Monday, June 22, 2009

Grads on a holiday in Cambodia

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Colin Cronin and Sarah Glancy, both class of '09, were in Cambodia and Thailand this summer as part of a trip organized by Professor McCullough in the Business department. Colin sent these two pictures above (Colin is on the left, and Sarah is in the middle). If you want to see/read more, Colin has his own blog:
http://tabriscorner.blogspot.com/. Lots of good stuff there.

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Job Opening in Tacoma

From Liz Kaster '09 who is with the city.

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce

Position Description
Position Title: Transportation Coordinator
Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt
Reports to (Title): Metropolitan Development Manager, City of Tacoma Mobility Coordinator
Closing Date: July 6, 2009


The following job description contains representative examples of work that will be performed in positions allocated to this classification. It is not required that any position perform all of the duties listed, so long as primary responsibilities are consistent with the work as described. Roles and responsibilities can often be expanded to accommodate changing business conditions and goals, as well as to tap into the skills and talents of the individuals in the organization. Accordingly, associates may be asked to perform duties that are outside the specific functions that are listed.

Purpose of Position:

To assist in the development and management of the Downtown: On the Go! program.

Downtown: On the Go! is a partnership between the City of Tacoma, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, and Pierce Transit. These agencies work together with downtown Tacoma employers and commuters to promote commute options. While the position is housed at the Chamber, the staff member works closely with all three agencies, serving as a pivotal liaison between them by understanding and communicating perspectives and activities of each.

The main components of this effort are direct outreach to employers and employees, and the Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership. In conjunction with Pierce Transit’s employer services staff and the City’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) efforts, this position provides outreach, education, and support for downtown businesses to develop plans that promote commute options in their workplace, and also to downtown commuters interested in shifting their commute. The Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership is composed of downtown business leaders. This private-sector group works with public agency partners to address downtown transportation challenges and increase non-drive alone commuting.

Essential Job Functions

Business & Employee Outreach

* Work with agency partners to develop an education and communication strategy to inform downtown members of commuting options and resources.
* Maintain and develop relationships with an individual in each member business who will act as the organization’s “Transportation Specialist” responsible for coordinating commute planning within the company.
* Publish monthly e-newsletter for downtown commuters.
* Plan programs, campaigns, and activities for downtown commuters and Transportation Specialists.

Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership

* Provide logistical support to the Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership.
* Maintain regular communication with Partnership members.

Other

* Assist with periodic Transportation Forums and events.
* Support transportation and environmental advocacy efforts on local and state level.
* Participate in weekly meetings and activities with agency partners.

Position Dimensions

Supervision Received

Metropolitan Development Manager and Mobility Coordinator will provide oversight and guidance for all activities undertaken by the Transportation Coordinator.

Principal Relationships/Key Contacts

o Metropolitan Development Manager
o City of Tacoma Mobility Staff
o President & CEO
o Chamber staff
o Chamber members
o Pierce Transit Staff

Position Specifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

* Familiarity with transportation issues that impact urban centers.
* Some knowledge of commute trip reduction and the environmental and economic impacts of congestion.
* Excellent organizational skills.
* Good oral and written communication skills and effective interpersonal skills.
* Skilled in managing multiple projects simultaneously within assigned deadlines and prioritize a range of responsibilities.
* Ability to communicate oral and written complex technical information to an audience that is relatively unfamiliar with the topic.
* Solid knowledge of current transportation and environmental issues and topics.
* Ability to effectively work and communicate with private sector businesses and the public sector.
* Confident public speaking.
* Ability to “cold call.”

Experience and Education

* Bachelor of Arts, or equivalent.
* Strong computer and word processing skills.

To Apply:

Submit a letter of interest and resume to the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber no later than 5:00 pm July 6, 2009.

E-mail: cathyt@tacomachamber.org

or

Mail to:

Human Resources Department

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

P.O. Box 1933

Tacoma, WA 98401

I get my mad props

Or whatever that is. Actually I have no idea what I said above. Professor Sousa may be getting lauded in The American Prospect, but I am a central source in that Paper of Record, the Tacoma News Tribune, in a piece on Iran. It's not worth reading but if you're desperate, you can find it here.

Professor Sousa in The American Prospect

Professor Sousa gets his due in a piece in the American Prospect on the EPA:

As Christopher McGrory Klyza and David Sousa explain in their book, American Environmental Policy, 1990–2006, "The reformers offer a classic ‘both and' agenda, seeking to achieve real improvements in environmental protection while accommodating the legitimate concerns of business leaders and others about the economic and social costs of the implementation of the golden-era laws." The laws passed in the "golden era" of the early 1970s -- the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act -- were meant to, in some ways, punish businesses for polluting, not accommodate them. Yet cap-and-trade is essentially a policy of accommodation, as it acknowledges businesses' primary role in the nation's economy.

Cool. Read the whole piece here.

Hal Neace '68 retires and looks back

Stumbled upon this news out of Alaska.

After 33 years and one of what he described as his best years in the classroom, Hal Neace is calling it quits. Sort of.

Retiring from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, the former Homer Middle School science teacher will take a three-month break, during which he'll travel and spend time with out-of-state family. After that, Neace shifts his focus from students to instructors, becoming a mentor for first-year teachers across the state through a University of Alaska Fairbanks program.

As a youngster on the family ranch in Washington state, Neace spent his childhood outdoors, thanks to the influence of his parents, Lawrence Neace and Anna Belle Edmonson, and his maternal grandparents, Harold and Della Hopkins. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma in 1968, with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in biology, but "never, ever considered education," he said of a possible career choice.

While at UPS, Neace did become interested in philosophy.

"There was lots of social activism," he said of the 1960s and his admiration for individuals such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Kennedy's brother, Robert. "It looked to me like there was enough unrest in the country and I thought I'd serve another way."

That "way" was as an American Peace Corps volunteer. From 1968-1970, Neace served as an agricultural extension agent in West Bengal, India, a "life changing" experience that awakened his love of science and a hunger to teach....

Read the whole thing here.

Kevin Billings '77 joins Lockheed Martin

We've blogged in past regarding Kevin Billings '77, who has been a great friend to the university and Politics and Government. He has a new job:

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today announced the addition of Kevin W. Billings to its Energy Services team. As Director of Federal Energy Efficiency Programs, Billings will support business development and program operations related to Lockheed Martin's pursuits of Federal Energy Savings Performance Contracts.

Prior to his new role, Billings was the Acting Assistant Secretary of the United States Air Force for Installations, Environment & Logistics. He was responsible for managing facilities and programs in support of the Air Force's 188 installations worldwide, including supply chain logistics, infrastructure and environmental, safety and occupational health to support the war fighters and their families. As the senior energy official, Billings led the Air Force Energy Strategy and was focused on helping reduce its energy consumption in support of DoD and Presidential Directives for greater energy independence and national security. His responsibilities included developing and mandating energy strategy and policies, meeting energy goals, reporting the energy security posture, and managing the Air Force's culture change related to energy usage.

Read the whole thing here. Congrats!