Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sarta"

SARTA Program Honors Sacramento Region’s Best Medical Technology Innovations

2012-02-03T02:00:28Z

SARTA MedStart is now seeking nominations for the third annual Claire Pomeroy Awards for Innovation in Medical Technology. The awards recognize individuals in the Sacramento region whose innovative and high-impact inventions, products or designs have transformed some important aspect of the practice of medicine or the delivery of health-care services by improving efficiency, safety, efficacy or accessibility.

“The Sacramento region is establishing itself as a national leader in medical technology innovation and development,” said Meg Arnold, chief executive officer of SARTA. “This awards program recognizes not just individual company achievements but also the invaluable role that Dr. Pomeroy has played in so dramatically supporting and advancing this increasingly important sector of our regional economy. The awards send a strong signal that SARTA and the region’s business community value innovation and are ready to help.”

MedStart created the awards to recognize and celebrate successful innovators in our region. The Award is named for Claire Pomeroy, Chief Executive Officer, UC Davis Health System, Vice Chancellor, Human Health Sciences and Dean, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis. Pomeroy is a highly regarded health-care leader and enthusiastic and inspirational supporter of high-tech research and its translation through commercialization into daily use in medicine and health care.

“I’m proud to be involved with MedStart’s efforts to develop a thriving medical technology industry in the Sacramento region,” said Pomeroy. “Through the award program we hope to encourage others to become catalysts in transforming medicine and health through innovative technologies.”

The 2011 Pomeroy Award winner was Dr. Richard Wampler for his work on the hemopump and HVAD Heart Assist Device. 2010 award winners were Philip H. Coelho, BioArchive System by Thermogenesis; Edward A. Smeloff, Smeloff-Cutter Heart Valve; Warren D. Smith, PK Factor for assessing consciousness of patients under anesthesia; and Richard K. Wertz, Autoscan Automated Microbiology Diagnostic System.

“There are a growing number of successful medical technology innovations being created in our region,” said Cary Adams, chair of MedStart. “By highlighting these dedicated individuals and their creative innovations through the Claire Pomeroy Awards, we’re encouraging further economic development in our region, and greater opportunity for our talented area workforce. We’re highlighting for everyone that these successes can and do occur here repeatedly.”

To be considered for the awards, the nominee’s invention or product must be in commercial use or approved use by the medical industry. The awards committee may take into account benefits generated for SARTA’s nine-county region, which includes the Counties of Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba. Other award criteria include:

• Brilliance or ingenuity in solving problems and designing solutions
• Impact on the lives of patients
• Size of the populations affected
• Extent of the impact in its market
• Impact on the institutions and processes of care delivery
• Economic impact on the health-care system

Self-nominations or nominations of a colleague for the award are invited. The nominee’s name, the nominator’s name, the device or product name and a brief description as to why it meets the criteria should be sent to awards@sarta.org by Friday, April 6, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. The entire nomination may not exceed two and one half pages. Downloadable nomination forms are available through the SARTA MedStart web site.

The award committee consists of Dr. Pomeroy; Mr. Cary Adams, founder and CEO, Proximal Ventures and MedStart chair; Professor Kyriacos Athanasiou, distinguished professor and chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis; Mr. Don Chigazola, Director of Western Region Facility Operations for Medtronic; Dean Emir Macari, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at California State University, Sacramento; Mr. John Maroney, managing member, Delphi Ventures; Mr. Robert Medearis, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Silicon Valley Bank; Dr. John Mesic, chief medical officer, Sutter Health, Sacramento Sierra Region; Dr. Christian Renaudin, managing partner and CEO of The MarkeTech Group; and Professor Warren Smith, Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department, California State University, Sacramento.

For information on the Claire Pomeroy Awards, Med Tech Showcase or MedStart, visit www.medstart.org. Winners will be notified by April 27, 2012 and honored at the Sacramento Med Tech Showcase on June 5, 2012 at the Woodlake Hotel..

Disclosure: Laura Good is Director, Programs and Operations at SARTA.

SARTA Clean Tech Showcase

2011-11-02T00:49:21Z

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Association (SARTA), as part of its Clean Start initiative, held the 2011 Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase last Monday, October 24, 2011.

The showcase, entitled, “Green Innovation: Engine of Growth,” was the fifth annual showcase and was held in the California State University Sacramento Union.

SARTA CEO Meg Arnold welcomed everyone to the Union Ballroom and acknowledged the governmental leaders present.

Mayor Kevin Johnson, a strong supporter of bringing clean tech companies to Sacramento; Dr. Joseph F. Sheley, Sacramento State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, a strong supporter of clean tech in Congress (via video); also offered their encouragement to those present.

The welcome was followed by a series of speakers, starting with Neal Dikeman, founding partner of Jane Capital; Brian Keane, President of SmartPower and Carla Peterman, California Energy Commissioner.

The morning session also featured the presentation of the first Clean Tech Innovator of the Year Award to Dr. Raju Pandey of Synapse. The Distinguished Honoree was presented to Al Rich of SolarRoofs.com. SARTA's award committee included: Jim Alves, SMUD, Jack Crawford, Velocity Venture Capital, Mark Henwood, CleanStart, Laurie ten Hope, California Energy Commisssion, Emir Macari, Sacramento State, Jay Schmidt, PG&E, Gary Simon, CleanStart and Bruce White, UC Davis.

In the afternoon, there were two tracks of panels and presentations with multiple presenters or panelists. Track A was “Driving Growth” and Track B, “Making Markets.”

At the same time, there was a large exhibition hall displaying examples of clean tech products and all the associated companies needed to develop clean technology. As with the presentations, both the technological side, including research by academic and private companies, and the technology that has been developed and is being marketed, were present.

Technology included solar panels, inverters to convert the DC electricity from the panels to AC for the grid, and plug-in stations for electric/plug-in hybrids.

Several companies displayed clean technology that sometimes gets lost in the flashy equipment. This included high powered computer technology that reduces energy consumption by better management of energy use.

Emerging or developing technology - such as new, more efficient biofuels research and better ways of capturing solar energy – was also present.

Several research groups had poster presentations with researchers present to explain their work.

The business side included venture capital companies, law firms, marketing and communications consultants, business parks and workforce development and deployment firms.

Besides business and high technology, there was very low-tech technology present as well. The Sacramento Tree Foundation was there to promote the planting of shade trees to reduce residential heat load.

Susan Frost with Alliance Mortgage and Marketing spoke about their program, which works with a partner company that flips foreclosed houses with an emphasis on refitting the houses for energy conservation. The organization can then offer buyers a more energy efficient home with a mortgage with a lower down payment.

Even with all the technology on display on the exposition floor, the big technology draw was outside the building on a nearby street. Along with electric cars on display by manufacturers, there were numerous privately owned electric cars brought by their owners. The owners enthusiastically spoke with attendees about their real life experiences owning and driving the cars. More about the cars and other electric transportation in a future article including a test drive of the latest electric car coming to maket in a future article.

While 2011 Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is aimed at those involved in the industry from academia, the private sector and government. That said there was a lot to interest those in the general public that like to keep up on technology and any technophile would have been heaven at this event.

Local tech company’s hard drive survives 12-gauge shotgun blast

2011-01-08T00:03:11Z

Robb Moore, President & CEO of Sacramento region tech company ioSafe, is well-known for his flashy Consumer Electronic Show (CES) demos of the company's almost indestructible hard drives. This year, he outdid himself by inviting journalists to fire a 12-gauge shotgun at ioSafe's new product, the Rugged Portable. The demo was held at American Shooters, a gun range close to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and participants included the BBC, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, PCWorld, MacLife, the Canadian Discovery Channel and more. In addition to blasting the drive with a shotgun, journalists were also able to crush it with a vice, immerse it in water and hit it with a hammer. In each case the data was still recoverable, despite the extensive abuse.

CES announced today that ioSafe’s Rugged Portable is a Best of CES 2011 finalist. Sacramento can vote for the Rugged Portable in the People’s Voice awards. Voting closes Saturday 1/8 at 10 a.m. (PST) and winners will be announced at 11 a.m.

Just released this January, the Rugged Portable is CNC-machined from a solid billet of aluminum or titanium. This Full Metal Jacket™ Technology makes the drive crush resistant up to 5000 lbs (Ti) or 2500 lbs (AL). Like all ioSafe portable drives, the Rugged Portable can withstand fire, immersion and just about any kind of abuse as Moore continues to prove in his ever-popular annual CES demonstrations.

“This drive will make sure your data reaches its destination safely," said Moore. “Whether you need to protect important business data during your daily commute or protect photos during your family vacation, the Rugged Portable will do it. The drive will keep data safe from everyday knocks and bumps associated with travel as well as from moisture, chemicals and extreme environmental and weather conditions.”

ioSafe, a high tech startup in Auburn, manufactures fireproof, waterproof hard drives – like an aircraft black box but for consumer and business data protection. The company's customers include the Pentagon, the Army and Navy, numerous Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and home consumers. Consumer products are sold through Costco, Wal-Mart, Amazon, BestBuy and Dell. The Rugged Portable starts at $149.99 and is now available for pre-order at www.iosafe.com.

Robb Moore, a mechanical engineering graduate of UC Santa Barbara and Professional Engineer in the state of California, has developed hundreds of designs for the high tech, medical, consumer, and aerospace markets. In addition, he serves as CEO of Kollabra, a product development company, and on the Board of Directors for SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance). SARTA, founded in 2001, is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth in emerging technologies & attract venture capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Know of an interesting high tech story to feature in my Sacramento High Tech story line? Please email me with your ideas.

Disclosure: Author Laura Good is a HUGE fan of Robb Moore's guerilla marketing tactics and has invited him to speak at SARTA marketing for technology entrepremeurs workshops on on more than one occasion.

Photo credits: Johnny Klemme

Innovation and Inspiration Converge at Clean Tech Showcase

2010-10-29T13:21:54Z

Innovation and inspiration were the hallmarks of the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase held Tuesday at Sacramento State’s University Union.

Nearly 800 attendees packed the day long conference and expo to be inspired by leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs in clean tech speaking to the conference theme, “Building on Success: New Opportunities Ahead.” The latest innovations in solar, wind, biofuel, and energy-efficient technologies were on display in the exhibit hall and on Serna Plaza.

The event, organized by SARTA’s CleanStart, and presented by SMUD and Sacramento State among other sponsors, brought together the region’s most influential leaders in renewable energy and environmental technology with 90 companies exhibiting their products and technologies and seven of the region’s most innovative startups known as Fresh Faces.

"Through SARTA, Greenfreak will gain critical and necessary contacts to enhance our business and gain the distinction [our] business model warrants. " Ilya Lerma, Greenfreak LLC, Fresh Faces Innovator

On Serna Plaza, transportation efficiency and alternatives – hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, compressed natural gas fueling, biofuels, and refueling/charging technology were on display. California Sunlight demonstrated a solar cook stove that can follow the path of the Sun to increase usable cook time and energy efficiency.

"The Showcase is an opportunity to network with people who I see as visionaries, people of action, forward thinking. Also to learn what's being worked on, and what the emerging trends are." Tony Woicekowski, Concord Energy Strategies, LLC, Showcase Exhibitor

Featured speakers from the public sector were Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Mayor Kevin Johnson, City of Sacramento, and Kim Walesh, Chief Strategist for the City of San José, sharing her city’s experience of building a regional clean tech cluster. Mark Miller, CEO of Project Frog, shared his vision for The Leading Edge in Building Efficiency: Advanced Energy Efficient Building Systems and the Impact for Sacramento.

The highlights of the afternoon were the presentations from the region’s emerging clean tech companies (“Fresh Faces”) in our region ”: Ben Castillo, Training Logistics Coordinator, SMA America; Ilya Lerma, Founder and CEO, Greenfreak, LLC; Ken Oosting, Chairman and Chief Development Officer, Inspired Solar Technologies, Inc.; Summer Pennino, Governmental Affairs and Marketing, Electric Vehicles International; Mark Roberts, CEO, Springboard Biodiesel, LLC; Shilpa Sankaran, Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing, ZETA Communities.

The Sacramento region was recently hailed as a national leader in clean tech innovation and entrepreneurship by Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman primarily because of the collective efforts of the public and private sector groups.

The number of clean technology firms in the Sacramento area has tripled in the last four years from 30 to more than 110. In addition, 165 installation, engineering, sales and service, and consulting firms that provide support to clean tech companies, for a total industry of 275 companies here. Sacramento has among the fastest rate of growth in green jobs in the country. Green jobs jumped 87% between 2000-2008, resulting in about 13,100 jobs here, both in manufacturing and in support services.

“There is a growing momentum in forming new clean tech companies in Sacramento,” said Gary Simon, CleanStart’s co-Chairman. “The region has great assets in world-class research facilities, a growing community of entrepreneurs looking to change the world and great access to government funding and venture capital.”

Learn more about CleanStart and the Clean Tech Showcase by visiting www.cleanstart.org or www.cleantechshowcase.org

Matsui Rallies For Region's Clean Tech Future

2010-10-20T05:42:23Z

Congresswoman Doris Matsui is a featured speaker at the 4th Annual Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase on October 26th at Sacramento State. Organized by SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) as part of its CleanStart initiative, over 700 people are expected to attend this all day event. More than 40 speakers are included in the program and many of the region's clean tech companies are among the 80 exhibitors.

Congresswoman Matsui will share the federal perspective during the opening session, “Bold Visions For the Sacramento Region.” Matsui represents Sacramento in the U.S. Congress and serves on the Energy & Commerce and Committee. She has crafted and helped pass legislation that addresses some of the most critical challenges facing Americans today, including a comprehensive national energy policy that focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency. SARTA interviewed her to get her perspective on Clean Technology in the Sacramento region.

SARTA: What interests / excites you about Clean Technology in the region?

Matsui: Clean technology represents an exciting opportunity for the Sacramento region. For the past several years, Sacramento has been reliant on the state government and the construction industry to provide jobs. But in order to recover from this economic recession, our region must diversify its economy. We have seen our health care industry expand and flourish in recent years, and I believe that clean technology represents a similar opportunity.

A transition to a clean energy economy is vital to creating jobs and increasing our national security. We can unleash private sector investment in clean energy to create millions of new jobs that can’t be shipped overseas. Clean energy technology should be made here in America and I have sponsored legislation, H.R. 5156, the Clean Energy Technology Mannufacturing and Export Assistance Act, to make this reality. Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 5156, , as part of a Make it in America Agenda pushed by Democrats, that will help increase our American made clean energy products and assist those companies as they sell their products overseas.

And just a few weeks ago, I introduced H.R. 6212, the Small Business Clean Energy Financing Act, which will help small clean energy businesses access financing and remain competitive in the global market. By working within the existing Small Business Administration financing process, my legislation would direct the agency to prioritize clean energy initiatives, and make credit more accessible for our small clean energy companies.

I believe the Sacramento region is well-positioned to be a leader in this new clean energy economy. The region has proven academic and research excellence, cutting edge utility companies, a rapidly growing clean technology business cluster and access to policymakers and regulatory expertise.

We already have much to be proud of and immense momentum to build upon. The region has led the state in clean tech job growth over the last 13 years and our sector now boasts more than 13,000 clean tech jobs. Our clean tech business cluster has expanded to more than 230 companies, a tremendous increase in recent years. We have also been able to secure over $280 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for clean tech, a testament to our ability to coordinate, collaborate and execute.

If we continue to build upon our successes and collaborations, I believe our shared vision of creating a clean energy economy will become a reality.

SARTA: What excites you about the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase?

Matsui: The Clean Tech Showcase is an appropriate title for an event of this kind. It is really a time for Sacramento to show that we are a clean energy hub.

The Sacramento region has the ingenuity and innovation to compete with any other region in the United States. I am looking forward to hearing more from these business owners about how the federal government can help them grow and succeed.

I am excited to see the numerous clean tech businesses that will have exhibits, including new companies who have put down roots in our community. Additionally, it is exciting to see all of the region’s stakeholders come together around a shared vision. Sacramento has the ability to collaborate and rally around a single cause and the participation at this event and others like it show that we are ready to be a national leader and are at the forefront of the clean energy movement.

SARTA: What pre-show nugget would you like to share to get people eager to attend your session or track?

Matsui: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made some unprecedented commitments to funding clean energy and moving our nation on a path towards security and sustainability. The law had over $80 billion in funding and tax breaks related to the clean energy sector.

It is clear that the Sacramento region has been successful in pursuing and securing funds made available by ARRA. As a region, we have secured over $280 million in clean energy ARRA funds and hopefully more to come. Just recently we announced a $30 million grant for Rancho Cordova based Clean Energy Systems, Inc.

It is clear to me that the ARRA funds have helped lay the groundwork for the region. We must now build upon these successes and attract more private investment. The federal government can help play a key role in establishing this by passing a comprehensive energy bill. U.S. consumers are exporting $400 billion a year to pay for foreign oil – most of which comes from an instable region. We can no longer continue to operate under an outdated energy policy.

I believe that a new national clean energy policy will create American jobs, reduce our pollution and ensure further national security. The House charted the path last year when we passed the American Clean Energy & Security Act and I am hopeful that the Senate will act on this important legislation.

Photos: Image 1: Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps; Image 2: Clean Tech Convening ; Image 3: Clean Energy Sector Strategy Meeting. Source: www.matsui.house.gov

Additional Information:

Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase
October 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sacramento State, University Union
In Advance: General Admission: $80; SARTA member Rate: $40
At the Door: General Admission: $95
For more information on visit cleantechshowcase.org

Congresswoman Doris Matsui
U.S. House of Representatives, California’s Fifth District
http://www.matsui.house.gov/

2010 Elly Awards for Adult Theater

2010-10-04T03:21:56Z

The best of local theater talent was recognized last Sunday night at the Elly Awards.

After presenting the young people’s awards, there was an intermission, and then the adult awards were presented.

Selected musicians from the Runaway Stage Productions’ Resident Orchestra played the audience back into the Crest Theatre’s main auditorium. The orchestra had been provided transitional music, played the winners on to the stage and had accompanied the live musical performances all evening.

“Dreigroschen Finale,” performed by the California Stage cast, started the Elly adult theater portion of the evening. The performance showcased the Elly Award-winning costuming by Angelina Reaux. All the musical production performances were great, but this one stood out.

The adult Elly Awards are divided into three categories: comedy, drama and musical.

First up was costume design, set design and lighting design:
Best costume design, comedy, was awarded to Rebecca Ann Valentino for “Much Ado About Nothing” at Solano College Theater. Drama went to Sharon Olson for “Cyrano de Bergerac” at Paul Emery Presents, and the award for musical went to Angelina Reaux for “Three Penny Opera” at California Stage in Sacramento.

The best set design for a comedy Elly went to Virgil Toothaker for “The Foreigner” at Imagination Theater.

The set design award for a drama was won by Michael Baranowski and Pamela Hodges for the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra production of “Snow Falling On Cedars.”

John Bowles’ set design for “My Fair Lady” at Magic Circle Theatre won for best set design for a musical.

Best lighting design for a comedy was a tie between David Patrick for “The Foreigner” (Imagination Theater) and Nic Candito for “Almost Maine” (Big Idea Theatre).

Best lighting design for a drama was won by Chris Goetzke for the “Snow Falling On Cedars” production at Community Asian Theater of the Sierra.

Chris Guptil, “The Producers” (Solano College Theatre), tied with Erin Briting, “In to the Woods” (Sutter Street Theatre), for best lighting for a musical.

Next was supporting actor, supporting actress and choreography and musical design. Supporting actor, comedy, went to Jouni Kirjola for “The Foreigner” at Imagination Theatre. Supporting actress, comedy, went to Trina Palmer, City Theatre, Sacramento for “Peter Pan, A British Panto.”

For drama, best supporting actor went to Patrick Murphy for “Crime and Punishment” at KOLT Run Creations, Sacramento, and the supporting actress award went to Kelley Ogden, KOLT Run Creations co-founder and producer in the same production.

Kelley Ogden, Brian Rife andPatrick Murphy

The musical supporting actor winner was SKelley Ogden,in the Runaway Stage Production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The best actress award also went to a Runaway Stage Production, “Footloose.”

Best choreography in a musical went to Lisa Clark-Schmeling for “The Producers” at Solano College Theatre.

Musical direction of “Into the Woods” at Sutter Street Theatre, Folsom, won for Susan Mason.

These awards were followed by a performance of “Betrayed” from Solano College Theatre’s production of “The Producers” by cast member Edward Hightower.

Hightower, who is quite the comedian, went on to win leading actor in a musical. The production also won best director for a musical for Ken Sonkin and best overall production of a musical for Solano College Theatre.

The next awards were for the category of original works. The adapted script award went to Ingrid Laurentis-Wilson for “The Pilgrim’s Progress” at One Way Productions, El Dorado Hills. This also won the production of an adapted script Elly for One Way Productions.

The original script award went to James Wheatly of Celebration Arts, Sacramento, artistic director, for “Petra.” "Petra" also won Celebration Arts the Elly Award for production of best original script.

Sacramento Magazine feature on James Wheatly

Leading actor and actress in each category followed.

The award for leading actor in a comedy went to Stephen Kauffman for the Sutter Street Theatre production of “Harvey.”

Best actress was a tie between Kellie Raines for “Beyond Therapy” (Kookaburra Productions) and Shaleen Schmutzer-Smith, “Deathtrap” (Big Idea Theatre).

Kellie Raines in "Beyond Therapy"

An audience favorite, Mitch Agruss, won the Elly for best actor in a drama for “Krapp’s Last Tape” at Actor’s Theatre of Sacramento. Kristine David won best leading actress in a drama for “Dutchman” with “Petra” at Celebration Arts.

Best leading actor in a musical went to Edward Hightower for “The Producers” by Solano College Theatre.

Allison Johnson won best actress in a musical for “Annie Get Your Gun” at Stockton Civic Theatre.

The final Ellys were the big ones: for direction and overall production.

The best direction Elly Award for a comedy went to Lanny Langston for “The Foreigner” at Imagination Theater.

The Acting Company won the overall production of a comedy Elly for its production of “Steel Magnolias.”

Best direction for a drama went to Vada Russell for “Dutchman,” with “Petra” at Celebration Arts.

“Snow Falling On Cedars” at Community Asian Theater of the Sierra won the best overall production of a drama Elly.

Ken Sonkin won best director of a musical for “The Producers” at Solano College Theatre.

Best overall production for a musical also went to Solano College Theatre for “The Producers.”

The big winner of the night of theaters producing adult productions was Solano College Theatre with five awards. With its win for leading actress in “Peter Pan,” the theater was the No. 2 winner overall after El Dorado Musical Theatre, which won more awards in the young people’s category.

There was a large number of different theaters that won Elly Awards with a great variety of programing. It is a tribute to the high quality of the theater productions in the greater Sacramento region.

This was the 28th Annual Elly Awards at the Crest Theatre. The Elly Awards cover participating theaters in the 10-county region. The Elly Awards are sponsored by the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA).

Created 28 years ago by local actors, the Elly Awards program has grown tremendously. In the 1981-82 season, 12 theaters participated, and 27 Elly plaques were distributed. In the 2009-10 season, 83 theaters participated, and 85 Elly plaques were handed out. Named for Eleanor McClatchy, a devoted patron of the arts and former publisher of The Sacramento Bee, the Elly Awards celebrate excellence in Sacramento regional community theater.

It takes 35 volunteer judges to cover the 70-mile radius of Sacramento to see and rate the different categories for each production submitted by the participating theater companies.

There is a standardized numerical rating system. All judging is kept secret, even from other judges. All the judges have varying backgrounds but cannot judge in any category they are active in. The process produced 419 nominations for 2009-2010.

The 2010 Elly Award Show itself was an entertaining event. The addition this year of the orchestra of selected musicians from the Runaway Stage Productions’ Resident Orchestra greatly enhanced the event. The production numbers were first-class, and the show moved right along. It was easy to tell that much of the audience knew or was familiar with the winners. Everyone was very supportive. All in all, it was great fun.

For those who would enjoy seeing live theater but have concerns about the cost, check out any one of the community theater companies that won awards by clicking on the links provided. The SARTA website is a great resource to find shows. There probably is a theater close by in the greater Sacramento region.

For a longer list check out the SacramentoPress.com article, “Elly Nominations Out,” published Aug. 17. Just because they were nominated but did not win does not mean that they are not producing great shows. The Ellys are very competitive, and only so many shows can win.

I would particularly encourage parents to take their children to young people’s theater programing. You can start them on a lifetime of theater enjoyment. Don’t worry – just because it is children’s programing doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun for adults, too.

Come to the Elly Awards next year and see how your favorite production fared.

2010 Elly Awards Sunday Evening

2010-09-25T15:25:02Z

All you community theater fans, this is the event of the year. Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) presents the 2010 Elly Awards Sunday evening at the Crest Theatre.

The annual Elly Awards honor outstanding achievements of community theaters and artists in the Sacramento area. Elly Awards are named for the late Eleanor McClatchy, who was a devoted patron of the local arts.

Like the Tony Awards there will be musical numbers by the casts of nominated musical shows.

Here is a list of the 2010 Elly Award nominees.

Tickets $8-25

28th Annual Elly Award Ceremony
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Crest Theatre
1013 K Street, Sacramento
Youth Awards at 6pm
Adults Awards at 8pm

Call SARTA at 916-443-8229 for more information.

Elly Nominations Out

2010-08-17T21:22:46Z

Sunday evening’s show was nearly sold out at the new Arden Playhouse, a wonderful 150-seat venue that opened in March.

All ages were represented in the audience. Were they waiting for the curtain opening on the latest play? No – the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) was announcing the 2010 Elly nominees.

The Elly Awards are named for the late Eleanor McClatchy, a devoted patron of the arts and former publisher of The Sacramento Bee. The Elly Awards celebrate excellence and the outstanding achievements of community theaters and artists in the greater Sacramento area.

Elly Award nominations included Lead and Supporting Actor and Actress, Director, Costume Design, Lighting Design, Set Design, Overall Production plus Musical Direction and Choreography, if applicable. The nominations were announced for productions in the following categories: Comedy, Drama, Musical, Original Works, Education Musicals and Plays, and Young People's Musicals and Plays.

This past season 262 shows were submitted by 83 theaters. Fifty-nine theaters received nominations. Of the more than 410 Elly nominees, the top 81 vote-getters will receive the Elly Award at the 28th Annual Elly Award Ceremony on Sept. 26 at the Crest Theatre.

SARTA Board of Directors President Leslie Addiego opened the evening introducing Peggy O'Guin, Elly Judging Coordinator and Steve O'Guin Elly Judging Tabulator who would read the list of nominees in each category. The audience was asked to hold its applause until all nominees in each category were read. In spite of this request, lots of folks found it difficult not to show their excitement when they or a friend were nominated. The nominees in each category were greeted with a very hearty round of applause.

El Dorado Musical Theatre had the most nominations with 43. Its production of “The Wizard of Oz” had 16 nominations, and “Les Miserables” grabbed 13, making them the two most nominated in the youth programs category.

El Dorado Musical Theatre was founded in 2001 and does both education and stage productions. It is located in El Dorado Hills. To learn more about the company, click here .

Dorothy (Krista Mackin), Scarecrow (Alex Levy), Lion (Joey Saffren), Tinman (Stefan Sorgea), Wicked Witch (Jenna Lillywhite), Glinda (Lauren Wells), Toto (C.J.) El Dorado Musical Theatre production of “The Wizard of Oz”

Runaway Stage Productions had the next-largest number of nominations with 30. It received 21 for its youth programs and nine for its adult theater productions.

Runaway Stage Productions was founded in 1997 and performs at the 24th Street Theatre at the Sierra 2 Center in Sacramento. It has an 18-piece Resident Orchestra dedicated to providing "live" music during performances. Click here for more information on Runaway Stage Productions.

Magic Circle Theatre, the former Civic Theatre West, located in Roseville, also produces adult and children’s programming. Magic Circle Theatre received 24 nominations – 18 for youth programs and six for adult productions. More information on Magic Circle Theatre can be found here.

Solano College Theatre received 16 nominations, 10 of which were for its production of “The Producers.”

Solano College Theatre is part of the Solano Community College, staging productions both in a 374-seat venue on the main campus in Fairfield and a more intimate 175-seat theater on the waterfront in Old Town Suisun City. Click here for more information on Solano College Theatre, it’s shows and programs.

Solano College Theatre production of "The Producers"

A private Sacramento Catholic girls’ high school, St. Francis, received 16 nominations with its production of “Taming of the Shrew,” receiving 12 of those. This was the fourth-most-nominated production in the youth programs category. More information.

Rounding out the top productions in the youth program category were “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Woodland Opera House in Woodland (information), and “Seussical” (10) and “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” (10) both at Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs (information).

The Adult category productions were the aforementioned Solano College Theatre production of “The Producers,” (10) “Snow Falling on Cedars” by the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra in Nevada City (7) (information), “Reefer Madness” by the Artistic Differences Theatre Company of Sacramento (7) (information) and “Crime and Punishment” by KOLT Run Creations also in Sacramento (7), (information).

Lyra Dominguez (Hatsue) and Tucker Braga (Ishmael)

“Snow Falling on Cedars” by the Community Asian Theatre of the Sierra Nevada City

“Reefer Madness” by the Artistic Differences Theatre Company

“Crime and Punishment” by KOLT Run Creation

Now that the Elly nominations are out it is a safe bet that the excitement is building in the community theater and education theater communities for the Elly Award Ceremony. To add to the fun and excitement, every nominee in a musical category is asked to perform a musical number at the show. This is an opportunity to see the best and the brightest of community theater and education theater in the Greater Sacramento region.

To see the complete list of nominees click here.

The Elly Awards Ceremony
September 26, 2010 at the Crest Theater 10th and K Streets Sacramento, CA
Youth Awards begin at 6pm; Adult Awards begin at 8pm.
Tickets go on sale on Monday, August 16th. Visit here for more information or call (916)443-8229

Sacramento Statewide Leader in Green Job Growth

2010-04-12T20:57:28Z

Sacramento led the state in green job growth in 2008, with an increase in green jobs of 87% between 1995 and 2008, reports Many Shades of Green: Diversity and Distribution of California’s Green Jobs. This report was released by nonpartisan Next 10 and Collaborative Economics, and provides the most comprehensive green jobs accounting to date, systematically tracking the most recent available data on green companies, job type, location and growth across every sector and region of California.

There are other positive indicators in the Sacramento region that we are on our way to becoming the clean tech capital of the state. In its annual CleanStart Progress report, SARTA identified over $130 million in clean tech grants that were awarded in 2009 to organizations in the region. In 2010, we’ve already seen $905 thousand awarded to Sacramento State University for the development of a new training and workforce development program to enhance the region’s growing smart grid system.

SARTA’s CleanStart program identified 98 companies in the region engaged in the clean tech sector for 2009; twenty of these companies were new to the list. The clean-tech companies in the region include three publically traded companies: Solar Power Inc. (SOPW.OB), Octus Energy (OCTI.OB) and Pacific Ethanol (PEIX). Solar Power, Inc. one of the biggest clean tech success stories in the region, is making a splash with its 3.6 MW solar installation at Aerojet, soon to be upgraded to 6 MW. That installation will be the largest single industrial solar site in the country. The company recently announced a move to the growing clean tech park at McClellan, with an intention to add over 100 jobs there.

“Solar Power is joining a half dozen others in clean tech at McClellan Park,” said Gary Simon, Chairman of CleanStart. “All of them will be showcased at a networking mixer we are hosting at the Lions Gate Garden Pavilion at McClellan Park from 5 to 8 pm on Tuesday April 13, open to the public*. The entire growing clean tech cluster is one of the brightest spots in the local economy.”

Details for registering to attend Tuesday’s PowerSurge networking mixer as well as downloads of the CleanStart 2010 Progress report and the complete list of companies in Sacramento’s Clean Tech Cluster are available at www.cleanstart.org.

*PowerSurge is open the public but includes a general admission fee of $30; a reduced rate of $15 is available for SARTA members, full-time students and facutly members.

Matsui pushes Sac as clean tech capital

2010-04-12T03:04:00Z

U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui launched a collaboration Friday in an effort to make Sacramento the nation's clean-tech capital.

The impetus: $127.5 million the U.S. Department of Energy awarded to Sacramento Municipal Utility District and local partners last fall to install a regional smart electric grid system. The grid collects electricity use information from generation to consumption and makes that available via the Internet.

Local green-sector businesses, organizations, academics and government agencies now must team up to figure out how to use the federal funding as venture capital to stimulate economic growth through clean-tech initiatives and green energy projects, said Matsui, who represents Sacramento as part of California's Fifth District.

"With a changing economy comes opportunity, and this is the time to think big," she said, speaking to more than 50 people at SMUD headquarters. "We need to walk out with a clear vision of what the region needs to do to become the clean-tech capital."

The money was among $3.4 billion in stimulus funding grants divided between more than 100 utilities, businesses and cities in October for smart grid technology development. The Obama administration is using the 2009 Recovery Act to lay the foundation for a national clean-energy economy and to make the country a global energy leader, said Travis Dredd, special assistant to U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

Matsui, who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, also announced Friday that California State University, Sacramento, has won $750,000 in stimulus funds for smart grid workforce training.

The $127.5 million grant will allow Sacramento to "move to the front of the line" and speed the development of smart-grid technology here — and that infrastructure will pave the way for other innovations, said SMUD General Manager John DiStasio.

Sacramento has a chance to become "the hub for clean tech in the country," said Bob Burris, deputy director for the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO).

"We believe that could be the case," he said.

The number of clean-tech companies has grown quickly in the region over the last few years. The area was home to 30 such businesses in 2006. The number of companies then jumped to 56 in 2007 and 90 in 2008. The pace slowed with the recession, growing to 95 in 2009 and 106 in 2010, said Meg Arnold, chief executive officer of Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance. While at UC Davis, Arnold developed programs to support start-up companies that began on campus.

SMUD, Paciﬁc Gas and Electric Co. and Roseville Electric — the three primary electricity providers here — are on the cutting edge in the development and use of clean energy, according to SACTO.

In the last six months, half of the companies expressing interest in moving to Sacramento have been clean tech. About 70 percent of those are European, 13 percent are from the Pacific Rim and 17 percent are domestic, Burris said.

Ecostream of Holland and SunTechnics Energy Systems of Germany recently established national headquarters here.

The region is attractive to such businesses for several reasons. California provides the biggest market for sustainable energy and other clean technologies. Natural resources, including sun and wind, are plentiful. The area is centrally located in the West and easily accessible via highway, rail and sea ports. UC Davis and California State University, Sacramento, offer leading clean-tech programs. And as the capital, Sacramento is policy headquarters for the country's most progressive, environmentally friendly state, Burris said.

Collaboration has helped the region get where it is. The Green Capital Alliance has been promoting a partnership of clean tech and a green economy, Arnold said. UC Davis and UC Berkeley are working together to build a clean energy hub in the area.

Matsui is now working to build on that cooperation in order to make the region and its economy clean and green. A follow-up session to the Friday meeting is expected to be held by early June.

"We've done an awful lot here in Sacramento," she said. "But we need to step it up a notch."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

PowerSurge highlights clean tech enterprises at McClellan Park

2010-04-09T03:44:44Z

This Tuesday, clean tech players from around the region will gather to discuss the latest industry buzz at CleanStart’s PowerSurge networking mixer at McClellan Park. The event includes a tour of Technikon’s Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) as well as several other clean tech businesses located in McClellan Park. Featured speakers include Robert Weisenmiller, who was recently appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger as one of the five commissioners for the California Energy Commission (CEC) and Kristine Mazzei, partner at Valley Vision, a nonprofit association working to secure the social, environmental and economic health of the Sacramento Region.

"The Sacramento Region's clean technology industry sector is experiencing rapid growth. There are now nearly 100 clean tech companies in the region which is far more than the 29 that existed just four years ago," stated Meg Arnold, SARTA CEO. "SARTA's CleanStart program and our partners at Green Capital Alliance find great satisfaction in knowing that our public-private coalition of organizations, by collectively executing on our common set of goals, has helped to make this happen.”

CleanStart chose McClellan Park as the venue for PowerSurge because it is becoming a hotbed of clean tech and green focused companies. Tenant Advanced Data Centers is one of only six LEED Platinum Data centers in the country and was the first to qualify. Solar Power Inc., N Solar Inc. and EPOD Solar Inc. recently announced their intentions to build facilities at McClellan Park.

“McClellan Park has embraced green technology, recycling, and sustainable energy sources. In cooperation with Sacramento County, SHRA, SARTA and SMUD we make every effort to make McClellan as green and clean as possible,” said Larry Kelley, President of McClellan Park. “As a Superfund site we embarked on a program to turn a brown field into a sustainable attractive location that is a model for reuse--the ultimate in recycling and redevelopment. In addition to the cleaning of soil and remediation that has taken place and will take place over the coming years, with the support of the our Congressional Representatives, the US Air Force, the Environmental Protection Agency, Cal EPA, and the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment, we have been able to add new roadways, and infrastructure, remediate and reuse the property. In the process we have recycled concrete pads and buildings into road base, reducing material that would otherwise go to landfills. In the near future we are installing our first covered parking with solar panels. Our commitment to sustainability and green technology is paying off. We are truly the center for green technology in our region.”

McClellan Park clean tech and green focused tenants include Technikon, Renewable Energy Institute International (REII), Ternion Bio Industries, Pacific Renewable Fuels, Sierra Energy Corp., ZETA Communities, Fiberwood LLC, SunEdison, Visions Recycling Inc, Beutler Heating and Air Conditioning and Advanced Data Centers.

“The growing clean tech industry in Sacramento is getting some real traction with a total of 13,000 jobs associated with it,” said Gary Simon, Chairman of SARTA’s CleanStart Program. “McClellan has become a great place for companies to get economical space to grow and expand. There alone, we are expecting to see more than 200 jobs added in the near future.” CleanStart provides coaching and support to clean technology ventures in the region to help them succeed. CleanStart is also the organizer of the annual Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase at Sacramento State, which attracted over 700 attendees last year.

PowerSurge is expected to attract nearly 200 people engaged in the clean tech industry in the Sacramento region.

PowerSurge Event Details
Date: Tuesday April 13 from 5 to 8 pm
Location: McClellan Park, Lions Gate Garden Pavilion, 5640 Dudley Blvd., McClellan, CA 95652
Cost: General Admission: $30, SARTA Member $15, Full-Time Student/Faculty $15
For more information or to register visit www.cleanstart.org

About SARTA
SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) is a tech-focused 501(c)(3) corporation that supports entrepreneurial programs, companies and technology investment throughout Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties.
SARTA’s mission is to accelerate the growth and development of technology companies and the technology sector in the Sacramento region. SARTA connects and provides resources for the region’s high-tech entrepreneurs, investors, business, non-profit, economic development and community leaders, supporting its goal to attract $1 billion in investment capital to the region. SARTA also provides high-tech entrepreneurs, executives, and other business and community leaders with connectivity and resources for growth, networking, and educational opportunities.

Sac Region’s Growing Med Tech Industry Showcased

2010-03-28T01:15:56Z

There is more to Sacramento than clean tech and government—we have an impressive number of medical device companies in our region. SARTA, the Sacramento region's technology business accelerator, is hosting the first Sacramento Med Tech Showcase at Sacramento State on Tuesday to spotlight the medical technology industry --one of the few growing, high-value industries in the region. The event will feature companies that are positively contributing to the ongoing economic development and job growth in the Sacramento area.

With over 50 organizations exhibiting at the event, most of them involved in the research, development and/or manufacturer of medical technology, this is an unprecedented opportunity for the Sacramento business and technology community to learn what’s been developed in our own backyard. Local success stories Volcano Corporation and ThermoGenesis are among the exhibitors, as well as a number of lesser known companies with exciting products and great stories to tell.

In SARTA’s Growing Medical Device Manufacturing and R&D in the Greater Sacramento Region report, a 46-page brief released last week, over 70 companies in the region, engaged in medical device or medical information technology, were identified. This report is available for review and download at www.sarta.org.

Sacramento has long been home to medical technology innovation and on the forefront of medical technology. To recognize this achievement, SARTA’s MedStart Initiative created the Claire Pomeroy Awards for Innovation in Medical Technology . The 2010 award winners will be announced at the Showcase.

The Showcase begins with a conference from 1:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and the exhibit hall will be open from 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Keynote speakers are David Logan, TED speaker and co-author of Tribal Leadership, and David Sheehan, President of IVUS and FM Business Units for Volcano Corporation. A venture capitalist panel will discuss trends in med tech investing and another panel will discuss new frontiers in healthcare via advances in telemedicine. Five start-up companies will compete in the Next Wave Med Tech Innovators Challenge.

Sacramento Med Tech Showcase Details:
Tuesday March 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 pm; Exhibit Hall open 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Reception with appetizers & cash bar in Exhibit Hall.
Sacramento State, University Union Ballroom
Cost: $80 General Admission, $40 SARTA Member, Faculty or Student
For more information, call 916-231-0770 or visit www.sarta.org.

Sacramento Companies Navigate the Grant Maze

2010-03-10T02:58:13Z

While winning grant monies in the private industry sector sometimes seems impossible, a number of technology companies in the Sacramento region have recently won government grants to help fund research and underwrite programs. For example, in September, Renewable Energy Institute International received a $20 million economic stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a pilot biorefinery to turn crop and wood waste into diesel fuel. In October, Insera Therapeutics was awarded a $150,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that they will use to develop the industry's first clot-specific catheter-based platform for treatment of ischemic strokes. And just last month, Arcadia Biosiences received a two-year $855,500 federal stimulus grant to help fund the development of wheat varieties with reduced celiac disease-causing proteins.

The grant writing process is time consuming and excruciatingly detailed. Most entrepreneurs find it difficult to even know where to start. Identifying grant opportunities for private industry can be elusive, in spite of the helpful information found at grants.gov.

SARTA, the Sacramento region's high tech business accelerator, understands the frustrations private industry encounters when they try to unravel the government grant maze. To help navigate grant opportunities, SARTA is hosting a grant writing seminar on March 17 at Drexel University. "Grant Writing Basics for Private Industry" will include instruction on how to get started from experienced grant writers Trudy Kilian and Dan Arementa of DJT Consulting Group, as well as a panel discussion featuring local technology companies who have secured grant monies. Vikram Janardhan, CEO of Insera Therapuetics, will represent medical technology; Jeff Jennings, Grant Development Practice Manager at Western Blue, an NWN Company, will represent government technology; and Greg Tamblyn, Executive Director at Renewable Energy Institute International will represent clean technology.

Seminar Details
Wednesday, March 17th from 8:30 am to 11:30 pm at Drexel University, One Capitol Mall, Suite 260, Sacramento, CA 95814.
General Admission $50, SARTA Member $25 (includes 4 hours of parking at One Capitol Mall Valet garage & a continental breakfast)
For more information or to register, visit www.sarta.org

SARTA’s mission is to accelerate the growth and development of technology companies and the technology sector in the Sacramento region. SARTA connects and provides resources for the region’s high-tech entrepreneurs, investors, business, non-profit, economic development and community leaders, supporting its goal to attract $1 billion in investment capital to the region. SARTA also provides high-tech entrepreneurs, executives, and other business and community leaders with connectivity and resources for growth, networking, and educational opportunities.

Social Media for the Social Good—Non-profits Explore New Methods of Outreach

2009-11-20T04:17:59Z

Three local non-profit organizations were featured in a Sacramento Social Media Club panel on Tuesday evening hosted by the Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. The panel included Celia Cortez, Projects and Event Manager for the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Jordan Blair, Board Member for River City Food Bank; and Jon Benorden, Program Coordinator for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Service (CARES). Lesley Miller, Media Director for 3Fold Communication, also sat on the panel. Moderator Josh Morgan, principal at Morgan/Dorado and program director for the Sacramento Social Media Club, focused the discussion on how non-profits are using social media to educate, engage, and build lasting relationships with their communities.

Facebook was the unanimous point of entry into social media for all three organizations. Cortez said the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber selected Facebook because it was the most popular platform among their member organizations; Blair choose Facebook for River City Food Bank because it is the platform upon which he spends the most time. “Facebook provides an easy way for people to connect with causes and non-profits thanks to its one-click ‘become a fan’ feature, “commented Morgan. River City Food Bank, where many of their long-term contributors are past retirement age, is finding that Facebook helps them to engage with the next generation of donors. However some of their loyal supporters are stepping out into social media as well; an 85 year old volunteer joined Facebook just so he could “friend” the River city Food Bank. Benorden said that their “old school” supporters are beginning to mesh with the new people they’ve engaged through their group & page on Facebook but that CARES still has a long way to go.

Both the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and CARES are also using Twitter to promote their organizations and causes. Miller said 3Fold encourages their clients to cross post on multiple social media platforms to increase the traffic among all the sites. For example, use Twitter to remind people the organization is on Facebook or create an event on Yelp and ask people to write a review. I frequently use Twitter to drive traffic to SARTA.org’s website or LinkedIn group where more detailed membership and event information is available.

CARES created both a group page and a fan page for its campaign “Are You the Difference” which strives to eliminate new cases of HIV in the Sacramento region by 2015. Benorden plans to expand the campaign to include other platforms like Flickr and YouTube. On YouTube, CARES wants to personalize and promote their campaign by featuring user generated videos about how individuals can be or are the difference in eliminating new cases of HIV.

The biggest challenge for all of the organizations is finding the time to manage and maintain their social media accounts. Cortez shared that she uses cross posting tools to lessen the amount of time she spends managing each platform the Hispanic Chamber employs. Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and Seesmic were mentioned as free services for managing multiple accounts and platforms and Radian6 was recommended as a new professional service for this purpose. Benorden prefers to uniquely post to Facebook and Twitter to keep variety in the CARES messages, but he sticks to a common theme. Blair, who in addition to his responsibilities as a board member of the River City Food Bank works a full time job, schedules time on his weekly calendar to tend to his social media chores. When asked if a volunteer could handle the job, the general consensus among the panelists was that most volunteers and interns do not have enough depth or experience with the organization or its causes to determine social media platform content or to respond to questions and remarks received by followers and friends on the sites. For CARES, sensitivity to and experience with HIV/AIDS is a must for anyone representing the organization on its social media platforms.

The panel wrapped up with a discussion on event promotion using Facebook ads and other tools. All of the organizations are considering using Facebook ads and River City Food Bank has budgeted money for this purpose next year. Benorden pointed out that even if no one clicks through an “Are You the Difference” ad, if enough information is included about the campaign, there is value in people seeing the ad multiple times. Miller said 3Fold advises their clients to put nearly as much energy into post event promotion as they do pre event. Blair followed this advice after a recent River City Food Bank fundraiser, uploading event photos long into the night. The post event promotion is a valuable investment in the success of future events and helps those who attend feel more part of the organization—especially if they are featured in a photo!

After the panel ended, participants informally exchanged ideas on how they are using social media and also had a chance to meet the panelists and ask more questions. The event was live tweeted by volunteer Ira Cohen on behalf of @SMCSac using the hashtag #smcsac. The venue provided by Sacramento State College of Continuing Education is well equipped for meetings and seminars and the Senior Program Coordinator, Toni Ramirez shared that the college is considering offering courses on social media in the future.

Social Media Club, an international non-profit organization, brings together journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, amateur media creators, citizen journalists, teachers, students, tool makers, and other interested collaborators. The Sacramento chapter was founded in March of 2009 by local users of social media. Free events are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month, but in December, the group is planning a Holiday Party or “holitweetup” in partnership with SacTweetUp on December 10 at Hot Italian in midtown. In January, the normal schedule of monthly panels will resume. For information about the Sacramento Social Media Club and its events, join their groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter.

Photgraphs by Marie Young Photography. For more photos of this event visit her Facebook Page

Sacramento Social Media Club Leadership Team:

Julie Berge, Angela D'Arcy, Laura Good, Suzanne Hopkins, Ronnie Ledesma, Jeff Marmins, Josh Morgan

Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Announces Keynote Speaker Daniel Sperling

2009-10-03T01:39:34Z

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is an internationally-renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues. In December he co-authored the book Two Billion Cars which projects that within 20 years the number of motor vehicles on the planet will double from its current total of one billion due primarily to growth in India and China.

Sperling is a Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis, and Founding Director of the university's Institute of Transportation Studies. He also serves on the California Air Resources Board, chairs the Future of Mobility Council of the Davos World Economic Forum, and has authored 10 books and over 200 technical papers and reports on transportation and energy.

Recently, The Clean Tech staff sat down with Dan Sperling to discuss the future of green technologies in the Sacamento region and the upcoming Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase.

CleanTech: How important will green technologies be to the economic growth of the Sacramento region?

Dan Sperling: Green technologies could provide a large economic boost to the Sacramento area. UC Davis and Sacramento State provide the knowledge base and, very importantly, the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs needed to build green technology companies. Angel and venture capital investors are key to launching entrepreneurial start-ups, while larger biotech and IT companies have the resources to expand their Sacramento initiatives.

CleanTech: Can you give us a preview of your keynote address?

Dan Sperling: We need to transform our vehicles, fuels, and mobility systems if we are to significantly reduce oil use and greenhouse gases. It is less a question of cost than vision, leadership, and will. Most vehicles of the future will be powered by electricity, hydrogen and biofuels. Such a future transportation system would be very efficient and could be very low carbon.

The two places with the most troublesome emissions problems - California and China - are taking the lead in developing effective strategies that can help wean us from our reliance on conventional, petroleum-fueled cars.

California's embrace of eco-friendly policies, supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and China's willingness to confront the twin environmental and energy crises wrought by exponential growth in cars, suggest that if they can develop ingenious and effective solutions, there really is reason for hope.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase features some of the nation's key thought leaders on green and clean technology. It is the ideal venue to network with experts, explore new technologies, navigate regulations and examine workforce concerns.

The Clean Tech Showcase will be held Friday, October 16 at Sacramento State University. For more information or to register, visit www.cleanstart.org.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is produced by CleanStart, an initiative of SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) designed to accelerate the development of clean technology ventures within the Greater Sacramento Region. SARTA is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth and attract investment capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Join the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Facebook Page