “We’ve surveyed thousands of people, both young and old, and consistently find that while their desire to get involved is high, their knowledge and inspiration is low,” says Mitchell. “Jeff and I are co-teaching a couple of university classes at the University of Colorado-Boulder, for instance, and our freshmen students are a

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Pathfinder Solutions

of seminars, organizational models, and broad-ranging initiatives to take their message public in a big—and hopefully fruitful—way. Their approach is matter-of-fact, befitting their extensive background in research. “We are beginning conversations with other states and national organizations that are also interested in not only assessing the characteristics and challenges of their own nonprofit workforce, but also in building collaborative strategies to address how to build human capital,” Mitchell reports. “In addition, we have efforts underway to pilot this effort in two developing countries,” Pryor adds.

» "According to our surveys, 100 percent

of young people could identify Captain Morgan and Paris Hilton, but one quarter could not name a single nonprofit!" « - Dr. Jeffrey Pryor

blank slate regarding civil society and understanding the breadth and depth of the nonprofit world.” These types of experiences have only enhanced the Pathfinder zeal for changing this paradigm, however. For their book, Pryor and Mitchell have conducted over 300 interviews from across the globe with the likes of Jane Goodall, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Sandra Day O’Conner, President Bill Clinton, Dave Matthews, Carlos Santana and scores of people involved in every aspect of nonprofit work, from the CEOs of the world’s largest organizations to the young workers who have just entered the field. In addition, working with over 50 graduate students, they have developed an extensive research database. Pathfinders employs both top-down and bottom-up strategies to build awareness, engage key players, test possibilities, capture data, and take best and “next practices” to scale. Programs and services center on providing capacity-building training and technical assistance services, conducting research and evaluation, and facilitating on-the-ground cross-sector projects for a multi-pronged approach to community impact. Currently, they are also coordinating efforts in two states to help communities become more strategic in talent development and resource allocation for philanthropic endeavors. "We are partnering with the Colorado Nonprofit Association and the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations to strengthen the human capital development process within nonprofits," says Dr. Pryor. In collaboration with nonprofit associations and other powerful partners, he and Mitchell have also architected an impressive series

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Heading off this very real human resource deficit is taking the authors in unexpected directions and into relatively uncharted territories. Pathfinder Solutions is making groups and communities aware of their weak talent development, but they find the enlightening process is easy when compared to the relentless effort needed to repair this oversight. Pryor’s recent work has streamlined his concerns to a succinct question. "Given that philanthropy is essential to the future of our world, that demographics are shifting, and that resources and leadership are the key bellwethers of success, why is it that we are not being more deliberate about developing a strong, diverse talent pool within the foundation and nonprofit/NGO workforce?" he asks. "We need to be developing coordinated, coherent strategies to both sweep new talent into the field and strengthen the sector’s ability to grow organizational capacity." And so, Path With A Heart, initially inspired by Desmond Tutu, went from a burgeoning collection of ideas to a much broader work in progress. “We began to write a book of invitations from people all over the globe—a number of notables, but hundreds of everyday people in all types of organizations,” says Mitchell. “The goal is to inspire involvement and interest in pursuing cause careers.” Both Pryor and Mitchell are hopeful their book's true stories and overarching vision will translate into inspiration among the readership. Yet, pure vernacular has its limits with regard to translating facts and figures into a call to action, and the authors are well aware of the rarified atmosphere in which they find themselves. They have adopted a bird's-eye view to keep long-term sustainability for the nonprofit sector on the horizon. But to keep that view alive, they are keeping their feet on the ground. Path With A Heart encapsulates their message, however there is more they aim to accomplish. The sooner the field can enact change as opposed to researching it, the better these varied organizations around the world will be able to stave off this encroaching leadership deficit and managerial decay. As talent and organizational capacity define sustainability and impact, what will it take to build a diverse and robust talent pool to secure the future of the philanthropic sector? Cultivation of a highcaliber workforce and superb leadership is essential to support the important work that is already under way and address the challenges of tomorrow. As always, opening your heart to new paths is a great beginning; joining Pathfinder Solutions in advancing these endeavors could be the perfect first step on a truly global journey. Tom Hobelman is a freelance writer based in Denver, Colorado. His work has been published in both local and national print media. Rebecca Saltman is a social entrepreneur and the president and founder of an independent collaboration building firm designed to bridge business, government, nonprofits and academia. www.foot-in-door.com.

COMMUNITY

The Adelante Foundation of Honduras

"Cut the cloth to fit the suit..." Microcredit Takes a Lesson from American Business By Mike Wiesner

s the economy continued to get worse and the effects of the current political crisis in Honduras took hold, our little NGO, the Adelante Foundation of Honduras, was in a fight for its life. In 2008, we lost $400,000. In 2009, we lost $150,000. In 2010, we made $50,000. In 2011, we are on pace to make $100,000 - $125,000. How does that happen in one of the worst global recessions in recent history coupled with a political crisis? We had become very fat on other people’s money. In the early part of the decade, as microcredit gained in popularity among private donors and foundations, it felt like we couldn’t write a grant that didn’t get funded. It seemed as though money was “falling from the sky,” and at the rate we were going, we were helping a lot of poor people and spending an enormous amount of money doing it. This money was not concentrated in salaries or profiting any individuals of the organization, but the organization was constantly looking to expand with the notion that we would eventually reach sustainability if we could get to a scale that could support the operations. So Adelante opened two new offices in very poor parts of the country and continued to hire loan officers

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with an expectation that with more loan officers we could get more and more clients, and ultimately, this would get us to the scale we needed in order to be able to afford to pay them without fundraising. By the end of 2007, the organization had around 4,500 clients, six branch offices, and 65 employees. We were cookin’! Then BOOM! The crash of 2008 hit like a ton of bricks. In our November board meeting of that year, we had to seriously discuss how we would fund our continued operations and growth with the reality of the fundraising climate in the United States. We were burning through money like nobody’s business, and it didn’t take a certified accountant to tell that we were headed for disaster. As one board member noted from his business experience, “Once you are out of cash, you are out business.” And even though we had the option of liquidating loans to stay afloat, it would have gone against what we were trying to do. So we knew we had to make some organizational changes and fast. We had to “cut the cloth to fit the suit” because the grant money and private donations started to disappear. The foundations that we

solicited told us that they had been hit hard, as many had and that they now had twice the applications with half the assets. And we got similar responses from some of our most dedicated donors. So we could either not count on them to fund our proposals or we could count on a lot less than what they had been able to do in the past.

the suit”—again. So we started with what would be required to end that year making money. We asked ourselves how much we would have to cut our budget to be able to reach sustainability in the last quarter of 2009. From there we developed several policies about growth and maximizing each employee’s performance. We created new incentives (and expectations) for our loan officers to make better loans to more clients with better customer service. In the back office we worked to mechanize processes that we had been doing manually for years, thus eliminating superfluous positions that were mainly people pushing paper.

» We were burning

through money like nobody’s business, and it didn’t take a certified accountant to tell that we were headed for disaster. «

The first step to fiscal responsibility was to look at our personnel—we had far too many people. We reduced our staff from 65 to 35 in a matter of two months. No department was left undisturbed—every department manager had to feel some pain by reducing their staffs and doing more with less.

Then again in 2009, another boom arrived! Then-President Mel Zelaya was deposed because he blatantly tried to unconstitutionally extend his term and dissolve the rest of the government, just as Hugo Chavez had done in Venezuela. As a result of the Honduran political crisis, the United States terminated a broad range of aid to Honduras totaling more than $31 million. Adelante had lost more than $300,000 in potential funding commitments for the next year as a result. The World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank cancelled all economic aid to Honduras for that year. It was estimated that Honduras’ $14.1 billion economy lost as much as $200 million in foreign investment since President Manuel Zelaya was removed from office on June 28, 2009. Not only that, but Honduras was paralyzed economically for more than three months: schools were closed, the military enforced curfews, demonstrations occurred and the overall mobility around the country was seriously inhibited. This in turn had a terrible effect on our clients and their businesses, which impacted their ability to perform on their loans. This all had a compounding effect. We, as an organization, faced very difficult decisions and at the rate that we were losing money, we could no longer sustain our operations as they were. We had to maximize organizational efficiency by getting a lot smarter about how we spent the little money that we had. This meant that we needed a new strategy. We had to “cut the cloth to fit

Our response also had a compounding effect. We were better, faster, and stronger than we had ever been. Now, everyone values their job. We are more efficient at every level and are continuously looking to improve. Today we hire superior people and train them better. We are also able to give them more responsibility which results in a better product and better customer service. So here we are in the last quarter of 2011, and we are one of the only microfinance organizations serving the rural areas in Honduras and one of but a few in Central America that is doing so with an average loan size under $150 without any form of guarantees. We have a 97 percent repayment rate and a 95 percent retention rate. The future looks very bright; we have survived and are stronger for it. We have become true leaders in the microcredit industry in Central America. We have proven that our methodology works and that it is possible to focus on the poorest of the poor by providing them with business development and sustainable business services. In the end, we learned that money being raised today is not guaranteed tomorrow. The only way to survive in these tough times is to be as efficient as possible, deliver a good product and take care of one’s customers, because without the success of the organization, there is very little hope for the success of our clients.

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collaboration close up

Luka Powanga and John Coors

The Global Commerce Forum Energy Africa By Emily Haggstrom

n our turbulent and uncertain world, countries like China and India have emerged as nations leading the charge towards global economic growth and industrializing through fossil fuels. However, despite the emergence of these successful economies, energy poverty continues to be an issue for countries across Africa that lacks the infrastructure for even small-scale energy developments. And while the slate is clean for countries across Africa to explore the vast resources available to them, they also must address the challenges that those same resources pose. For this reason, academics, researchers, engineers and business leaders came together to speak to those challenges and share ideas to help create a sustainable energy futureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a platform for economic development in Africa. The Global

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Commerce Forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event held in Denver challenged participants to look at potential development based on clean energy complemented by natural gas. Unlike other countries around the world, the nations of Africa lack the monetary resources and the infrastructure for such development. While Africa has lots of sun and wind that blows across the open plains, they do not have manufacturing facilities, concrete plants or transportation to service such large-scale green energy developments. There are also huge reserves of undiscovered and unrecovered natural gas throughout the coastal basins, NorthCentral Africa, the Chad Basin and through the Nile Delta. Currently, there is a lack of sub-structure for recoverable reserves but these Pre-Cambrian, Devonian and

Jurassic source rocks contain huge shale gas potential. This has of course already captured the attention of multi-nationals like Chevron, Swakor, Shell and Anadarko who operate across the continent in basins like Tindouf and Karoo that are comparable to the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Barnett and Marcellus shales, respectively. Even with these large-scale operations headed by powerful companies expressing interest, Africa still only has 52 land rigs, 26 offshore rigs and only five new proposed facilities to produce conventional oil but not unconventional. The climate for new wells, however, looks slow to change especially with regulatory issues from geopolitical influences plaguing various areas, along with local concern for surface and ground water contamination. But even these challenges can be addressed with proper education regarding the existing technologiesy and techniques. The real challenge is the water resource conundrum, especially as it pertains to hydraulic fracturing which requires huge amounts of water reserves as well as recycling. Because of the operation locations, there is limited access not just

to water but water infrastructure and the availability of the markets that would access such gas. Add in the cost of transportation and the vision seems almost insurmountable. “Natural gas isn’t the solution, it is the foundation,” said Paula Gant, VP of Regulatory Affairs for the American Gas Association. With the help of small-scale renewable solutions, cities and towns can experience some power where there was not any before, while large-scale traditional energy development by large multinationals advance the infrastructure through private funding. One thing is clear, without an energy policy of our own, advancing one for another continent does not seem logical. The people of Africa have shown that they are strong, they are resilient and they are proud. They do not need a handout, they need a hand up. “Africa needs investment and Africans need jobs. Jobs

» Africa with its assessed reserves still only has 52 land rigs, 26 off-shore rigs and only five new proposed facilities to produce conventional oil. «

are created by business, not charity,” said John Coors, Chairman, President and CEO of CoorsTek. “If money was the issue for these people then the problem of poverty would have been solved.” The shale is there. The demand is high. The people need work. The real question is how do we support businesses to create jobs and help to build the local African economy? Until then, according to the International Energy Agency, tonight when the sun goes down in Africa, roughly 587 million people will be left in the dark.

Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence Quest for Excellence 2011

“I

see the Baldrige process as a powerful set of mechanisms for disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and taking disciplined action to create great organizations that produce exceptional results,” stated Jim Collins, author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. Over two-hundred Colorado business leaders who are transforming their organizations found a rare opportunity to learn from the pros—the nation’s top executives and former recipients of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Award at the Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence (RMPEx) 2011 Quest for Excellence conference on November 4th, 2011.

The one-day RMPEx program was ideal for executives who: • Want to implement the same successful processes used by highperforming organizations; • A re responsible for the success of their organization; they know the buck stops with them; • Demand proven, sustainable transformation for his/her company; and • K now the status quo is not an option. Keynote speakers included Craig Deo, MHA, Research and Development Leader for Studer Group (2010 Baldrige Award Recipient), an international healthcare consulting firm based in Pensacola, Florida. Deo shared how to create a culture of accountability with engaged employees who provide world-class service. Another keynoter was Michael Perich from Montgomery County Public Schools (2010 Baldrige Award Recipient). Perich revealed the elements of a successful transformation of one of the largest school systems in America, where focusing on student outcomes led to achieving one of the highest graduation rates in the country. RMPEx also recognized its 2011 award recipients at the Quest event. Foothills level recipients were Thompson School District and RTD Fastracks Program. These two organizations have demonstrated systematic and mature approaches in many areas of their business. Three organizations were recognized at the Timberline level: Avista Adventist Hospital; Online Trading Academy of Colorado; and S.M. Stoller Legacy Management Project. These organizations demonstrated systematic and mature approaches, effective deployment, process learning, and process integration. For additional information on RMPEx, please visit the website RMPEx.org or contact Kim Griffiths, executive director at 303-893-2739.

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collaboration close up

Colorado Gives Day 2011 Raises $12 Million For Charities

olorado Gives Day was created to increase philanthropy in the state with just 24 hours of online giving. The effort has proven outrageously successful. Only in its second year, the effort raised $8.4 million in 2010 and $12 million this year. Held on December 6, the day is just in time to help nonprofits meet their year-end projected fundraising goals, and to garner collective attention for Colorado's various nonprofits. "A lot of people think of fundraising as this competitive, territorial concept. What I love about Colorado Gives Day is that everybody comes together and works together in a collaborative way and it really does increase opportunities for everyone," said Marla Williams, president and CEO of The Community First Foundation which teams up with First Bank up to link nonprofits with donors. Gives Day is based on similar concepts in other states, but in Colorado there is the unique element of www.GivingFirst.org, an online network sponsored by the Community First Foundation, which simplifies charitable giving by putting them all in one, easily accessible place. In addition, First Bank provides financial incentive by committing $500 million in contributions, including a $300,000 incentive fund which leverages donations pledged that day. "On

top of that, we've pledged $140,000 to cover credit card processing fees. We want to make sure 100% of donations go to the nonprofit of choice. Also there is $60,000 marked for High Five prizes and those prizes are to reward nonprofits for their fundraising efforts. If a nonprofit brings the most donors, they can receive an additional $5,000," explained Jim Reuter, executive vice president of First Bank. The inaugural Gives Day in 2010, set out to raise $1 million in a 24-hour window. Even Reuter thought it was an ambitious goal. But when the tally came in at $8.4 million it was clear that they had the right recipe of corporate and foundation partners, along with media partners who spread the word. "What we know from last year is it increased year-end giving and of the nonprofits that participated last year—83% received new donors, which is the gold standard for a fundraising event." said Williams. Together with 900+ nonprofits this year, real momentum was created in getting the word out. So much so, that the combination of high internet traffic and technical issues caused problems with the GivingFirst.org website. As a result, the designated 24-hour giving period was extended 12 hours so that intended donors could access the giving site.

Jody Williams and PeaceJam

Recognizing The Power Of Collaboration By Maria E. Luna

ody Williams appreciates being an ordinary person who collaborates with other people to do extraordinary things. She says it’s what makes change happen across the world. “One person doesn’t change the world—it takes a collaboration of people,” says Williams. It is evident when looking at the change that took place at the Chautauqua Learn and Serve Charter School in Panama City, Florida. The school hosts students ages 18-22 with moderate to severe disabilities who work in their community to help elderly and other disabled people use public transportation and community services. Chautauqua Learn and Serve Charter School’s motto is, "The servers, not the served.” Over the years, the students have worked to advance the rights of people with disabilities around the world by advocating for accessibles and efficient public mass transit across Florida and around the globe. They are also doers of other PeaceJam Call to Action issues such as water and energy use. This PeaceJam chapter was recognized November 15, 2011 and awarded the Global Call to Action Challenge award presented to them by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams. Williams believes peace is found in people who have the courage to make a contribution resulting in a better world for everyone. “There is nothing magical about creating change in the world. It is using the

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power that each and every one of us has and choosing to use it to make a positive change—just like those kids do. They rock. War is glorified in this country as we know, but there is nothing glorious about war. Anybody who thinks that war is heroic, that war is glorious has not been in the middle of a war. People can act heroically in war—that is very different from what war itself is. And yet in this country we glorify it in our history books. I think back to when I was a kid in school and how I learned about the history of the United States of America and it was through wars. One of the things I adore about PeaceJam is it is one of the few concrete ways that show young people how to create peace. Peace is different and peace can be made in many different ways whether it’s helping in your community or the world,” Williams said. Williams is a grassroots peace activist at heart. Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, (ICBL) were coawarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1997 for work in drawing up an international treaty banning landmines. The treaty was signed by 122 countries. Williams’ lifelong activist work covers civil rights, freedom and self-determination—all of which define human security. Williams gives the advice that working to provide human security takes persistence and commitment. Williams currently heads the Nobel Women's Initiative.

Meeting consumer demand for oil.

Demanding innovation.

Responsible Actions. Responsible Oil. Alberta, Canada is the proud home of one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and most stable sources of energy. But we take even greater pride in our drive to becoming a world-leading innovator in environmental technologies. The Government of Alberta has committed $2 billion towards carbon capture and storage, a clean energy technology. Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the right thing to do. For all of us and our planet. The world should know the facts. For more information visit oilsands.alberta.ca.

Would Like To Thank The Following Friends For Their Inspiration

Kate Agathon April Anderson-Lamoureaux Jane Ball Brian Bartony Lauri Bassi John Boner Martha Butwin Tessa Carter J.D. Chesloff

Jennifer Cook Maggie Cronin Kelly de la Torre Stacy Farley Marta Â Gabre-Tsadick Jesse Golland Tom Hobelman Diane Irvin W. Douglas Jackson David Jones Micheline Joanisse Rebecca Kersting Susan Kiely Lucy Loewen Pat Miller Eric Nakajima Karen Newman Beth Parish Karen M. Radman

Resource Management

Working Together for Competitive Advantage October - December 2011

4120 Jackson Street Denver Colorado 80216 I www.icosamag.com

Eric Reamer John Reed Kimberly Reed Graham Russell Rebecca Saltman Stan Sellner Elliott Smith Jean Spencer Jenny Spencer Paul Suter Judy Taylor Mike Wiesner Deme Tekle-Wold Angel Tuccy Darryl Watson Brent Weaver Steve Werner Nick Wolfe Julia Wouk