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Clear Cannabis Inc. Launches Legacy Brand The Clear™ In Montana Through Bloom MT Partnership

Clear Cannabis Inc.

Clear Cannabis Inc. (CCI), national licensor of legacy cannabis brand The Clear™ announces an exclusive partnership with licensed Cannabis provider Bloom Montana. “We are ecstatic to establish this partnership and be one of the first nationwide cannabis brands in the great state of Montana, ” said Seth Wiggins, President of CCI. “With a newly legalized adult-use market, we know there’s a growing demand for high quality, consistent cannabis products from a reputable brand. As pillars of brand value, The Clear will certainly deliver for the cannabis consumer in Montana.” The Clear was one of the original cannabis brands and was the first to bring molecular distillation to the legal cannabis market in 2013. Since then, they have won multiple cannabis industry awards for their products and all-natural flavors, including awards in the High Times Cannabis Cup in Michigan, Las Vegas Cannabis Awards, and THC Classics in Colorado. The Clear products will be available to purchase in Montana dispensaries starting in July 2022 and includes The Clear Elite distillate 1000mg and 500mg cartridges. They will also offer their Elite All-In-One 350mg disposable vape pen in their award-winning botanically derived flavors. The flavors include Blue Raz, Golden Goat, Grapevine, Lime Sorbet, Orange Cream, and OG. “As a reliable, well-established brand providing high-quality, consistent products, The Clear is an ideal brand for Big Sky Country,” said John Hoofman Jr., Principal Owner of Bloom MT. Consumers who are waiting to try The Clear products in Montana can find them starting in July primarily in the following regions ­– Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, Helena, Butte, Kalispell, Sidney, and Havre. The initial product launches will be at Bloom, Sweetgrass, and Fat Hippie dispensaries. Products will be made available to all Montana licensed distribution partners in the upcoming months. Contact The Clear directly to inquire at info@clearconcentrate.com. Following the launch of its flagship Elite Line this summer, The Clear is planning to bring both their ENDO live resin cartridges and TWAX Infused Pre-rolls to Montana in the latter half of 2022. About Clear Cannabis, Inc. The Clear™ is one of the original cannabis brands. The brand was founded in 2013 by a team of scientists who introduced molecular distillation to the legal cannabis market and in the process reinvented the cannabis industry. As a national cannabis brand and licensor of The Clear™, Clear Cannabis, Inc. products are available in multiple cannabis markets in the U.S. The company is focused on product consistency regardless of state, proprietary formulations, product safety, consumer experience, and expanding product lines. Contact Details Clear Cannabis Inc. Rebecca Maestas Sincere, Executive Director of Marketing +1 720-330-5000 r.sincere@clrcan.com

June 02, 2022 09:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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AllerVie Health Presents AllerVie Clinical Research & Expands Clinical Research Division Nationwide

AllerVie Health

Today, AllerVie Health announced the milestone accomplishment and unveiling of the new brand for their affiliate, AllerVie Clinical Research. Formerly known as Clinical Research Center of Alabama, AllerVie Clinical Research brings cutting-edge treatments and medical advancements to patients who need them most by contributing to the development of innovative, new therapies that connect patients and physicians to the future of medicine. Championing innovative clinical research built to scale for pharmaceutical sponsorship partners, Contract Research Organizations, and patients across the United States, AllerVie Clinical Research offers more clinical research studies in asthma, allergy, and related immunological conditions than any other organization in the nation through our network of national clinical research sites. In collaborative partnership with sponsors and AllerVie board-certified allergists, AllerVie Clinical Research is pioneering new therapies based on years of experience in clinical research and the field of allergy and immunology. This rebranding positions AllerVie Clinical Research for increased nationwide expansion, mirroring the dynamic growth of AllerVie Health’s allergy clinic footprint over the last 15 months. Together, the two organizations are poised for continued growth with eyes on the future. “We firmly believe that best practice is derived from the best clinical research,” said Chief Research Officer, Dr. John Anderson. “As we expand our clinical research footprint in tandem with our allergy clinic footprint, we have complete confidence in our ability to pursue life-changing clinical trials in diverse populations across the country. We believe that hope is having options, and the work that we are doing has life-transforming impact on patients today and into the future.” National Director of Research, Christopher Ingraham, Ph.D., agrees, “We are unique and transformative in this space in our approach to combining best clinical practice across the country with a network of clinical research sites. We are taking care of the administrative aspects of clinical research so that our allergists and immunologists can still see patients, operate productive and thriving practices, and contribute to the future of medicine through clinical research. In this model, everyone wins.” Learn more about how AllerVie Clinical Research is changing lives every day for participating patients, our clinical research studies, and our past sponsorship partners by visiting www.allervieclinicalresearch.com. About AllerVie Health AllerVie Health is a national network of board-certified allergists and immunologists partnering together for the advancement of patient care, currently serving patients across 12 states in over 75 clinic locations. Our providers are committed to establishing the allergy and immunology gold standard, expanding access to best-in-class care, and bringing relief and renewed vitality to the millions of Americans affected annually, many of whom live in underserved communities today. AllerVie is relentlessly dedicated to clinical excellence, creating an improved patient experience, and supporting the development of advanced allergy and immunology-focused therapeutics and treatment options. With AllerVie Health, our patients can feel their best, reclaim their lives, and live in freedom! To learn more about our practices, our approach, and our vision, visit www.allervie.com. About AllerVie Clinical Research AllerVie Clinical Research, an affiliate of AllerVie Health, conducts clinical studies in adult and pediatric patients, contributing to the advancement of new therapies for asthma, allergies, and other related immunological conditions. We provide access to otherwise unavailable treatments to patients suffering from these conditions. As the fastest growing national network of clinical research sites specializing in allergy and asthma-related studies, AllerVie Clinical Research provides comprehensive care to patients nationwide employing the most efficacious and up-to-date treatments—including biologics. Highly regarded for their standards of excellence, our providers have been conducting clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organizations since 1998, giving us more than 20 years of successful clinical research experience in this area of immunological diseases. To learn more, visit www.allervieclinicalresearch.com. Contact Details AllerVie Health/AllerVie Clinical Research Rachel Russell, Chief Marketing Officer rrussell@allervie.com

June 01, 2022 04:00 PM Central Daylight Time

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Disabled Dying at Far Greater Rate in Hospitals

Our Amazing Grace's Light Shines On, Inc.

When Grace Schara passed away, medical professionals told her bereaved family that they did all they could to save her life. Grace was young – only 19 years old – but had Down Syndrome. However, facts show that her death was more likely due to her disability the moment she was admitted to a hospital in Appleton, Wis. The Schara family isn’t believing that medical professionals did “all they could” to save Grace’s life. To the contrary, they believe medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and hospitalists, deliberately target those with disabilities. Researchers at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, published a study as a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, noted that the leading factor of death, besides age, was intellectual disability ( https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0051 ). The commentary notes other studies that show anywhere from 2.75 to 8 times increased mortality if the patient has an intellectual disability. The authors mistakenly attribute Covid-19 diagnosis to the patient’s inability to socially distance or wear masks properly, but that doesn’t explain the fact that once admitted into a hospital, these patients die at a much higher rate. Clearly, masks and social distancing didn’t keep able-bodied people out of the hospitals, so why the disparity in mortality? “It’s clear as day – hospitals are dangerous places for the disabled,” said Scott Schara, Grace’s father. “Realize that if your loved one is considered a ‘useless eater,’ they’re far more likely to die in a hospital. This is happening all across the country and we all need to wake up to this reality.” Throughout the Covid era, disabled people’s lives have ended early in hospitals due to decisions made by medical professionals either not to treat, or to treat with deadly protocols such as ventilators and Remdesivir. In July of 2020, Michael Hickson died when a hospital in Austin, Texas, refused to treat him further because he was a quadriplegic. His wife, Melissa Hickson, believes doctors denied him treatment because they viewed him as having a low quality of life. Giving a quadriplegic person invasive treatment would have been cruel and pointless, according to the hospital that treated Hickson. “Violating laws like the Affordable Care Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act apparently means nothing to medical professionals, who also violate the Nuremberg Code where a patient is supposed to have informed consent,” Schara said. Grace was given a combination of three contraindicated medicines – Precedex, Lorazepam, and Morphine in 29 minutes. The package insert for Precedex says not to administer the drug for more than 24 hours, yet Grace was on it for four days, including her last day when a maximum dose was administered eight minutes before a medical doctor submitted a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order in the system, without consulting family. That doctor not only gave Grace a maximum dose of a dangerous sedative, but he also sealed her fate through the DNR. A DNR order is legally required to be discussed with family and consented to in writing, neither of which occurred in Grace’s case. Grace was not given a DNR bracelet, which is also required by law. Lorazepam is an anti-anxiety medicine. Grace was already unconscious, from Precedex, before Lorazepam was administered, which begs the question as to the need of an anti-anxiety drug being ordered in the first place. Morphine shouldn’t be combined with either of the other two sedatives, and the reversal drug should be “immediately available” in case of complications and staff is to monitor the patient. None of these rules were followed by medical personnel at the hospital. Not only was the reversal drug not available, no medical staff stepped foot into Grace’s room after the Morphine was injected, until after Grace died. “No one helped. Grace’s sister, Jessica, was in the room with her and ran to the hallway where she estimates about 30 nurses were there because of shift change,” Schara explained. “She begged them to save her sister and we were on FaceTime begging them to save our daughter. ‘She’s DNR,’ they told us. That was the first we heard about a DNR and we shouted to them that she’s not DNR. That should have been enough for them to act and to save her life, but they didn’t care. They let her die.” In the State of Wisconsin, such verbal commands supersede DNR orders. Was it because Grace had Down Syndrome? According to Disability News Service out of the United Kingdom, disabled females between nine and 64 had a hospital death rate 10.8 times higher than non-disabled females. The Schara family believes that’s no coincidence. “We saw firsthand how Grace was treated at the hospital. We have the medical records of 22 doctor reports where they stated 36 times that Grace was Down Syndrome. Why would they include that fact so often – it shouldn’t make a difference in her treatment,” Schara said. “If you have a loved one with a disability, please know what you’re getting into when you take them to a hospital because the white coats shouldn’t simply be trusted. Make them earn your trust.” Contact Details Our Amazing Grace’s Light Shines On, Inc. Kevin Tuttle, Public Relations Director +1 608-630-7668 kevin@ouramazinggrace.net Company Website https://www.ouramazinggrace.net/home

June 01, 2022 02:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Shareholder Activist Demands Google, YouTube Reveal Biden Admin’s ‘Take Down’ Requests

National Legal & Policy Center

Today, Paul Chesser, Director of the National Legal and Policy Center’s (NLPC) Corporate Integrity Project, will present remarks at the Alphabet annual meeting to support a shareholder resolution the ethics group filed with the company. NLPC’s Alphabet proposal would require the company to itemize and disclose the nature of 'take-down requests' from the federal government. Last July, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the Biden Administration is in regular touch with social media platforms to address misinformation, specifically regarding COVID-19. “How, when, and why, are Google and YouTube censoring content on their platforms at the behest of the Biden administration and its agencies like the CDC?” Chesser will ask. “If our resolution passes, they would be required to disclose that information in a report.” The full text of Chesser’s remarks are below: I’m Paul Chesser, director of the Corporate Integrity Project for National Legal and Policy Center. A public service announcement for my fellow shareholder proponents: Beware when a company opposes your resolution by using the term “robust” to describe its existing disclosures. When you see that word “robust,” you can be sure the company is gaslighting you, as Alphabet is doing in its proxy response to my organization’s proposal. Our proposal requests a detailed report that itemizes requests from U.S. government officials and agencies, names those officials, details the nature of each request, tells what Google’s decision was about the request, and provides the rationale for each decision. Alphabet’s proxy response is to refer you its misnamed “Transparency Report,” which tells us nothing, other than to enumerate how many takedown requests they’ve received from various governments around the world. The only reason we won’t get the kind of report my organization requests is because Alphabet’s majority voters, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, don’t want you to know how much the Biden administration conspires with Google and YouTube to censor users of their platforms. MSNBC’s newest personality, former White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, confirmed that in a press conference last year. She said almost one year ago, “We are in regular touch with these social media platforms, and those engagements typically happen through members of our senior staff, but also members of our COVID-19 team.” This was after Biden’s Surgeon General said that “tech and social media companies must do more to address” alleged health misinformation. As we all know now, it was the Biden administration and agencies like the CDC and NIH that were the dis-informers: by lying to the public about COVID and its origins; by pushing shutdowns despite their destructiveness; by ignoring evidence about the ineffectiveness of masks and the failed vaccines; and by censoring information about COVID that they did not approve of. For example, it’s clear Google censored search results for the “Great Barrington Declaration,” which has now been signed by almost 1 million medical and health professionals, and which opposed the prevailing and destructive COVID-19 policies pushed by the Biden administration. Google almost certainly did so at the behest of the NIH’s Francis Collins or Anthony Fauci, or an ally of theirs, not because of any serious scientific rebuttal to the Declaration, but because they were personally offended that their policies were being criticized and disproved. I can’t think of a more catastrophic failure of public policy and guidance for the public than the federal government’s COVID mandates, and both Google and YouTube validated the authoritarianism behind these edicts, by shutting down all dissent – much of which could have improved outcomes and saved lives. Google and YouTube removed information the Biden administration does not want you to access, because they do not believe in free speech. They are morally bankrupt partners in a public policy crime. No wonder why they want to keep it all secret. END REMARKS “Big Tech’s pro-Leftist biases are well established and proven, but Google’s and YouTube’s COVID censorship the last two years have been especially poisonous,” Chesser explains. “These efforts to shut down dissent, at the behest of the Biden administration in an effort to extend their authoritarian reach, are shameful, and had real costs both economically and in terms of lives lost. Alphabet has put itself at legal and financial risk with its efforts to suppress information.” NLPC has filed dozens of shareholder resolutions and appeared at the annual meetings of Berkshire Hathaway, Disney, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Twitter, Meta, and many others. In addition to Alphabet, Chesser is presenting at the Walmart and Comcast annual meetings today. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

June 01, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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AmeriLife & The American Home Life Insurance Company Team Up to Launch Medicare Supplement & Financial Expense Combo Solution

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning solutions, today announced the launch of a ground-breaking, Medicare Supplement/final expense combination solution developed in partnership with The American Home Life Insurance Company (AHL) and designed to deliver two great products together to better address customers’ holistic needs. “We are extremely excited to partner with AmeriLife to offer highly competitive Medicare Supplement and Final Expense products intentionally designed to facilitate combination sales,” said Tom Lobell, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of AHL. “Between our one-of-a-kind e-app technology, which enables both applications to be completed simultaneously from a single enrollment, and the extensive cost savings clients can access by bundling products, combination sales will never be easier.” For customers, AHL’s Medicare Supplement and Patriot Series final expense products work in tandem to deliver the freedom provided by traditional Medicare along with the peace of mind in knowing their loved ones will not have to bear the burden of their funeral costs. In addition to highly competitive rates, The Patriot Series features a simple, electronic application process, instant underwriting, and seamless premium payments via direct billing through Social Security. For agents, the combination is game-changing. Once clients have qualified for the Medicare Supplement plan, they’re a few questions away – with no phone call required – from being accepted for their discounted, super-preferred Patriot Series final expense policy. And with a discount of up to 20% when combined with the Medicare Supplement plan, agents will help save their clients money year after year and improve client retention. “This new solution is the rewarding combination agents and clients have been waiting for,” said David Paul, national sales director for Simplified Issue Life at AmeriLife. “With a front-loaded commission structure alongside generous bonuses, agents don’t have to let their marketing costs be a roadblock to success – especially while agents learn a new product to better cover their clients’ holistic needs.” “It’s rare that you see a solution with more benefits and less complexity, but this unique combination achieves exactly that,” added Greg Etchison, vice president of Medicare Supplement and Specialty Health for AmeriLife. “It’s a solution made with customers in mind – the way insurance was intended to be – and we’re excited with its potential to help grow our agents’ businesses.” The launch of this combo solution continues AmeriLife’s intense focus on delivering innovative product design, and its partnership with AHL remains a testament to the companies’ shared values and approach to developing modern health and financial planning solutions. “Final expense is continuing to have its moment — and for good reason — as individuals reassess their needs, and those of their loved ones, for their final days,” said Pat Fleming, executive vice president, Product Innovation & Corporate Actuary at AmeriLife. “By combining final expense and Medicare Supplement products under one, simple solution, AmeriLife and AHL are bringing to market a holistic solution that is in line with our unique approach to addressing clients’ total health and financial wellbeing.” To learn more about this new combo solution from AmeriLife and AHL, including details on coverage amounts and other benefits, visit ahlpatriotseries.com. ### About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to offer insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a national distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors, more than 50 marketing organizations, and 50 insurance agency locations. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. About The American Home Life Insurance Company The American Home Life Insurance Company (AHL) was founded in 1909 in Topeka, Kansas, under the name Kansas Home Mutual Life Insurance Company. In 1912, the Company merged with the American Mutual Life Insurance Company of McPherson, Kansas, and adopted its current name, The American Home Life Insurance Company, which the company has operated under for over 100 years. Throughout the last century, AHL’s mutual corporate structure, conservative investment philosophy, and Midwestern value-oriented culture have enabled it to grow and prosper through multiple world wars, epidemics and recessions while fulfilling its commitments to its policyholders, agents and employees. To learn more, visit amhlifeco.com. Contact Details AmeriLife Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 jmaldonado@amerilife.com The American Home Life Insurance Company Tom Lobell +1 800-876-0199 tlobell@amhomelife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

June 01, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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The Greeley Company Announces Line-Up of Professional Education In-Person Seminars for Physician and Hospital Leadership

Greeley

The Greeley Company (Greeley), a leader in healthcare education, is pleased to announce that its acclaimed in-person educational seminars for physicians and hospital leaders are slated for the rest of 2022 and into 2023. Participants can register now for all seminars by visiting Physician & Hospital Leadership Seminar | Greeley. The one- to three-day physician-led learning opportunities provide new and emerging leaders with essential training needed to address complex challenges and are all Continuing Medical Education accredited. In addition to core offerings that every individual or team can benefit from including Medical Executive Committee Institute, Peer Review Boot Camp, and The Credentialing Solution, innovative sessions covering today’s top-of-mind issues have been added. One new session debuting in October: Reliability, Resilience, & Risk: Why High Reliability is Critical to Quality and Safety Improvement, addresses the ongoing challenge of delivering on the essential promise of healthcare–helping people at their most vulnerable. “Achieving high reliability will result in clinical outcomes that are safer, more effective, and more equitable, while also improving employee engagement at a critical time for the healthcare workforce,” said Andrew Resnick, Chief Medical and Quality Officer of The Chartis Group. “Our transformational approach will help embed high reliability into your organization, and we look forward to helping you succeed.” Here is the calendar of in-person events: September 23, 2022 in Philadelphia, PA October 27-29, 2022 in Scottsdale, AZ November 4-5, 2022 in Dallas, TX December 8-10, 2022 in Carlsbad, CA January 19-21, 2023 in Orlando, FL To ensure the wellbeing of all attendees, safety protocols will be developed and followed at the events. More information on the programs, including registration and pricing, is available on Greeley's website. About The Greeley Company The Greeley Company (Greeley), a division of The Chartis Group®, is a leader in healthcare consulting, education and interim staffing solutions, with unmatched experience in regulatory compliance, accreditation, bylaws and peer review, as well as credentialing and privileging. Greeley has utilized its proven methodology to help organizations improve efficiency, comply with regulations and standards, achieve practitioner engagement and alignment, and excel in delivering high-quality, cost-effective patient care for more than 30 years. For more information, visit greeley.com. About The Chartis Group® The Chartis Group (Chartis) provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics and technology, digital and emerging technologies, and health analytics, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children's hospitals and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results. Chartis has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis and San Francisco. For more information, visit chartis.com. Contact Details Brooke Ferreri +1 212-931-6182 bferreri@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://greeley.com/

May 31, 2022 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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New Cannabis Testing to Help Growers Manage, Prevent Microbial Outbreaks

MCR Labs

Local cannabis testing laboratory MCR Labs has released a new testing suite designed to diagnose microbial issues and determine the best path forward for successful remediative measures. This new service can prevent future outbreaks by allowing cultivators to monitor their grow environment closely for any potential contamination sources, avoiding a full-on outbreak altogether. “It’s really a game changer for growers, as microbial outbreaks are not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ issue,” said Jonathan Wani, MCR’s director of Business Development. “The biggest value for them is identifying the specific species behind the outbreak. Once you know what species you’re working with, you can develop a targeted remediation plan that’s going to be much more effective than a generic remediative method.” Environmental Monitoring is the latest addition to MCR’s arsenal of plant health services, following the release of Speciation and Plant Nutrition. These tools are meant to provide cultivators with actionable data on their grow to aid in the production of happy, healthy plants. “What we don’t want to do is just fail producers on these mandatory microbiological screens and leave them hanging,” said Michael Kahn, CEO & Founder of MCR Labs. “We’re here to assist cultivating a healthy plant, and therefore a safe product for the consumer.” MCR Labs is licensed as an independent testing laboratory in both the Medical and Adult Use Marijuana programs, which are overseen by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). The lab also offers their services to home growers, patients, researchers, or curious consumers. About MCR Labs: MCR Labs is one of the longest operational cannabis testing laboratories on the East coast with facilities operating in several legal cannabis markets. We are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited providers of analytical cannabis product testing and R&D services committed to assisting licensed marijuana establishments, patients, researchers, entrepreneurs, and advocates. Our team of chemists and pharmaceutical scientists are dedicated to advancing public health and safety through leading-edge chemical analysis of cannabis products and offering unparalleled guidance and support for partners, regulators, and the communities we serve. For more information visit http://mcrlabs.com. Contact Details MCR Labs Alexandra Gomes +1 508-782-9772 alexandra@mcrlabs.com Company Website http://mcrlabs.com

May 31, 2022 12:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Communication Service for the Deaf Welcomes Shireen Hafeez to its Board of Directors

Communication Service for the Deaf

Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) is proud to announce the addition of Shireen Hafeez to its Board of Directors. Hafeez joins eight other board members who guide CSD’s overall strategies, promote innovative thinking about the future of CSD, and strategize ways to unleash transformational impact in the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Shireen Hafeez is the founder of Deaf Kids Code, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit that teaches Deaf and hard of hearing children computer and technology skills so they can be economically and socially successful in life. The national outreach organization has worked with more than 9,000 children in over 40 locations around the United States. Hafeez founded Deaf Kids Code to support future generations of Deaf children, including her son, so they can thrive in ways that previous generations couldn’t due to societal and linguistic barriers. “It is the greatest honor to join the board of directors,” said Hafeez. “The most important and exciting part of this role is creating meaningful learning and workforce experiences. It is the greatest privilege to be able to work with like-minded people and create new pathways that didn’t exist before.” Deaf Kids Code is founded on the belief that the digital age is the great equalizer. The organization empowers Deaf and hard of hearing children by equipping them with the technology and design skills they need to succeed in today’s competitive workforce. By teaching them the universal language of computing, students have more substantial opportunities to enter top-tier colleges and pursue fulfilling careers in technology. “Deaf Kids Code is a tremendous success and an important resource for our community to promote and advance STEM education and career pathways,” said CSD CEO Chris Soukup. “Shireen’s experience and expertise aligns beautifully with the outcomes CSD aspires to achieve.” Together, Hafeez and CSD will continue developing strategies to further their shared missions of expanding access to technology and economic opportunities for children and adults who are Deaf or hard of hearing. “Shireen is a longtime ally of the Deaf community, and we are excited to have her join us,” said Board Chair Rogelio Fernandez. “Her unique and valuable perspective will help us shape the future of our organization and community for generations to come.” About Communication Service for the Deaf Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) is the largest Deaf-led social impact organization in the world. For more than four decades, CSD has been a leader in creating and providing accessible and innovative solutions for the Deaf community. Today, CSD continues its work to create opportunities for personal and economic growth within the Deaf community, specifically addressing leadership and employment. For more information, please visit CSD and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Leila Eltouny leltouny@csd.org Company Website https://www.csd.org/

May 31, 2022 11:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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North Texas Municipal Water District Completes One of Nation’s Largest Environmental Restoration Projects

North Texas Municipal Water District

North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), in collaboration with Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), is celebrating the completion of one of the largest environmental restoration projects of its kind in the U.S. After four years of dedicated efforts, North Texas is now home to a new and growing forest of 6.3 million trees, thousands of acres of enhanced wetlands and grasslands and 70 miles of improved streams. This thriving, renewed ecosystem was completed as part of the Bois d’Arc Lake project, the first major reservoir built in Texas in 30 years. NTMWD provides drinking water to more than 2 million people, and the new lake is necessary to meet needs for one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The lake is currently filling with water delivery scheduled for Spring 2023. In addition to providing this critical water supply, the lake will offer recreation and economic benefits. The environmental improvements help offset, or mitigate, the loss of local natural habitat associated with construction of Bois d’Arc Lake. They cover approximately 17,000 acres and will have a legacy that extends for generations to come. NTMWD purchased the Upper Bois d’Arc Creek Mitigation Site and approximately 15,000 acres located along the Red River north of Monkstown, Texas, formerly known as Riverby Ranch. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Permit requires the size of mitigated areas to be similar to those inundated by a reservoir. Bois d’Arc Lake has a surface area of 16,641 acres. NTMWD’s goal was to go beyond meeting the regulatory permit requirements: The District chose to restore the land to its pre-agricultural condition. The Riverby area was entirely forested before it was converted to a working cattle ranch. The four-year mitigation efforts included planting 6.3 million trees, restoring and enhancing over 8,500 acres of wetlands, restoring 70 miles of existing streams, including sections of Willow Branch Creek, and planting approximately 3,200 acres of native grassland. This is the final year of active planting and restoration activities. Trees function as the pillar of thriving North Texas ecosystems. Earlier this year, the last several million native saplings were planted at the ranch and neighboring Upper Bois d’Arc Lake Mitigation Area. The trees were added in one to two million increments over the previous four years, with crews filling in areas as needed to establish resilient, mature forests. To better support streambanks, crews also planted live stakes, which are branches cut from black willows, cottonwoods and sycamores that grow into new trees. “Trees support complex ecosystems for wildlife, help control erosion and flooding and improve air quality,” explained RES Project Manager Matt Stahman. “All the work—stream restoration, tree planting and grass establishment—was done concurrently to create thriving ecosystems. The trees help keep sediment out of the streams, and in turn they benefit from water provided by the restored streams.” Less erosion in the lake’s watershed and waterways will decrease sedimentation and nutrient loads into Bois d’Arc Creek, the Red River and surrounding topography and improve the lake’s overall water quality. More than a million more trees were planted than originally planned, due to the need for categorizing and replanting some habitat areas. “It takes time to learn which habitats work best in each area,” said RES Project Ecologist Brandon Hall. “We came up with a plan, but our job is to work with what nature wants to do. There were some areas that we labeled in the plan as grasslands, but they ended up being better restored as forest, and vice versa. So we replanted more trees accordingly.” “The main lesson we learned was to work with and not against nature,” agreed Daniel Kampfer, RES Project Superintendent for the mitigation process. “Now we will take everything we’ve learned here—the successes as well as the setbacks—and work even more effectively and efficiently on the next large-scale restoration project.” The restoration team initially sectioned the restoration areas into 300 larger habitat sections, with trees selected for planting in some of these areas. Ultimately, over 670 habitat areas were identified and individually restored. The result of these careful designations and restoration of trees, rivers and other habitats is a highly resilient landscape that supports a diverse set of inhabitants, including pollinators, predators and birds of prey. According to Jim Bednarz, Senior Lecturer at the University of North Texas, the first signs of successful restoration is a diverse community of birds and animals, especially those at the top of the food chain—the predators. “Our preliminary data has already shown a huge number of birds of prey,” Bednarz said. Master’s degree students from the university have been onsite analyzing avian life and identified over a hundred bird species, including many that are threatened or protected in the state of Texas. RES highlighted this important research project which is available to watch online. Now that active restoration efforts are concluding, NTMWD and RES will transition to monitoring and maintenance for decades to ensure that the entire site continues to thrive. While all the new habitats must be monitored, “a lot of our ongoing efforts will be forestry, to develop those saplings and live stakes into the tree stands,” Stahman said. Teams will track the number of stands and types of trees per acre, including those that didn’t make it. Watch this video produced by RES for a stunning overview of the project and its transition to maintenance. “Think of it like a garden,” Hall explained. “The construction phase of a garden includes planting and tilling, but then it requires weeding and possibly planting a trellis and so forth to maintain. Our work is similar, just on a much larger, 17,000-acre scale.” For more information on Bois d’Arc Lake and its extensive environmental improvements, visit BoisdArcLake.org. About Bois d’Arc Lake Bois d’Arc Lake is the first major reservoir to be built in Texas in over 30 years. Located in Fannin County, the lake is owned and operated by the North Texas Municipal Water District. While the lake’s primary purpose is to provide drinking water to one of the fastest growing regions in the country, it will also offer future water recreation and outdoor activities. About NTMWD The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) was created in 1951 as a special district of the state. Today, NTMWD is a regional wholesale provider of water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal services for approximately two million residents across 10 counties – a service territory covering 2,200 square miles. With an annual operations budget of $570 million and 900 employees, NTMWD serves up to 80 communities with drinking water, more than 1.4 million people with wastewater collection and treatment, about 930,000 people with waste management services, and operates one of the largest advanced water treatment plants with a capacity of 876 million gallons per day. About RES Resource Environmental Solutions serves as the nation’s only fully scaled operating company, providing comprehensive ecological restoration and water resource solutions that build and sustain natural resiliency in local ecosystems. Contact Details North Texas Municipal Water District Wayne Larson, Director of Communications +1 214-449-8092 wlarson@ntmwd.com Company Website https://www.ntmwd.com/

May 31, 2022 09:10 AM Central Daylight Time

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