Dear Friends:

Happy holidays! As 2005 nears its end, I look back proudly at all we’ve accomplished at the NAFTC this year.

In May, the NAFTC excitedly introduced its premier course, “Clean Air and Energy Independence: An Overview of Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles.” This 2½-day training introduces various types of alternative fuels and advanced technology and is designed for automotive technicians, students, and the general public. The acceptance and demand for this course has been overwhelming.

Early this year we launched a new educational offering of workshops. These workshops join the series of courses in our line-up and all are customizable and may be tailored to the level of experience, time available, and special interests of an individual or organization. Each workshop is based on the modules from the overview course, “Clean Air and Energy Independence…,” described above.

The NAFTC’s biodiesel education and training, also new in 2005, have been very popular this year. Both the “Introduction to Biodiesel” workshop and “Overview of Biodiesel” course experienced high demand. Leaders in business and education sought out the NAFTC to learn how to incorporate biodiesel technology. More information on all of the NAFTC’s workshops and courses can be found on our Web site, www.naftc.wvu.edu, in the Course Catalog under the “Curriculum” heading.

We have welcomed several new faces to the NAFTC staff this year. Randall Levelle came on board as assistant director of programs, and Judy Moore joined the NAFTC team as assistant director of communications. We also welcomed Katina Sayers-Walker as curriculum developer; Chengmin Tang as our accountant; Leah Bogdan as our writer/editor; Kristian Robinson as a temp graphic designer; three graduate assistants, Kara Alderson, Marc Debiase, and Eric Underwood; and two student workers, Andrew Schmidt and Matthew De Liso. These new staff additions have already positively impacted the NAFTC by sharing with us their enthusiasm, creativity, and hard work.

The alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicle industry is rapidly gaining market acceptance, and the services of the NAFTC become ever more important. In addition to planning for National AFV Day Odyssey on October 12, 2006, there is much to be excited about ahead! The future looks bright for the NAFTC. Please contact us if we can be of service to you in the upcoming year, and best wishes to you this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Al Ebron
NAFTC Executive Director

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium is a pioneer and a national leader in promoting programs and activities that will lead to energy independence and the greater use of cleaner transportation. The NAFTC is the only nationwide alternative fuel vehicle and advanced technology vehicle training organization in the U.S.!

Our mission is to provide the training infrastructure for implementing the widespread use of alternative fuels, alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles. Our effort to increase our nation’s energy security, as well as improve our air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is embodied in our motto “Because Clean Air and Energy Independence Matter.”

Founded in 1992, the NAFTC is headquartered at West Virginia University and presently consists of 25 National Training Centers (NTCs) spanning the country from New York to California. Each center provides Training with Impact through its experienced instructors and real-world shop facilities. Approximately 60 Affiliate and Associate members also support the NAFTC’s mission.

Click on the blue dots for more information.

NAFTC's National Headquarters, Morgantown, WV