Monterey County Tourism Makes Significant Strides Towards Destination Sustainability

Addressing plastics and measuring sustainability progress are critical steps in the path

Monterey County, CA, December 18, 2018 – The Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB) has joined two initiatives that will further its goal of ensuring Monterey County is one of the world’s leading sustainable destinations by both setting ambitious goals and measuring long term impacts.

The first is with Positive Impact, a global not for profit which exists to provide education and collaboration opportunities to create a sustainable event industry – and a vision to address the role of plastics in this industry. MCCVB is the exclusive destination partner for Positive Impact on this project which has already included collaboration with a number of United Nations bodies and in Spring 2019 will see the launch of materials to help the global industry measure and understand the role of plastics.

“MCCVB is already resetting boundaries for responsible tourism and by partnering with our organization they are taking a leadership position for the entire meetings industry,” said Fiona Pelham, CEO for Positive Impacts. She added, “Certainly understanding the role of plastics which will lead to its elimination from the future meetings and conference landscape is a considerable goal, but it is critically important and partnerships such as this with Monterey County are the building blocks of collaboration necessary to achieve it.”

Meetings and events are big business in Monterey County, which is a destination known for inspiration and innovation. “This partnership is completely in line with that legacy,” says Tammy Blount-Canavan, President and CEO of MCCVB. “Our tourism economy owes everything to our ecosystem, and so taking this bold step ensures further protection of our environment and further demonstrates the innovation of our region.”

Measuring success is also critical to MCCVB’s mission. The organization joined the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) initiative, an alliance focused on helping destinations, convention bureaus, and businesses promote sustainable practices. The GDS-Index does this by measuring and comparing sustainability strategies, policies and performance of participating destinations and by sharing best practices from around the world.

GDS-Index recently released its yearly survey of global destinations at the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) annual meeting in Dubai in November. Monterey County scored 52% on the sustainability index just behind Geneva and ahead of U.S. cities like Washington, D.C. and Houston. The scoring allows MCCVB to set a benchmark and improve in the coming years.

“Ultimately, protecting our destination is every bit as important as promoting it,” said Rob O’Keefe, Chief Marketing Officer for MCCVB. “These initiatives contribute to our long term viability as a top tourism destination plus they are essential to the balance we seek to foster between visiting travelers and the residents who call our beautiful region home.”

These latest partnerships align with the MCCVB’s Sustainable Moments Collective. The purpose of the collective is to share best practices from concurrent sustainability initiatives and use the group’s collective influence to reach visitors and residents alike. More information on MCCVB’s Sustainable Moments initiative and collective can be found at SeeMonterey.com/Sustainable. For more information on Positive Impact, go to PositiveImpactEvents.com. For more on the GDS-Index, go to GDS-Index.com.

About Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB) is a 501c6 organization that drives tourism for Monterey County. Tourism is the largest industry on the Monterey Peninsula and the second largest in the County. The MCCVB is a partnership of the hospitality community and local governments that aims to drive business growth through compelling marketing and targeted sales initiatives that maximize the benefits of tourism to our guests, members and the community. Travel spending in Monterey County was $2.85 billion in 2017, representing a 3.5 percent increase from 2016. This $2.85 billion in visitor spending supported 24,990 jobs, contributed $255 million in total taxes and generated $127 million local tax dollars that directly benefited the community.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.seemonterey.com/Sustainable

Ecotech Institute’s Free Online Course, “Introduction to Sustainability”, Changes the Way Students Approach Sustainability

Student Feedback Demonstrates Appreciation and Value for the Course

Denver, Colorado, April 23, 2014 – Student feedback from Ecotech Institute’s free online “Introduction to Sustainability” course proved the opportunity was valued by students across the globe and changed the way they approached sustainability initiatives.

Kyle Crider, Ecotech Institute’s Program Chair and Manager of Environmental Operations, led the free online course for a second time earlier this year. There was a diverse mix of students, both men and women from all educational backgrounds and walks of life. Many students applied what they learned in the course to their communities and have said they’ll continue to expand on their education now that the course is complete. The course material applies to general green energy jobs, including solar jobs, wind turbine jobs, and overall careers in renewable energy.

“The first Intro to Sustainability course last year was such a wild success, we felt like we had no choice but to bring it back,” Crider said. “I’m so happy that we did. The feedback we received proves that the course truly changes students’ lives. By allowing people to learn free of charge, we can help more people learn what sustainable living is all about.”

The Introduction to Sustainability course is a “massive online open course” (MOOC), offered through the Canvas Network. MOOCs are a popular way for educational institutions to offer free courses to the public. Based in Aurora, Colorado, Ecotech Institute is the only college entirely focused on sustainability-related job training.

The MOOC course explores various definitions of sustainability used by governments, businesses, and individuals to address environmental, societal, and economic problems around the world. In addition, students learn ways to apply sustainable concepts to their own lives. As part of the course, students have to complete a capstone project that involves writing their own sustainability-focused mission statement, vision, and goals.

Some of the feedback includes:

“Thank you, Kyle! It’s been a rewarding experience. So much so that I decided to apply for a formal course of study, MSc in Environmental Tech. I have an interview with the school in a couple of weeks!”

“Thank you for such a wonderful class. By allowing people to learn free of charge, you have taught so many more. Just finding out about the Aral Sea in the first lesson has been the buzz of my village for weeks. Just thank you for implanting this knowledge. I so appreciate it.”

“I wasn’t aware of how far solar energy has come. I’ve been a fan of it but didn’t realize the cost had dropped so much that it was actually viable.”

“I never thought that one day I would be doing a course with people from different continents and countries. Technology really improved our standard of living, so there is no need to go overseas to study when you can study at home.”

Due to the overwhelming positive feedback, Ecotech Institute plans to offer future MOOC courses. The school will provide updates on future courses through its Facebook page, which users can “like” to access at https://www.facebook.com/EcotechInstitute. For more information on Ecotech Institute visit www.ecotechinstitute.com.

About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, it offers eight highly practical green energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers. Classes start once per quarter and applications are always accepted. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.

Contact:
Jenny Foust
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
jfoust@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Grassroots Idea by Ecotech Institute Student Inspires Float in The Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade

About 150 students, staff and friends expected to participate in the parade to make it truly “green”

Denver, CO, March 13, 2014 - Chris Stevens, an Ecotech Institute student, wanted to help pick up recycling along The Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade route in order to keep this favorite green holiday truly as “green” as possible. He took his idea to parade organizers and from there it turned into a float in the parade that could gather recycling along the route. Students and staff at Ecotech Institute rallied around Chris and today they are making final preparations on the float, which will include a student made recycling bin to collect all recyclables collected during the parade, a truck outfitted with solar panels and a wind turbine.

“It has been remarkable watching my vision come to life,” said Chris. “I originally just wanted to help pick up trash and it’s turned into so much more. Building our Eco-Float has been an exciting adventure that brought several students together in great ways and I’m so proud of what we’ve put together. Our efforts will keep the parade route much cleaner.”

Ecotech Institute is the first and only school in the U.S. that is solely dedicated to sustainable energy, such as solar and wind. Chris is pursuing a degree in electrical engineering technology and will graduate this April. For him, this idea was simple, but sends a powerful message.

“We have to care about not only where our energy is coming from as we look ahead, but also how we’re taking care of our planet today. Small changes can make a difference and we’re excited to help divert trash from the landfill – giving it a second life,” said Chris.

To see images of the float’s progress you can keep up with the construction team by following Ecotech’s social media updates on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EcotechInstitute and Twitter at @Ecotech_Inst.

Ecotech Institute, based in Aurora, Colo., currently offers eight associate’s degree programs:

* Facility Management Technology
* Energy Efficiency
* Solar Energy Technology
* Wind Energy Technology
* Renewable Energy Technology
* Electrical Energy Technology
* Power Utility Technician
* Business Administration – Sustainability.

For more information on Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com.

About Ecotech Institute:
Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, it offers eight highly practical renewable energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers. Classes start once per quarter and applications are always accepted. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.

Contact:
Jenny Foust
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
jfoust@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Ecotech Institute Reveals Top Green Jobs for 2014

Ecotech’s Jobs Expert Sue Pawlak to Host Webinar on December 19, Sharing Renewable Energy Jobs Outlook for the Coming Year

Denver, CO, December 17, 2013 – Green jobs are on the rise, and 2014 is slated to be a great year for growth in the sustainable energy sector, according to Ecotech Institute. The Ecotech Institute Clean Jobs Index has become a valuable tool in measuring and disclosing the reality of green jobs and other sustainability factors across the United States. The Index’s latest data reveals a bright outlook in 2014 for cleantech leaders, educators, political leaders, students and job seekers. A webinar on Thursday, December 19, will further address green jobs data and predictions based on the Index and insights from Ecotech’s career services department.

Within about the last 30 days, more than 72,000 green job positions with hundreds of job titles were available across the U.S., correlating with trends seen all year. For example, the solar industry had almost 500 job listings from November 5 through December 6, ranging from installation technicians to sales representatives and everything in between.

Jobs classified under the broad renewable energy umbrella had approximately 21,000 job listings offered in the last 30 days. This data includes many renewable energy sources with positions in the following areas:

* Energy Efficiency: 6,600;

* Electrical Engineering: more than 23,000;

* Power Utility: 744;

* Facility Management: more than 6,470.

Ecotech Institute, based in Aurora, Colo., is the only college in the U.S. solely focused on training for jobs in renewable energy and clean technology. The school’s administration, instructors and career services staff consistently keep their fingers on the pulse of the industries in which they train, ensuring students have the skills they need to meet employer demand.

For more information on the jobs outlook for 2014, Ecotech will host a “Top In-demand Clean Jobs for 2014” webinar:

DATE: Thursday, December 19, 2013

TIME: 12:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Central/10:00 a.m. Mountain/9:00 a.m. Pacific

FEATURING: Sue Pawlak, Ecotech Institute’s Area Director of Career Placement

DISCUSSING:
- What were trends in sustainable energy career placement in 2013?
- Where are the green jobs located?
- What renewable energy jobs are available today?
- What are Ecotech’s sustainable energy predictions for 2014?

REGISTER: http://www.ecotechinstitute.com/landings/webinar/

For more information on Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com. The Ecotech Institute Clean Jobs Index is at ecotechinstitute.com/cleanjobsindex.

Contact:
Jenny Foust
Communications Strategy Group
303.433.7020 (o) or 720.244.4268 (c)
jfoust@csg-pr.com

About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, it offers six highly practical renewable energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers. Classes start once per quarter and applications are always accepted. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.

Contact:
Jenny Foust
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
jfoust@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com