Charlotte County Press Releases 
Green Futures Expo and Energy Options Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACTS:
Ruth Buchanan, Economic Development Office
800‐729‐5836
941‐743‐5372
Ruth.Buchanan@CharlotteFL.com
Mary Ann Grey, Building Construction Services
941‐743‐1245
MaryAnn.Grey@CharlotteFl.com
Green Futures Expo and Energy Options Conference
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla (Sept. 2, 2009) – Vanessa Stewart, COO of Soltage, Inc., a full-service renewable energy company, with freshly added keynote speakers Cisco DeVries, President of Renewable Funding LLC, the financer of the Berkeley FIRST Program of California, and Jim Hall, National Director for Waste Management’s Green Squad, will be the keynote speakers at the Green Futures Expo and Energy Options Conference on November 1st and 2nd, 2009 at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda, Florida.
The two‐day event will be hosted jointly by the Charlotte County Building Construction Services and the Charlotte County Economic Development Office. On November 1 the Expo will feature established businesses and vendors that will showcase a range of green products and services. On November 2, the Conference will feature speakers and panel discussions among leading industry experts in the alternative energy field.
The Expo will be featuring private sector businesses and governmental agencies. Learn about the importance of a holistic approach to clean living, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Program, the County’s quest to become certified green by the Florida Green Building Coalition, Solid Waste issues including curbside garbage collection, recycling, household hazardous waste disposal, Landfill operations including composting and gas to energy programs, mini transfer & recycling facilities, illegal dumping programs and Keep Charlotte Beautiful programs. There will be handouts, “Pillow-Pack” mini-garden, compost bins and a rain barrel raffle, and free spinal screenings.
Discover how you can get involved! For instance, the County library is developing a green reading section, the County Growth Management is re-writing its long range comprehensive plan, and there is an emerging green lodging program in the private sector.
The conference will feature three speakers. Ms. Stewart will discuss the importance of lowering energy costs and improving environmental performance for businesses. Her company firmly believes in harnessing energy from the sun by combining the best technology, financial tools and infrastructure management experience to help businesses conquer the last “unmanaged business cost, electricity.” With her extensive background in renewable energy she will discuss the economic benefits and factors involved in developing the field of alternative energy. She will also talk about previous solar projects that Soltage, Inc. has completed and how similar plans can be undertaken in Charlotte County and Southwest Florida.
Cisco DeVries has made a career of solving complex policy, political, and communication challenges in both the government and private sectors. During the Clinton Administration, Mr. DeVries served as an aide to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and, later, the U.S. Secretary of Energy. He envisioned and led the initial development of Berkeley FIRST, a nationally recognized city program allowing property owners to pay for solar installations as a voluntary 20-year assessment on their property tax bill.
Jim Hall of Waste Management’s Green Squad works toward providing sustainability solutions to help organizations create efficiencies, reduce costs, and enhance brands. Mr. Hall has over 15 years experience in the environmental services industry primarily focused on designing and developing large-scale programs that deliver business value across the enterprise. Mr. Hall is trained in the General Theory of Innovation (a method to transform the art of innovation into a well-controlled step-by-step process) and is QFD Black Belt trained (a quality design method that designs in the voice of the customer into products and services).
Additional information is available at www.CharlotteCountyFL.com.
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Release Date: 9/2/2009
