4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(for internal use only)
Page 1 of 4
Subject:
Planning Services for the MARTA Sustainability Program
Work Order for Sustainability Planning Services
Metro Atlanta Transit Team (MATT)
S.L. King Technologies, Inc.
Originator/Department: Date Originated: Contact Number:
T. Rishan Tesfamichael, Department of 01/27/2009
Engineering
Department Head Name/Title: Department Head Signature:
Rick Shay / Program & Contract Management
Funding Source: Operating Capital Federal Grant
Other (please indicate)
Sustainability Related: Yes No
Internal Approvals
Routing Initials/ Routing Initials/
Approval Approval
Order Date Order Date
CENTRAL SUPPORT OPERATIONS
AGM/Audit AGM/Bus Operations
AGM/External Affairs AGM/Infrastructure
AGM/Legal Services AGM/Police
AGM/Planning AGM/Rail Operations
Executive Director/DEO Executive Director/Safety
Deputy General Manager/COO
BUSINESS SERVICES
AGM/Finance OTHER APPROVALS
AGM/Human Resources
AGM/Contracts & Procurement
AGM/Technology
Chief, Business Support Services
Executive Summary Last Revised: 11/12/2008

5. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(for internal use only)
Page 2 of 4
GENERAL MANAGER
General Manager/CEO
Executive Summary Last Revised: 11/12/2008

6. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(for internal use only)
Page 3 of 4
PURPOSE:
To approve work orders and authorize Metro Atlanta Transit Team (MATT) to retain the subconsultant
services of S.L. King Technologies, Inc. who shall provide services for the MARTA Sustainability
Program. Said program shall communicate the Authority’s goals, policies, and programs, as well as
render the authority a more efficient, service-based agency.
DISCUSSION (including alternatives):
The Subconsultant shall prepare and furnish the following deliverables in four (4) separate tasks:
Task I: Initial Planning
This initial phase involves identification of key issues and funding sources, establishing MARTA’s
carbon footprint, and recording baseline metrics. Specific deliverables shall include a work plan,
technical memorandum, outreach plan, and a final presentation to MARTA stakeholders.
Task II: Design Guidelines/Environmental Sustainability
New facilities shall be considered for LEED certification and related feasibility analytics. The
sustainability guidelines shall be developed, and lifecycle costing will be used to identify opportunities
for efficiency. Specific deliverables shall include new construction sustainability guidelines, cost
itemization of water consumption, and additional estimates of up-front costs and payback data.
Task III: System Assessment/Capital Program
This phase of the study involves the assessment of existing facilities according to the United States
Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) for Existing Buildings program.
Said facilities shall be audited for energy efficiency and used as a basis for sustainability program costs
and anticipated savings. Emissions, transit oriented design, recycling programs, and utility rates are
just a few of the criteria that will be weighed against current operations as part of the assessment.
Specific deliverables shall include a conditions assessment report and sustainability recommendations
report.
Task IV: Program Recommendations
The final phase consists of developing a compendium of recommended actions for authority review
and implementation. Said recommendations shall be both policy and project related. Specific
deliverables shall include the MARTA Corporate Sustainability Plan and a presentation to MARTA
stakeholders.

7. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(for internal use only)
Page 4 of 4
The projected timeline for initiating work will likely be 1-months after the use of capital funds are
authorized. In an effort to meet the expected deadline, advancing these work orders at this time will
allow MARTA to develop the Task I deliverables within the anticipated timeline. The Period of
Performance for this Work Order is based on January 1, 2009 through December 30, 2009. The
anticipated schedule for the Consultant's services is as follows:
1. Task I - January 1, 2009 to July 1, 2009
2. Task II - January 1, 2009 to November 1, 2009
3. Task III - July 2, 2009 to November 1, 2009
4. Task IV - November 2, 2009 to December 30, 2009
IMPACT ON FUNDING:
The cost of the work performed by the Consultant pursuant to the Agreement, as authorized by the
Work Order, exclusive of fee and not withstanding any additional consulting services requested by the
client, shall not exceed a Cost Limitation of $1,226,829.00. The earned fee shall not exceed $74, 460.
RECOMMENDATIONS & TIMELINE (as appropriate):
Staff recommends approval of the Work Order in order to immediately begin work appropriate to Task I
deliverables in accordance with the above stated schedule.

8. T.R. Tesfamichael
December 8
Personal
Philosophy
of
Education
2010
As a designer, I believe in the inherent value of original thought and social
entrepreneurship. Delivering effective education in art and design is my
way of contributing to incremental change and the kind of discovery that
Why Lifelong
leads learners to engage their potential. Ultimately, cultivating a hunger Learning Is
for learning is the job of the teacher—edifying learners to assimilate
existing concepts and awaken themselves to new ideas. The way that I
Mission
accomplish this is by demonstrating how other disciplines inspire ideas Critical
and enhance core competencies.

9. Tesfamichael | 1
Personal Philosophy of Education
Education is not terminal. “Education encompasses more than just the facts and ideas
that are taught in classrooms. It is a broadening experience that develops all aspects of the
student’s life: social emotional, psychological, mental and physical” (Ginsberg, 1997, p.79).
True education is a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Lifelong learning is an inherently social
construct and has political roots in Europe. Lifelong learners belong to learning communities.
Longworth & Osborne (2010) quote affirmations of the Commission of the European Union:
A Learning Community is a city, town or region which goes beyond its statutory
duty to provide education and training for those who require it and instead creates
a vibrant, participative, culturally aware and economically buoyant human
environment through the provision, justification and active promotion of learning
opportunities to enhance the potential of all its citizens (p.374)
There have been global initiatives to trial particular frameworks for lifelong learning but
implementation and performance have varied widely.
A study by Fahr (2005) found that “highly educated people accumulate human capital
through their specific leisure time use...this effect tends to widen the skill gap between more and
less educated people.” Efforts to expand lifelong learning initiatives seek to close that gap.
Although, historically, the ethos for the movement was expected to trickle down to participating
cities and institutions, the movement has been disjointed—especially in the US--due to a lack of
coherent messaging and adoption at the policy level. Essentially, communities and educational
institutions have been doing the best they can with existing advocacy.
Towards a European Learning Society (TELS) was an early project of the European
Learning Commission via ELLI where the regional learning centers were defined at four scales
which includes “individual; company; groups of companies; government” (Longworth &

10. Tesfamichael | 2
Osborne, 2010, p.372). These scales map especially well to the individual, group, and
organizational levels of conceptualization for management theory—a framework which serves
well to articulate effective approaches to leadership (Yukl, 2006, p.497). Administrators can
certainly leverage these frameworks to propagate the message of lifelong learning throughout
their organization.
Interestingly, an instrument was developed to measure the effectiveness of this evolved
“learning cities” initiative in various municipalities throughout Europe. This questionnaire was
dubbed the “Learning Cities Audit Tool.” (Longworth & Osborne, 2010, p.374) One unique
objective was to attract what Longworth & Osborne (2010) termed the “reluctant learner;”
motivation and wellness are success indicators (p.374). This is a most exciting challenge.
More conferences were held to explore potential applications for the TELS program,
which produced performance indicators that helped focus dialog and research. Discourse
emerged emphasizing the importance of empowerment at the local scale, to extend the ability to
influence decisions on the ground (Longworth & Osborne, 2010, p.376). Another policy paper
was released in 2001 which included recommendations to the European Commission regarding
the development of learning regions. These recommendations suggested branding strategies for
the movement, selection process of flagship cities, developing instruments to measure and
monitor success, integrating technology, promoting awareness, partnering with universities,
intergovernmental collaboration, and economic development (Longworth & Osborne, 2010,
p.377). A separate list of recommendations was directed toward local municipalities
implementing the learning cities program. These are tangible action items that outline ideas for
appointments of key leadership, conference concepts, online documentation and archival, market
analysis, community engagement, and an official charter (Longworth & Osborne, 2010, p.377).
The private sector is uniquely positioned to champion this endeavor in the United States.

11. Tesfamichael | 3
An appetite for learning is a theme that can be woven into existing for-credit programs.
It does not have to be separated from workforce development, baccalaureate programs, or
remedial education. Futurist Richard Watson (2010) mocks self-conscious attempts to simulate
intellectual environments (p.112), but instead recommends a more subtle approach to nurturing
reluctant learners to be more “intellectually promiscuous” (p.138). Watson (2010) writes “The
link here is curiosity or, more specifically, a love of serendipitous experiences” (p.139).
As a designer, I believe in the inherent value of original thought and entrepreneurship.
Delivering effective education in art and design is my way of contributing to incremental change,
and the kind of discovery that leads learners to engage their potential. Ultimately, cultivating a
hunger for learning is the job of the teacher—edifying learners to assimilate existing concepts
and awaken themselves to new ideas. The way that I accomplish this is by demonstrating how
other disciplines inspire ideas and enhance core competencies. There are a number of channels
that facilitate this pursuit including TED, NPR, RSA, Meetup, museums, trade associations, and,
of course, books.
Take, for instance, Leonardo Da Vinci and that he was more than a painter and sculptor;
his study of human anatomy led him to the “Vitruvian Man,” a seminal work that advanced
understanding of the proportions of the human body and borrowed ideas from the architect,
Vitruivius. Vitruvius is most renowned for his seminal work “The Ten Books on Architecture,”
which revolutionized early renaissance architecture and design philosophy. Vitruvius was first a
writer, then an architect and engineer. Accordingly, if we were to persist in mapping the
influences of these masters, the list of contributors would continue nesting ad nauseum. It is
interdisciplinary learning experiences that will cultivate the hunger to learn, dissolve silos and
help shore up performance of our students, and, thus, our institutions (Basham & Mendoza,
2008; Watson, 2010, p.139). This, I believe.

12. Tesfamichael | 4
References
Basham, M., Campbell, D., & Mendoza, P. (2008). Critical issues facing America's community
colleges: a summary of the community college futures assembly 2008. Community
College Journal of Research & Practice, 32(11), 857-870.
Fabes B., & Mattoon, R.H. (2007, September). Measuring community college performance.
Chicago Fed Letter,(242), 1-4. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global
Fahr, R. (2005). Loafing or learning? the demand for informal education. European
Economic Review, 49(1), 75-98. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global
Freeman, R. E. (2005). (418-435) The development of stakeholder theory: an idiosyncratic
approach. In Ken G. Smith & Michael A. Hitt (Eds.), Great minds in management: the
process of theory development. New York: Oxford University Press.
Ginsberg, B. (1997). Enrichments and enhancements for older adults beyond the classroom.
Ageing International, 24(2/3), 75. Retrieved from Education Research Complete.
Longworth, N., & Osborne, M. (2010). Six ages towards a learning region — a retrospective.
European Journal of Education, 45(3), 368-401. doi:10.1111/j.1465-3435.2010.01436.x.
Watson, R. (2010). Future Minds. London, UK: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (7th edition), 497. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

13. THELEARNSHOP
SugarShops: Autodesk REVIT 2011
TESTIMONIALS
“The LearnShop [has] been
a great support to AIA Atlanta The original sweetener that began this whole operation is an
initiative born at Georgia Tech. Students at the College of
and I can definitely recommend
Architecture approached the administration to recommend a more
them as solid and reliable balanced approach to the age old dilemma of theory vs. practice.
experts in their field.” -SP Without a doubt, technology is changing the way we work, live,
learn, and play, and students wanted more emphasis on new
applications. REVIT is a robust, game-changing building information
“The LearnShop, headed by
modeling tool which is highly valued in architectural practices and
Ms. Tiffany Tesfamichael, has
optimizes project delivery across the construction industry.
been a valuable adjunct to the Image from Marcel Breuer Museum Activity
Museum of Design Atlanta
Because of the dedication and foresight of the Georgia Tech student chapters of the National Organization of
(MODA). ” -BG Minority Architects and the American Institute of Architects, "sweetener courses" are growing in popularity. Our
unique approach was to create an organic, non-credit experience that synthesizes peer-to-peer learning,
Why Sweeteners? construction technology, and architectural theory. We teach as architects: not as software trainers. We are excited
To compliment critical core to be partners in this movement, peer-based and student driven learning that create relevant enrichment
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programming at your college, we
step in to boost the feasibility and
sustainability of more flexible
Sweetener Packs Who Have We Served?
Museum of Design Atlanta
"filler" or "sweetener" courses Program Schedule & Pricing American Institute of Architects
that help balance your lifestyle Instructor: T. Rishan Tesfamichael, M. Sulhoff C3G
and learning needs with a Dates: April 2-April 16th, T, Th, or Sat, Atlanta Design Week Coalition
Location: Clemson School of Architecture University of Phoenix
dynamic marketplace. Further,
Setup: Choose one track or one session* ……$5/hr National Organization of Minority Architects
we save everybody money while
*Minimum 2hrs, begin with any session United States Department of Defense
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sweet deal! NSP Broadband
Track A
Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters
Thurs, March 31st, Session 1: 12-2pm, Session 2: 2-4pm
Georgia Institute of Technology
Lifelong Learning… Thurs, April 7th, Session 3: 12-2pm, Session 4: 2-4pm
Harvest Link
also known as LLL, is the or
"lifelong, lifewide, voluntary, and Southern Zest
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not only enhances social
inclusion, active citizenship and or Municipal Court of Atlanta
personal development, but also Track C
competitiveness and
Tuesday, April 5th, Session 1: 12-2pm, Session 1: 2-4pm
employability.[2]
Tuesday, April 12th, Session 3: 12-2pm, Session 4: 2-4pm TAKE ONE!
and/or
The LearnShop @ MODA www.thelearnshop.org
Bonus Session (3D renderings+animation)
Phone 800.838.4813
info@thelearnshop.org
http://www.TheLearnShop.org
Saturday, April 16th, 2-4pm theLearnShop
Corporate | Institutions