Ritter receives medal for New Energy efforts

FORT COLLINS – Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the Albertson Medal in Sustainable Development by Village Earth. The Fort Collins-based nonprofit will present the award at its third annual Maury Albertson Sustainability Gala on Aug. 28 at the Colorado State University Lory Student Center Ballroom at 6 p.m.

Ritter will receive the medal for the positive role he has played in introducing and implementing the New Energy Economy in Colorado, according to Jerry Kennell, chairman of the board of Village Earth.

“Through his efforts we are seeing renewable energy and its supporting infrastructure rapidly expand and thrive,” Kennell said in announcing Ritter’s selection. “Throughout the state, companies with sustainable products and services are growing at a breathtaking rate. We owe Gov. Ritter a debt of gratitude for the encouragement and support he’s given to sustainable development.”

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Maurice L. Albertson was Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at CSU. He worked with Sargeant Shriver to establish the Peace Corps in the 1960s, and continued to be a major influence in the field of international development, serving as a consultant to the World Bank, USAID, UNESCO and other agencies, until his death in January 2009.

The gala in his name is an annual dinner dance that promotes sustainable development, and features the presentation of the Albertson Medal to an individual who has demonstrated a deep commitment to encouraging sustainable development in the United States or abroad.

The 2009 winner of the Albertson Medal was CSU professor Bryan Willson, founder and director of the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory, for his work on energy and the environment. Willson is now a member of the board of Village Earth.

The inaugural gala in 2008 honored Albertson on his 90th birthday. That year, the first medal was awarded to Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers without Borders.

Village Earth is dedicated to promoting sustainable, community-based development around the world by providing training, consultation, appropriate technology information and project support services. It teaches a bottom-up village-based process for development in impoverished communities around the globe.

Tickets for this year’s Sustainability Gala are $75 per person and $600 for a table of eight. More information and reservations are available at www.villageearth.org.