New Class of Graduates are Prepared to Enter the Green Jobs Workforce

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America's workforce for careers in clean technology and sustainability, will hold its second-ever graduation today, Monday, September 24, 2012 at The Summit Conference and Event Center in Aurora, CO. Forty-four graduates, including six military veterans, will cross the stage. They will receive associate's degrees in Wind Energy Technology, Solar Energy Technology, Renewable Energy Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology.

This group of graduates, in addition to the first graduating class, makes up the students who began coursework in a temporary facility before Ecotech's campus was completed.

"We take pride in our visionary students, the people who believed in Ecotech before we had elaborate lab equipment and a LEED-certified campus," said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. "These students shared our vision and will soon receive their diploma, arming them for success in the vast world of green jobs."

Ecotech hosted its first graduation on June 20, 2012 and approximately 90 percent of graduates are now working in cleantech positions around the country, including Hawaii.

All Ecotech students develop soft skills (communication, workplace etiquette), and math and science basics and technology skills, but the educational emphasis is on hands-on, practical training. Ecotech's prestigious national board of advisors, who serve as academic and business leaders in cleantech industries, helped design the school's practical curriculum.

"It feels good knowing that I now have an advantage above others who are also pursuing this career, but who don't have the technical training I received at Ecotech," said Joe Kellogg, who is graduating with a degree in Solar Energy Technology. "I absorbed an abundant knowledge in each class from the best instructors and have the tools to be successful."

The September 2012 graduating class is made up of students from 10 states and Mexico. Listed below are their hometowns, names and degree programs:

Alabama
Jackson's Gap
• Jason Chesnutt, Wind Energy Technology

Colorado
Aurora
• Tumu Johnson, Electrical Engineering Technology
• David Shannon, Electrical Engineering Technology
• Clint Turner, Wind Energy Technology
• Mark Westrate, Solar Energy Technology

Boulder
• Nicholas Dotter, Electrical Engineering Technology

Broomfield
• Joshua Schaefer, Solar Energy Technology

Colorado Springs
• Deiyung Downey, Wind Energy Technology
• Matthew Morin, Solar Energy Technology

Denver
• Steve Appling, Wind Energy Technology
• Jacob Bratsky, Electrical Engineering Technology
• Chris Horn, Wind Energy Technology
• Thanos Hunt, Renewable Energy Technology
• Joe Kellogg, Solar Energy Technology
• Alejandro Mesa, Electrical Engineering Technology
• Brett Oakes, Renewable Energy Technology
• Esteban Orl, Wind Energy Technology
• Ty Simpson, Renewable Energy Technology
• Joshua Stoppel, Solar Energy Technology
• Josh Yaeger, Electrical Engineering Technology

Divide
• Matt Vetis, Solar Energy Technology

Henderson
• Gil Negron, Solar Energy Technology

Littleton
• Edward Buess, Wind Energy Technology
• Kent Mortensen, Wind Energy Technology

Morrison
• Sean Johnston, Renewable Energy Technology

Nederland
• Nathan Baumhover, Renewable Energy Technology

Northglenn
• Zac Sturgill, Wind Energy Technology

Parker
• Robert Parker, Wind Energy Technology

Connecticut
Salem
• Michael Scace, Solar Energy Technology

Kansas
Minneola
• Darlene Redden, Solar Energy Technology

Norton
• Timothy Millan, Wind Energy Technology

Oakley
• Terry Farmer, Solar Energy Technology

Mexico
Berwick
• Louis Sanfacon, Electrical Engineering Technology

Zacatecas
• Jose Calderon-Ibanez, Electrical Engineering Technology

Michigan
Battle Creek
• Les Crosby, Wind Energy Technology

Muskegon
• Jordan Veltman, Electrical Engineering

Missouri
St. Louis
• Josh Crambert, Wind Energy Technology

New York
Jamestown
• Richard Chase II, Solar Energy Technology

New York City
• Fatih Erogla, Solar Energy Technology

Oregon
Aumsville
• Michael Streight, Wind Energy Technology

Pennsylvania
Canonsburg
• Kevin King, Electrical Engineering

Texas
Corpus Christi
• Shawn Sanders, Wind Energy Technology

Dallas
• Brandon Huckaby, Wind Energy Technology

About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is 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. 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.