ADDING MULTIMEDIA The Green Grid Broadens Focus to Data Center Sustainability

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Green Grid Association, the industry’s leading voice for advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems, today announced that the organization is expanding its focus and deliverables to address growing industry trends towards the sustainability and resource efficiency of information technology.

“We welcome and encourage active participation and collaboration from interested members and affiliates across the global technology, sustainability, and government landscape.”

The organization also announced that Executive Director Larry Vertal has stepped down from his position with the non-profit. Larry was a driving force during the founding of The Green Grid and served as a member of organization’s Board of Directors before taking on the role of executive director in 2009.

Mark Monroe has been named The Green Grid’s new executive director. Mark, a founding director of The Green Grid, brings 30 years of experience in the IT industry, including direct experience in data center design and operations, application and system design, and process design and analysis. He is also on the board of directors for the Center for ReSource Conservation in Boulder, CO. Mark is a founding sponsor of the University of Colorado's Renewable And Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

“The expanded focus of The Green Grid provides leadership opportunities for organizations of all sizes to contribute to a growing body of work that impacts the energy- and resource-efficiency of IT,” said Mark Monroe, newly-appointed Executive Director of The Green Grid. “We welcome and encourage active participation and collaboration from interested members and affiliates across the global technology, sustainability, and government landscape.”

The Green Grid’s upcoming Technical Forum and Members Meeting on March 1-2, 2011, in Santa Clara, CA, will provide more detail on how the organization helps data center operators more efficiently use resources such as energy, carbon, and water. Registration for The Green Grid Technical Forum 2011 is now open to members and non-members of The Green Grid. Attendance is open to members of The Green Grid on March 1, and then opens to the public and the media on March 2.

“The Green Grid Board of Directors wishes to thank Larry Vertal for his five years of commitment, enthusiasm and guidance while helping to build The Green Grid into a well-respected organization that will continue to roll-out world-class metrics, best-practices, technologies and programs that promote the effective use of energy and other resources in data centers and business computing ecosystems,” said Roger Tipley, board member from HP and vice president of The Green Grid.

The Green Grid encourages interested organizations to join its nearly 200 member companies in creating global deliverables around resource efficiency. The subject matter experts that devote their time and talent to Green Grid work groups and committees reinforce The Green Grid’s role as a trusted advisor and knowledge source for corporations, government agencies and non-governmental organizations around the world.

About The Green Grid

The Green Grid is a global consortium of companies, government agencies and educational institutions dedicated to advancing resource efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. The Green Grid does not endorse vendor-specific products or solutions, and instead seeks to provide industry-wide recommendations on best practices, metrics and technologies that will improve overall data center energy efficiency. Membership is open to organizations interested in data center operational efficiency at the Contributor, General or Associate member level. Additional information is available at www.thegreengrid.org.

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