Effingham Talk

Archive for January, 2012

  The CelluForce facility in Windsor is ramping up production of nanocrystalline cellulose, a biodegradable material that is stronger than steel but less dense.Photograph by: MARIE-FRANCE COALLIER THE GAZETTE, The Gazette

One of the great hopes for innovation in Canada’s battered forestry sector was officially inaugurated Thursday just outside of this Eastern Townships town.

The $36-million CelluForce facility is the world’s first nanocrystalline cellulose demonstration plant. The nanomaterial, extracted from dried wood fibres, is seen as a product that could add value not only to wood fibres, but also to a host of items, ranging from lipsticks to textiles to products used in the aviation and construction industries.

“This is a significant milestone in Canadian innovation history,” Pierre Lapointe, CEO of FPInnovations, a non-profit research institute, told several hundred people at the plant’s opening.

“A world-first has a unique flavour,” Domtar Corp. CEO John Williams said. “Nanocrystalline cellulose is indefinably small but our ambitions for it are very big.”

CelluForce is a joint venture of Domtar and FPInnovations. The new company has its plant at Domtar’s Windsor mill and its head office in Montreal. The federal government contributed $23.2 million and Quebec gave $10.2 million to the facility, which was constructed over a 14-month period.

CelluForce is ramping up its production with a target daily production rate of one tonne in 2012. One of its first challenges is to find customers who want lots of product.

“Our business development team is exploring opportunities around the world. Developing a new market in collaboration with future customers on a new technology and a new product is not an easy task. We need to be resilient, creative, adaptive, patient and resilient again,” CelluForce president Jean Moreau told the gathering.

Discussions with more than 65 companies have led to 15 technical collaborative agreements with companies in Asia, Europe and North America in four main industrial sectors: paints and coatings, films and barriers, textiles and composites. Moreau wouldn’t identify the companies, saying non-disclosure agreements were in place.

Working with the companies to “find technical pathways” to introduce nanocrystalline cellulose into their products or processes is an FP team led by Richard Berry, FP’s chief technology officer, whose group has been working on nanomaterials for about six years. The team built on work by two Quebec-based scientists whose contributions date back 60 years.

NCC is a biodegradable material stronger than steel but less dense, making it an attractive additive for materials that need to be tough but lightweight, such as airplane parts.

It also can reduce damage caused by wear, abrasion, humidity and light. It allows the creation of a flexible film. The iridescent capabilities and colours of these films make it possible to revolutionize many applications, including sunscreens and cosmetics, according to Cellu Force. It is natural, renewable, recyclable and compostable.

Berry would not disclose the dollar value of nanocrystalline cellulose. Already the plant has stockpiled, in its startup phase, more product than exists in all the labs in the world, he said.

While spirits were high at Thursday’s inauguration of the demonstration plant, it was also described as a milestone in a long path.

“It is a research-and-developmentdriven idea,” Williams said of the venture his company is underwriting in part. “We have to be patient money to see where this takes us.”

A commercial-scale plant would cost about $250 million to $300 million, he noted.

FP holds the core patents for the new product and licensed them without royalties to CelluForce, Berry and Moreau said. CelluForce is also developing its own patents along with new applications for the product.

Technological innovations like nanocrystalline cellulose offer the prospect of opening new, high-value markets to Canada’s forestry sector, said Joe Oliver, federal minister of natural resources, and Avrim Lazar, CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada.

“Extracting more value from every tree harvested is going to have an extraordinary impact for Canada, economically, environmentally and socially,” Lazar said in a statement.

The last decade has been very hard on the sector, Oliver told the Windsor gathering, citing the lower demand for wood products, the higher Canadian dollar and the dismal U.S. housing market as factors that led to the loss of thousands of highly skilled jobs and the closing of mills across the country.

“This industry will never again be static,” he said. “Change … will now be a constant.”

lmoore@montrealgazette.com

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette   

Famed international exhibition organizer Mack Brooks Exhibitions Limited brings to Thailand for the first time the renowned Fastener Fair to cater demand of cost-effective fastening and fixing solutions in Thailand and its neighboring countries, further portraying Thailand as the central hub of exhibition business in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Fastener Fair Thailand 2012 will bring together in one roof the latest technological innovations and cost-effective solutions for the automotive, electronics, infrastructure, airport and general manufacturing industries right in the heart of Thailand and ASEAN region, with 120 international and local exhibitors, numerous international pavilions and at least 5,000 trade visitors from around the world. The event will take place on September 6-8, 2012 at BITEC Bang Na.

Mr. Mangkorn Dhanasarnsilp, Vice Chairman of The Federation of Thai Industries, explained that the fastener and fixing industry is essential in the production chain for the interrelated industries of electronics, automobiles and furnitures. One of the pillars of Thai industry is automobile production, which utilizes the largest number of pieces of fastener and fixing items.

The domestic and global automotive industry is expected to recover in the first half of this year, resulting in more demands for automobile parts. Therefore, the more-than 2,000 automotive part producers in Thailand have to supply both the domestic and export markets to support the growth of the global automobile producers. It is expected that the automotive parts industry will grow by 12% in the first quarter of 2012, which is already evidenced by strong initial orders.

With the bright outlook in automotive industry, the fastener and fixing industry will certainly see the growth in their business as well as the Thai economy as a whole, Mr. Mangkorn said.

Mrs. Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibition Department, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) said, TCEB has the primary commitment to support, promote and develop the Thai exhibition industry to move towards being the top player at ASEAN level under the campaign Believe in Thailand. The strategy in 2012 will emphasize on establishing the countrys image as the hub of exhibition in ASEAN by attracting international exhibitions with niche profiles at the scale serving visitors from the Southeast Asian region-such as the support to Fastener Fair Thailand 2012, which is a brand new show for this year.

The support to Fastener Fair Thailand 2012 is significant to the country for fair organizers, exhibitors and visitors, as they will experience the potential of Thailand in being the production bases of fastener and fixing industry and the world-class exhibition venue for business. TCEB has professionally supported the staging of Fastener Fair Thailand 2012 with activities including visits to the venue and marketing research to help establish business opportunities in the region. The bureau also supported marketing campaigns in foreign markets by offering promotion to fair visitors such as the 100 A-HEAD campaign to draw visitors from countries in the ASEAN Plus Six region and the Be My Guest program, which offers accommodations to large buyers.

Mr. Michael Wilton, Exhibition Director of Mack Brooks Exhibitions Limited said Thailand is a major fastener markets. Demand for fasteners and fixings are on the rise on the back of the bright outlook of the major fasteners and fixing users such as automotive, electronics, infrastructure and airport industry. Not to mention that Thailand is gaining momentum to become the hub of ASEAN manufacturing industry.

Thailands automotive sector grew by 64% in 2010 and is forecasted to be one of the top 10 producers of cars by 2015 with a 10% growth rate for car production. During January to November, 2011, the automotive parts export from Thailand totaled to 14.778 billion baht, which was higher than the total value in 2010 at 14.45 billion baht.

Thailand has become the center of automobile production in Asia by producing more than 1 million units since 2003 and in 2012. The Thailand Automotive Institute projects that production will exceed 2 million units for the first time in the history, pushing Thailand as one of the top 10 global automobile producers.

In the electronics industry, 85% of Thailands electronic goods production are for export. Electronics and electrical appliances saw 108 projects, with a total investment of $950 million.

Additionally, the outlook of the infrastructure is second to none. Modernization and development of the urban traffic network in Bangkok will be a driving factor. A $50 billion high-speed rail network between Thailand and China -transnational rail link between Greater Mekong countries with investment of $130 million- is also in the pipeline.

Mr. Wilton further explained that even though the recent floods gravely affected several communities and industrial estates in Thailand, historical data has shown that Thailand is incredibly resilient to such setbacks and industries are predicted to recover quickly.

In the absence of a fair focusing of fastening solutions and trade in this region, the time seems ripe to bring the Fastener Fair model to this marketplace. The exhibitors will display their cost-saving products which in turn will help users cut their total production cost. Cost of each fastener and fixing item may be little but industries have to use them in large quantity so a cut in price per piece will result in an effective cost saving, Mr. Wilton noted.

TCEB has a strong confidence that the Fastener Fair Thailand 2012 will create business connections and trade negotiations domestically and regionally especially among countries in ASEAN. Thailand pays high attention to this market in order to prepare Thai industries in entering the ASEAN Economic Community. The staging of this fair is forecasted to bring the total MICE visitors in 2012 to reach 750,000 and to generate revenue of over 60.12 billion baht to the country, more than 8 billion baht of which will come from exhibition industry, Mrs. Supawan concluded.

Fastener Fairs flagship event was first launched in Stuttgart, Germany and was later followed by the Fastener Fair series, which includes Fastener Fair Hannover, Germany; Fastener Fair India; Fastener Fair Brazil and the next and exciting Fastener Fair Thailand.

Jan. 26, 2012 |(0) Comments

(ARA) – As many industries scaled back and cut resources in the last year, health care continued to grow, adding an average of 26,000 jobs per month, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. This trend is likely to continue as technological innovations and new regulations prompt additional oversight within the health care setting.

In order to meet the needs of this increasingly complex health care system, industry leaders, such as the Institute of Medicine (IOM), recommend an increase in the proportion of nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from 50 percent to 80 percent by 2020. With these additional skills, registered nurses (RNs) will be prepared to deliver high-quality patient care and, as the IOM recommends, become partners with physicians and other health care professionals in redesigning health care in the United States.

Some schools of nursing offer specialized nursing degree programs that help meet this call to action. Chamberlain College of Nursing, for example, offers an online degree completion option that allows RNs to earn their BSN in as few as three semesters – as opposed to traditional three- or four-year nursing programs – without altering their current work schedule. With the flexibility of online learning, completing a BSN degree is an attractive investment for RNs.

Nurses who hold a bachelors degree have additional training in leadership, health policy, research, teamwork, collaboration and other skills that are integral to the successful function of many health care roles, says Dr. Margi Wheeler, a registered nurse and dean of the RN-BSN online degree option at Chamberlain College of Nursing. That type of advanced education positions nurses as more viable job candidates for managerial roles such as nursing director, clinical nurse manager or nurse practitioner, for example.

RNs who earn their BSN degree can be qualified for nursing positions in private practices, hospitals, surgical centers and nursing homes and have greater upward mobility, whether they aspire to enter management, training, director or facilitator positions. RN-BSN graduates are also one step closer to masters degree status, which can open doors to higher levels of health care leadership.

Nurses can and should play an integral role in the health care systems transformation, says Wheeler. Working together and encouraging each other to pursue advanced degrees, we can help to provide safer care that is accessible to all and leads to a healthier population.

Nurses are being called upon to fill new roles in the health care setting. From harnessing new technologies and information management systems to collaborating across teams of health care professionals, nurses are expanding their presence and the traditional definition of the profession. To continue to advance the role of the nurse and meet the needs of an evolving industry, nurses must achieve higher levels of education that allow them to elevate the profession and to better serve patient needs nationwide.

Photographs are images that are found in every home around the world. Many people cherish photographs of their children, new as well as friends from the past, and relatives, both dead and living. Photographs help to preserve memories of days gone by, and may be passed from one generation to the next.
BINTA ABDULLAZEEZ IDRIS writes on this age-old tradition which seems to be fading away as modern ways keep springing up.

These days there are more ways to store photos than ever before. Now, we can carry our photos electronically on our phones, laptops, we can save them online or have them in digital frames, not necessarily the good old physical photo album.

In times past, you would go to a studio for pictures, and when developed, you put your favourites into photo albums or frames. Then you kept them around the home or anywhere you wanted; after a while you pull them out from where they were kept when you wanted to reminisce and look at them lovingly. When satisfied, you closed the album and put it back on the shelf.

These days it seems the old staple (the physical photo albums) have started to go out of fashion. Are you of the opinion that the photo album is becoming a thing of the past?
If the truth must be told, when you hold a photo album, you sense that you are in possession of something unique, intimate, and meant to be saved for a long time. As you turn the pages and look at the images, you imbibe the experience once more, invoking your imagination and prompting personal memories. But then theres the issue of convenience as you cannot carry the physical photo album with you wherever you go; but you can, if it is stored electronically, either on your phone, laptop and other devices.

Mrs Abimbola Dahunsi, who runs Domitop Photo Studio, Abuja has this to say, lsquo;lsquo;Technology has definitely played an important role in photography. I remember when we would take pictures; you didnt even know what it looked like until it was developed.

But now you can have as many takes as you want, just to get that perfect shot and know what the outcome will be. Now you can touch up pictures and so on. As professionals we have to move with the times to remain relevant in our field.

Agreed, patronage for the good old physical album has declined a bit with all the new innovations, but those that know we are professionals at what we do still come to us, especially during weddings, parties and other occasions. And we deliver in soft or hard copies as the case may be. I wouldnt say that the physical album is going into extinction; those who feel the need to have it still request for it. Many people desire a physical object that can be held, paged through again and again, and shown to others, and as such, the need for it is still there.

Mallam Abdulmuminu Kyaure is a trader in household items at Kubwa village market in Abuja. When asked about the level of patronage on such photo albums said, lsquo;lsquo;The sale of albums has really declined. In a year, if you are lucky to sell up to five albums, then you will be grateful to the Almighty. It doesnt move at all; but I have a few in stock in case someone requests for them. Mr Obinna Nnamani, also a trader said, lsquo;lsquo;Albums dont sell that well because they are not something people buy everyday.

However, those who know the value still buy albums to store their pictures. I am not a picture person; I think I took the last pictures on my wedding day, except for times I have to take passport photographs. It is for women and children.

LEADERSHIP WEEKEND also spoke to Mrs Stella Charles, a mother of two. When asked of the value or the need to own an album, she said, lsquo;lsquo;I own an album in my house; most families own one, especially wedding pictures, or pictures of the babies during naming ceremonies. Despite technological innovations the good old album still exists. Once a while we bring it out to take a look and have a good laugh. When we have guests we give it to them to entertain them. I have pictures of my children on my laptop and handset, but I still want the album in my house. Is there a house without physical pictures? Its rare I tell you.

Mrs Charity Gongul also shared the opinion of the need to own a physical album, but also doesnt mind having it in a soft copy. She said, lsquo;lsquo;I have both the soft and hard copies of most of my pictures. I am the type that really likes pictures. I make it a point of duty to take pictures from time to time in order to capture important moments and note changes in my children. Some weekends, if I am in the right mood I call my photographer over and take a family picture. I place a lot of importance on pictures. lsquo;

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January 27, 2012

President Obama told students in Michigan that their universities should stop raising tuition so much faster than the rate of inflation.

Copyright © 2012 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

President Obama has also been campaigning this week, repeating themes from his State of the Union address. His itinerary included five different states. In Iowa and the mountain West, he talked about support for manufacturing and domestic energy production. His final stop, the University of Michigan. There, he stressed the importance of keeping college education affordable. NPR’s Scott Horsley was there.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: There was a pep rally atmosphere inside the Michigan field house. By 9:00 a.m., several thousand students assembled to hear the president, many still dressed in parkas and scarves after waiting hours outside in the cold.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I want to thank all of you for coming out this morning. I know for folks in college, this is still really early.

HORSLEY: Mr. Obama says he knows not only about the hours students keep, but also the burden of student loans. His administration has taken steps to boost student aid and he’s urging Congress to do more. But he warned that federal taxpayers can’t make up for the rising tuition costs that have outstripped inflation for the last two decades.

OBAMA: Colleges and universities need to do their part to keep costs down, as well.

HORSLEY: Aspiring doctor, Andy Rosco(ph) says he was on the fence about Mr. Obama in the last election, but he liked what he heard today.

ANDY ROSCO: There’s not too many opportunities in life to get to be in the same room as the president and hear him talk about education, which is obviously, you know, close to home. A group of us, we’re all med students here, so we have a lot of student loans and it’s definitely something that’s important to us.

HORSLEY: Michigan, like all the states Mr. Obama visited this week, is expected to be hotly contested in the November election. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Detroit.

Copyright © 2012 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR’s prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio.

The President hitting education hard on the campaign trail today at the University of Michigan: an issue he touched on during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Higher education cant be a luxury, said the President. It is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

The President vowed in his first year of office the country would have the highest number of graduates in the world by 2020.

According to Harvard University, nearly 70% of high school students go to college within two years of graduating high school.

And a small but growing number of high schools require students to take college entrance exams.

Everybody seems to be on the college bandwagon.

But should everybody go to college?

And is college the right of every American?

The numbers say there is every reason to think we are over-selling college in our society.

Consider this: federal data shows fewer than 60% of new students graduate from four-year colleges in six years, and just one in three community college students earn a degree.

More than 350,000 students who borrowed for college in 1995 had no degree six years later.

Thats according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Its time for us to start considering that many students are wasting time and money.

Of those who do graduate, many emerge burdened with debt that will take them years to pay off: some $24,000 on average, a burden that too often means the delay of marriage, children and home buying.

Yes, college degreed workers are more likely to be employed in this economy.

But its no guarantee of a job, and college grads dont always make more money than people without four-year degrees.

In fact a college degree is no guarantee of wealth. About 25% of those with bachelor degrees make less money than those

My view is this: we are just way too sentimental about Old Ivy and the value of the education students are getting these days.

The college dropout rate exceeds the graduation rate.

Whats more, the jobs of the new economy, advanced manufacturing jobs, wont require college education, but will require training.

Look, I dont begrudge people getting degrees, but I also dont think everybody has to do it.

Costs have spiraled so dramatically, up 57% in twelve years, the average tuition and fees expenditure for a private non-profit school is $28,000.

Meanwhile, more and more students are defaulting on their debt.

According to the Education Department, student loan default rates have risen to 9%.

More debt, fewer degrees. And job insecurity.

Students should be encouraged to do what they do best, not forced to pursue a degree they may not want or need.

He explained that the hacker used a bot to take control of personal
computers in Israel. Through this bot, thats not inside your computer,
he can use your system without your knowledge to attack others. The
bots hide themselves well, he said, but [Check Point] has developed
the technology to track them.

Shwed stated that a multi-pronged cyber war has been declared against
Israel. It is our belief that there has been a general, large-scale
attack against Israel, and at the same time a subtle, sophisticated one
as well. In our bid to fight against the large attack, we missed the
smaller one, and thats how they managed to bypass our security
systems.

The Saudi hacking attacks prompted responses from high echelons of the Israeli political system. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Saturday
that he considers hacking similar to terrorism. Breaches of Israel’s
cyberspace are a breach of sovereignty similar to terrorism and should
be treated as such, he said.

The hacker spokesman, going by the codename 0xOmar, said Monday: “I’ll hack Israeli servers and publish their
data, I’ll publish credit cards. Imagine every possible cyber attack, I’ll do
it. There is no end for it, but if Israeli authorities ask for apologize for
their genocide in Palestine and Gaza, I’ll reduce attacks.”

Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report.

Have you ever felt vaguely (or even acutely) sick after spending extended periods of time with certain friends? Well, if we take the results of a new study seriously, theres some truth behind connecting our physical aches and pains to stressful friendships and social interactions, suggesting we may not be simply kvetching.

A new study published online today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA by researchers at UCLA found that negative social interaction are linked to increased inflammation. And they are not yet talking about emotional inflammation, but two proteins that can cause inflammation linked to everything from an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer to depression, Science News reports. Although this study focused on the reactions of young adults, there is no reason to believe that this wouldnt be the case for all ages.

As adults, we know that stomach aches, chest pains and even colds and headaches can follow a string of stressful social interactions. So why on earth wouldnt this be the case with children and teens? I have been waiting for this study for decades! I can remember being bedridden with writhing stomach pain in 7th grade when Lisa K. decided that I was an undesirable and that none of the girls in my English class should be allowed to talk to me. Her complaint was that I didnt show enough emotion. No one has ever accused me of that in my adult life.

When my teenage daughter complained about feeling pain and not wanting to go to school I was notorious for always doing a brief psychological check-in.

Amanda Darling, I would say, Is anything bothering you at school?

To which she would invariably reply, Mom — please stop being a psychologist.

But now, I feel validated. Yes, probably she was ill when she stayed home from school — ill because of a virus or some other infectious illness — but my heart and brain were in the right place when I did my psychological assessment.

As an adult, I choose to spend time with friends who make me feel good. Constant headaches from speaking to one negative friend or chest pains after speaking to an overly-critical acquaintance are things of the past.

Friendships, I have always thought, should be a source of joy, understanding, and attunement. So, the next time you or your child wants to avoid school or a party for an unclear reason, you should feel good about swooping right in and asking yourself and your kids about the quality of their friendships.

We have known for a long time that people with good friendships live longer. Now, we have even more evidence of why this may be the case. Perhaps, instead of cleaning out your closets you can clean out your Rolodex.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), the
second-largest maker of processors for personal computers,
forecast lower sales than some analysts had estimated, hurt by
supply shortages and slower demand for PCs.

First-quarter sales will decrease as much as 11 percent
from the previous three months, the Sunnyvale, California-based
company said today in a statement. That indicates revenue of as
little as $1.5 billion, compared with the $1.6 billion average
estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

PC component makers are still reeling from last year’s Thai
floods, which cut production of disk drives and rippled through
the industry. AMD also has to contend with shortages of its own
parts because of production snags at its chip supplier,
Globalfoundries Inc. The constraints are worsening the effects
of already-weak consumer spending on electronics, said Chris Caso, an analyst at Susquehanna International Group.

“Overall demand for PCs has been sluggish,” said Caso,
who had projected a 10 percent sequential decline in AMD sales
in the first quarter. The New York-based analyst has a
“neutral” rating on AMD shares, which he doesn’t own.

AMD shares fell 2 percent in extended trading. The stock
had risen less than 1 percent to $6.53 at the close in New York.
AMD has gained 21 percent this year on speculation that new
chips would help it take market share from Intel Corp. (INTC) in laptop
computers.

Net Loss

The company reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $177
million, or 24 cents a share, compared with a profit of $375
million, or 50 cents, a year earlier. AMD booked an expense of
$98 million for its plan to reduce its workforce by about 10
percent. The chipmaker also wrote down the value of its stake in
Globalfoundries by $209 million. Excluding one-time items,
profit was 19 cents a share, compared with an average analyst
estimate of 16 cents.

Sales rose 2.5 percent to $1.69 billion in the period.
Gross margin, or the percentage of sales remaining after
deducting the cost of production, was 46 percent. That compares
with 45 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010.

AMD’s computing-chip revenue rose 7.4 percent to $1.31
billion in the quarter, helped by a surge in server-processor
sales. Its graphics-chip business declined 9.9 percent, the
company said. At the end of the quarter, AMD had $2.02 billion
in long-term debt and $1.91 billion of cash, an increase of $57
million from the previous period.

Chief Executive Officer Rory Read said the shortages of
disk drives hurt sales of graphics cards in the fourth quarter
and will continue to limit shipments in the current period.
AMD’s own supply issues are improving week by week, he said on a
conference call with analysts.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Ian King in San Francisco at
ianking@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Tom Giles at tgiles@bloomberg.net.

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(PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA) – EWGA – the trend-setting organization which enables current and aspiring business and professional women to learn, connect and play through golf – is using the power of its more than 14,000 members and their #036;66 million impact on the game in 2011, to create new opportunities for existing members and welcome new ones.

EWGA is the largest women-focused amateur golf association in the US, with 125 chapters in nearly every US major market and corporate center, and in Canada and Europe. It provides affordable, organized golf, free networking, business and success insights from accomplished executives, travel and equipment discounts, and a variety of local and national benefits.

“We are constantly evolving to provide meaningful experiences and connections for our diverse members, allowing them to more fully engage in a membership tailored to their needs – young or mature, beginner or established golfer, traveler or stay-at-home,” said EWGA Chief Executive Officer Pam Swensen. “EWGA is helping women stay in the game, through contemporary, customized programs and services, and building lifelong friendships.”

Among the many benefits offered in 2012, all EWGA members will have access to the nation’s largest amateur golf tournament, interface with industry leaders such as Donna Orender, Mark Steinberg and Ty Votaw through a series of Web Café talks and Golfpalooza (its national 4-day conference), enjoy admission to all domestic LPGA and Symetra Futures Tour events, use discounts at over 250 golf courses across the US, and have multiple playing and learning opportunities in local communities across the country all year long. Initial membership to join EWGA at the Classic level costs #036;155; thereafter, annual Classic level membership renewals are #036;130 per year.

At the core of its 2012 initiatives is the plan to broaden its reach and appeal to new members who are in their prime career growth years and looking for tools to succeed. The association now promotes itself as EWGA, an acronym in which “E” takes on the professional or personal meaning it holds for each individual.

Enriching, enjoyable, extensive, enlightening, expedient, energetic and essential are some of the many definitions women assign the “E” in EWGA. Reflecting this reality is the EWGA’s 2012 promotional slogan “What’s Your E?”

A recent poll of EWGA’s members resulted in the national campaign.

“I joined EWGA to find like-minded women to play golf with,” said member Joan of the Chicago-Metro Chapter. “The friendships I#39;ve made along the way have grown into more worth than an annual membership fee. I know the friendships I#39;ve gained will endure forever.”

“I enjoy the friendships, but I keep coming back for the golfing opportunities – playing a variety of courses (including some that I wouldn#39;t be able to access otherwise), chances for competition and golf travel draws me to EWGA,” said member Julie from the Raleigh, NC, chapter.

“EWGA provides a comfortable environment for women to begin their #39;relationship#39; with golf. I love the positive energy and excitement of a novice golfer who is receiving encouragement from our group – and then she hits a shot well and that feels really great,” said member Sharon, of the Boston chapter.

Based on a 2011 survey conducted by the PGA of America, EWGA members represent some of the most passionate golfers in the game, logging more than 35 rounds annually on average and spending over #036;4,500 individually towards rounds, equipment, travel and other golf-related items. The majority are in their prime earning years, with 27% in management or senior management positions within small and large international corporations. Many were beginner golfers when they first joined, hoping to advance their careers and their game.

“EWGA focuses on working women who need a supportive, proactive environment to learn or compete in golf. It empowers them on and off the course,” said Swensen. “And we have fun doing it. EWGA women are more connected within their chapters as colleagues, contemporaries and friends than any other organization they join.”

For more information about EWGA, membership and chapter locations, visit www.ewga.com.

About the EWGA
The largest women’s amateur golf association in the US, the EWGA has connected more than 100,000 current and aspiring business and professional women who share a passion for golf and good times. EWGA membership offers many benefits, including affordable organized golf that fits a working woman’s schedule, networking, competition, and learning opportunities that support career advancement. EWGA chapters throughout the United States – and in Canada and Italy – are located in over 125 corporate markets with members that are actively engaged in golf and business.

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