Ralph Meima:
Bio: Until he joined the Marlboro College Graduate Center in December 2006 to design and launch its new MBA in Managing for Sustainability, Ralph Meima was Assistant Professor of Organizational Management in the graduate program of the School for International Training (SIT), where he taught management and research methods courses, advised M.S. and M.A. students, and was engaged in a variety of professional and institutional service efforts. Prior to that, Meima spent 14 years based in Sweden, moving there in 1989 as a strategy and marketing analyst for LM Ericsson’s cell phone business. While in Sweden, he completed a doctorate in management at Lund University. There, he managed international research projects for the European Commission, the Bank of Sweden, and several industry clients, and also operated a small consulting firm with clients in the EU and North America. He has written books and articles on environmental management and policy. Other research interests include simulation design, outdoor experiential education, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable industrial development.
Meima is active with the Greening of Industry Network and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, and several community-based groups. He sits on the board of the Vermont Environmental Consortium (VEC), and is the Chairman of the Board of Brattleboro Thermal Utility (BTU), which is developing a biomass-fueled district energy system. A U.S. native, he speaks four languages and has lived in six countries on three continents. Meima began his career as an engineer in the IT industry. He is married with three children, and lives in Brattleboro.
Discussion: The link between locally owned, community-scale energy systems and the development of the local economy, especially in terms of accumulation of community equity.