At the Huntington Convention Center on the banks of beautiful Lake Erie, professionals from across the country gathered for the United States Army Reserve Energy and Water Manager Training Workshop.
The Army Reserve Installation Management Directorate (ARIMD) presented the workshop in conjunction with the United States Department of Energy's 2018 Energy Exchange in Cleveland, Ohio in late August.
Paul Wirt, Chief of the Facility Policy Division of ARIMD, opened the workshop with remarks about the Army Reserve's contributions to Army-wide energy and water resilience. He honored the Army Reserve's newly minted Certified Energy Managers, as well as two award winners. Greg Vallery, former Director of Public Works at Fort Hunter Liggett, received the Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management Award for Individual Exceptional Performance. Rickey Johns, Energy Manager at the 63rd Readiness Division, received a special commendation from Robert Maxwell, Army Reserve Chief Financial Officer and Director of Resource Management and Materiel, for his dedicated service to the energy program.
Judith Hudson, Chief of the Facility Policy Division at the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, then addressed the attendees. She inspired them to view their energy and water initiatives through a "lens of resilience." "Ask yourself: what are your critical missions, and how can you support them through the activities that you are doing in energy and water?" she said. She alluded to the Army's need to be ready in the face of natural disasters. "When the hurricane hits, how you are going to enable your Soldiers to complete their missions?" she asked, stressing the importance of assured access to energy. Hudson also urged the teams to "challenge assumptions," so they are constantly aware of potential impediments to energy and water security and solutions to those concerns.
In the following briefings, several energy and water professionals from ARIMD and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discussed topics such as the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program; Energy Savings Performance Contracts; the Enterprise Building Control System; and the Resource Efficiency Manager Program. Anibal Negron, Energy Manager at Fort Buchanan, offered a presentation on the state of his Installation's energy and water projects in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which devastated the Caribbean island in the fall of 2017.
Representatives from Installations and Readiness Divisions also participated in breakout groups, where they discussed their visions for a resilient Army Reserve.
Wirt closed the workshop with some words of encouragement, reminding the teams that the Army has lauded the Army Reserve's energy and water programs as some of the most robust in the Department of Defense, the federal government and even the nation. "Go out and continue to leverage partnerships with your colleagues in the field … with utility service providers … with the national labs … with the Corps of Engineers," he said. "Seek opportunities to conserve … to improve … to secure our energy resources. You have the power. Let's work toward resilience now, so we can continue to be the most outstanding energy and water program -- and the most outstanding fighting force -- in the Department of Defense."
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