Alumni

Association of CEP Alumni
Bard Center for Environmental Policy
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12405-5000

Phone Number: (845) 758-7071
Fax Number: (845) 758-7636

Email: cep@bard.edu

Our Street Address
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504

The Bard Center for Environmental Policy thanks all who came out to the reunion and panel on Friday, May 21st! It was a huge success and could not have happened successfully without each and every one of you! Please fill out this FEEDBACK FORM to help us better serve you at the next event.

The CEP panel was for alumni of the program to share the exciting work they are doing to protect the environment, give details on the public, private and non-profit sectors, and provide insights on getting a job in the field. In attendance were graduating and first year master's students, faculty, alumni, prospective students, and interested guests. The panel was moderated by Director Eban Goodstein and featured the following panelists:

Jackson Morris M.S. '07, Senior Policy Advisor, Pace Energy & Climate Center
Jennifer Peters M.S. '07, Deputy Director, Clean Water Network
Jon Griesser M.S. '04, Vice President & CEO, Spring Hill Solutions
Jessica Barry M.S. '03, Director of Business Development, Prism Solar Technologies
Kristen Wilson M.S. '07, Project Director, Healthy Kingston for Kids, Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County


Advice for recent grads from our alumni panelists:

• Stay networked by attending community events and conferences of all sorts. A lot of dream jobs are not necessarily posted or advertised (neither of Jessica's were!)

• Continue to develop your education. Employers will often pay for field-related education enhancement. As Regional Coordinator for NYSERDA, Jessica took courses on building science, energy auditing, and became a LEED accredited professional. At her current job (Prism Solar Technologies), she's taken courses on photovoltaic installation, global carbon trading, and renewable energy for the developing world.

• Don't misjudge or overlook career opportunities within the business sector. Jon stressed that business is the most influential institution on the planet, but there is a lack of environmental literacy within many business organizations. The planet needs individuals with strong environmental backgrounds  and creative minds working from within businesses, sitting on boards, being trustees, and becoming stakeholders.

• One of the most powerful and effective ways through which one can influence environmental change is through understanding how to bring funding and financing to environmental projects.  Moreover, the ability to measure, manage, and monitor financial resources needed for projects as well as the overall cost-effectiveness of projects is paramount.
• Grant writing is an extremely useful skill for creating your dream job, but you don't need to be an expert to do it well. Just reading the instructions and goals of the funder carefully, then matching your project to their funding goals will get you far. Kristen found that her writing experience at CEP prepared her for grant writing.
  

• If you want a local green job, you may need to convert an apparently "ungreen" job into a green job. Look for opportunities with local organizations and businesses that may not use the word "environment" but which may offer opportunities to incorporate your career goals.

• Appreciate and cooperate with people who may be unexpected allies to your goals. Jennifer spoke about working with Capitol Hill staffers in her job at Clean Water Network; know people who can be a resource for you, but also see how you can be a resource to them.

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• According to Jackson, Green sector jobs are on the rise in New York State with the creation of new financing programs for energy efficiency including the Green Jobs / Green New York program. Administered by NYSERDA, GJ - GNY is a statewide program to promote energy efficiency and the installation of clean technologies to reduce energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program will support sustainable community development and create opportunities for green jobs.
  

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To join the Bard College online alumni network, please visit annandaleonline.org.

Director Goodstein's letter to Bard CEP Alumni/ae can be viewed here.