Denver & Jefferson Counties Weatherization

Veterans Green Jobs (VGJ) is requesting proposals from qualified
contractors to provide labor and material costs to replace up to 216
windows on 36 units located at 3301 – 3395 Dahlia in Denver, CO. Click here to Download solicitation.

San Luis Valley Weatherization

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for electrical work and services for VGJ-SLV’s Weatherization Program for the period of July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for for energy auditing services for VGJ’s Weatherization Program for the period of July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for 82% and 92% furnaces for both site-built and mobile homes, and for 84% direct wall high-efficiency heaters.  Prices are to be for the period of one (1) year July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for cut glass and storm windows for the 12-month period from July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for for residential insulation services for VGJ’s Weatherization Program for the period of July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012 one (1) year. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for residential insulation services for VGJ’s Weatherization Program for the period of July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012 one (1) year. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for plumbing work and services for VGJ-SLV’s Weatherization Program for the period of July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012 one (1) year. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for weatherization materials. Prices are to be for the period of 1 year: July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity - Veterans Green Jobs’ San Luis Valley Weatherization Program is requesting bids for wood stoves and their installation.  VGJ-SLV desires to contract with one or more firms to provide and install wood stoves for VGJ-SLV Weatherization Program for the period of July 1, 2011- June 30, 2012 one (1) year. Click to Download.

Bid Opportunity Veterans Green Jobs (VGJ) is requesting Proposals for trailers in support of the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) Weatherization Assistance Program in the San Luis Valley. VGJ desires to contract with one or more vendors to supply these vehicles. At this time we are considering both NEW and USED vehicles. USED vehicles must be in excellent condition. Click to Download – Utility Vehicles Bid Package with SL Valley

There is at least one major sector of the American job market that is growing fast right now – despite the recession – and that’s green jobs. According the American Solar Energy Society’s 2007 green jobs report, [download here ] “green industries already generate 8.5 million jobs in the U.S., and with appropriate public policy, could grow to as many as 40 million jobs by 2030.” A recent New York Times article noted that “56,000 newly trained workers and 14,000 project managers would be needed to realize [President] Obama’s one-year goals for energy efficiency alone.”

Green jobs and careers are those that fall under industries that are in the process of “greening” America, or in other words, making this country more environmentally friendly and sustainable. They include fields ranging from energy conservation and alternative energy to natural resource management to green construction.

Veterans Green Jobs believes that green careers lead not only to job security and prosperity for our nation’s veterans, but that work which strengthens and heals our planet, economy and communities is inherently meaningful, especially for those citizens who have already expressed a willingness and leadership capacity in serving this country.

Here are some additional resources on green jobs (sometimes referred to as green-collar jobs).

Green Jobs Resources

Green Careers Colorado
A Department of Labor resource for green job seekers

Green Building Certification Institute
LEED Professional Credentials – Green Jobs for Veterans

Green for All
An overview of green-collar jobs

Green Mechanical Council
A consortium of green-minded professionals, businesses and unions

Green-Collar Vets
Linking veterans with green skills development, education and employment

Greenjobs.com Green Jobs Board

Guide to Career Education
A list of green job boards, green career ideas, tips on the green job search, and companies committed to the environment

Global Green USA
The American arm of Green Cross International that works to solve the most pressing environmental challenges of our time

Denver/Jefferson County Weatherization Program

San Luis Valley Weatherization Program

Board of Directors

Join the Team
If you want your efforts to truly make a difference for veterans, the environment and the economy, then Veterans Green Jobs is the place for you.

There is something I find rewarding about an early to bed – early to rise, day of hard work. In addition, the Veterans I am lucky enough to serve with, bare the knowledge, functionality, and cohesion of a professional crew with decades of combined experience. We have three more similar hitches leading into the end of August, and I am looking forward to the wealth of knowledge to be attained from such a diverse yet united group of individuals.

On August 24th Veterans Green Corps will be launching its 13-week, Fire Fuels Reduction Program. The program’s overview will include fire fuels reduction & mitigation, noxious tree removal, and forestry and wildfire education projects on Colorado Public lands. Work will include: wild land urban interface thinning; beetle-kill Juniper thinning; Russian Olive and Tamarisk removal; and habitat enhancement thinning projects. Members will receive firefighting and power equipment national standard S-212 and 130/190 certifications.

I need to express thanks and admiration for the dedicated folks at the Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) in conjunction with Veterans Green Jobs for the outstanding opportunities they’ve made available to myself and my fellow Veterans.

If you are a current era Veteran looking for a challenge, and could use some work, don’t hesitate to check the web site and fill out an application.

-Ray Curry
USMC OIF Veteran
Veterans Green Jobs Energy Efficiency Professional

June 7, 2009

by Joe Hanel

Call of duty: Vets go green
Program gives forestry jobs to returning troops

GOLDEN – “Cut and run” used to be an insult wielded against opponents of the Iraq war. But this summer in Southwest Colorado, eight military veterans will proudly employ the tactic in service to their country. They will be clearing trees in the backcountry, using what Harry Bruell of the Southwest Conservation Corps calls a “cut and run” technique.

“It’s hard work. It’s remote. They go through, they cut, they camp, get up in the morning, keep going,” Bruell said. It’s work at which disciplined, self-motivated veterans such as Ray Curry can excel.

“You’re always going to get wet. You’re always going to get cold. It’s a mental thing. But there’s a sense of camaraderie,” said Curry, a Marine Corps veteran from Annapolis, Md., who will be part of the crew.

Curry is one of the first graduates of Veterans Green Jobs, a training program that ended its first class last week. Three of those graduates are headed to Southwest Colorado to work on forest-health projects. Organizers plan to take the idea national by next year.

The eight-man crew in Southwest Colorado will start in the Rio Grande National Forest. Other crews will work in the San Juan National Forest this fall, possibly in Dolores County, Bruell said.

The crew will work 11 days on and four days off for eight weeks, said crew member Nick Morgan, a former Army Reservist who served in Iraq. “We’re really looking forward to it. It’s my natural habitat,” said Morgan, who already looks the part of a mountain man with his bushy black beard.

Morgan, Curry and 13 others graduated Wednesday from the Home Energy Audit Training class, designed and run by Veterans Green Jobs. The class spent most of its time in the San Luis Valley, getting on-the-job training in upgrading homes to be more energy efficient.

Members of the first graduating class will stay with Veterans Green Jobs to be “missionaries” to other classes around the country, said Brett KenCairn, CEO of the nonprofit. Most future graduates will be placed with private firms in either energy-efficiency or land-conservation work.

Home-energy auditing jobs are hot because of the federal stimulus bill, which has $70 million in funding for upgrades of Colorado houses. Curry calls the Conservation Corps his “dream job” and plans to stay with it. “Living sustainably is a passion of mine,” he said.

The veterans see the work – creating energy independence, cleaning up the environment – as an extension of their military service.

Garett Reppenhagen was a sniper in the 1st Infantry Division. Now he is the regional program director for Veterans Green Jobs. He compared the graduates with the Knights of the Round Table, who swore allegiance to a cause greater than themselves.

“These heroes have stepped forward to claim their contemporary quest,” Reppenhagen said. “They’re entering a time when we need champions. The damage we have already inflicted on our climate is severe.”

KenCairn, the founder, isn’t a veteran. He worked in the Pacific Northwest to find sustainable careers for unemployed loggers, and he came up with the Veterans Green Jobs idea three years ago after hearing a radio report about Iraq veterans who couldn’t find work at home.

The idea took off after a big investment from the Wal-Mart Foundation. By the end of the year, KenCairn hopes to have 60 to 70 graduates.

“By 2010, we’ll be in at least eight states and serving hundreds of veterans,” KenCairn said.

Historically, veterans have had a hard time finding work in the civilian world. The Veterans Administration estimates 154,000 veterans are homeless on any given night.

Gov. Bill Ritter gave the keynote address at the graduation ceremony, which was held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. Ritter said the veterans will be helping the country create a new way of producing and consuming energy.

“It is a future that will come over time and will come somewhat gradually, but it’s good to be at the head of it,” Ritter said.

The governor also announced that Veterans Green Jobs will help run a demonstration project in energy-efficiency training, in partnership with the state, NREL and the Department of Energy. “This is the first national training center, and it’s going to be right here in Colorado,” Ritter said.

Richard Knaub, director of education for Veterans Green Jobs, developed the home-energy training class and has sent the curriculum to community colleges around the country. The classes are hands-on and less focused on book learning, much like military training, he said.

The first class was the best group of students he’s had in his teaching career, Knaub said. “They all had open minds. They were willing to ask questions and explore new ideas,” he said.

During home-energy audits in the San Luis Valley, the veterans found nonenergy problems with homes, such as the lack of a ramp at a disabled person’s house and poor sewage in a young couple’s house. Instead of ignoring the problems, they found local charities or government agencies to help.

“These are people who can solve problems on the fly. They are people who can figure things out,” Knaub said. “They don’t say, ‘That’s not in my job description.’ They don’t say, ‘We didn’t learn that.’”

Contact:
Kirsten Maynard
415-350-4147
kirsten [at] veteransgreenjobs [dot] org

VETERANS GREEN JOBS ACADEMY™ GRADUATION HONORS FIRST TEAM OF VETERAN ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROFESSIONALS READY FOR DEPLOYMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to Deliver Commencement Address to Veterans Green Jobs Graduates on June 2nd at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO

BOULDER, CO – June 1, 2009 – The first team of veteran energy efficiency professionals will graduate from the Veterans Green Jobs Academy™ Home Energy Auditor Training (HEAT) Program on June 2, 2009 at a celebration event to be held at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. In his Commencement Address, the Honorable Colorado Governor Bill Ritter will congratulate the Veterans Green Jobs Academy participants on their dedication to moving our country toward energy independence through the pursuit of ‘green’ careers that will benefit all Americans.

“I’m extremely proud to take part in this graduation ceremony and to welcome these heroic veterans to the New Energy Economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “By equipping military veterans with new training and new skills today, we are adding a vital new dimension to the workforce of tomorrow. Thanks to programs like Veterans Green Jobs, we are creating a new energy future for America and positioning Colorado for a strong economic recovery and a sustainable future.”

The 15 graduates of this HEAT program represent all branches of the military and all regions of the country. They have successfully completed a rigorous eight-week training program to gain skills in environmental studies, energy efficiency and conservation and weatherization. The Veterans Green Jobs Academy also helps veterans retool for meaningful green careers in land conservation and restoration, green building and retrofitting, disaster preparedness and response, and urban forestry. The Academy is a unique hybrid of classroom and on-the-job training designed to move the experienced, disciplined military veteran through their transition from duty overseas to meaningful work and future careers serving America here at home.

“Veterans Green Jobs is working to mobilize a highly-skilled population to lead the revival of a national service ethic to address our most pressing problems,” said Brett KenCairn. “That includes setting a standard so that green jobs in this country offer a true living wage, job security, and the knowledge that one’s work in green industries is leading to energy independence, ecological restoration, community renewal and economic prosperity for all Americans.”

With a wide consortium of partners, Veterans Green Jobs (http://veteransgreenjobs.org) developed the curriculum to provide veterans interested in green careers with the opportunity to gain general environmental education, college credits and a nationally recognized home energy auditing and weatherization certifications. This intensive training and rapid deployment model was designed to meet the growing consumer demand for experts to help lower residential energy consumption as well as the goals set by the Obama administration to conduct stimulus-funded energy surveys and audits on low-income homes.

“As Marine veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and someone who has been active in promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy for the last several decades, I am honored to support Veterans Green Jobs in strengthening America’s national, energy, homeland, environmental and economic security – all geared to the source and cost of energy, its impact on climate change, new industry development, and jobs. ACORE is proud to be working with Veterans Green Jobs because we see veterans’ skills, leadership and active involvement in these critical challenges as key to advancing the security and sustainability of the American Society,” said Bill Holmberg of the American Council On Renewable Energy.

Generously supported by a diverse array of individuals and organizations, including the Wal-Mart Foundation, Veterans Green Jobs is working to expand its Academy training programs into 5-10 additional states in 2009, and hopes to be in all 50 states as soon as possible in order to increase access to training and resources for veterans nationwide.

About Veterans Green Jobs
Veterans Green Jobs (http://veteransgreenjobs.org) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization pioneering an unprecedented national initiative that offers concrete solutions for three of the most urgent issues of our time: rebuilding a sustainable green economy; reversing deteriorating environmental conditions and mitigating climate change threats; and reengaging our nation’s nearly 2 million military veterans in need of meaningful new careers. The Veterans Green Jobs Academy™ provides job training and placement opportunities for military veterans in emerging green industries, and connects veterans with a wide range of complimentary resources to assist with re-establishing themselves in civilian communities and careers.

# # #

VETERANS GREEN JOBS TO PARTICIPATE IN MIDDLE CLASS TASK FORCE CHAIRED BY VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN ON TUESDAY MAY 26, 2009

“Building a Strong Middle Class Through a Green Economy” Town-Hall will Incorporate Veterans’ Perspectives on Realizing the Full Potential of Green Jobs and Raising Living Standards in America

BOULDER, CO – May 25, 2009 – The Boulder-based nonprofit organization Veterans Green Jobs will participate in the fourth meeting of the Middle Class Task Force in Denver, CO. Vice President Joe Biden will moderate the town-hall discussion – held at the Denver Museum of Natural Science – focused on green jobs and training.

Vice President Biden Thanks VGJ Trainees After Middle Class Task Force Town Hall Meeting in Denver, CO - 26 May 2009

Four of upcoming graduates of the Veterans Green Jobs Academy™ will share their personal stories as veterans being trained to serve their country under a new mission: to green America. White House Middle Class Task Force, Chaired by Vice President Biden, is a major initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America. Veterans Green Jobs is at the center of many issues of importance to the MCTF, including green technology innovations, living wage green jobs, and deploying a trained workforce to address issues of economy and environment that affect America.

Taking place at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Tuesday, May 26, the public event titled “Building a Strong Middle Class Through a Green Economy” will build on previous events focused on how to realize the full potential of the green jobs movement in America. The military service members representing Veterans Green Jobs will share their perspectives and personal stories on the importance of utilizing veterans – a national field-tested workforced dedicated to serving this country – as a leadership resource in spearheading green industries and implementing enviromental initiatives ranging from energy conservation to tree planting and wildfire mitigation.

The VGJ Team Meets With Labor Secretary Solis at Middle Class Task Force Town Hall Meeting in Denver, CO - 26 May 2009

Speaking at the town-hall event will be U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan; U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; and Deputy U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman. Veterans Green Jobs’ participants include Michael Flaherty, an Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq; Tom Cassidy, an Army veteran who served in Kosovo and Iraq; Andre Winn, an Air Force Medic; and Garett Reppenhagen, an Army veteran who served in Kosovo and Iraq.

About Veterans Green Jobs
Veterans Green Jobs (http://veteransgreenjobs.org) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization pioneering an unprecedented national initiative to implement concrete solutions for three of the most urgent issues of our time: rebuilding a sustainable green economy; reversing deteriorating environmental conditions and mitigating climate change threats; and reengaging our nation’s nearly 2 million military veterans in need of meaningful new careers. The Veterans Green Jobs Academy™ provides job training and placement opportunities for military veterans in emerging green industries, and connects veterans with a wide range of complimentary resources to assist with re-establishing themselves in civilian communities and careers. Veterans Green Jobs is generously supported by a diverse array of individuals and organizations, including the Wal-Mart Foundation.

# # #

Press Contact:
Kirsten Maynard
415-350-4147
kirsten [at] veteransgreenjobs [dot] org

General Inquiries:
866-984-8459
info [at] veteransgreenjobs [dot] org

Ray Curry, HEAT Program Participant

After deploying to Iraq, I have many-a-buried-memory of entering strangers’ homes. These invasive orders were to directly ensure the safety of my Unit and myself. However, typically finding nothing of note, they made me feel like a perpetrator. In a detachment of security personnel, we become a tightly-knit fire team, equipped with high-speed gear to ensure the efficiency of our movements and missions.

As a ‘Green Veteran’ I have now been equipped with the training, tools and team for a different much-needed mission. Entering the homes of strangers on a daily basis to conduct home energy audits, I initially felt a hint of apprehension. Knocking on the first door, a 93 yr old woman named Patricia answered and I could immediately see that we shared that apprehension. After brief introductions, noting that we were veterans, I could see a sense of trust and respect begin to establish itself. We found ourselves sitting around the kitchen table, hearing stories and updates on her family members that were and are in the military.

Patricia was more than happy to show us around her home, giving us a brief – yet thorough – history of each room and appliance. As I examined the crawl space under her home, attic, and the rest, I began to feel an overwhelming sense of service and connection, knowing we were going to be able to make sure her pipes didn’t freeze and her heat wasn’t shut off this upcoming winter. I was no longer the perpetrator, but the fixer.

Accurately articulating the myriad of emotions I feel, assisting one family at a time would end in futile attempts. I am encouraged because my fellow participants in VGJ’s HEAT program all share these feelings towards this community. Daily, the second-wind of service re-enters my focus, and I am honored to be a part of the driving force that will tend to our suffering environment, heal our ailing economy, and re-connect and empower our communities.

-Ray Curry
USMC OIF Veteran
Veterans Green Jobs Energy Efficiency Professional

Nick Morgan, HEAT Program Participant

My involvement in Veterans Green Jobs is two-fold: it is a continuation of my unwavering dedication to fellow veterans and highlights my urgent mission of sustainability. I have a brief story to give an example of how needed this training program is for folks wanting lucrative non-military careers.

I have a friend who serves on active duty and has completed 4 tours to various combat zones. A few months ago, he expressed to me that he wanted nothing more than to get out of the Army. On his last tour, he was a victim of an IED attack and suffers a minor disability as a result.

When I asked him if he was going to get a medical discharge, he said he wasn’t going to consider it because he has a child on the way and he wanted the financial stability. He had tried college before joining the regular army and decided that it was not him. Understandably, there seems to be little opportunity in the civilian world for those who have a combat MOS. Fortunately for my friend and other vets with similar situations, Veterans Green Jobs programs like HEAT (Home Energy Auditor Training) and the Veterans Green Corp are available to offer a new set of tools for veterans to quickly assimilate into society within a lucrative field. Involving yourself with fellow veterans who share similarly intense experiences really assists in making this transition smooth.

One thing I have stepped back to consider is where most of our energy comes from and why this is detrimental to our overall sustainability. Not to beat a dead horse, but our over consumption of fossil fuels (non-renewable resources) cannot continue if we intend to preserve our lifestyle for future generations. Stripping away our landscapes to extract coal, going to war for oil, and creating radioactive waste are all highly destructive tasks in which the cost is placed on the backs of average citizens like you and I.

By taking on projects that involve energy reduction and weatherization, we are taking the first step in weaning America off its detrimental energy dependencies. Being cognizant of our everyday actions and the rippling repercussions of said actions, we can take great leaps in gaining our independence, financially and otherwise for future generations. The next step (or rather, a concurrent step) I would submit, is to continue creating technologies that are sustainable, environmentally and economically. I think we can all agree that taking care of this beautiful world of ours is paramount for the perpetuation of our way of life.

Home Energy Auditor Trainees (HEAT), CO June 2009

Geoffrey Talkington, HEAT Program Participant

Henry was thrilled to find out that Joe and I were combat vets from OIF. We were in Alamosa, Colorado doing energy audits for low income residents, as part of the Veterans Green Jobs Academy’s ‘first wave’ cadre of HEAT (Home Energy Audit Training) professionals.

Henry served his country with the US Air Force during the “Cold War”; and has since become disabled by being run over by a drunk driver. He has waited patiently for assistance ever since. You see, he has just bought an old, not-so-mobile home, and is trying to make it better for his teenage daughter and himself.
Henry is a good neighbor, making small improvements were possible, yet his disability challenges him.

The amount of Tier 1 energy improvements we installed has greatly boosted his morale, and will save him money on his subsequent Xcel energy bills. I went over his recent bill with him, as I like to do, because no one has ever stopped to do this for him.

It felt good to help him reduce his energy demand, but more importantly I felt honored to have made an instant friend when Henry sat back, smiled, and said: “Thank you for serving over there. You served so my daughter doesn’t have to.” The bottom line is that we are making a difference, and it is rewarding to connect in such a profound way!