Education Leaders Learn How to Gain Support for Going Green at 2010 National School Boards Association Annual Conference

CHICAGO, April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy costs are second only to personnel costs for school district budgets, totaling approximately $8 billion nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Improving energy efficiency would save an estimated 25 percent of that total. Despite these potential savings, in these unpredictable economic times, it can be challenging for school administrators to gain support for taking on the infrastructure improvements that yield these savings.

At the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Annual Conference, Bill Harris, vice president, education markets for Trane, will join administrators from Bryant Public Schools in Bryant, Ark., including Rhonda Sanders, president of the school board, Richard Abernathy, Ed.D., superintendent, and Deborah Buick, Ed. D., assistant superintendent, to discuss the benefits of high performance schools and how to gain stakeholder support for going green.

Presenters will provide a step-by-step process for getting stakeholders engaged in going green in these tight economic times. Bryant Public Schools administrators built one of the nation's first LEED certified schools and constructed a second green school, which was LEED certified in March 2009. The schools are expected to save taxpayers $19.8 million over the life of the buildings—all while providing an improved learning environment.

Conference attendees will learn how to develop a business case for building or renovating green; how to educate stakeholders to get their support, and how to gain funding to make LEED high performance, green schools.

Details of this presentation are:

When: Saturday, April 10 at 3:45 p.m. (Conference is April 10-12)

Where: W181B in McCormick Place West Building, Chicago

Conference Website: http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/nsba/ac2010/Public/mainhall.aspx

The NSBA Annual Conference brings together thousands of school board members to help them find solutions, demonstrate accountability, and work together to improve student achievement in their districts.

About Harris

Bill Harris serves as vice president, education markets for Trane. Harris is responsible for leading and executing the strategic objectives for K-12 and higher education vertical markets in collaboration with territory vice presidents in North America. Formerly serving as district manager in Connecticut, he has been with Trane since 2000 where he has held various roles with increasing responsibility. Harris received an electronic engineering degree from Pennco Technical Institute and is an active member of his community. He also sits on the board of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and is the vice chair of Northwest Catholic High School's board.

About Trane

Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand - the world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and energy efficient environments - improves the performance of homes and buildings around the world. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services, parts support and advanced controls for homes and commercial buildings.  For more information, visit www.Trane.com.

SOURCE Trane