Aug 11, 2016

HACC News: HACC, Tesla Energy Continue Commitment to Sustainability, HACC Employees Make Impact

 HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, shares recent news and events with the community, including: HACC, Tesla Energy Advisors Continue Commitment to Sustainability
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Tesla Energy Advisors, LLC, a leading energy management services firm, has announced it helped HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, successfully procure over 98 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity for its campuses in Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York. The competitive procurement process yielded more than $400,000 in additional savings compared to the current rate.
 
Following through on a proactive market monitoring and risk management strategy implemented two years ago, HACC executed a series of online auctions when favorable market prices became available. Through a competitive process, HACC was able to test pricing for various term lengths and products in a transparent, fair and efficient manner one year before the College’s existing commodity contracts expired.
 
Over 15 suppliers participated and placed over 100 bids in 15 auctions. This practice drove significant additional savings and allowed HACC to procure 20 percent renewable power to double the College’s prior commitment. These new contracts also include 100-percent bandwidth provisions so the College can continue to reduce energy usage in existing and future energy efficiency projects.
 
HACC is expected to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by an additional 3,372 metric tons each year. This reduction is the equivalent to the following: (Source: EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator)
 
“Our approach to procuring energy has evolved from simply taking the pricing offered to us from a ‘buying consortium’ to putting a transparent and competitive process in place to take advantage of favorable market conditions. The net result is over $1 million in commodity savings, better terms and conditions for HACC contractually and an offset of our CO2 footprint by 20 percent at no cost to the College,” said Richard Cardamone, executive director of business affairs at HACC’s Harrisburg Campus.
 
Cardamone said, “We now have a sophisticated procurement and risk management strategy in place that takes into account our long-term business objectives around our energy efficiency and sustainability goals. Tesla Energy Advisors has been instrumental in helping us achieve these goals.”
 
Added Sacha Jean-Louis, CEO of Tesla Energy Advisors, “Large institutions and energy consumers need to have more than just a competitive process in place if they want to keep energy costs down. Customers need to define ‘how’ they want to procure their energy – by pre-determining their business goals and objectives – and then develop a strategy of ‘when’ to execute on these plans when favorable market conditions present themselves.”
 
Jean-Louis continued, “If done correctly, not only can customers manage risk more effectively but they can leverage their buying power to get better terms and conditions for their organizations. We applaud HACC and other businesses and institutions that work with Tesla Energy Advisors who take the time to create comprehensive energy procurement plans and processes that continually yield bottom line savings and value to their organizations.”
 
HACC Faculty, Staff Are Making an Impact
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The spring 2016 cycle of HACC Foundation Faculty and Staff Awards was a success! The following employees of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, received awards:
 
First Name Last
Name		 Title Award
Linnie Carter Vice President of College Advancement, HACC; and Executive Director, HACC Foundation Bruce E. Cooper, Esq. Leadership Award
Valerie Gray Professor of Technical/ Business Writing Betty Martin Staff Development Award
Shannon Harvey Vice President of Gettysburg Campus Bruce E. Cooper, Esq. Leadership Award
Robert (Rob) King Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. Jay Ebersole Faculty Initiative Award
Robert (Bob) Messner Vice President of Information and Services and Technology and Chief Information Officer Bruce E. Cooper, Esq. Leadership Award
Linda Mininger Associate Professor of Reading Betty Martin Staff Development Award
 
Dr. Linnie S. Carter led her team in raising more than $300,000 (net) for HACC students and programs through the College’s 50th anniversary activities; launching HACC’s Treasure Hunt for tuition giveaways; facilitating the establishment of six full-ride merit scholarships to future HACC students; creating tools necessary for the College to receive $2,222,379 in grant funds from local, state, federal and private sources between July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015; and displaying creative leadership over the past four years necessary to transform the College’s Foundation while unifying several other departments (including marketing and public relations) within a new College division.
 
Valerie Gray presented research at the National Association of African-American Studies and Affiliates (National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies, National Association of Native-American Studies and National Association of Asian Studies); plans to discern how social, historical, political and cultural movements influenced and still influence perspectives; composes documents that reflect global and social interests; validates cultural experiences and increases intrinsic connections; and creates cultural interpretations to express the global reach and significance of Yucatec Mayas culture.

Shannon Harvey coordinated a Manufacturer’s Roundtable at HACC's Gettysburg Campus to engage community members, educators and manufacturers to validate local manufacturing employment needs; initiated a grant application to the HACC Foundation Gettysburg Campus Workforce Advancement Fund for $75,000 to support the renovation and construction of the mechatronics lab and classroom space on the Gettysburg Campus, which was awarded; launched the Mechatronics certificate program to train mechatronics technicians; and wrote several columns for the Gettysburg Times and the Hanover Evening Sun to promote the program.
 
Rob King has taken initiative in areas such as using free web-based graphing utilities (demos.com); creating podcasts (video lectures) for face-to-face, blended and online students; co-presenting at various state and national math conferences; piloting and adopting flipping the classroom strategy; and using cards as tools to teach probability and motivate students.
 
Bob Messner co-authored and received a $209,000 grant in September 2015 from the National Science Foundation to expand the broadband connectivity (increasing connectivity from 100mb to 1,000mb) at the College’s two Midtown locations; researched, purchased, implemented and trained College employees in new and, at times, cutting-edge technologies, for inside and outside the classroom; and launched the Banner XE enhanced online student course registration system in a record three months.
 
Linda Mininger plans to attend the Kellogg Institute to continue her education, learn more about assessment and more effectively using technology in the developmental classroom; won the Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Educators (PADE) Award and National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) Award; plans to benefit the College by adopting best practices for developmental education within the current strategic plan; and plans to implement best practices and innovations that she learns at the Kellogg Institute to help move the College forward.
 
Inclusion, Diversity Officer Joins HACC
Warren Anderson chosen to fill new position following national search
 HARRISBURG, Pa. – Warren R. Anderson, Ed.D., has been named chief inclusion and diversity officer at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, following a national search to fill the newly created position.
 
Anderson, who joined HACC in July 2016, is responsible for the direction, leadership and oversight of the College’s strategic vision around inclusion and all aspects of diversity. He will work closely with HACC President John J. “Ski” Sygielski, Ed.D., to provide leadership and strategic planning in implementing HACC’s commitment to a collegewide environment of collegiality, access, inclusiveness, respect and cultural competence.
 
Prior to his arrival at HACC, Anderson served as associate provost for student success at Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. In this role, he worked to ensure overall student success in the areas of retention, graduation and engagement of the school’s 8,500 students. His earlier professional experience includes serving as assistant vice president for diversity and inclusion at Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York; assistant vice president for student affairs at East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; and director of student access and support for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
   
Anderson says he is most proud of his work in the area of access for minorities to higher education. In Philadelphia he worked as a member of a team dedicated to developing a college-going culture for mostly underrepresented and underserved students in a region within the School District of Philadelphia. Anderson hopes to have a significant impact on the culture of HACC, and to develop systems that will make the learning environment as transformative as possible.
 
A native of Philadelphia, Anderson earned a doctorate of education in higher education from Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania; a master's degree in education with a concentration in urban transformation from Eastern University, St. David’s, Pennsylvania; and a bachelor of arts with a concentration in elementary and special education from Mansfield University, Mansfield, Pennsylvania.
 
 
HACC’s President Throws First Pitch of Barnstormers Game
LANCASTER, Pa. – John J. “Ski” Sygielski, Ed.D., president of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, threw the first pitch of the game between the Barnstormers and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, which included a celebration of the 27th anniversary of HACC’s Lancaster Campus supporting the community’s educational needs.
 






About HACC
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, offers more than 120 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 19,000 students.  Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is uniquely YOURS, visit hacc.edu. Also, follow us on Twitter (@HACC_info), like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HACC64) and use #HACCNews.