Ecotech Institute Honors Its Second Graduating Class Today

DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - Sep 24, 2012) - Ecotech Institute, the first and only college entirely focused on preparing America's workforce for careers in clean technology and sustainability, will hold its second-ever graduation today, Monday, September 24, 2012 at The Summit Conference and Event Center in Aurora, CO. Forty-four graduates, including six military veterans, will cross the stage. They will receive associate's degrees in Wind Energy Technology, Solar Energy Technology, Renewable Energy Technology and Electrical Engineering Technology.

This group of graduates, in addition to the first graduating class, makes up the students who began coursework in a temporary facility before Ecotech's campus was completed.

"We take pride in our visionary students, the people who believed in Ecotech before we had elaborate lab equipment and a LEED-certified campus," said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. "These students shared our vision and will soon receive their diploma, arming them for success in the vast world of green jobs."

Ecotech hosted its first graduation on June 20, 2012 and approximately 90 percent of graduates are now working in cleantech positions around the country, including Hawaii.

All Ecotech students develop soft skills (communication, workplace etiquette), and math and science basics and technology skills, but the educational emphasis is on hands-on, practical training. Ecotech's prestigious national board of advisors, who serve as academic and business leaders in cleantech industries, helped design the school's practical curriculum.

"It feels good knowing that I now have an advantage above others who are also pursuing this career, but who don't have the technical training I received at Ecotech," said Joe Kellogg, who is graduating with a degree in Solar Energy Technology. "I absorbed an abundant knowledge in each class from the best instructors and have the tools to be successful."

The September 2012 graduating class is made up of students from 10 states and Mexico. Listed below are their hometowns, names and degree programs:

Alabama

• Jackson's Gap
  Jason Chesnutt, Wind Energy Technology

Colorado

• Aurora
  Tumu Johnson, Electrical Engineering Technology
  David Shannon, Electrical Engineering Technology
  Clint Turner, Wind Energy Technology
  Mark Westrate, Solar Energy Technology

• Boulder
  Nicholas Dotter, Electrical Engineering Technology

• Broomfield
  Joshua Schaefer, Solar Energy Technology

• Colorado Springs
  Deiyung Downey, Wind Energy Technology
  Matthew Morin, Solar Energy Technology

• Denver
  Steve Appling, Wind Energy Technology
  Jacob Bratsky, Electrical Engineering Technology
  Chris Horn, Wind Energy Technology
  Thanos Hunt, Renewable Energy Technology
  Joe Kellogg, Solar Energy Technology
  Alejandro Mesa, Electrical Engineering Technology
  Brett Oakes, Renewable Energy Technology
  Esteban Orl, Wind Energy Technology
  Ty Simpson, Renewable Energy Technology
  Joshua Stoppel, Solar Energy Technology
  Josh Yaeger, Electrical Engineering Technology

• Divide
  Matt Vetis, Solar Energy Technology

• Henderson
  Gil Negron, Solar Energy Technology

• Littleton
  Edward Buess, Wind Energy Technology
  Kent Mortensen, Wind Energy Technology

• Morrison
  Sean Johnston, Renewable Energy Technology

• Nederland
  Nathan Baumhover, Renewable Energy Technology

• Northglenn
  Zac Sturgill, Wind Energy Technology

• Parker
  Robert Parker, Wind Energy Technology

Connecticut

• Salem
  Michael Scace, Solar Energy Technology

Kansas

• Minneola
  Darlene Redden, Solar Energy Technology

• Norton
  Timothy Millan, Wind Energy Technology

• Oakley
  Terry Farmer, Solar Energy Technology

Mexico

• Berwick
  Louis Sanfacon, Electrical Engineering Technology

• Zacatecas
  Jose Calderon-Ibanez, Electrical Engineering Technology

Michigan

• Battle Creek
  Les Crosby, Wind Energy Technology

• Muskegon
  Jordan Veltman, Electrical Engineering

Missouri

• St. Louis
  Josh Crambert, Wind Energy Technology

New York

• Jamestown
  Richard Chase II, Solar Energy Technology

• New York City
  Fatih Erogla, Solar Energy Technology

Oregon

• Aumsville
  Michael Streight, Wind Energy Technology

Pennsylvania

• Canonsburg
  Kevin King, Electrical Engineering

Texas

• Corpus Christi
  Shawn Sanders, Wind Energy Technology

• Dallas
  Brandon Huckaby, Wind Energy Technology

About Ecotech Institute
Ecotech Institute is first and only college entirely focused on preparing America's workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges. Launched in April 2010 in Denver, Colorado, it offers six highly practical renewable energy degree programs that provide graduates with skills valued by today's alternative renewable energy employers. Classes start once per quarter and applications are always accepted. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.