Randolph, VT – June 11, 2012 – Donna Barlow Casey, Vermont Technical College’s Director of the Center for Sustainable Practices (CSP), will be the keynote speaker at the Sustainable Materials Management Summit at Yale University, on June 12, 2012. The title of her talk is Finding Opportunity in Waste.
The Sustainable Materials Management Summit is one of three events being hosted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), as part of its Solid Waste Management Plan and Climate Change Action Plan strategies. The idea for these events grew out of a Roundtable discussion that took place on January 18, 2012 with Northeast environmental and economic development commissioners to explore how 21st century waste management could unlock the value of the materials economy.
Donna Barlow Casey is the first full-time Director of Vermont Tech’s Center for Sustainable Practices, whose mission is to apply green technologies and sustainable practices to educational, operational, student- and community-focused efforts to develop a vibrant, green economy in Vermont. A member of the President’s Cabinet, she is presently serving as the College’s administrator coordinating the siting and installation of a biodigester on Vermont Tech’s Randolph campus that will provide significant environmental, financial and educational benefits to the college.
Said Jennifer Weymouth, Environmental Analyst with CT DEEP, “Donna Barlow Casey brings to this Summit a wealth of experience in working with communities to improve resource management programs and to adopt zero waste strategies. We believe her knowledge and insight will inspire everyone engaged with Connecticut’s waste management system to think more clearly about what it will take to build a system for the future that is more cost effective and environmentally sound.”
Prior to joining the Vermont Tech staff, Donna served as the Director of the Central VT Solid Waste District for 15 years where she provided 22 cities and towns with innovative environmental programming designed to reduce waste and create behavioral change in the area’s population. She authored Central Vermont’s Zero Waste Strategic Plan, and shepherded the development of that region’s award-winning organics diversion collection program to fruition. Introduction of backyard digesters for on-site household diversion of food scraps was also accomplished under her direction, and Donna’s creation of The DeTox Family Project, a behavior change initiative to reduce toxics use in households, won the 202 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. Donna is a longtime Vermont Toxics Action Center supporter and presently serves on their Advisory Board. She remains an advocate for zero waste and resides in Montpelier, VT.
Vermont Technical College is the only public institution of higher learning in Vermont with the mission of applied education. One of the five Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond, at its two primary campuses in Randolph Center and Williston, and at nine nursing sites located throughout the state. Vermont Tech offers a wide range of programs in engineering, agriculture, technology, allied health, and business that are vital to producing graduates with the knowledge and experience most sought by employers in the state and in the region. It is recognized as one of America’s Best Colleges in U.S. News and World Report: www.vtc.edu
Vermont Technical College
Martha Trombley Oakes
802.728.1732
MTrombleyOakes@vtc.vsc.edu
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