Maine leaders to tour
NMCC alternative energy center Oct. 5
PRESQUE ISLE — A group of 42 business and community leaders from across Maine will learn how the state’s northernmost community college is leading the way in alternative energy education as part of their bus tour of Aroostook County.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, participants in the current class of the Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine program will visit the Northern Maine Center for Excellence in Alternative Energy Training and Education. The Northern Maine Community College facility in Presque Isle’s Skyway Industrial Park houses a classroom and laboratory space equipped with technology to train students in wind, solar and biomass energy applications and also teach building weatherization and energy efficiency.
The alternative energy center officially opened last April. Equipment for the facility has been purchased through funds provided by a $1.2 million gift to NMCC from philanthropist Mary Smith, a Presque Isle native who now lives in California, as well as through grants to the college by Efficiency Maine and MaineHousing.
The Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine program each year brings together 35 to 45 individuals from all parts of the state representing a broad cross-section of the economy. Participants are selected for their leadership capacities, talents, and life experiences and all share a core commitment to making Maine a better place in which to live. The program offers participants a truly unique statewide learning experience, designed to build a pool of talented leaders to shape our state’s future. Those taking part learn firsthand about the critical issues facing the state through an intensive behind-the-scenes program that provides access to key community and business leaders.
The bus tour of Aroostook County by the Leadership Maine group happens once every three years. The visit to NMCC’s alternative energy center is scheduled for Oct. 5 from 6-7 p.m.
