Sonoma State University's School of Business and Economics and New College of California's Green MBA program have teamed up to host the first Sustainable Enterprise Conference for Northern California on Friday, April 7 at Sonoma Mountain Village, 1212 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park .
The one-day conference offers a unique opportunity for business leaders to learn about managing an organization to be environmentally friendly, socially just, and economically viable. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge about building sustainable enterprises through workshops, interactive panels, and networking sessions.
The theme of the conference is "Practical Tools for the Transition." The keynote speaker is Paul Dolan, former Fetzer Vineyards CEO and author of "True to Our Roots: Fermenting a Business Revolution."
He will describe how Fetzer developed sustainable practices to preserve the environment while strengthening the community and enriching the lives of their employees without sacrificing the bottom line.
Workshops and talks will be led by regional sustainability leaders including: Terry Taylor, President of Global Genesis; Susan Briski, founder of Sustainable Progress; Jerrell Ross Richer, Professor of Ecological Economics at both SSU and New College of Calif., and J. David Erickson from the Climate Protection Campaign.
The conference has an emphasis on Northern California to foster sustainable development in the region. "People are attracted to the Northern California region because of the quality of life and open environment. It is essential that businesses located in this area operate in a way that sustains that quality of life," says Robert Girling, Professor of Business Administration at SSU and event organizer.
Current sponsors for the event in addition to Sonoma State University and New College of California include: Global Genesis, WSP Environmental, Sustainable Progress and Simplers Botanical Company. Register to attend, sponsor or exhibit by visiting www.sec2006.com.
For more information contact Genevieve Taylor, event director, at (707) 829-8454.
For interviews, contact:
John Stayton, Green MBA Program Director (707) 484-1124
Robert Girling, SSU Professor (707) 664-2228
Jerrell Ross Richer, SSU and Green MBA (707) 664-2919
Terry Taylor, Global Genesis, (707) 829-8454
