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[Kathy Urffer]

Post any interesting news or updates here.

[Kathy Urffer]

Sylvester Ngoma, ISM 1998, Named Webmaster of the Year

Sylvester Ngoma is a Technology Education teacher and closed circuit television coordinator at Harding University High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now, he is also Webmaster of the year in the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools.

In a recent Newsweek Magazine feature on America’s best high schools, Harding was ranked #130 nationally.

Marlboro Grad Center alum, Sylvester Ngoma won the Libby Gray Award for outstanding use of Internet Technology to showcase a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School. He was named the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 2008 Webmaster of the Year at the EMMY (Educating the Minds of Mecklenburg Youth) Awards on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

He received several prizes, including a $100 WalMart gift card, a $50 Belk gift card, a certificate to see a chiropractor, a certificate for “AMF Fun Pack”, four Charlotte Knights box seats, and one-month membership to PEAK Fitness.

Mr. Ngoma was cited for having done an exemplary job of creating and maintaining an eye-catching, up-to-date and informative website. He had included a "Special News" section on the site that highlights accomplishments of outstanding students and staff. He used Harding's school colors consistently throughout the website to emphasize school spirit. Parents and community referred to the site on a daily basis because the site was constantly updated with links to recent news articles, related videos and staff and activity photos.

As the school's webmaster, he has tutored staff members on using CMS Pages, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools authorized web development program. He has also participated in the school's technology integration activities where he offered web design courses for teachers and staff. As a result, he is working with several CMS schools on the enhancement of their websites.

Sylvester takes his web responsibilities very seriously. He believes that a school’s website needs to mirror the identity of a school. It should try to capture the heart and soul of a school. "I always believe that an educational website needs to have the look and feel of a school; it needs to highlight some of the best performances and achievements of outstanding students and staff", he said.
Congratulations to you, Sylvester, from everyone at the Grad Center. We are proud to call you an alumnus.

[Kathy Urffer]

Release: Brattleboro & Montpelier, July 18, 2008
Green Business Tour to Sweden

Vermont Trade Mission Partners With Brattleboro-based MBA Student Trip

The Marlboro MBA in Managing for Sustainability and the Vermont Global Trade Partnership are collaborating to expand trade and investment between Vermont and Sweden in areas that include renewable energy, forest products, and building design and construction. A combined Vermont trade mission/MBA study group will travel to Sweden in December 2008 for a series of site visits, seminars, and business matchmaking activities. Sweden - a world leader in these areas - enjoys one of the highest standards of living along with per-capita energy consumption at only about 2/3 of US levels, yet has a cold climate and population density similar to Vermont's. Vermont is a pioneer among US states in environmental protection, energy policy, and economic development that sustains a high quality of life.

The mission will center on Malmö and Lund, in the Skåne region of southern Sweden, not far from Denmark's capital Copenhagen. The South Swedish Chamber of Industry and Commerce will act as host, along with the County Administrative Board of Skåne. Skåne occupies roughly half of the land area of Vermont, and has twice the population. The two jurisdictions share a variety of common characteristics that create potential for trade. Two cities the group plans to visit are Växjö, which has won awards as “the Greenest City in Europe” and aims to be fossil-fuel-free by 2050, and Kristianstad, a pioneer in the use of biogas for heating, electricity, and transport fuel.

The Marlboro College Graduate Center's MBA program's Advisory Council includes a Swedish
Member – Karl-Erik Grevendahl - who has been instrumental in conceiving and planning this trip. The idea of a future trip by Swedish business persons to Vermont is currently being explored.

The Vermont Global Trade Partnership, a program of Vermont’s Department of Economic Development, runs its Brattleboro office in Marlboro College’s Graduate Center. The program will manage business participation in the mission and will work with Swedish partners to provide customized business matchmaking support to participating Vermont companies.

“The most exciting sector in Swedish-American trade and investment is alternative energy; environmental technology and services is a close second. Vermont and Sweden have so much mutual benefit to offer through trade and exchange of best practices—it makes perfect sense that we should come together to exchange expertise, products and services. I am enthusiastic about partnering with the Marlboro MBA in Managing for Sustainability on this mission as their faculty and students will add value and fresh insight on sustainable business practices to the overall business development experience. This will be a fascinating trip.”

--Dana Eidsness, Director of International Trade, State of Vermont

Guiding the combined group from Vermont is Ralph Meima, MBA Program Director, who spent 14 years of his career in Sweden, obtained his Ph.D. there, and is fluent in Swedish.

The Vermont Global Trade Partnership provides assistance to Vermont businesses participating in the global marketplace with emphasis on providing international trade technical assistance, current market research, training and support.

The Marlboro MBA in Managing for Sustainability, based at the Marlboro College Graduate Center in Brattleboro, Vermont, is a 60-credit, fully featured master of business administration program for working professionals that builds managerial and entrepreneurial skills in the context of social responsibility, community vitality, and ecological sustainability.

For more information, please contact:

Vermont Global Trade Partnership
Dana Eidsness, Director of International Trade
Department of Economic Development, Montpelier, Vermont
[phone]
[e-mail]

Marlboro MBA in Managing for Sustainability
Ralph Meima, Program Director
Marlboro College Graduate Center, Brattleboro, Vermont
[phone]
[e-mail]

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Sweden
Karl-Erik Grevendahl, Advisor, Sustainable Business Development
Malmö, Sweden
+ 46 40 690 24 04
[e-mail]

[Lisa Sieverts]

Apartment for rent at the Green River Bridge House Bed and Breakfast in Green River. http://www.greenriverbridgehouse.com/ Contact Innkeeper Joan Seymour at [phone] or [e-mail] .

[MCGS]

Apartment and rooms for rent at the Green River Bridge House Bed and Breakfast in Green River. http://www.greenriverbridgehouse.com/ Contact Innkeeper Joan Seymour at [phone] or [e-mail]