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World Teacher and Happy Science Founder Ryuho Okawa Introduces Four Principles of Happiness that Transcends Race and Religion in His New Book «The Laws of Happiness»

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — «The Laws of Happiness,» first published in Japan in 2004, the new edited English version will be published on August 28, 2020 by World Teacher and Happy Science founder Ryuho Okawa. «The Laws of Happiness» represents the «Four Principles of Happiness» which Okawa suggests that all people regardless of their religious or spiritual background should practice in order to pursue true happiness which continues from this world to the next. It is a work in which, as the title suggests, the nature of human happiness is explored at length in a practical and spiritual manner.

Okawa states outright at the beginning of the book that happiness is a decision rather than a quality dependent upon environmental factors. No objective or fixed circumstances can guarantee happiness, and instead happiness is a feeling that is innately generated. Part of the process of learning to be happy exists in accordance with learning from one’s experiences and embracing the reality that each person is given their own «workbook» of problems to which they alone have the answers.

The balance of maintaining happiness along the path of progress in life is explored at length in this work. Okawa states that the seed of unhappiness exists in moments of happiness; in other words, where there are good and successful times, challenging times will inevitably follow as life proceeds onwards. To become aware of this fact during the happy moments is a key to self-improvement whereby one’s weaknesses can be recognized and strengthened in preparation for the future as a means to preventing future unhappiness; all of this requires that one be willing to shed their old self as life progresses. Shortcomings are a positive indication that there is still room for growth all throughout the lifespan.

There are inevitable changes that will occur for all people throughout their life, and adaptations must be made. For example, while younger people benefit from having high energy, they also may suffer from a lack of knowledge and wisdom; as a person ages, they will have less energy but more knowledge, and it is such that changes need not be a source of unhappiness provided one can embrace the opposite strengths that come with ageing. Another example is that a person who is very spiritual benefits from developing practical and worldly insights: whatever the greatest strength a person possesses, they can benefit from developing that which is the opposite of it, and such can be a source of happiness.

Okawa provides a teaching that throughout life each person will gradually see the world through two different eyes: the differentiating eye and the eye of equality. The differentiating eye learns to distinguish the differences between all people and other living things, while the eye of equality learns to see the beauty in that which is common to all things. The former of these allows for the recognition of the individual purposes and roles of all things in the world, while the latter of these allows for the development of compassion and empathy; the continuous development and refinement of these two forms of vision, which Okawa states are the manner in which God views the world, are a key to the path of enlightenment.

There is an extensive discussion in the book concerning finding happiness in work, which is something that many people struggle with. While it is ideal that one works in the area that one is most passionate about, such is not always possible, and when it is not, a change of attitude can bring about happiness even in less than ideal work situations. It is possible, given the limitless potential of humans, to always be working towards improvement in the area of one’s work. Such is accomplished by a combination of factors, and Okawa provides the practical advice of reading to obtain new information, writing one’s thoughts to sort them out, listening to other people in order to learn their thoughts, and thinking in such a manner that one’s thoughts become increasingly developed. Okawa likewise provides several excellent methods for generating and developing new ideas into realities, and emphasizes that ideas which endeavor to contribute toward the collective tend to manifest greater success.

Okawa presents «The Four Principles of Human Happiness,» which are the practice of overcoming suffering through love, wisdom, self-reflection and progress; these may be understood as a contemporary version of Buddhist teachings on enlightenment that are suitable for all modern people. These are explored at depth and with considerable insight that touches upon a combination of spiritual, psychological and environmental factors that impact all people in some way. Some key points include all people want to be loved, no person is 100% perfect, self-reflection is the easiest method to combat negative spiritual influences, and that because one’s thoughts become one’s reality, it is beneficial to concentrate upon positive thoughts in order to manifest a happy life. Ultimately, it is stated that humans benefit the most from seeking the kind of happiness that leads to the happiness of others.

An extensive introduction to Happy Science is provided toward the end of «The Laws of Happiness» and provides an overview of the history and progress of this new religion. It may be stated that «The Laws of Happiness» as a whole is an introduction to the type of limitless, positive and happy thinking that is characteristic of Happy Science. Many of the teachings provided in this work are akin to a modern approach to Buddhist, Christian and other spiritual teachings, and are accessible to all people in the world regardless of their religious background. In a world where all humans desire to be happy and most people struggle to achieve or maintain a state of happiness, «The Laws of Happiness» provides the answers that many are looking for.

«The Laws of Happiness» is available for pre-order at all major bookstores nationwide and online retailers, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

IRH Press USA

SOURCE Ryuho Okawa

Chemistree Completes Expansion of Sugarleaf Facility

– Washington State operation grows by about 30%

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Chemistree Technology Inc. (CSE: CHM and CHM.wt) (US OTCQB: CHMJF) (the «Company» or «Chemistree») is pleased to announce that the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board («WSLCB») has approved the Company’s expanded facility in Sedro Woolley for cultivation and processing…

– Washington State operation grows by about 30%

Chemistree commenced construction of the additional grow room in early March, but progress was delayed by the statewide restrictions brought-on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Management is pleased that the project was completed safely and expeditiously by all the contractors and sub-trades involved; always, keeping workers protected. The expanded space will now be turned over to the licensee, Sugarleaf for planting and active cannabis operations.

Travis Royce, Sugarleaf’s General Manager stated «Due to our phenomenal crew and practices, our biggest hindrance since day one has been lack of material and growing space. With the WSLCB’s final approval, we now can put our product in more consumers’ hands while simultaneously strengthening our existing client relationships and opening new ones. This is an enormous moment for the Sugarleaf brand and we would absolutely not be in this position without the guidance and support from Chemistree.»

Chemistree President Karl Kottmeier commented, «We have worked together with Sugarleaf to meet their requests for more operating space. I am most grateful that our team has been able to hand over a turnkey expansion customized to their specifications in the midst of a global pandemic. Washington State is a mature market in the US cannabis industry – and having a larger footprint will benefit Sugarleaf, its retailers and customers for years to come.»

About Chemistree Technology Inc.
Chemistree Technology Inc. is an investment company dedicated to the U.S. cannabis sector, endeavoring to provide turn-key solutions for the regulated cannabis industry. The Company’s corporate strategy is to acquire and develop vertically integrated cannabis assets and to invest in other cannabis-related opportunities, leveraging management’s decades of expertise in the cannabis industry and corporate finance.

For more information, visit www.Chemistree.ca.

Advisory
The Company wishes to inform shareholders that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis industry in both Canada and the United States.

Cannabis-related Practices or Activities are Illegal Under U.S. Federal Laws
The concepts of «medical cannabis» and «recreational cannabis» do not exist under U.S. federal law. The Federal Controlled Substances Act classifies «marihuana» as a Schedule I drug. Under U.S. federal law, a Schedule I drug or substance has a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of safety for the use of the drug under medical supervision. As such, cannabis related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. Strict compliance with state laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve the Company of liability under U.S. federal law, nor will it provide a defence to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company. Enforcement of U.S. federal laws will be a significant risk to the business of the Company and any such proceedings brought against the Company may adversely affect the Company’s operations and financial performance.

Further information regarding the legal status of cannabis related activities and associated risk factors, including, but not limited to, risk of enforcement actions, risks that third-party service providers, such as banking or financial institutions cease providing services to the Company, and the risk that Company may not be able to distribute profits, if any, from U.S. operations up to the Company, are included in the Prospectus, the Company’s annual information form and other documents incorporated by reference therein and in the Company’s Form 2A listing statement filed with the CSE and available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

«Karl Kottmeier»
President

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Information set forth in this news release includes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as «anticipate», «believe», «plan», «estimate», «expect», «budget», «scheduled» and «intend», statements that an action or event «may», «might», «could», «should», or «will» be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements with respect to the expansion and reconfiguration of the Sedro Woolley facility, including the expected increase in the size of the cultivation area, the streamlining of pre- and post-production facilities.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risks identified in the Company’s reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law.

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SOURCE Chemistree Technology Inc.

P33, Open Commons Consortium and MATTER Launch Chicagoland COVID-19 Data Commons (CCC)

CHICAGO, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, P33, Open Commons Consortium (OCC) and

CHICAGO, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, P33, Open Commons Consortium (OCC) and MATTER announced the launch of the Chicagoland COVID-19 Data Commons (CCC), a centralized data platform created in partnership with regional healthcare providers, to help clinicians, researchers and community advocates understand how the disease behaves within the Chicagoland population.

P33 – a private-sector led initiative promoting inclusive tech growth in Chicagoland, the OCC – a builder of data commons and data-sharing ecosystems, and MATTER – healthcare startup incubator, partnered to create the Chicagoland COVID-19 Data Commons to understand the pandemic, measure Chicagoland’s regional response and build a helpful decision-making tool for local government.

«P33’s mission is connecting all facets of the Chicago tech ecosystem to drive meaningful change in our communities. We are proud to be working in partnership with MATTER and Open Commons Consortium to help our communities better understand and navigate this crisis,» said Brad Henderson, CEO of P33.

COVID-19 has already had a devastating impact on our communities. In Chicago, there have been almost 60,000+ cases of COVID-19 identified residents and almost 140,000+ in Illinois. The impact has been particularly hard on black and Latinx communities. NPR reported more than 70% of the city’s first coronavirus deaths were among the black population. The OCC is collecting data from multiple medical institutions (in legally compliant ways) and combining it with public health and other biomedical data to create a resource for the research community to make discoveries.

«Black and Latinx communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID, as have their healthcare systems,» said Dr. Suzet McKinney, CEO and Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District, and member of the CCC launch committee. «Accurate and inclusive representation enables researchers to determine actionable insights and advocate for necessary resources.»

The OCC, MATTER and P33 are engaging hospitals and nonprofits in Chicagoland that are serving patients impacted by the disparities of COVID to include their clinical data in the CCC, ensuring accurate representation of the data across all zip codes in Chicago. Participating health systems and hospitals include Rush University Hospital, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Chicago, St Anthony Hospital, Sinai Health System, Medical Home Network, NorthShore University Health Systems, Community Health, and Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

«COVID-19 has illustrated the gaps in our ability to collect and report data on the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens in our communities,» said Bala Hota Vice President, Chief Analytics Officer at Rush. «We have an opportunity to build the systems now to make sure we are prepared for the future, and we view the CCC as a key part of that effort.»

«Data commons bring together data, tools for analysis, and computing infrastructure in a safe, secure and compliant way so that challenging problems can be tackled by collaborative teams and progress can be made in weeks instead of months or years,» said Robert L. Grossman, the Director of the Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago. «Data commons provide an ideal platform for sharing COVID-19 related data to accelerate our understanding of the disease, how it is transmitted, and how we can return to work faster and safer.»

In addition to clinical and scientific data, the CCC is asking Chicagoland residents to use the COVIDstoplight web app to contribute basic data about their location and how they are feeling anonymously via a web browser or mobile phone. The data they contribute is aggregated so that no identifying information is collected and adheres to the strictest levels of privacy. The combination of this data will help decision makers measure and model outbreaks to make strategic decisions.

«Large-scale data is needed to better understand COVID-19,» said Steven Collins, CEO of MATTER. «The Chicagoland COVID-19 Data Commons will help innovators identify technologies, processes and solutions that can help address the near- and long-term challenges.»

Decisions are made about the CCC via a consortium, which consists of members who participate in distinct working groups focused on projects related to an area of expertise. The CCC’s launch committee includes Stephanie Willding, CEO of Community Health; Suzet McKinney CEO and Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District; Bala Hota Vice President, Chief Analytics Officer at Rush; Robert L. Grossman, the Director of the Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago; and Matthew Trunnell, Executive Director of the Pandemic Response Commons Consortium, among others. Funding has been secured from The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust and other anonymous local foundations that support medical research. Amazon Web Services has provided support so that CCC was operational in record time.

The CCC is open source, standards based, uses open APIs, and the data that it contains is available without restriction (open data¹), except for those restrictions required to protect data derived from human subjects, or the privacy restrictions required by consumer apps that collect the data.

While the COVID pandemic may be a once-in-a-lifetime event, the CCC can help local decision-makers understand if there will be further outbreaks and what to do about them. Previously, the Open Commons Consortium has built several data commons, including data commons for environmental and biomedical data. Thus, they were able to leverage this existing ecosystem infrastructure to speed up innovation around the use of COVID-19 datasets and provide the ability to research other solutions to mitigate future outbreaks.

For more information, visit: https://pandemicresponsecommons.org/

About P33
P33 is a privately funded non-profit focused on driving inclusive, global tech and innovation leadership for Chicagoland. P33’s work is anchored in deep research and driven by a need to unlock the potential of the digital age to solve some of the toughest problems facing Chicago, such as equitable access to digital careers, talent retention, deep science commercialization and gaps in our growth stage startup ecosystem. Officially launched in 2019, P33 is co-chaired by Penny Pritzker, former Secretary of Commerce and founder and chairman of PSP Partners; Chris Gladwin, CEO and Co-founder of Ocient and Cleversafe; and Kelly Welsh, President of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago.

About Open Commons Consortium
The Open Commons Consortium (OCC) is not for profit organization that develops, manages, and operates data commons and data ecosystems to tackle challenging problems in biology, medicine, healthcare and the environment. The OCC has been developing innovative software platforms for analyzing and sharing data with privacy, security and compliance since 2008. The consortium is based in Chicago, Illinois, and is managed by the 501(c)3 Center for Computational Science Research Inc.

About MATTER
MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, includes hundreds of cutting-edge startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry0leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together, the MATTER community is accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.

¹It is important to note that term open data here means that the data is available via open APIs and without fees. As mentioned above, open data may be open access and available to anyone or controlled access and only available to those who have signed the necessary data use agreements and have systems that have the necessary security and compliance policies, procedures and controls. It is important to emphasize that all controlled access data will be made available only to those that have signed the required data use agreements and are authorized to work with it.

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SOURCE P33

Points of Light Announces Second Annual Awards Celebration to Recognize Outstanding Acts of Service and Honor President George H.W. Bush’s Legacy of Volunteerism

ATLANTA, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Global nonprofit Points of Light announced today, it will hold the second annual celebration of The George H.W. Bush…

ATLANTA, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Global nonprofit Points of Light announced today, it will hold the second annual celebration of The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET to recognize Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobani founder and CEO and founder of Tent Partnership for Refugees, and Marc and Lynne Benioff, co-founder, chair & CEO, Salesforce and co-chairs, TIME, with this year’s The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards. All four former living Presidents – Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama – will serve as Honorary Chairs with Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush and their husbands Henry Hager and Craig Coyne, and cousin Wendy Stapleton serving as co-chairs for the celebration which will be a live virtual event this year. The event honors the legacy of President George H.W. Bush and recognizes both distinguished leaders and everyday people who demonstrate the transformative power of service, especially in the wake of global issues such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, social justice and equity movement, and economic crisis.

«During these unprecedented times, it’s important now more than ever for every individual – whether a business leader, an essential worker, or just a friend and neighbor – to use their power to make an impact in their communities,» said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO of Points of Light. «While the world has drastically changed since President George H.W. Bush’s time in office and his passing, his belief in leadership by example remains constant. Hamdi Ulukaya and Marc and Lynne Benioff’s personal and organizational efforts put purpose over profit while serving the greater good for employees, customers, and society at large – and should be championed as examples of how we’re all stronger when we play our part.»

About The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award Honorees

About Marc and Lynne Benioff

Marc Benioff is Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Salesforce and a pioneer of cloud computing. Under Benioff’s leadership, Salesforce is the #1 provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software globally. Benioff was named «Innovator of the Decade» by Forbes and is recognized as one of the World’s 25 Greatest Leaders by Fortune and one of the 10 Best-Performing CEOs by Harvard Business Review. For his leadership on equality, Benioff has been honored by GLAAD, the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and Variety Magazine with its EmPOWerment Award. A member of the World Economic Forum («WEF») Board of Trustees, Benioff serves as the inaugural Chair of WEF’s Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco. Benioff is the owner and co-chair of TIME, and Benioff is author of the New York Times bestseller Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change. Benioff received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, where he is on its Board of Trustees.

Lynne Benioff is the co-chair of TIME and active on the boards of several organizations. She is a Distinguished Director of the Board of Overseers of the University of California San Francisco Foundation, and serves on the board of directors of The Rise Fund, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, Common Sense Media and the Benioff Ocean Initiative. Ms. Benioff was appointed to the Presidio Trust board by President Barack Obama in 2015 and currently chairs its Governance Committee and co-chairs the Tunnel Tops Campaign Committee. In 2014, Ms. Benioff was honored by Mayor Ed Lee as one of San Francisco’s «Women of the Year.» She received a B.S. from the University of Washington.

«We are deeply grateful to the Bush family and Points of Light for this honor, which sustains the shining legacy of President George H.W. Bush,» said Marc and Lynne Benioff. «The biological, economic and social justice crises that we’re living through remind us that we’re all connected — and that we can create a more just, sustainable and equal future if we start by asking a simple question: ‘How can I help?'»

About Hamdi Ulukaya

The founder and CEO of Chobani, one of the fastest growing food companies in the last decade and a pioneer for the natural food movement, Hamdi Ulukaya has always made helping people and having a positive impact on communities a priority. From the beginning, the company has donated a portion of its profits to charitable causes, many of them in Idaho and New York where its products are made. In 2016, Ulukaya launched the Chobani Food Incubator to mentor and support socially responsible food entrepreneurs and further deliver on the company’s mission to provide better food for more people. Ulukaya also founded the Tent Partnership for Refugees to mobilize the private sector to improve the lives and livelihoods of the more than 25 million refugees around the globe. He also signed the Giving Pledge and committed the majority of his personal wealth to the cause. For these efforts, he was named an Eminent Advocate by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and received the United Nations Foundation Global Leadership Award, among other recognitions. Ulukaya is also an Oslo Business for Peace Award recipient, a Global Citizen Prize winner and was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for his work on the refugee crisis and his innovative approach to business.

«What this moment of uncertainty requires, more than anything else, is for all of us to join together to strengthen our communities. We must act to help those in need, doing the work right now to support our families, friends, and neighbors who are facing some of their most difficult days,» said Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani. «Points of Light and President George H.W. Bush’s work show that through acts of service, hard work, and kindness, we can all fight for real change. I am humbled and honored to stand with them, as businesses like Chobani use our power to fix any injustices we see in the world.»

More About the Awards and Audience Engagement

In the coming weeks, Points of Light will unveil additional honorees and event details, such as the official host, musical performances, and other participants across business, entertainment, and philanthropy. The organization will also spotlight additional everyday individuals making a difference in their communities and is accepting nominations from around the world.

Individuals and organizations can recognize a point of light in their community by making a donation to Points of Light in their honor. Gifts of $1,000 and above will be recognized as supporting The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Celebration Inspiration Honor Roll.

President George H.W. Bush believed that everyone has the power to create change and that every action, no matter how small, is significant. His vision has never been more true at a time when the global pandemic has created new challenges for volunteering, and exacerbated many of society’s issues that these very acts of service aim to address. Despite these challenges, the global community is finding new ways to work together. Over the last several months, Points of Light has seen individuals, corporations, nonprofits and countries join a global movement towards virtual volunteerism and other ways of giving back. This year’s celebration and honorees’ efforts to create a more kind, equitable and service-oriented world reflect President George H.W. Bush’s tenacity and leadership during some of the most tumultuous times in history.

For more information on The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Celebration and to stay up-to-date on future developments, please visit www.pointsoflight.org/bushawardscelebration.

About Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through affiliates in 200 cities across 37 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 14 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

Contact: Ryan Zimmerman, Edelman, ryan.zimmerman@edelman.com, C: 202.560.8230

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SOURCE Points of Light

Hunt Military Communities Supporting U.S. Military Leadership in Energy Conservation

EL PASO, Texas, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Hunt Military Communities (HMC), the largest U.S. military housing owner, today announced that they have generated over 116,000 MWh of solar energy, in support of the sustainability goals of the U.S. Military.

HMC, the largest owner of privatized military housing in the United States, owns approximately 52,000 homes spread across more than 40 military installations on Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps bases. The installation of solar panels in Hunt communities across the country has been a pillar of the company’s efforts, for which it was recognized with Duke Energy’s long-standing Power Partner award for 2019.

Turning to Solar at Hunt Military Communities

Since December 2012, HMC’s solar photovoltaic (P.V.) installations have produced enough clean renewable energy to avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to those produced by an average passenger vehicle driving over 203 million miles. HMC has deployed solar energy systems at Ohana Military Communities for the Navy and the Marines in its housing areas on the island of Oahu in Hawaii; and in its Air Force housing at Shaw AFB in Sumpter, SC; Hanscom AFB in M.A.; and Dover AFB in Dover, DE. HMC also has several solar energy systems in various stages of development at several other communities, including MCB Camp Pendleton, Buckley AFB, Scott AFB and Naval Station Great Lakes.

«We provide homes for our service personnel at forty military bases across the country. Supporting the energy efficiency efforts of all military branches by deploying renewable energy and, taking steps to measurably reduce energy consumption, are important goals for us, and for our community members,» said John Ehle, President of Hunt Military Communities. «We work hand-in-hand with our partners at the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps to provide optimal housing that meets the needs of both residents and the environment.»

Helping Families Reduce Energy Usage

HMC homes across the country have been outfitted with advanced energy technologies, including smart home devices, LED lighting, low-flow water fixtures, building energy management systems, and leak detection devices. HMC’s efforts support national military energy conservation goals to help maintain U.S. mission readiness, lessen the effects of climate change, and decrease the military’s dependence on foreign oil.

«Many of the families in HMC’s communities have actively partnered with us to reduce their energy usage and environmental footprint. HMC families are key to our success in making our operations and communities sustainable. Every dollar saved through our energy efficiency efforts is another dollar that can go into capital improvements and other home and community upgrades,» said Julie Strickland, Vice President of Asset Management at Hunt Military Communities. «We are proud of our energy efficiency achievements, and we’re looking forward to expanding our initiatives in the future.»

HMC offers its residents tools and educational programs that help them to understand what impacts energy consumption and costs, and how to proactively reduce energy usage. These tools include HMC’s home energy assessment program, which provides voluntary home energy assessments to help residents understand the energy load carried by their home. HMC also provides informational resources to residents on its website, including advice on how to conserve energy during the holidays, how to conserve water indoors, and much more.

«We are committed to providing the highest quality living experience for our military families,» said Karen Plesh, Vice President of Operations at Hunt Military Communities. «We strive to provide all of our residents with the resources they need to better understand how to reduce their own energy usage. Whether it is by encouraging residents to unplug electronics that are not in use, or offering to drop off replacement air filters, we are happy to help. By working hand in hand, we can help the environment and our residents by being more conscious of energy use.»

About Hunt Military Communities
Hunt Military Communities, the largest military housing owner, offers unsurpassed quality and service to more than 165,000 residents in approximately 52,000 homes on Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army installations across the USA. We do this through our core values: safety, kindness, efficiency, enthusiasm, and selflessness and our 5-Star Service commitment. With a 50-year legacy and a partnership with the Department of Defense, HMC strives to ensure the integrity of our military communities and the families who live there.

For more information, visit www.huntmilitarycommunities.com.

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SOURCE Hunt Military Communities

Kevin Hart to Make 5 Lucky Contestants’ Dreams Come True With Global #MarsShot Campaign; Winners to be Announced during Live Virtual Event Hosted by Kevin Hart on Facebook

DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Five finalists of the UAE’s #MarsShot campaign, inspired by the UAE’s recently launched Mars Hope Probe, have been shortlisted. Three winners will be announced on August 5th during a live stream hosted by superstar Kevin Hart who will be joined by celebrity guest judges: Award-winning storyteller and former monk Jay Shetty, World Tennis Champion Sania Mirza, and…

Five finalists catapulted to the live event after an online public vote are: Dolly Aswani, 24, from India, Ward Taim Hassan, 14, from Syria, Reina Ozbay, 11, from The USA, Astrid Corina, 26, from Romania and Williamson Sintyl, 27 from Haiti. The inspiring dreams of the finalists range from building a walk-in center for reading and writing in India, to inspiring the world through music to champion the plight of human trafficking.

The global digital campaign, inspired by the UAE’s own Mars Shot, is a partnership between the UAE and Hollywood superstar Kevin Hart.

Dreamers from across the world were asked to share their dream in a one-minute video posted to their Instagram accounts tagging #MarsShot

Kevin Hart said: «I am moved by all the entries and hope this has inspired people to always push forward. I am committed to empowering individuals to change their realities for the better and I could not have wished for a better partner to start this movement than The Emirates.»

Her Excellency Noura bint Mohamed Al Kaabi, said: «The response to this competition has been overwhelming. It is also a time of hope and limitless opportunities, and a time to inspire our youth. The #MarsShot is a representation and a message to youth all over the world to dream the impossible, and then achieve it.»

Jay Shetty said: «It is so important to encourage each other to dream, especially at a time of so much global change. Dreams can help drive us into the future.»

For more streaming details visit www.marsshot.ae and @marsshot

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SOURCE Mars Shot

Universal Technical Institute Launches Welding Technology Programs in Houston and Long Beach to Meet Student and Employer Demand

PHOENIX, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) confirmed the expansion of its

PHOENIX, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) confirmed the expansion of its Welding Technology Training Program at both its Houston and Long Beach campuses. The company also announced its welding program is scheduled to launch at UTI-Lisle outside Chicago in early 2021. These three campuses join UTI campuses in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Avondale, Ariz., and Dallas, Texas in offering the program, which was developed in partnership with global welding industry leader, Lincoln Electric (Nasdaq: LECO).

«Houston and Long Beach, rank first and third, respectively, among metro areas with the highest employment levels for welding,» said Sherrell Smith, Executive Vice President of Campus Operations. «Welding technicians have never been more vital to our nation’s economy, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a bright light on the essential work these men and women do to support critical infrastructure projects. We expect welding to continue to be a high enrollment and employment growth area for UTI.»

UTI’s Houston welding program opened in May 2020 and the first class at the Long Beach campus is scheduled to begin on August 10. Enrollment in the welding program at UTI’s campuses continues to be strong. The company also expects robust student demand for the UTI-Lisle welding program and employer demand for its graduates in the metropolitan and suburban Chicago area, which is the nation’s fifth highest metropolitan area for welding employment. Overall, the UTI welding programs are expected to deliver over five percent of new student starts in fiscal 2020.

Even in the face of significant rates of unemployment across the nation, welders are sought after in industries ranging from automotive fabrication to energy and manufacturing and are particularly in demand for major infrastructure projects that include bridges, highways, office buildings, schools, pipelines, power plants, ports, refineries, and spacecraft. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be approximately 48,800 job openings annually for welders through 2028.¹

In response to the COVID-19 health crisis, UTI transitioned from solely in-person training to a blended learning model that combines online, instructor-delivered teaching and demonstrations with hands-on labs, in alignment with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authority guidelines.

For a full list of health and safety measures in UTI’s campus labs, please refer to our COVID response page, and for more information about UTI’s Welding Technology Training Program visit its overview page.

About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
With more than 220,000 graduates in its 55-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation’s leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 12 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet, and @NASCARTechUTI.

¹ Source: Based on data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2018-2028), www.bls.gov. The projected number of annual job openings, by job classification is: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Job openings include openings due to growth and net replacements.

Media Contact:
Jody Kent
VP, Communications and Public Affairs
Universal Technical Institute
jkent@uti.edu
(623) 445-0872

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SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.

Sitetracker, Inc. Announces Updates to Sitetracker Project and Asset Management Platform on Salesforce AppExchange, the World’s Leading Enterprise Cloud Marketplace

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Sitetracker, the global standard for managing high-volume, repeatable projects for critical infrastructure businesses, today announced it has updated its platform to provide customers AI-driven predictive reporting and dashboarding through Salesforce Einstein Analytics. With this change, Sitetracker customers are now able to gather specific, deep, and up-to-the-minute strategic actionable insights on how they deploy and maintain critical…

Sitetracker Project and Asset Management integrated with Einstein Analytics

Already being leveraged by leaders in financial services, manufacturing, healthcare & life sciences, retail, and the public sector, Sitetracker’s integration of Salesforce Einstein into its AppExchange solution is now available to critical infrastructure providers around the globe.

Comments on the News

«Our team of Sitetracker experts configure Einstein dashboards efficiently, understanding and tailoring to each customer’s unique business needs while developing industry best practices that we can share with our customers,» said Mike Di Modugno, VP of Solution Delivery at Sitetracker. «By understanding which vendors will deliver the best results, predicting turnaround times on key milestones like permitting, and accurately forecasting closeout dates, our customers can have both easier and deeper insights into their most important revenue drivers.»
«We are excited that Sitetracker is continuing to innovate by adopting and developing AI-based solutions to enhance high-volume project and work management,» said Woodson Martin, GM of Salesforce AppExchange. «AppExchange is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our customers, and we love watching our partners evolve alongside us.»
«We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of hours developing Sitetracker on top of the Salesforce platform, transforming the daily operations of our 25,000-plus users,» said Tim May, CTO & Co-Founder of Sitetracker. «Adding artificial intelligence via Einstein is the next step in our journey to continuously enhance our solution and provide customers access to cutting-edge technologies. Innovations like Einstein will improve both their business processes and their balance sheets. I’m excited to continue delivering these transformative analytic solutions to our fast-growing customers this year and in the years ahead.»

About Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce AppExchange, the world’s leading enterprise cloud marketplace, empowers companies to sell, service, market and engage in entirely new ways. With more than 5,000 solutions, 7.5 million customer installs and 90,000 peer reviews, it is the most comprehensive source of cloud, mobile, social, IoT, analytics and artificial intelligence technologies for businesses.

Salesforce, AppExchange, Einstein and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

About Sitetracker, Inc.

Sitetracker, Inc. powers the successful deployment of critical infrastructure. As the global standard for managing high-volume projects, the Sitetracker Platform enables growth-focused innovators to optimize the entire asset lifecycle. From the field to the C-suite, Sitetracker enables stakeholders to optimize how they plan, deploy, maintain, and grow their capital asset portfolios. Market leaders in the telecommunications, utility, smart cities, and energy industries — such as Verizon, Ericsson, Fortis, Alphabet, British Telecom, and Vodafone — rely on Sitetracker to manage millions of sites and projects representing over $23 billion of portfolio holdings globally. For more information, visit www.sitetracker.com.

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SOURCE Sitetracker

CEO of Groupize Talks New Normal in Meeting Programs and What to Do Now

BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Over the course of a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it, ushering in a wave of regulations and measures that, for many industries, will translate to long-term policy and procedural change. The way we view the world right now, from both business and personal perspectives, is entirely different from the way we viewed it prior to the onset of the pandemic.

Understandably, the travel industry finds itself especially vulnerable in…

Understandably, the travel industry finds itself especially vulnerable in this new world. The meeting and event management segment faces unique challenges as companies establish effective ways to meet despite current restrictions.

Alisa de Gaspe Beaubien, the CEO of Groupize, discusses the questions and issues facing the industry, adaptation strategies, and the increased role technology will now have to play in meeting programs. With years of travel experience and a proven track record of success in group travel management, Alisa can leverage her expertise to shed light on the new normal for meeting programs.

The reality-check

During this crisis, the companies with an SMM program and centralized tool were able to act quickly and responsibly to manage their current and future events and meetings, while also having access to valuable insights from past meetings. But, do enough companies have a travel program that includes meeting policy? According to Alisa, no.

«The reality is that for most companies – meetings and events are a blind spot,» she explains. «It was the industry’s dirty little secret that decentralized and offline management of events and meetings was the status quo. While everyone agreed there was a big risk in not managing the 43% of travel spend related to meetings, no one agreed on whose responsibility it was to fix it. Now both the C-Suite and Travel Managers have a spotlight on this issue to close the gap in their program, to eliminate risk and liability.»

For the first time in Alisa’s career, she’s hearing stories of unabashed support from all stakeholders in an organization to solve the problem. Finally, Travel Managers are finding allies in new places, including Human Resources, Security, Finance, Marketing, and more.

«I’m not comfortable calling this point in time a ‘new normal’ because nothing about this is normal,» Alisa notes. «It has, however, established a now indisputable reality that organizations of all sizes need to change the way they manage the meetings and event category.»

Alisa makes an important point here; although the beginning of the pandemic represented a turbulent time for the industry, it also exposed shortcomings that were in desperate need of attention and action. Right now, most companies are using this pause in travel to prepare for an ever-changing travel landscape; preparations which, in many cases, have begun with new travel and meeting policies. These policies are critical, but the only way for smart companies to implement, enforce, and audit these policies is with technology.

«Travel Managers are a critical stakeholder in the return to travel. However, without technology to support their requirements for every component of a meetings program and the actual events themselves, the risk is unquantifiable,» Alisa explains. «Every company that ever thought about implementing a meeting program in the past, but decided not to, has since regretted that decision. Perhaps more importantly, companies that had not thought they needed a meeting program now recognize the value and have an urgency to take action.»

We are all in this together

While travel has slowed down, some companies have become invaluable to their customers during these trying times, solidifying their position as a ‘necessity’ for the new reality.

«The pandemic has highlighted the importance of the core tenants of our value proposition – cost containment, risk management, and traveler safety with visibility to all stakeholders with flexible workflows. We did not need to pivot post-pandemic. We were able to stay on course with simple enhancements such as virtual and hybrid meetings. Simply put, these market conditions have elevated our solution from a nice to have to a must-have. Every company with corporate travelers has a spotlight on them to de-risk meeting management.»

«Groupize has always valued partnerships, admired competitors, and continued to learn from our customers and industry trends. In April, we were proud to unite 12 industry leaders on an eBook: Meetings Culture for Modern Companies – which compiled peer to peer insights and best practices to help companies structure their programs moving forward. In mid-July, we released a Groupize Assurance, helping companies with meeting program Preparedness, Readiness, and Response. Content like this, as well as many other recent publications from industry groups such as TAMS, are invaluable in a time of rapid and continuous change. The people behind the ideas are resilient and driving change in the industry, and we really are all in this together.»

What companies can do today

Alisa shares her belief that this moment in time will drive further innovation in many areas of the industry as we look to emerging trends and evolving industry demands. In the months ahead, the travel industry will be expected to adapt quickly to the ‘new normal,’ while acting proactively to address attendee concerns and wellness. In-person events and meetings are mission-critical to business, whether for revenue generation, employee development, team building, customer retention, or essential reasons.

This begs the question; what is to come? And what do companies do today?

«While we added features to our platform to support both virtual and hybrid events, we recognize that people are resilient and want to travel. I hear this every day from our customers, and people want to plan new events. While the structure of meetings and events may look different for the next one to three years, they will continue. But even if a company has just one meeting on the books in the future, they still need to manage every component every step of the way. The liability is just too large to ignore, and change is no longer an option; it’s an outright demand and mandate.»

Moving forward, industry experts agree that every event, regardless of the size and scale, will require pre-event approval, along with budget and pre-trip approvals to follow. More importantly, meeting planners, travel managers, executives, and travelers will all need to become more flexible in their process, as meeting logistics will always be in flux.

Alisa explains that core components such as dates, locations, venues, attendee lists, social distancing guidelines, attendance protocols, and virtual attendance that, in the past, never changed, will now be increasingly subject to change. Fortunately, the Groupize platform not only tracks these changes but also helps to manage them. The ability to centrally cancel all flights/hotel rooms for registered attendees in the event of a cancellation, perform contract tracing, and establish collaborative workflows will be increasingly valued and necessary. Moreover, some experts anticipate an increase in smaller and simpler meetings, a category for which Groupize is the industry leader.

«Ultimately, it’s clear that doing nothing is not an option. Technology will help companies meet their responsibilities. Just this week, we released a risk assessment calculator, aimed at helping companies calculate the risk in their program as well as in each meeting. We recognize that the focus in most organizations has moved from savings to safety, and we are developing resources to help companies understand their obligations and take action. We want to keep the CEO’s of our customers out of the headlines for lax or incomplete policies leading to bad press. Finally, we must see ‘meeting program management’ via a new lens in order to get back to business.»

Like Zoom to WebEx

«We have spent five years listening to the needs of the industry, and have developed the easy to use, easy on the budget, easy to deploy meeting management tool that planners want to use. Our path is very similar to Zoom when market needs changed; Zoom became the virtual meeting tool of choice because of its focus on accessibility to any user. We expect a similar trajectory for Groupize as SMM standards receive a much-needed makeover in the post-pandemic world.»

Groupize is the only complete self-service meeting management platform designed for enterprise-wide use. The technology manages all of the core meeting logistics, such as venue sourcing, registration, attendee management, and travel, as well as delivers mission-critical data for both risk and spend management. The platform brings oversight and insight into the largest area of unmanaged spend in a corporation. It can manage up to 97% of meetings and events not traditionally recognized as a meeting such as training, recruiting, projects, and engagements.

Groupize simplifies event and meeting management with easy to use tools that manage all processes in the lifecycle of a corporate event, creating better outcomes for all stakeholders. «At times like these, containing costs, managing risk and minimizing liability while focusing on traveler safety is a priority for every company. We are the entry point for all employees in a company to begin to manage any and all components of a meeting,» says Alisa.

Alisa also shares that the company has some exciting enhancements in their registration module that will make Groupize the solution of choice not only for enterprise customers but SMB’s as well.

In the meantime, Groupize will continue to develop features that align with the needs of their channel partners and customers, and this includes more functionality on approvals and budgets and for use cases like projects and recruiting. Currently, the Groupize Assurance enhancement is focused on lowering end-to-end risk related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Groupize Assurance includes modules to assess, update, and standardize managed meeting processes, policy, and logistics – making every step trackable and auditable our central platform.

«As a company, we are fortunate that we are not in a position that would require reinventing ourselves or pivoting from our core vision, we can continue to focus on our mission and ways to get better at delivering our brand promise.»

Groupize is supporting companies that are starting or restarting their meeting programs or switching vendors by offering risk-free terms.

About Groupize

Winner of Phocuswright Innovation Award, BTN Top 25 Most Influential of 2017 and Skift 2019 Corporate Travel Innovators, Groupize is committed to reinventing event management with easy to use tools that simplify all processes in the lifecycle of a corporate meeting, creating better outcomes for all stakeholders. We turn difficult into simple, make the unknown known, and put an end to tedious tasks while controlling the largest area of unmanaged spend in a corporation. For more information, please call 1.855.GROUPIZE, or visit groupize.com.

Groupize
Madison Harris

508-232-7719 x 215
mharris@groupize.com
www.groupize.com

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SOURCE Groupize

Alaska Airlines strengthens face covering policy: No mask, no travel, no exceptions

SEATTLE, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — As part of continuing efforts to keep guests and employees safe, Alaska Airlines announced today that all guests must wear a cloth mask or face covering at all times when at the airport or onboard Alaska aircraft.

…

Effective Aug. 7, all Alaska guests age 2 and older will be required to wear a cloth mask or face covering over their nose and mouth – with no exceptions. If a guest is unwilling or unable to wear a mask for any reason while at the airport, they will not be permitted to travel. If a guest refuses to wear a mask after boarding their flight, they will be suspended from future travel.

«We all need to look out for each other during this health emergency, and the best way we can do that – and prevent the spread of the virus – is to simply wear a mask or face covering when we’re around each other,» said Max Tidwell, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of safety and security. «Safety remains priority number one for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Our tougher policy shows how important this issue is to us and our guests. If you don’t wear a mask, you won’t be flying with us.»

In late June, Alaska empowered its flight attendants to issue a final notice to any guest – in the form of a yellow card handed to them – who repeatedly disregards the requirement to wear a mask while onboard. Going forward, if a guest chooses not to comply after receiving the yellow card, his or her travel with Alaska will be suspended immediately upon landing. Any remaining portion of the guest’s itinerary will be canceled – including connecting or return flights – along with any future trips the guest has booked. The guest will be provided with a full refund for any unused travel and will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements from that point.

Since Alaska’s mask enforcement policy was enacted in May, the overwhelming majority of guests have respected the requirement – and many guests have raised concerns about the few who do not. For guests who forget their mask, Alaska will have them available upon request, in addition to providing individual hand-sanitizer wipes on board.

Acceptable face coverings:

Face coverings must be made from a cloth or other barrier material that prevents the discharge and release of respiratory droplets from a person’s nose or mouth.

Unacceptable face coverings:

Face coverings with direct exhaust valves.
Face coverings that do not cover a guest’s nose and mouth.
Face shields without masks.

Alaska will continue to block seats flights through Oct. 31 for physical distancing, while providing the opportunity for families and larger groups to sit near each other if requested. The airline’s «peace of mind» travel policy has been extended through Sept. 8, allowing guests to make adjustments to their travel plans with no change or cancellation fees.

Recently, nearly 100 actions have been implemented to keep guests and employees safe. Flyers must sign-off on a health agreement at check-in to acknowledge and attest to their willingness to adhere to the mask requirement. Other layers of safety include: enhanced cleaning of our planes in between every flight; hospital-grade HEPA air filters; an air filtration system that circulates fresh, outside air into the cabin every three minutes; limited onboard service to reduce interactions; hand-sanitizing stations throughout the journey and more, all a part of Alaska’s commitment to Next-Level Care.

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 115 destinations across the United States and North America, providing essential air service for our guests along with moving crucial cargo shipments, such as food, medicine, mail and e-commerce deliveries. With hubs in Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Anchorage, Alaska, the airline is known for low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. With Alaska and its Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

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SOURCE Alaska Airlines