EduK Group Announces Executive Appointments Focused on Managing Growth of Puerto Rico Operations
January 16, 2012
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Chief Executive Officer Wallace Pond, Ph.D., today announced new roles for executives on the senior leadership team of the EduK Group, the largest provider of private, postsecondary career education in Puerto Rico.
Guillermo Nigaglioni, who previously held the position of President and CEO of Instituto de Banca y Comercio (IBC), will retain the title of CEO and welcomes Jose A. Cordova as the new President of IBC. Nigaglioni will also now hold the office of President and CEO of Puerto Rico Operations.
The appointment of Cordova will allow Nigaglioni the opportunity to focus his attention toward more strategic planning and development for EduK Group’s three institutions on the island – Instituto de Banca y Comercio (IBC), National University College (NUC) and Ponce Paramedical College (POPAC), which collectively represent 31 locations across Puerto Rico.
Cordova, as the newly appointed President, will be responsible for IBC’s services, operations and business performance. Cordova joined EduK Group eight years ago, most recently serving as Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Administrative Officer. Cordova, a member of the EduK senior leadership team, will report to Nigaglioni.
In announcing the new senior management roles, Dr. Pond stated: “As EduK expands its portfolio and adds more programs to serve the needs of students nationally, the growth of our institutions and current programs in Puerto Rico remains a top priority. Through the leadership and commitment of Guillermo and Jose, we are well positioned to meet our current and future service and growth objectives.”
About EduK Group
EduK Group, one of the leading private education companies offering career-oriented programs, is uniquely focused on Spanish and English postsecondary education. EduK Group institutions offer certificates, associates, bachelor’s and master’s degrees at its campus locations and online in such fields as healthcare, business, information technology, education, culinary arts, cosmetology, drafting and industrial trades. EduK Group’s institutions include Instituto de Banca y Comercio (IBC), National University College (NUC), National University College-Online (NUCO) and Ponce Paramedical College (POPAC) in Puerto Rico and Florida Technical College (FTC), The DAVE School (Digital Animation and Visual Effects) and LaSalle Computer Learning Center in Florida. For more information on EduK Group, call 787-982-3000.
Fashion Icon Donna Karan, Explores Investment Opportunities in Haiti’s Heartland
January 16, 2012
Two-city tour showcases strong potential for job creation in tourism and design sectors
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Internationally-acclaimed fashion designer Donna Karan accompanied Haitian Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, as he visited the cities of Jeremiah and Jacmel during his “listening campaign.”
The visits, a continuation of the Minister’s tour of Haiti’s heartland, are aimed at advancing the government’s goals for building a sustainable economy through investments that support decentralization and drive job creation across all sectors, and throughout all the communities of Haiti.
Minister Mayard Paul and Ms. Karan met with Jacmel’s Tourism Minister Ms. Stephanie B. Villedrouin and visited several hotels and tourist sites damaged by the January 2010 earthquake, including the Hotel Florita, the Jacmelienne Hotel and other severely damaged structures along the coast of the Southeast.
According to the Minister, these structures hold investment opportunities for the region. “Prior to the earthquake, Jacmel was one of Haiti’s wealthiest cities, with considerable tourist assets,” said Mayard-Paul. “With its favorable location, it holds great potential for development and job creation for this region.”
In visiting the city of Jeremiah, Mayard-Paul solicited the needs of residents, and vowed to deliver on their requests for jobs through the ongoing efforts of the Martelly government to make Haiti a country favorable to business for national and international investors. To that end, the Minister of the Interior escorted Ms. Karan to an exhibition of local art and handicrafts on Jeremiah’s city square. In viewing the work of Haitian painters, sculptors and craft persons, Ms. Karan reiterated her passion for Haiti as a nation where “each person is creative” and promised to assist Haitian artisans in promoting their works. “Creativity can be manifested into jobs,” Ms. Karan said, an ardent supporter of Haiti through her company Urban Zen. “The craftwork of Haiti is a model for job creation and education in Haiti. The best investment in Haiti is in her people. Their desire to work says much about their spirit, soul and pride.”
Mayard-Paul also visited Jeremiah’s police station, addressing requests for the redevelopment of the premises, and reassuring authorities that the government is working towards long-term, sustainable solutions. “President Martelly and his administration are implementing every measure to achieve concrete and positive changes,” said Mayard-Paul. “Collaboration and cooperation aimed at attracting local and international investment projects will help us achieve our vision for creating sustainable development for Haiti.”
Sangart Initiates Phase 1b Study of MP4CO in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease
January 12, 2012
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Sangart, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines specifically designed to enhance the perfusion and oxygenation of ischemic (oxygen deprived) tissues through targeted oxygen and other gas delivery, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1b study designed to evaluate the safety of MP4CO treatment in patients with sickle cell disease. MP4CO is designed to deliver therapeutic levels of carbon monoxide (CO) to patients suffering from a sickle cell crisis. This initial study will involve patients who are not currently undergoing a painful vaso-occlusive crisis. Preclinical studies show that carbon monoxide stabilizes the hemoglobin of patients with sickle cell disease and prevents the sickling of red blood cells.
“We are encouraged by the preclinical data on MP4CO and look forward to evaluating the safety and potential efficacy of this therapy in helping alleviate pain associated with a sickle cell crisis, while also potentially reducing the severity and duration of a crisis,” said Dr. Jo Howard, at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK. “There is currently a dearth of treatments for painful vaso-occlusive crises associated with sickle cell disease, and MP4CO represents a potential treatment option for these patients.”
The clinical trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, controlled study that will enroll approximately 32 clinically stable adult patients with sickle cell disease who are not undergoing a painful vaso-occlusive crisis. The trial will be conducted at four sites across three countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Jamaica. The primary objective of the study is to establish the safety of treatment with MP4CO. The study will comprise ascending dose levels in five groups of single dose infusions followed by three groups of fractionated doses.
“This trial initiation is a key step towards providing a treatment to patients suffering from a sickle cell crisis. The strong preclinical data suggest that a clinical evaluation of MP4CO in patients could yield meaningful results,” said Brian O’Callaghan, President and CEO of Sangart. “Along with our other investigational therapy, MP4OX, we remain committed to developing medicines designed to enhance the delivery of oxygen and other gases to tissues and organs.”
Sickle cell disease is an inherited hemoglobin disorder affecting red blood cell circulation in millions of people around the world. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Due to the presence of hemoglobin S, these red blood cells become crescent or sickle-shaped and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood circulates through the body, causing severe pain and damage to tissues that do not receive a normal blood flow. This vaso-occlusion is known as a “sickle cell crisis”. There are currently no approved medications to treat sickle cell crises, and only symptomatic relief is available.
About MP4
Sangart’s product platform is based on the MP4 molecule, an investigational biopharmaceutical product designed to enhance the perfusion of oxygen-deprived (ischemic) tissues and provide targeted oxygen delivery in the capillaries. Using a novel pegylation approach, Sangart produces the MP4 molecule designed at the optimal oxygen affinity, diffusion potential and molecular size to perfuse capillaries and target oxygen delivery to tissues specifically at risk of ischemia. MP4 can bind carbon monoxide for delivery to hemoglobin in red blood cells and heme proteins in tissues to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic (anti-programmed cell death) effects. Once carbon monoxide has been released, MP4 takes up oxygen, when circulating through the lung, for delivery to ischemic tissues.
About Sangart
Sangart is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines specifically designed to enhance the perfusion and oxygenation of ischemic (oxygen deprived) tissues through targeted oxygen delivery. Based on more than a decade of research, Sangart has refined the pegylation of human hemoglobin to create a molecule, MP4, with the ability to carry oxygen through the circulatory system to prevent and treat ischemia, or carbon monoxide to prevent and reverse sickling and its consequences.
To learn more about Sangart, please visit the company’s website at www.sangart.com.
Malcolm Gladwell, Zanana Akande and Other Notables of Caribbean Heritage Honoured in Toronto in March
January 11, 2012
The University of the West Indies hosts 3rd Annual Benefit Gala in Toronto
TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The University of the West Indies (UWI) is hosting its 3rd Annual Benefit Gala in Toronto, on Saturday March 10, 2012. Under the theme: Light, Learning and Liberty, Canada’s business community will honour award-winning author, Malcolm Gladwell, and Zananda Akande, former cabinet minister, as well as other outstanding Canadians: Dr. Pamela Da Camara, Ms. Artis Lane, Dr. Tony MacFarlane, Mr. Lloyd G. Seivwright, Mr. Howard Shearer, Mr. Suresh Sookoo and Mr. Frank Walwyn. Masters of ceremonies at the UWI Gala are award winning journalist and diversity consultant, Hamlin Grange and award-winning journalist Suhana Meharchand, host of CBC News Now.
The University Health Network, which includes Toronto Western, Toronto General and Princess Margaret Hospitals, is also being honoured as an outstanding institution that facilitates post-graduate training for a number of UWI medical students in Canada, and for providing exceptional care to its communities. Dr. Herbert Ho Ping Kong, a gold medalist in medicine from UWI, is a senior consulting physician at the University Health Network, Chair in teaching of internal medicine at the University of Toronto and co-founder of the Toronto General and Western Hospital’s new Dr. Herbert Ho Ping Kong Centre for Excellence in Education and Practice. “Our internship program provides some of the Caribbean’s best medical students with the opportunity to learn and work at a world-class medical facility. In turn, we benefit from the students’ different perspectives, persistence and determination that are inherent with UWI,” says Dr. Ho Ping Kong. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Under the patronage of the Hon. G. Raymond Chang OJ (Order of Jamaica), the UWI Gala is known as a remarkable evening of celebration, embracing Canada’s rich diversity while raising funds to benefit students through the UWI Scholarship Fund and the UWI Haitian Initiative. Dr. Chang is a Director of CI Financial where he recently served as CEO and Chair, and Chancellor of Ryerson University. He is also an honorary graduate of UWI and shares this alumni status with an estimated 1,000 leaders in business, judiciary, medicine, law, engineering, nursing, religion, communications and media sectors throughout Canada.
“This extraordinary evening celebrates UWI and the leadership of the wider Caribbean community in Canada, as well as outstanding students who themselves will one day lead the way in their own communities in the Caribbean, here in Canada and around the world.” Says Chang. He further states, “UWI has a number of sustainable relationships with several universities and colleges across Canada. In fact Ryerson and UWI have collaborated on a number of successful programs.”
The 2012 Luminary award recipients are outstanding leaders in their community and on the international stage. They include Ms. Zanana Akande, the first black woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the first woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Canada and Mr. Malcolm Gladwell, an extraordinary journalist, speaker and author of international bestsellers The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference (2000), Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005), Outliers: The Story of Success (2008), and What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures (2009).
This year’s Vice Chancellor’s Awardees are: Dr. Pamela Da Camara, former Chief & Medical Director of Laboratory Medicine at Toronto East General and medical laboratory pioneer; Ms. Artis Lane, an award-winning Canadian sculptor and painter; Dr. Tony MacFarlane, Internal Medicine and Cultural Philanthropist; Mr. Lloyd G. Seivwright, President of the Supreme Council of Independent United Order of Solomon Inc. Canada, a not-for-profit, charitable and fraternal organization and education advocate; Mr. Howard Shearer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi Canada Ltd (HCL); Mr. Suresh Sookoo, Chief Executive Officer of RBC’s Caribbean Banking; and Mr. Frank Walwyn, LLP was recently named as one of Canada’s top lawyers in the area of corporate and commercial litigation.
The University of the West Indies 3rd Annual Benefit Gala will take place on Saturday March 10, 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel, with interview and photo opportunities available for select honourees. Find additional gala details at http://www.uwitorontogala.com and for more timely updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Building on Success
With such a strong Caribbean community in Canada, UWI has initiated a successful Annual Benefit Gala that will continue to strengthen the relationship between Canada and the Caribbean for years to come. The Gala has become a much-anticipated event on the Toronto social calendar. Over the past two years, over 35 scholarships have been awarded to students who are rising stars in the Caribbean. Former honourees include: Dr. The Honourable Harry Belafonte; The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Former Deputy Chief of Toronto police Mr. Keith L. Forde; Hon. Michael Lee-Chin OJ; the Honourable Jean Augustine; The Honourable Justice Dr. Irving Andre and Dr. Karl Massiah.
The funds from the 2012 UWI Benefit Gala will assist the Haitian Initiative and the UWI Scholarship Fund.
About The University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI) was established in 1948 as a college of the University of London. It achieved full university status in 1962 and today, is the only pan-Caribbean tertiary level institution offering a wide array of diverse and accredited programs to 40,000 students throughout the region, with campuses in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean.
Grenada Board of Tourism and Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association Launch New and Improved Booking Engine System By Regatta Solutions
January 11, 2012
ST. GEORGES, Grenada, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Grenada Board of Tourism (GBT) and the Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association (GHTA) have jointly launched a new, and improved, booking engine on their respective websites www.grenadagrenadines.com and www.gogrenada.gd which, it is expected, will bolster the island’s tourism industry.
The implementation of Regatta allows hotels, villas and other activity providers in Grenada to use the websites of the tourism board and hotel association to exhibit control as to exactly how they are promoted. It also comes with the capacity to attract a much higher volume of bookings through the various channels that are available.
“We have every intention of maintaining close relationships with our Online Travel Agency (OTA) partners as well as our hotels,” commented Simon Stiell, Director of Tourism for Grenada. “But we are seeing impressive results from other Caribbean destinations that have implemented Regatta and this change in our online sales and marketing strategy makes perfect sense for us. Regatta’s powerful booking engine and destination marketing expertise is an attractive combination for any destination.”
Commenting on this development, Executive Director of the GHTA, Mrs. Pancy Cross noted that “Our hotels are very excited about this project. Regatta has made itself very accessible and we are pleased about having a partner that can finally help us reach consumers at a reasonable cost.”
President of Regatta Travel Solutions Mr. Ashwin Kamlani stated that “There is much potential in Grenada where the tourism industry is hungry for growth and waiting to take advantage of all of the new marketing tactics that are available on the internet. We are proud to have been chosen for this project.”
About Grenada Board of Tourism
The Grenada Board of Tourism’s objective is to market and promote Grenada as a preferred year round Caribbean tourist destination, while providing technical and managerial support to the travel trade, tour operators, industry partners and airlines. For more information on Grenada, contact the Grenada Board of Tourism at 416-595-1339, email at tourism@grenadaconsulate.com or visit www.grenadagrenadines.com
About Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association
The Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association’s purpose is to advocate and lobby on behalf of its members. In addition, the association assists members with the marketing of their businesses through its website and its printed medium, the Grenada at a Glance magazine. For more information on the GHTA call 444-1353, email mail@ghta.org or visit www.gogrenada.gd
About Regatta Travel Solutions Inc.
Founded by Ashwin Kamlani, Regatta Travel Solutions provides specialized online booking technology and marketing tactics for DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations). DMOs that use Regatta on their sites can increase demand for their destination, lower the cost paid by suppliers per booking, and increase membership for their organizations. Visit www.regattatravelsolutions.com.
U.S. Department of Defense Helps Bolster Haiti’s Disaster Response
January 8, 2012
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Haiti’s Civil Protection network received a substantial boost with the presentation of SUVs, trucks, boats, canoes, 11,000 solar radios, tents and other disaster-response equipment presented as gifts to the Government of Haiti by the U.S. Department of Defense.
In a ceremony held today at the Directorate of Civil Protection in Haiti (DPC) in Port Au Prince, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merten, signed over the equipment to Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Defense and the Collectivities Thierry Mayard-Paul, in support of Haiti’s Civil Protection network and ongoing disaster preparedness.
Lt. General Douglas M. Frazer, Commander of the SOUTHCOM, representing the U.S. DOD, together with U.S. Army Commander John Reed, pointed out that the earthquake not only impacted and changed the lives of the people of Haiti but also every member of the U.S. armed forces who came to give relief.
“Courage, resilience and character are examples of strength the people of Haiti exemplified to the armed forces teams,” said Lt. General Fraser. “It is in all our interests—the government of Haiti’s, SOUTHCOM’s and the international community’s—-to continue supporting Haiti’s capacity to respond to disasters. This equipment, which further enhances the capability of Haiti’s Department of Civil Protection (DCP) for disaster response, is tangible proof of the strong relationship between the government of Haiti and the U.S. The continuing commitment of the U.S. to support the government of Haiti, is unwavering.”
The timing of this event coincides with the second anniversary of the January 12, 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of the nation’s infrastructure. According to Mayard-Paul, the equipment provided by the U.S. will help reinforce his Ministry’s comprehensive disaster preparedness strategy, which includes building a network of emergency operations centers, warehouses, disaster and fire stations throughout Haiti in order to help make all parts of the country safer.
“Haiti is in a geographic location that is vulnerable to the variances of nature, including hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes,” said Mayard-Paul. “Our efforts to put this country back on course and to achieve our goals for sustainable economic development are also susceptible to these natural disasters. Therefore, the valuable contributions of our U.S. friends will help substantially in strengthening our disaster mitigation efforts while we continue to serve our individual communities through job creation and economic growth.”
During the event, Mayard-Paul recognized the ongoing support that the U.S. Southern Command has shown Haiti, particularly during the aftermath of the earthquake. “SOUTHCOMM was pivotal during that time of national tragedy, particularly because it played various roles, from disaster relief to wide-scale humanitarian efforts,” he said. “By your example, you have shown us how we can move forward by establishing a new and democratic armed force.”
Excelerate Energy Advances Its Seventh Offshore LNG Import Facility in Puerto Rico
December 22, 2011
OFFSHORE AGUIRRE, Puerto Rico, Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Excelerate Energy has executed an agreement with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to undertake the development and permitting of a floating offshore LNG regasification facility off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The facility, named Aguirre GasPort®, will provide fuel to the Central Aguirre Power Plant and is a step forward in the island’s strategy to convert power generation from high-cost, high-emissions imported oil to cost-effective, cleaner-burning natural gas.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111202/MM16235LOGO)
The Central Aguirre Power plant has already converted 600 MW of its available 1500 MW to utilize natural gas and has plans to convert the remaining 900 MW prior to completion of Excelerate Energy’s Aguirre GasPort.
PREPA recognizes the urgent need to reduce the dependence on oil and increase the use of natural gas to stimulate economic development, attract industries, improve the quality of life and create more jobs on the island. “If we want to be competitive at the global level, we must substantially reduce dependence on oil. The construction of the Aguirre GasPort facility will allow us to reduce that dependency,” a PREPA representative stated.
Aguirre GasPort
The Aguirre GasPort will be located approximately four miles offshore the southern coast of Puerto Rico, near the towns of Salinas and Guayama and will utilize one of Excelerate Energy’s 150,900 m3 floating storage and regasification vessels. The facility will operate year-round, delivering natural gas to PREPA’s Aguirre Power Plant as its primary fuel source, eliminating the use of heavy fuel oil and diesel. Construction of the Aguirre GasPort will be Excelerate Energy’s seventh floating LNG import facility ‒ the most of any company in the industry.
“We are extremely pleased to partner with PREPA in providing Puerto Rico with a reliable, clean fuel source for power generation that will greatly reduce air emissions for the Island. Our experience and expertise in delivering floating regasification solutions in a cost-effective and timely manner ensure that we will provide an efficient and reliable project for PREPA,” said Rob Bryngelson, President and CEO of Excelerate Energy.
The Aguirre GasPort will require authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and be subject to a full public environmental review and analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The facility is expected to be in-service in 2014.
The Aguirre GasPort utilizes proven technology that has been utilized in Argentina, Kuwait, Brazil, the United States and England. The company’s fleet of eight purpose-built LNG regasification vessels is capable of transporting, storing, and delivering approximately 3.0 to 3.2 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas into various markets worldwide. Excelerate Energy is currently constructing the world’s largest FSRU for Petrobras in Brazil, which will have a storage capacity of 173,400 m3. This vessel is expected to enter into service in May of 2014.
ABOUT THE PUERTO RICO ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is a public corporation that was founded in 1941. PREPA owns and operates electric generating and distribution facilities serving all of Puerto Rico, supplying 99 percent of the power consumed on the Island. Dependable generating capacity aggregates approximately 4.4 million kilowatts, and adequately supplies the highly industrialized economy of Puerto Rico. PREPA is directed by a Government Board.
ABOUT EXCELERATE ENERGY®
Excelerate Energy L.P. is a developer of LNG transportation and regasification infrastructure, a provider of LNG storage and regasification services and an importer of LNG. Excelerate leads the industry in the development of innovative, flexible and less capital intensive floating LNG importation solutions based on our dockside (GasPort) and offshore (Gateway) Energy Bridge shipboard regasification technology. In just eight years Excelerate has developed nine Excelerate Energy Bridge FSRUs, two Gateway offshore LNG importation terminals and four dockside GasPort LNG importation terminals. The company has also developed into a global LNG Marketing and Trading organization active in the short-term market. For more information please visit www.excelerateenergy.com.
Glasgow Subway Selects Otis for Major Modernization Project
December 16, 2011
Commonwealth Games Host City to Install Otis’ Energy-Efficient Escalators
GLASGOW, Scotland, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Otis Elevator Company, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), today announced that its UK affiliate, Otis Ltd., will replace all 28 escalators on the Glasgow Subway network as part of an overall enhancement project by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). The modernized escalators will better enable the Subway to meet the demands of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111215/NE23277 )
SPT Chairman Jonathan Findlay said: “I‘m delighted that we have Otis on board to replace all escalators with a more modern and reliable version, which will also help us meet our 20% targeted reduction of CO2 due to their increased efficiency. The Glasgow Subway is a true icon and SPT plans to deliver a modernized network that will last for generations to come.”
The installation of the new escalators is part of SPT’s Subway Modernization plan which includes the upgrade of all 15 stations on the network and the introduction of smart card ticketing. The Glasgow Subway escalators will be replaced over the next four years and will be provided by Otis’ Breclav factory in the Czech Republic. The enhanced escalators will include environmentally friendly features such as:
- Power standby technology, which uses sensors that detect when passengers are not on the escalator, prompting the escalator to slow down and thereby use less energy
- LED lighting that uses 30 percent less energy than traditional lighting
- High-efficiency lubrication that uses 98 percent less oil than a traditional lubrication system
“The Glasgow Subway honors us by selecting Otis for this critical public transportation project,” said Didier Michaud-Daniel, president of Otis Elevator Company. “Otis escalators will reduce energy usage at the stations while reliably transporting Glasgow’s citizens and visitors for years to come.”
Otis has also been selected for its energy-efficient products by mass-transit locations around the world, including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City, Los Angeles International Airport in the U.S., Incheon International Airport in South Korea and metro systems in Germany, Singapore and Taiwan.
The Commonwealth accounts for about a third of the world’s population and an estimated one million tickets will be sold for the 2014 Games in Glasgow. During the Games, 17 sports will be played over 11 days of competition.
Otis Elevator Company is the world’s largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products including elevators, escalators and moving walkways. With headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut, Otis employs 60,000 people globally, offers products and services in more than 200 countries and territories and maintains over 1.7 million elevators and escalators worldwide. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.
Groundbreaking New Children’s App
December 16, 2011
GlassPuppy.com launches Magic Keyhole – WORLD
Multi-platform interactive app educates and entertains
TORONTO, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Long car trips with kids just got a whole lot less stressful. Magic Keyhole – WORLD is the first in a series of educational apps for children from Glass Puppy Inc. available for iPad, Kindle Fire, Android tablets, Mac and PC. Designed for pre-readers, young learner, and early readers, it combines the best qualities of classic kids’ books with the latest interactive technologies, and can be enjoyed independently or with the support of parents or teachers. Best of all, kids love it.
For a limited time, Glass Puppy will be making the Magic Keyhole – WORLD app available to schools, kindergartens, libraries, children’s organizations and institutions for free.
Magic Keyhole – WORLD incorporates reading comprehension, vocabulary and basic geography, while providing an enjoyable way for children to learn as they are taken on a virtual journey to 10 unique environments and places from around the world. Each location is named and introduced with an informative rhyme which can be read aloud by an adult, or narrated by the friendly pre-recorded voice, with each word highlighted as it’s spoken. Included in each scene are interactive representations of people, landmarks and animals. Magic Keyhole – WORLD continually rewards curiosity as kids explore the app, with vivid illustrations, memorable verse and eye-catching animations to stimulate a child’s ability to learn new things, and features hidden treasures and surprises to enhance memory retention and attention span. Fun puzzle games based on the environments help reinforce what’s been learned, while developing spatial awareness.
While most children’s learning software is limited to certain devices, Magic Keyhole – WORLD runs on a wide range of devices that families already own, and has been carefully crafted to be engaging to children and parents alike. The kids and teachers who tested it didn’t want to stop playing with it.
About Glass Puppy Inc.
Glass Puppy Inc. is an independent developer and marketer of original content for every major computing and mobile platform. The product lines range from games and utility applications, to children’s educational & interactive programs. A dedicated team of IT professionals combines great creativity with unparalleled technical expertise. The company focuses on creating fun, exciting and engaging apps that entertain, inform and inspire at the same time, while bringing unique, amazing products to the marketplace.
For further information:
For more information and to download a comprehensive Press Kit, go to www.GlassPuppy.com, email Media@GlassPuppy.com or call 1-416-640-3788.
Decentralization Gains Traction as Key Driver of Sustainable Development in Haiti
December 16, 2011
Haiti’s Minister of the Interior seeks to direct more investments, projects and jobs to the heartland
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Haiti continues to send clear messages that the country is open—wide open—for business. Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative – Haitian Action Network Forum (GCI/HAN), Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, pointed to the abundant investment opportunities throughout Haiti and reiterated the aggressive, positive steps the Haitian Government is taking to make Haiti a “great place to do business” and a favorable place to invest.
“President Martelly, his administration and I are fully committed to ensuring that companies and organizations can experience success in Haiti,” said Mayard-Paul. “We want to create an environment where Haitian entrepreneurs can establish new businesses quickly and efficiently and an environment where international companies feel confident that their investments will be profitable and secure.”
Noting that the government of Haiti has already begun to make important adjustments to the nation’s legal framework, the Minister listed democratic governance, rule of law, tax incentives, land reform as key measures designed to help investors realize the most positive results for themselves as well as for the Haitian people.
International fashion-designer, Donna Karan, a participant in the Haiti Action Network forum, openly expressed her enthusiasm about what is happening in Haiti today, “every person in Haiti is full of creativity, so you can have an immediate business.” She also praised the Martelly administration for taking the right path towards a stronger Haiti and commented that sustainable development and job creation is “the only way to do it” and that the best investment in Haiti is in its people. “The opportunities in Haiti are endless,” she concluded.
Within this more positive investment environment, Mayard-Paul encouraged Haitian investors, NGOs and entrepreneurs attending the Haiti Action Network Forum to support priority projects such as building and modernizing Haiti’s infrastructure and energy grid—and challenged them to shift their focus beyond the capital city to Haiti’s rich interior.
“President Martelly’s new vision of Haiti is to build a socially just, economically free, and politically independent nation; one which doesn’t end with reconstruction but rather, begins with renovation,” said Mayard-Paul as he again called for more social initiatives beyond the gates of the capital of Port-au-Prince. ”The key to driving sustainable development in Haiti is to map it throughout our entire nation and then drive it through local initiatives and decentralized cooperation.”
Dufirston Neree of the Inter-American Development Bank agrees that the Martelly administration is taking the right approach, “The government of Haiti should continue to do what it is doing to support decentralization and sustainable development. If the government continues on this path, things will improve.”
Several social initiatives are already underway as examples of programs that advance President Martelly’s vision for a decentralized Haiti, including an innovative and cost-effective approach to reduce extreme poverty and improve health outcomes in Central Haiti, which has been implemented by Fonkoze, in partnership with BRAC and Partners in Health. The program has reduced mortality from malnutrition, and increased access to high-quality training and educational opportunities for rural youth. Another example is the recent partnership by Nestle and the Colombian National Coffee Federation to transfer agricultural, reforestation and cooperative organization best practices to Haitian coffee growers.
According to Mayard-Paul, “There has never been a better time to get involved in our many territories. There are co-ops and businesses that are ready to scale up their work, and become players in the global economy. The current Haitian government is committed to facilitating investment, and we have a population that is ready to work hard. Today, the people of Haiti are not looking for a hand-out, we want investments and jobs to restore our dignity and rebuild our nation.”
Haiti has taken aggressive steps to promote private sector investment and social infrastructure programs in order to drive job creation. A recent investment forum in Haiti, sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Clinton Foundation, attracted a stellar response from the international investors, with more than 1,000 business-minded attendees, including many corporate CEOs, turning out to learn more about how and where to take advantage of Haiti’s myriad investment and development opportunities. During that conference, several concrete commitments were announced including a joint venture between Digicel Group and Marriott Hotels worth $45 million to open a 168-room hotel in Turgeau. Minister Mayard-Paul thanked Denis O’Brien, Chairman of Digicel Group, for his continued commitment and support in Haiti that has brought invaluable opportunities to this nation.
