September 12, 2022

Greetings!

Have you signed up yet for the LE Annual Green Jobs Forum? It's coming up soon -

on Thursday, September 22, 2022 from 3:30 to 7:00 pm EDT. The event will be virtual and there will be a recording if you can't attend live. 

Our urgent need to become a more sustainable and equitable world, and to stop and reverse climate and biodiversity impacts, is generating widespread new opportunities for people of all ages, skills, and interests to be in green jobs and businesses.  

This year's Green Job's Forum feature three distinct panels. Each is an hour long including time for Q&A. They are designed to give you great tools and insights for your own green job pathway. The first panel is "Green Job Opportunities" highlighting myriad current openings and green business development resources. The second is "Educational Pathways" which will cover familiar and newer ways to gain the skills and knowledge that employers need. Finally, the third is "Landing the Job" where you'll discover the paths others have taken successfully. The event concludes with an optional networking session to meet fellow attendees!

You'll hear from a constellation of knowledgeable speakers coming from government, business, education, plus individuals who landed a green job or created their own green business. They will provide perspectives on the following and more: 

• Job/career opportunities they're seeing at their agencies and programs
• Green jobs being created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), Inflation Reduction Act, and other initiatives at the state or local level
• Training, certifications, and education as a path to green jobs
• Transferable skills that speakers leveraged to obtain their current green job
• Tips for attendees who are interested in landing green jobs

Learn more about our topics and speakers below. Then take advantage of a special "early bird" admission if you register by this Friday.

Panel One - 3:30 to 4:30 pm EDT

This panel will focus on where green jobs are being created both through employers and by starting your own green business.

We will look at hiring at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) where they're adding hundreds of new jobs with wide-ranging skills to the Clean Energy Corps; training support for green start-ups; expanding diversity in green hiring; and opportunities through the DOE's Clean Cities Coalition Network. 

Here's who you'll be hearing from:

• Darrell Beschen, Senior Advisor/Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Energy. He will talk about the DOE Clean Energy Corps and the 1000+ jobs being added.

• Hannah Malvin, Program Manager for The Bridge Program. She will talk about this new public-private partnership and equitable hiring pathways in the environmental sector for people of color and underrepresented communities.

• Patty Simonton, Director of Bethesda Green’s Be Green Business Program. She will talk about their Innovation Lab, which guides entrepreneurs who are tackling environmental and social challenges to begin a green business.

• Antoine Thompson, Executive Director, Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC). He will talk about the mission of the GWRCCC and about the green employment opportunities arising through the coalition.

Moderator: Janine Finnell, Executive Director, Leaders in Energy; Chair of the Career Advancement Committee (on CWEEL Board) for the Association of Energy Engineers.

Panel Two - 4:30 to 5:30 pm EDT

This panel will focus on educational pathways into green careers, including degree programs, targeted programs for certificates, apprenticeships, and upskilling existing talent for the future of green work.

We'll hear about degree programs which are offering expanded choices, as well as short-form certificate and certification programs, that equip individuals with critical new skills and knowledge needed by organizations to become sustainable.

Here's who you'll be hearing from:

• Michelle Benavides, Executive Director, International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP). She will talk about the Sustainability Excellence Associate and Sustainability Excellence Professional certification programs offered by ISSP.

• Daniel Goldsmith, Managing Director & Co-Founder at Julius Education, a workforce development company focused on the needs of the energy and green infrastructure sectors. He will talk about the training and job search platform they have developed to attract new talent and upskill current talent to fulfill the needs of companies, trade associations, and government agencies.

• Isabella Ruble, PhD, Founding Member of Clover University and Economist at the U.S. Department of Energy. She will highlight Clover University's cutting-edge, on-line Graduate Certificates and Masters Degree (MS) programs in the fields of Data Analytics, Sustainable Energy, and Computational Economics.

Moderator: Ben Dueweke, Director of Community Partnerships at Walker-Miller Energy Services, a Detroit-based, minority-owned, clean energy services company which also champions green workforce development initiatives. He also co-founded the Energy Waste Reduction Subcommittee for the City of Detroit’s Green Task Force. 

Panel Three - 5:30 to 6:30 pm EDT

This panel will focus the stories of, and pathways taken by, individuals who have landed green jobs or who have created their own green business.  

We will hear from a diverse group of green professionals from the public and private sectors. They will share their experiences in order to help others along this path. If your aspiration is to move forward into the green jobs world, this panel will be both encouraging and informative.  

Here's who you'll be hearing from:

• Joe Alfred, President, Ally Power Inc. Joe's passion for the automotive industry and the environment inspired him to create his company focused on Hydrogen and Electric Refueling Stations and Hydrofits. His goal is to make it possible for every person to convert to clean vehicles. 

• Loraima Jaramillo-Nieves, PhD, Program Manager at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Loraima supports IREC’s initiatives in Puerto Rico, such as a workforce needs analysis report, solar and storage demonstration microgrid projects, and the Puerto Rican Solar Business Accelerator. In addition, she is a member of the Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Energy PR 100 study.

• Devyn Keller, Clean Energy Projects Coordinator at Virginia Department of Energy. Devyn recently entered the renewable energy field. Her job includes supporting two causes which she is passionate about – workforce development and energy education in addition to project management, administrative organization, contract monitoring, communications, and event planning.

Moderator: Carmen L. Bonilla, Job Search Coach, author of the 70-page booklet, “A Workbook for Career Success.” Since 2020, she has coached 300+ candidates on resumes, interview preparation, and making a successful transition to a new job.

Creating New Connections

6:30 - 7:00 pm EDT 

The Forum will conclude with a half-hour session for attendees to meet one another and to share about the event.

Choose among three payment options to suit your budget! 

With record high inflation and other economic pressures

we want all interested registrants to be able to attend.

Special "Early Bird" price through Friday, September 16th!