The Richmond, California based Green for All has established a successful training program for skills in Green carpentry and solar panel installation. For the past 14 months, Van Jones led the agency's efforts. Next week, Jones will join President Obama's Cabinet as Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Among his duties will be "helping to shape and implement job-generating climate policy; working to ensure equal protection and equal opportunity in the administration's climate and energy proposals; and publicly advocating the administration's environmental and energy agenda." (www.alternet.org) Green for All was recently awarded $500 million for education and training in green jobs from the $42 billion economic stimulus Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

In 2008, Van Jones received the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship. Jones has long advocated for green recovery that addresses our environment, our economy and our citizens in both. "He discusses 'social uplifting environmentalism' as a way to help people save and earn money, to create jobs, lift people out of poverty, clean up the air and water, reduce global warming emissions and spark our economic engines." (www.alternet.org)

Taking over leadership of Green for All in Richmond will be another visionary, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins. She is described as a "champion for justice...successfully expanded health care access across California...helped raise the minimum wage for low-income families in the South bay - twice." (www.alternet.org) She currently serves as Head of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and Working Partnerships USA.

When innovation and green technology and jobs are discussed, it appears quite relevant to look to leaders like Van Jones and Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins whose interests and accomplishments include helping those in need, utilizing the latest in Green technology, and supporting our economy and environment by connecting the two with skills, jobs, accomplishments and sociocultural participation. From the ground up, from the roots up, establishing pathways for investing in our citizens with our citizens' ability to then invest in their own lives and the economy while honoring clean air, clean water and cooperative work with Nature in the process.