New RMI Chief Ready To Celebrate

July 27th, 2007 at 05:56am Post Staff 3

SNOWMASS, COLORADO (Post Time News)—The new chief executive officer of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) makes his first appearance on the ‘Con Games’ talk show on KNFO as the leading-edge energy nonprofit prepares for its 25th anniversary celebration August 9-10, 2007.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Michael Potts has 25 years of experience in high-tech sales and marketing, and general management, beginning with IBM, BancTec, Recognition International, and American Fundware. More recently, he has been a managing partner with Galway Investments, an investment firm focused on alternative public offering strategies for small-cap and mid-cap companies, a CEO for American Fundware, and a vice president of Public Sector Solutions at Intuit. He is also on the boards of the Business School at the University of Colorado in Denver, Denver’s Curious Theater, and Kripalu Center, the nation’s largest spiritual retreat center.

Potts succeeds Amory Lovins—now chairman and chief scientist at RMI—at a time then the Institute’s tenets about energy independence have been gaining a wider acceptance. RMI defines itself as “an independent, entrepreneurial, nonprofit organization,” and the 25th anniversary celebration—“ RMI 25: Celebrating Solutions”– is meant to highlight the nonprofit’s mission.

“The issues that confronted RMI during its inaugural years are now in the forefront of today’s debate on climate change,” Lovins said. “After 25 years of challenging conventional thinking and leading the field in cutting edge research and consulting, RMI will host a celebration recognizing its past work while keeping our focus on the challenges in front of us.”
 
The list of invitees is wide and deep and includes former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist and best selling author, will serve as master of ceremonies.  Other attendees include John Abele (Boston Scientific), Ray Anderson (Interface, Inc.), Majora Carter (Sustainable South Bronx), Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia), Jesse Fink (Mission Point Capitol Partners), Ashraf Ghani (Institute for State Effectiveness (ISE); former Finance Minister, Afghanistan), Hal Harvey (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation), Paul Hawken (Natural Capitalism and Blessed Unrest), Bill Joy (Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers), Dean Kamen (DEKA Research & Development), Claire Lockhart (ISE), Christine Loh (Civic Exchange, Hong Kong), James Murdoch (British Sky Broadcasting), Julia Novy-Hildesley (Lemelson Foundation), Jeff Seabright (Coca-Cola), Rob Walton (Wal-Mart), Lin Wells (The Pentagon) and Jim Woolsey (Booz Allen, former CIA Director).   
 
The celebration will kick off Thursday evening with a free RMI lecture. Lovins will lead a dialogue focusing on taking steps to prevent climate change as an excellent business opportunity. An all-day symposium in which Friedman will moderate panel discussions on three topics:  Corporate Leadership, Venture Philanthropy & Entrepreneurial Nonprofits, and Building Real Security will follow on Friday. The event culminates with a gala at the Peace Ranch in Basalt. Friedman will be joined with Lovins and other key luminaries in the program’s final panel discussion.
 
“Our goal is to bring together a wide range of people committed to improving the state of the world,” Lovins said. “Through conversation and collaboration, we hope to leave this gathering with a better understanding of how we can all shape global agendas.  Come be a part of the solution.”
 
In the mid-1990s, RMI worked with Clinton to “green” the White House and the Old Executive Building. Today, RMI is working with him again on the Clinton Climate Initiative. Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) applies the Clinton Foundation’s business-oriented approach to fight climate change in practical, measurable, and significant ways. The first phase of the initiative is focused on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in the world’s largest cities. RMI will be offering technical expertise focusing on a whole systems approach to making buildings more energy efficient as part as CCI’s first program, an Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program

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