A new wind energy trade group was born late Saturday afternoon at the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association's Michgian Energy Fair.
The Michigan chapter of Women of Wind Energy will likely begin holding monthly meetings later this year based on the interest of about 20 women who showed up for a 4 p.m. organizational meeting at the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama.
The meeting was organized and chaired by Christine Battiste of the Michigan Public Service Commission's Michigan Renewable Energy Program office.
Typically WoWE chapters hold monthly meetings, rotating between a breakfast, a lunch, and an after-work cocktail reception so as to offer maximum flexibility to members. Those in attendance expressed an interest in rotating the meetings around Michigan as well. For now, the chapter remains "headquartered" at a post office box in DeWitt rented by Battiste.
She said her vision was for the group to offer networking, professional development working groups, and scholarships for women interested in wind energy careers. Specifically she mentioned wanting to encourage more women to enter the wind energy technician training programs now starting up at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Lansing Community College.
The national WoWE organization was launched four years ago by eight women and now has 20 chapters around the country.
Battiste said she would create an online survey to determine more interest in the style and format of meetings.
For more information, contact Battiste at battistec@michigan.gov or (517) 241-5753, or write WoWE Michigan at P.O. Box 551, DeWitt, MI, 48820.
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