#Executive Management Team Colorado

[i3coaching]

The Ultimate Guide to Find business Leadership Coaching Programs

While you may have a robust team working tirelessly on the upcoming project, it still needs a competent leader to guide them in the right direction. It is more than just about overseeing the team; you need to lead and inspire everyone to achieve their goals. But if you think that your brand is lacking the right leadership, you need to work on your management qualities and skills to survive and grow in the competitive market.

Being a business leader is tough, and you need to be prepared for whatever challenge is coming your way. And getting Management Development Training can equip you to become a better leader. It can help you work on your creativity and critical thinking to boost your decision-making skills and maximize your profits. Mail Us i3coachingandleadership@gmail.comAddress Boulder, Colorado

[annieqattheperipheral]

HER STORY IS INCREDIBLE EVERYONE SIT DOWN AND LEARN FROM THIS QUEEN ⤵️

Kiana Scott, who played minor hockey system for 11 seasons, including four seasons on boys teams, gravitated to scouting from watching her brother’s games and critiquing his strengths and weaknesses.

Unaware of jobs available in hockey, she enrolled in makeup artistry college after high school, but knew her heart was in the sport.

She eventually enrolled in an online hockey general manager scouting course.

Scott joined the International Scouting Service Hockey mentorship program in 2018 and scouted for the service for two years while holding down two jobs.

“I love scouting future prospects, and the evaluation process,” she said. “I think that's kind of where my passion lies. It's just the evaluation process. And it's exciting, building a team.”

Scott spent two seasons as a full-time scout for Erie before she took a bold step and left the organization to move to Calgary and became an independent scout in June 2022.

“I just kept practicing my craft and kind of paid my own way, like, throughout the whole year,” she said. “All of the tickets to every game, all of my travel expenses, everything. I just put all my money into scouting and trying to evolve and then I ended up getting my (Avalanche) internship the next year.”

Scott had some financial help from her family for the move and she supplemented her income by working as a bartender at a Calgary casino, a job with hours that allowed her to scout games.

If all that wasn’t enough, she also enrolled in the University of Florida’s online sports management program.

“I've always had the mindset to just keep betting on myself and working hard and evolving,” she said. “I think I've taken a lot of risks to get to where I am, but I wouldn't try to change the journey for anything.”

Scott said she hopes women, women of color and people who don’t come from a so-called “traditional” hockey background will follow her on the journey.

“I grew up playing hockey, but I didn’t play professional hockey, I didn’t go to college or university for hockey,” she said. “I just had a passion for it. I love scouting. I worked at it, and I continue working at my craft.

“People that don’t necessarily come from the traditional background, I hope they see themselves in me and believe that they can put their minds to it and get it done.”

-----

The 2024 NHL Draft was as eventful for Kiana Scott as it was for the players who were selected in the seven-round event at Sphere in Las Vegas last month.

The 25-year-old Barrie, Ontario, native signed with the Colorado Avalanche at the draft to become a full-time amateur scout, fulfilling a goal she has had since she was a teenager.

“This is something that I've worked really hard for my whole career to be able to sign my first NHL contract,” Scott said. “I was elated. The Avs have been really good for me the past year, and I’m excited to keep building with them.”

Scott joined the Avalanche after working as an intern for the organization.

Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland said he and executive director of hockey operations Suzanne Borchert “were impressed with her work ethic and her passion."

MacFarland said: “Kiana was on our radar when she was scouting in major junior circuits ... and it worked that a few years ago we had an internship opportunity for her.

“She did a good job in that role and was an integral part of our amateur scouting department. We’re excited to see her contributions moving forward in her full-time role as an amateur scout.”

-----

Scott made history when she became the first woman scout in the Ontario Hockey League with Erie in March 2020.

She was among the initial of a wave of women who were hired in recent years as scouts at all levels of hockey, including Cammi Granato (Seattle Kraken), Blake Bolden (Los Angeles Kings), Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Pittsburgh Penguins), Meghan Hunter (Chicago Blackhawks), Gabriella Switaj (Anaheim Ducks) and Brigette Lacquette (Chicago Blackhawks).

Granato moved on from Seattle to become an assistant general manager for the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 10, 2022, and Hunter was promoted to assistant GM by the Blackhawks on June 22, 2022.

“When I first started scouting, I didn’t know of any women in the industry already,” she said. “Cammi Granato got her job with the NHL a year after I started scouting. That’s when I kind of knew it was possible. But I never had anyone to look up to. I just had this dream and the passion for hockey. I knew that I had to the talent and skill to do it, and to try to keep building on them.

"That’s what I’ve always gone off on -- keep evolving, never give up on what you love.”

[lboogie1906]

Richard A. Collins (1939) was an Engineering Executive and Chief Design Engineer at the Boeing Company. Born in Ft. Lauderdale to Marcellus Sterling and Anita Collins. He received his BS degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from Morehouse College and received his MBA from Seattle University.

He began his engineering career at the US Weather Service. He began working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Boeing Company recruited him as a software engineer in the Space and Defense Division. He led the Boeing software design and development team for the nation’s first personal rapid transit system in Morgantown, West Virginia.

He served as the Chief Design Engineer for the National and International Aerospace Systems. He was the Chief Design engineer of the Air Force’s Weapon Control System. He led the Millimeter Wave Radar Target Acquisition and Terminal Guidance System technology development, upgraded the Command and Control system for the Navy’s Mercury Communication Control Aircraft, and led the multi-billion-dollar Army Future Combat Systems program.

He completed advanced management programs at the Defense System Management College, Carnegie Mellon University’s Graduate School of Industrial Administration, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

Among his recognitions are the Colorado Outward Bound Competition; Boeing Sustained Quality Performance Award; Outstanding Leadership of Millimeter Wave Terminal Guidance Technology Development; National Black Engineer Nominee of the Year; and First Flight of Red Rover Aerostat-Hot-Air Balloon.

He was President of Morehouse College Club of Seattle; Sire Archon of Alpha Omicron Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity; Board of Directors for Seattle Big Brothers, Seattle Monorail Expansion, and Seattle First Tee. Memberships include NAACP Life Member; Omega Psi Fraternity; Association of Computing Machinery; Strathmore’s Who’s Who in American Science and Engineering; and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

He and his wife, Minnie have two children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #sigmapiphi #omegapsiphi

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times. It was written by William K. Reilly, Christine Todd Whitman and Gina McCarthy, all former Environmental Protection Agency administrators.

In his first official cabinet meeting of his second term, President Trump on Wednesday indicated that the Environmental Protection Agency, the arm of the federal government essential to protecting our health and environment, is among the top targets for the next wave of major work force reductions. Mr. Trump said about 65 percent of the roughly 15,000 people working there could be fired. An E.P.A. official later said the president was referring to cuts to the agency’s budget, not to personnel.

As former E.P.A. heads under both Republican and Democratic administrations, we fear that such cuts would render the agency incapable of protecting Americans from grave threats in our air, water and land.

While there are opportunities to make the agency more efficient and better at enforcing laws, Americans across every state, city and local community would suffer the effects of deep cuts. E.P.A. public servants defend us and the environment from harmful pollution every day not in hopes of attention or bigger paychecks or to execute the wishes, wants or needs of billionaires looking to play on a bigger stage. They do it for all Americans and because of laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. This is an agency that sets standards and regulations according to science and the laws and funding approved by Congress.

When the next catastrophe that spews pollutants into the air or contaminants into our drinking water or food supply arrives, who will deal with the emergency and its aftermath?

After wildfires devastated Maui in 2023, E.P.A. emergency workers partnered with people on the ground to minimize residents’ exposure to dangerous air. After the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the E.P.A. was on the scene monitoring contaminated air, water and soil, managing the cleanup and holding the railway company Norfolk Southern responsible for unlawfully discharging pollutants and hazardous substances. When states and cities suffer from floods, wildfires and oil spills, they rely on the E.P.A. to act fast so that harm to humans is mitigated and small businesses and local tourism can quickly recover.

Most of E.P.A.’s work happens behind the scenes, like when one of its enforcement teams raided a warehouse in Colorado full of mislabeled oil barrels that had been prepared for a landfill and discovered they contained nuclear waste. When acid rain was contaminating forests and water bodies throughout the Northeast, E.P.A. staff members located the sources and reduced the pollution. Asbestos, lead and copper in the water went undetected before agency scientists tested it. Without this arm of the executive branch, most of these problems would never have been remedied. Threats like these will recur, but if Mr. Trump guts the agency, no one will be there to step in.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA's EZIE MISSION

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying NASA's EZIE spacecraft into orbit. Credit: SpaceX

Under the nighttime California sky, NASA's EZIE (Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer) mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 p.m. PDT on March 14.

Taking off from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara, the EZIE mission's trio of small satellites will fly in a pearls-on-a-string configuration approximately 260 to 370 miles above Earth's surface to map the auroral electrojets, powerful electric currents that flow through our upper atmosphere in the polar regions where auroras glow in the sky.

At approximately 2 a.m. PDT on March 15, the EZIE satellites were successfully deployed. Within the next 10 days, the spacecraft will send signals to verify they are in good health and ready to embark on their 18-month mission.

"NASA has leaned into small missions that can provide compelling science while accepting more risk. EZIE represents excellent science being executed by an excellent team, and it is delivering exactly what NASA is looking for," said Jared Leisner, program executive for EZIE at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

The electrojets—and their visible counterparts, the auroras—are generated during solar storms when tremendous amounts of energy get transferred into Earth's upper atmosphere from the solar wind. Each of the EZIE spacecraft will map the electrojets, advancing our understanding of the physics of how Earth interacts with its surrounding space. This understanding will apply not only to our own planet but also to any magnetized planet in our solar system and beyond. The mission will also help scientists create models for predicting space weather to mitigate its disruptive impacts on our society.

"It is truly incredible to see our spacecraft flying and making critical measurements, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the EZIE mission," said Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, project manager for EZIE at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. "I am very proud of the dedication and hard work of our team. This achievement is a testament to the team's perseverance and expertise, and I look forward to the valuable insights EZIE will bring to our understanding of Earth's electrojets and space weather."

Instead of using propulsion to control their polar orbit, the spacecraft will actively use drag experienced while flying through the upper atmosphere to individually tune their spacing. Each successive spacecraft will fly over the same region 2 to 10 minutes after the former.

"Missions have studied these currents before, but typically either at very large or very small scales," said Larry Kepko, EZIE mission scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "EZIE will help us understand how these currents form and evolve, at scales we've never probed."

The mission team is also working to distribute magnetometer kits called EZIE-Mag, which are available to teachers, students, and science enthusiasts who want to take their own measurements of the Earth-space electrical current system. EZIE-Mag data will be combined with EZIE measurements made from space to assemble a clear picture of this vast electrical current circuit.

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory leads the mission for NASA. Blue Canyon Technologies in Boulder, Colorado, built the CubeSats, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built the Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram, which will map the electrojets, for each of the three satellites.

IMAGE: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying NASA's EZIE spacecraft into orbit. Credit: SpaceX

[journeydb]

May 18 2024 Longmont

Happy 2nd Birthday Maple!!! We are so excited that our cute, sweet, funny, happy granddaughter reached this milestone today! These two years have gone by quickly and she has grown from a tiny baby to a toddler who has many feelings, interests, and preferences. Maple has learned to do lots of things for herself, including brushing her teeth, putting on her shoes, and feeding herself, which she really loves to do because she likes to eat! She not only walks, she RUNS, and she can climb up slides and side down by herself. She is still using the baby swing but that's because she's too small to go on the "big girl" swing. She likes to do yoga, play musical instruments, "read" books, color, and ride on her little tricycle. Her parents wanted to have the day with her just as their little family, so we'll celebrate with her later this month.

Daddy loves pushing Maple on the swings and Maple loves being with Daddy and Mommy, especially on her birthday!

It was exciting to attend the YWCA of Boulder County's affordable child care mini-march and exposition at Roosevelt Park in Longmont this morning.

My friend, Debbie Pope, who has been the CEO of the YWCA since 2018, has done a marvelous job since she joined this wonderful organization , whose mission is "eliminating racism, empowering women and girls, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all". She has over twenty years of non-profit management experience and we are SO lucky to have her with her expertise, integrity, and kindness leading her amazing staff and crew of volunteers. Debbie is also the mother of FOUR teenagers!

Under her guidance, the YWCA serves over seven thousand community members by offering affordable, high quality childcare, afterschool STEM programs tailored for girls, racial justice initiatives, and advocacy efforts aimed at advancing equity, health, safety, and a sense of belonging for all women and girls in Colorado.

The focus of this event was providing affordable, high quality childcare statewide, because, even though we Coloradoans passed a law in our state requiring funding for pre-K for all children, we HAVEN'T passed a law requiring funding for affordable childcare for the families with babies and toddlers, and private childcare is very expensive for most families.

At one time or another I have supported financially and/or worked as a volunteer with most of the organizations which showed up today, including as a member of the Social Venture Partners Board Development Resource Team, which assists non-profit boards and executive directors to build more capacity in organizations by educating them on their responsibilities and helping them work together to better serve their clients.

I was so happy to see my friends Jason and Emily Vallery, Audrey Franklin, and Bob Norris at the event. Jason is the chair of the board of the I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, Audrey has been active with many non-profit organizations that Bruce and I support, including Intercambio Uniting Communities, and Bob is the leader of the Immigration Justice task force at the Boulder Valley UU Fellowship, which I have belonged to for many years.

It was great to see so many mothers there with their children, enjoying the festivities and, hopefully, learning how to join us in other advocacy events in the future. We need EVERYONE's participation to create the kind of county and state which put families and their welfare at the center of all their activities.

It was wonderful to meet Junie Joseph, on the right in this picture, a Boulder City Council member and also an attorney and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. I worked for her election to these positions and I think has done a great job so far in her tenure, which is, unfortunately, up next year. It surprised me to learn that Junie was born in Haiti and moved with her family to Florida when she was fourteen. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts degree in applied human rights from the University of New York before earning a doctorate in law from the University of Colorado Law School. She has also worked as an intern and fellow for various United Nations agencies. I think she's AWESOME and she's also a nice person.

Aaron Brockett, the City of Boulder's mayor, also attended the rally and spoke about the importance of high quality, affordable child care to the families living in our county and state. Aaron grew up in the small college town of Sewanee, Tennessee and attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where he majored in music and where he met his wife, Cherry. They moved to Boulder in 2003.

They raised their two children in North Boulder and ran a small software development firm together for twenty years. After serving for five years on the city's Planning Board, Aaron was elected to the city council in 2015, then re-elected in 2019, and became mayor in November of 2021. In his time at the city council he has focused on climate change, housing, transportation, economic vitality, social justice, and racial equity. My kind of guy! I've always liked Aaron and voted for him every chance I had.

[palladiobanquethall]

Elevate Your Corporate Events at Palladio Banquet Hall

Elevate Your Corporate Events at Palladio Banquet Hall

Nestled in the heart of Glendale, California, Palladio Banquet Hall stands as a premier destination for corporate gatherings, seamlessly blending sophistication with functionality. Elevate Your Corporate Events at Palladio Banquet Hall – whether you're planning a high-powered conference, an elegant gala, or a team-building retreat, our venue offers the perfect setting to make your event both impactful and memorable.

Versatile Event Spaces Tailored to Your Needs

Our expansive 7,000 sq. ft. ballroom is designed to accommodate up to 500 guests, providing ample space for various corporate events. The venue's flexible layout options ensure that each event, from intimate meetings to grand celebrations, is set up to meet your specific requirements. Key features include:​

Dazzling Chandeliers & Elegant Lighting System

White Marble Tile Dance Floor

LED Wall Video Screen & Entertainment Stage

Custom Bar & Spacious Foyer

Free Wi-Fi & Valet Service​

Each space is equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual technology to support presentations and communications, ensuring your event runs smoothly.

Exceptional Catering to Delight Your Guests

Dining plays a pivotal role in the success of any corporate event. At Palladio Banquet Hall, our culinary team offers a range of customizable catering options to suit your event's tone and your guests' preferences. Choose from:​

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Our commitment to excellence ensures that every dish not only satisfies but also impresses, keeping your team or guests energized and engaged throughout the event.

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From the initial planning stages to the final execution, our experienced event planners are dedicated to managing every detail with precision and professionalism. They work closely with you to align each aspect of your event with your company's brand and objectives, ensuring a seamless and successful gathering.​

Schedule a Tour Today

Discover firsthand why Palladio Banquet Hall is a leader among corporate event spaces in Los Angeles. Schedule a tour to see our venue and discuss your upcoming event needs with our expert team.

Make your event truly unforgettable at Palladio Banquet Hall! Conveniently located at 1018 E Colorado St, Glendale, CA 91205, we offer a premier venue for weddings, corporate events, and other special occasions. Reach out to us at 818-547-0199 to schedule a tour or discuss your event details. Let us bring your vision to life and create an exceptional experience for you and your guests.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

When Christina Cassotis, the chief executive of Pittsburgh International Airport, heard about the power outage that forced London’s Heathrow Airport to suspend operations last week, she thought of the workers who were frantically trying to manage the chaos.But when an outage hits closer to home, she has a more restrained response: Keep calm and carry on.For almost four years, her airport has been powered by a mix of on-site natural gas generators and solar panels. The airport estimates that the stand-alone system, known as a microgrid, has saved it about $1 million a year on its energy costs and allowed it to use the electric grid as a backup, Ms. Cassotis said.“We did it because we wanted resiliency and redundancy,” she said. “Airports are critical transportation infrastructure. We should be able to operate no matter what.”That level of energy independence is rare, especially among larger airports.Many airports have backup generators to help them maintain critical functions like air traffic control and lighting during power outages. But those standard emergency measures have limitations. They may require refueling if an outage lasts for many hours or days, for example. That’s why most airports remain heavily reliant on external power to keep passengers and planes moving.But U.S. airports are increasingly experimenting with generating and storing electricity on site — typically with solar power and batteries — to curb carbon emissions, prepare for future electricity needs, and manage rising disruptions caused by climate change and aging infrastructure.Denver International Airport has multiple connections to the grid in case one fails, but it recently also put in place a solar-powered battery storage system to keep its underground trains running in an emergency. At New York’s Kennedy International Airport, a $19 billion overhaul includes plans to install thousands of solar panels and batteries to cut emissions and keep its new Terminal 1, which is expected to open in 2026, running during outages that can be very disruptive and costly for airports and everyone who relies on them.“If you have a reliable, effective airport, you’re helping to support economic resiliency,” said Joey Cathcart, a sustainable aviation expert at RMI, a sustainability nonprofit in Colorado previously known as the Rocky Mountain Institute. He and his colleagues have helped to develop a federally funded guide for airports interested in microgrids like the one in Pittsburgh.Power outages at airports are more common than many officials would like. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report identified 321 outages that lasted at least five minutes at two dozen U.S. airports from 2015 to 2022. Airports and other infrastructure, such as the electric grid itself, are also increasingly under threat by natural disasters, many of which are linked to climate change. The number of storms and other weather events that caused at least $1 billion in damage has steadily risen in recent decades, from five in 2000 to 27 last year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, a part of the U.S. Commerce Department.In late 2017, an electrical fire caused a power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, disrupting flights nationwide and costing Delta Air Lines, the largest airline at the airport, tens of millions of dollars. That and other outages prompted Ms. Cassotis to ask her team to look into microgrids.“We basically just started the process of investigating,” she said. “Can we even have one?”The airport, which sits on the natural gas deposits of the Marcellus Shale, solicited proposals to design, build and operate a microgrid at no upfront cost to the airport. By July 2021, the microgrid was up and running. Today, it produces 23 megawatts of energy: three from a solar array on top of an old landfill and the rest from five natural gas generators. At peak demand, the airport, which served nearly 10 million passengers last year, only uses about 14 megawatts, selling the excess to the grid.Establishing the microgrid, which is owned by two energy companies, has already paid off for the airport, which locked in low electricity rates for years and has cut carbon emissions by more than six million pounds annually, Ms. Cassotis said.It has also spared the airport from disruptions. Heathrow’s closure on March 21 disrupted global travel, leading to more than 1,000 canceled flights and stranding thousands of passengers. It began with a fire at an electric substation and, weeks earlier, something similar happened near Pittsburgh’s airport, according to Ms. Cassotis. Fires near substations had disrupted some of the power feeds to the airport. The airport disconnected those feeds to prevent problems from spreading to its microgrid and continued operating as usual.“There’s an actual tangible value in terms of dollars saved,” Ms. Cassotis said. “And then there is the peace of mind.”Resilience isn’t the only reason that airports might want to generate and store electricity on site.Aviation accounts for 2 to 3 percent of global emissions and is a particularly difficult industry to decarbonize because there are few emission-free alternatives for jet fuel. Setting up arrays of solar panels, like the thousands that the Denver airport has already installed or those coming to J.F.K., can help reduce an airport’s carbon footprint. They can also help to supplement rising energy needs as airport vehicles, shuttles, rental cars and, eventually, small aircraft shift to battery power.Denver’s airport is served by two dedicated electric substations, each of which can power the whole facility, providing redundancy in an emergency, according to Scott Morrissey, senior vice president of sustainability at the airport. The airport also has backup generators.“Once we have all of these sources electrified, we want to make sure that that electricity supply is as reliable and resilient as it can be,” he said.The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees J.F.K and the other two large airports serving the New York region, is also pairing sustainability with resilience. At Kennedy, which also has redundant power sources and generators, Terminal 1 will include a massive array of rooftop solar panels, fuel cells and batteries.“To not have to deal with that disruption is obviously very advantageous from a business continuity perspective,” said Jessica Forse, the lead project manager overseeing a broader airport overhaul, which includes the terminal revamp. “In a large, international airport — Heathrow, J.F.K. — those disruptions are seen everywhere. They ripple broadly across the airspace, domestically and internationally.”For now, such ambitious projects are limited, but interest is rising. The Federal Aviation Administration has provided airports grants to explore such options. Airport officials have also been seeking advice from Ms. Cassotis and others who were early in adopting solar panels and microgrids.“As this market has developed over time, there’s a range of options that should work for different types and sizes of airports,” said Lauren Shwisberg, who leads research and projects aimed at switching to less carbon-intensive electricity at RMI. Source link

[norajworld]

When Christina Cassotis, the chief executive of Pittsburgh International Airport, heard about the power outage that forced London’s Heathrow Airport to suspend operations last week, she thought of the workers who were frantically trying to manage the chaos.But when an outage hits closer to home, she has a more restrained response: Keep calm and carry on.For almost four years, her airport has been powered by a mix of on-site natural gas generators and solar panels. The airport estimates that the stand-alone system, known as a microgrid, has saved it about $1 million a year on its energy costs and allowed it to use the electric grid as a backup, Ms. Cassotis said.“We did it because we wanted resiliency and redundancy,” she said. “Airports are critical transportation infrastructure. We should be able to operate no matter what.”That level of energy independence is rare, especially among larger airports.Many airports have backup generators to help them maintain critical functions like air traffic control and lighting during power outages. But those standard emergency measures have limitations. They may require refueling if an outage lasts for many hours or days, for example. That’s why most airports remain heavily reliant on external power to keep passengers and planes moving.But U.S. airports are increasingly experimenting with generating and storing electricity on site — typically with solar power and batteries — to curb carbon emissions, prepare for future electricity needs, and manage rising disruptions caused by climate change and aging infrastructure.Denver International Airport has multiple connections to the grid in case one fails, but it recently also put in place a solar-powered battery storage system to keep its underground trains running in an emergency. At New York’s Kennedy International Airport, a $19 billion overhaul includes plans to install thousands of solar panels and batteries to cut emissions and keep its new Terminal 1, which is expected to open in 2026, running during outages that can be very disruptive and costly for airports and everyone who relies on them.“If you have a reliable, effective airport, you’re helping to support economic resiliency,” said Joey Cathcart, a sustainable aviation expert at RMI, a sustainability nonprofit in Colorado previously known as the Rocky Mountain Institute. He and his colleagues have helped to develop a federally funded guide for airports interested in microgrids like the one in Pittsburgh.Power outages at airports are more common than many officials would like. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report identified 321 outages that lasted at least five minutes at two dozen U.S. airports from 2015 to 2022. Airports and other infrastructure, such as the electric grid itself, are also increasingly under threat by natural disasters, many of which are linked to climate change. The number of storms and other weather events that caused at least $1 billion in damage has steadily risen in recent decades, from five in 2000 to 27 last year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, a part of the U.S. Commerce Department.In late 2017, an electrical fire caused a power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, disrupting flights nationwide and costing Delta Air Lines, the largest airline at the airport, tens of millions of dollars. That and other outages prompted Ms. Cassotis to ask her team to look into microgrids.“We basically just started the process of investigating,” she said. “Can we even have one?”The airport, which sits on the natural gas deposits of the Marcellus Shale, solicited proposals to design, build and operate a microgrid at no upfront cost to the airport. By July 2021, the microgrid was up and running. Today, it produces 23 megawatts of energy: three from a solar array on top of an old landfill and the rest from five natural gas generators. At peak demand, the airport, which served nearly 10 million passengers last year, only uses about 14 megawatts, selling the excess to the grid.Establishing the microgrid, which is owned by two energy companies, has already paid off for the airport, which locked in low electricity rates for years and has cut carbon emissions by more than six million pounds annually, Ms. Cassotis said.It has also spared the airport from disruptions. Heathrow’s closure on March 21 disrupted global travel, leading to more than 1,000 canceled flights and stranding thousands of passengers. It began with a fire at an electric substation and, weeks earlier, something similar happened near Pittsburgh’s airport, according to Ms. Cassotis. Fires near substations had disrupted some of the power feeds to the airport. The airport disconnected those feeds to prevent problems from spreading to its microgrid and continued operating as usual.“There’s an actual tangible value in terms of dollars saved,” Ms. Cassotis said. “And then there is the peace of mind.”Resilience isn’t the only reason that airports might want to generate and store electricity on site.Aviation accounts for 2 to 3 percent of global emissions and is a particularly difficult industry to decarbonize because there are few emission-free alternatives for jet fuel. Setting up arrays of solar panels, like the thousands that the Denver airport has already installed or those coming to J.F.K., can help reduce an airport’s carbon footprint. They can also help to supplement rising energy needs as airport vehicles, shuttles, rental cars and, eventually, small aircraft shift to battery power.Denver’s airport is served by two dedicated electric substations, each of which can power the whole facility, providing redundancy in an emergency, according to Scott Morrissey, senior vice president of sustainability at the airport. The airport also has backup generators.“Once we have all of these sources electrified, we want to make sure that that electricity supply is as reliable and resilient as it can be,” he said.The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees J.F.K and the other two large airports serving the New York region, is also pairing sustainability with resilience. At Kennedy, which also has redundant power sources and generators, Terminal 1 will include a massive array of rooftop solar panels, fuel cells and batteries.“To not have to deal with that disruption is obviously very advantageous from a business continuity perspective,” said Jessica Forse, the lead project manager overseeing a broader airport overhaul, which includes the terminal revamp. “In a large, international airport — Heathrow, J.F.K. — those disruptions are seen everywhere. They ripple broadly across the airspace, domestically and internationally.”For now, such ambitious projects are limited, but interest is rising. The Federal Aviation Administration has provided airports grants to explore such options. Airport officials have also been seeking advice from Ms. Cassotis and others who were early in adopting solar panels and microgrids.“As this market has developed over time, there’s a range of options that should work for different types and sizes of airports,” said Lauren Shwisberg, who leads research and projects aimed at switching to less carbon-intensive electricity at RMI. Source link

[chilimili212]

When Christina Cassotis, the chief executive of Pittsburgh International Airport, heard about the power outage that forced London’s Heathrow Airport to suspend operations last week, she thought of the workers who were frantically trying to manage the chaos.But when an outage hits closer to home, she has a more restrained response: Keep calm and carry on.For almost four years, her airport has been powered by a mix of on-site natural gas generators and solar panels. The airport estimates that the stand-alone system, known as a microgrid, has saved it about $1 million a year on its energy costs and allowed it to use the electric grid as a backup, Ms. Cassotis said.“We did it because we wanted resiliency and redundancy,” she said. “Airports are critical transportation infrastructure. We should be able to operate no matter what.”That level of energy independence is rare, especially among larger airports.Many airports have backup generators to help them maintain critical functions like air traffic control and lighting during power outages. But those standard emergency measures have limitations. They may require refueling if an outage lasts for many hours or days, for example. That’s why most airports remain heavily reliant on external power to keep passengers and planes moving.But U.S. airports are increasingly experimenting with generating and storing electricity on site — typically with solar power and batteries — to curb carbon emissions, prepare for future electricity needs, and manage rising disruptions caused by climate change and aging infrastructure.Denver International Airport has multiple connections to the grid in case one fails, but it recently also put in place a solar-powered battery storage system to keep its underground trains running in an emergency. At New York’s Kennedy International Airport, a $19 billion overhaul includes plans to install thousands of solar panels and batteries to cut emissions and keep its new Terminal 1, which is expected to open in 2026, running during outages that can be very disruptive and costly for airports and everyone who relies on them.“If you have a reliable, effective airport, you’re helping to support economic resiliency,” said Joey Cathcart, a sustainable aviation expert at RMI, a sustainability nonprofit in Colorado previously known as the Rocky Mountain Institute. He and his colleagues have helped to develop a federally funded guide for airports interested in microgrids like the one in Pittsburgh.Power outages at airports are more common than many officials would like. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report identified 321 outages that lasted at least five minutes at two dozen U.S. airports from 2015 to 2022. Airports and other infrastructure, such as the electric grid itself, are also increasingly under threat by natural disasters, many of which are linked to climate change. The number of storms and other weather events that caused at least $1 billion in damage has steadily risen in recent decades, from five in 2000 to 27 last year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, a part of the U.S. Commerce Department.In late 2017, an electrical fire caused a power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, disrupting flights nationwide and costing Delta Air Lines, the largest airline at the airport, tens of millions of dollars. That and other outages prompted Ms. Cassotis to ask her team to look into microgrids.“We basically just started the process of investigating,” she said. “Can we even have one?”The airport, which sits on the natural gas deposits of the Marcellus Shale, solicited proposals to design, build and operate a microgrid at no upfront cost to the airport. By July 2021, the microgrid was up and running. Today, it produces 23 megawatts of energy: three from a solar array on top of an old landfill and the rest from five natural gas generators. At peak demand, the airport, which served nearly 10 million passengers last year, only uses about 14 megawatts, selling the excess to the grid.Establishing the microgrid, which is owned by two energy companies, has already paid off for the airport, which locked in low electricity rates for years and has cut carbon emissions by more than six million pounds annually, Ms. Cassotis said.It has also spared the airport from disruptions. Heathrow’s closure on March 21 disrupted global travel, leading to more than 1,000 canceled flights and stranding thousands of passengers. It began with a fire at an electric substation and, weeks earlier, something similar happened near Pittsburgh’s airport, according to Ms. Cassotis. Fires near substations had disrupted some of the power feeds to the airport. The airport disconnected those feeds to prevent problems from spreading to its microgrid and continued operating as usual.“There’s an actual tangible value in terms of dollars saved,” Ms. Cassotis said. “And then there is the peace of mind.”Resilience isn’t the only reason that airports might want to generate and store electricity on site.Aviation accounts for 2 to 3 percent of global emissions and is a particularly difficult industry to decarbonize because there are few emission-free alternatives for jet fuel. Setting up arrays of solar panels, like the thousands that the Denver airport has already installed or those coming to J.F.K., can help reduce an airport’s carbon footprint. They can also help to supplement rising energy needs as airport vehicles, shuttles, rental cars and, eventually, small aircraft shift to battery power.Denver’s airport is served by two dedicated electric substations, each of which can power the whole facility, providing redundancy in an emergency, according to Scott Morrissey, senior vice president of sustainability at the airport. The airport also has backup generators.“Once we have all of these sources electrified, we want to make sure that that electricity supply is as reliable and resilient as it can be,” he said.The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees J.F.K and the other two large airports serving the New York region, is also pairing sustainability with resilience. At Kennedy, which also has redundant power sources and generators, Terminal 1 will include a massive array of rooftop solar panels, fuel cells and batteries.“To not have to deal with that disruption is obviously very advantageous from a business continuity perspective,” said Jessica Forse, the lead project manager overseeing a broader airport overhaul, which includes the terminal revamp. “In a large, international airport — Heathrow, J.F.K. — those disruptions are seen everywhere. They ripple broadly across the airspace, domestically and internationally.”For now, such ambitious projects are limited, but interest is rising. The Federal Aviation Administration has provided airports grants to explore such options. Airport officials have also been seeking advice from Ms. Cassotis and others who were early in adopting solar panels and microgrids.“As this market has developed over time, there’s a range of options that should work for different types and sizes of airports,” said Lauren Shwisberg, who leads research and projects aimed at switching to less carbon-intensive electricity at RMI. Source link

[rjzimmerman]

For several years, I was the President of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, the organization described in this story. The story describes the work of Madena Asbell, who started up, organized and manages the seed bank. Madena is an amazing person. Low key but intensely brilliant and practical.

Excerpt from this story from CNN/Call to Earth:

Inside a Mojave aster flower, a tiny bee is fast asleep. At night, the pale lavender petals close, providing a safe resting place. In the morning, as birdsong rings out across the desert, the flower opens, revealing its tenant.

Here in southern California, in the middle of the Mojave Desert’s vast and arid landscape, it’s just one of many natural treasures hidden from view.

In long sleeves, pants, and wide-brimmed hats to guard against a harsh sun in a cloudless blue sky, a team of four led by Madena Asbell crouches in the dirt, looking for another treasure.

They are searching for a plant called erodium texanum, (common names Texas stork’s bill or heronbill), a type of herb native to California. More specifically, they are looking for its seeds.

“There’s so much life here,” Asbell says, “but it’s easy to not realize that when you’re in the desert.”

Asbell is the director of plant conservation for the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT), a non-profit land conservancy that works to preserve and protect the Mojave and Colorado desert landscapes of California.

A quarter of the state is desert, home to roughly 2,400 plant species, according to MDLT. Eight years ago, Asbell had an idea. What if there was a way to preserve the ecosystem, centered around the seeds that facilitate all the life here? The result was the Mojave Desert Land Trust seed bank.

“The goal is to preserve this amazing genetic diversity that we have and make it available for restoration or reintroduction of species, should there be a disaster that wipes out a population,” Asbell says. “Plants are the foundation of most ecosystems, so when we protect these plants, we’re protecting everything that depends on them, like desert tortoise, burrowing owls and pollinators.”

In an ever-changing climate, the seed bank was just the type of “proactive” idea the organization was looking for, says Kelly Herbinson, executive director of MDLT.

“As a land trust, we’re realizing that just protecting land or buying land to protect it wasn’t going to be enough – that we had to take extra steps to really invest in that land,” Herbinson says.

In 2016, Mojave Desert Land Trust officially launched the seed bank project, which has since been described as a “Noah’s Ark” for southern California.

Three white refrigerators at MDLT headquarters in Joshua Tree, California, house the collection. There are over 5 million seeds from nearly 250 species and counting, according to the land trust.

Seeds come in from the field teams and undergo a “cut test” to determine viability – confirming the seed pods are full, and that there hasn’t been too much damage from insects or mold, making the seeds worth saving.

[24legal-news]

Joe III quits embattled Lipsey companies; Johnny Jones in charge

On Friday afternoon, Lipsey Logistics and Lipsey Trucking, two Chattanooga-based transportation and logistics firms caught up in their CEO’s cocaine distribution scandal, announced a change in the companies’ leadership.

Joseph Lipsey III will relinquish his management roles and take a leave of absence from both companies, according to the statement. Johnny Jones, the current President and Chief Operating Officer of Lipsey Logistics, has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive of Lipsey Logistics and Trucking. Jones has been with Lipsey in executive roles for nearly nine years; before Lipsey Jones served as Director of Business Development for Hub Group for three years, and worked in sales and marketing at U.S. Xpress for 12 years. 

In October, White, the current President of Lipsey Transport and former President of U.S. Xpress, will take over Jones’ current role as President of Lipsey Logistics. 

“While these allegations relate to a personal matter, Lipsey Logistics and Lipsey Trucking want to assure the public that they will have no impact on business operations. Our customers remain our top priority and we are committed to delivering the high-quality service they expect and deserve,” the company said in a statement.

Joseph Lipsey III, his wife Shira, and son Joseph Lipsey IV were arrested earlier this week in Aspen, Colorado on a variety of drug charges, including distributing cocaine to minors. The Lipseys are alleged to have hosted drug-fueled parties for high schoolers at their home; cell phone videos and Snapchats from participating teens formed part of the basis of the evidence.

The Lipseys’ transportation businesses grew out of their provisioning of water and ice to logistics firms servicing federal government disaster relief contracts. Eventually, the Lipseys founded their own trucking company and brokerage with something of a specialization in cost-plus government contracts for federal and state agencies.

The federal government prefers not to award lucrative contracts to business owners indicted on major drug felonies.

Lipsey Trucking and Lipsey Logistics’ swift change in leadership seems intended to reassure its customers—both government and private sector shippers—that the companies’ operations will not be disrupted by the executive’s personal scandals. A state and potentially federal drug trial and their appeals could last for years, and all the while, customers have to grapple with uncertainty about the fate of the executive team, the company’s assets, and its ability to perform.

By quickly moving a seasoned company officer into the CEO role, Lipsey is trying to assuage those concerns. The change of leadership is welcome, but there has been no word on a material change of ownership that would affect control of the companies.

[jerrycorr]

Geo Week 2025 in Denver, CO – A Who’s Who Event in The World of GIS Technology

An accomplished senior executive with extensive experience in the Esri GIS Consulting industry, Jerry Corr has served as the CEO of Ocean Sky Consulting Inc. for more than 21 years. In this role, he leads a team of contract staff, delivering solutions to Esri utility and AEC clients. Jerry Corr recently attended of the 2025 GEO Week event in the Denver Convention Center in Colorado. GeoWeek was held in the Denver Convention Center from February 10-12, 2025. Geo Week is the premier event for increased integration between the built environment, advanced airborne/terrestrial technologies, and commercial 3D technologies.

Geo Week was created as a response to the changing needs of built world and geospatial professionals, and to acknowledge the convergence of technology taking place currently. New technological innovations, the need for remote workflows, and hardware breakthroughs are redefining expectations across teams, organizations, and entire industries.

The DFW Airport was one of the keynotes at GEO Week this year, DFW Airport’s Digital Evolution: 3D, AI/ML, and Event-Driven Architecture in Action. It was presented on Monday, February 10, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The DFW Airport is a fast-paced, complex environment that requires informed decision-making. The Airport is the third 3rd largest airport globally, with two major terminal construction projects, a new electric plant project, and aging utility improvement projects.

DFW is also experiencing massive growth in passenger volumes, which requires operational improvements and increased efficiencies. The airport also deals with ongoing threats that require real-time information flow for decision process and collaboration. These challenges present excellent opportunities to leverage 3D visualization, AI/ML, and event-driven architecture to solve critical use cases supporting Utility Management, Terminal Operations, and Emergency Management.

Their keynote touched on key areas of the project:

Utility Management: Exploring how DFW Airport enhances utility management by combining GIS mapping with digital twin and predictive insights.

Terminal Operations: Showcasing how DFW Airport is using customized geospatial solutions and digital twins to improve emergency management.

Customized Airport Solutions: Demonstrating how DFW Airport integrates pre-incident planning maps with reality capture and dispatch systems, enhancing response readiness.

This high-level keynote included a discussion of GIS, digital twins, real-time event monitoring, vehicle sensors, GeoAI, deep learning models, 3D mapping, and meshing imagery. It was paired with a “deep dive” session in the Geo Week conference program.

[embattledlipseycompanies]

Joe III quits embattled Lipsey companies; Johnny Jones in charge

On Friday afternoon, Lipsey Logistics and Lipsey Trucking, two Chattanooga-based transportation and logistics firms caught up in their CEO’s cocaine distribution scandal, announced a change in the companies’ leadership.

Joseph Lipsey III will relinquish his management roles and take a leave of absence from both companies, according to the statement. Johnny Jones, the current President and Chief Operating Officer of Lipsey Logistics, has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive of Lipsey Logistics and Trucking. Jones has been with Lipsey in executive roles for nearly nine years; before Lipsey Jones served as Director of Business Development for Hub Group for three years, and worked in sales and marketing at U.S. Xpress for 12 years.

In October, White, the current President of Lipsey Transport and former President of U.S. Xpress, will take over Jones’ current role as President of Lipsey Logistics.

“While these allegations relate to a personal matter, Lipsey Logistics and Lipsey Trucking want to assure the public that they will have no impact on business operations. Our customers remain our top priority and we are committed to delivering the high-quality service they expect and deserve,” the company said in a statement.

Joseph Lipsey III, his wife Shira, and son Joseph Lipsey IV were arrested earlier this week in Aspen, Colorado on a variety of drug charges, including distributing cocaine to minors. The Lipseys are alleged to have hosted drug-fueled parties for high schoolers at their home; cell phone videos and Snapchats from participating teens formed part of the basis of the evidence.

The Lipseys’ transportation businesses grew out of their provisioning of water and ice to logistics firms servicing federal government disaster relief contracts. Eventually, the Lipseys founded their own trucking company and brokerage with something of a specialization in cost-plus government contracts for federal and state agencies.

The federal government prefers not to award lucrative contracts to business owners indicted on major drug felonies.

Lipsey Trucking and Lipsey Logistics’ swift change in leadership seems intended to reassure its customers—both government and private sector shippers—that the companies’ operations will not be disrupted by the executive’s personal scandals. A state and potentially federal drug trial and their appeals could last for years, and all the while, customers have to grapple with uncertainty about the fate of the executive team, the company’s assets, and its ability to perform.

By quickly moving a seasoned company officer into the CEO role, Lipsey is trying to assuage those concerns. The change of leadership is welcome, but there has been no word on a material change of ownership that would affect control of the companies.