BELFAST — Registration is open for an in-person professional development program, Going Green: Designing a Sustainability Plan for your Business or Nonprofit.

This workshop, part of the University of Maine Hutchinson Center’s professional development program, will be held on Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast. The cost is $215 per person. More information is available on the Hutchinson Center website.

Sustainability in business refers to incorporating environmental and community concerns into a business or organization’s mission and operations.

“Sustainability isn’t only good for the planet, it can also improve your bottom line,” says facilitator Dr. Terry Porter, in a news release.

This program is designed to help participants understand business sustainability strategies and put them into practice in their own organization or business.

This program is designed not just for environmental businesses, but also for large or small businesses or nonprofits providing goods, experiences or services. Participants will have an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day action, review their overall business/strategic plans, and refocus them in light of emerging sustainability opportunities.

Porter received her Ph.D. degree from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, where her research focused on dynamic capabilities and strategic change in the case of corporate environmentalism. At the Maine Business School where she is now an associate professor emerita, Porter taught business strategy and sustainability for 13 years. She also initiated a sustainability track in the MaineMBA program and advised the student chapter of Net Impact, a leadership development program in sustainable business.

Porter holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology, is a certified mental health counselor and a 2014 Fulbright Scholar. She has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, coach, guide and facilitator.  

At present, this program is scheduled to be offered in-person. This is subject to change and participants will be notified if the modality shifts. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, and 0.8 CEUs/8 contact hours are available.

Early registration is recommended as spots are limited. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for people who live or work in Knox or Waldo counties. Qualified participants may be eligible for funding from the Harold Alfond Center for Workforce Development to cover the cost of professional development programs. Click here to learn more.

For information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Abby Spooner, um.fhc.pd@maine.edu; 207.338.8002. For more information about upcoming professional development programs or to register, go online.

About the Hutchinson Center:

The Hutchinson Center is an outreach center for the University of Maine in Orono, that serves as an educational and cultural center for the midcoast area. It is named for University of Maine President Emeritus Frederick E. Hutchinson. The mission of the Hutchinson Center is to broaden access to University of Maine academic and non-degree programs and services, lifelong learning opportunities, and professional and career development experiences using innovative approaches that increase synergy among University of Maine System entities, University of Maine departments and divisions, and that engage a wider Maine community. 

About the University of Maine:

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state's land grant, sea grant and space grant university, with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. UMaine is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. UMaine Machias is located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation. As Maine's flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the state's only public research university and among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast. It attracts students from all 50 states and 81 countries. UMaine currently enrolls 11,989 undergraduate and graduate students, and UMaine Machias enrolls 747 undergraduates. Our students have opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class scholars. UMaine offers more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn master's, doctoral or professional science master's degrees, as well as graduate certificates. UMaine Machias offers 18 degree programs. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide to conserve energy, recycle and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu and machias.edu.