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Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) is pleased to announce social justice activist and founder of the Center for Ethical Leadership, Dr. Bill Grace and Nobel Laureate in Economics Dr. Joseph Stiglitz as speakers for its 2009 Commencement Ceremony on June 7th, 2009.

BGI’s MBA in Sustainable Business and Certificates in Sustainable Business and Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship 2009 graduating class chose these two incredibly unique and inspiring individuals to be their speaker for the 2009 Commencement.  Both have previously spoken at BGI and have deeply moved and inspired the students.

“As business responds to climate change, financial system distress and our societies growing concern with poverty, our students need to combine a strong moral compass with pragmatic leadership. Dr. Grace and Dr. Stiglitz are great examples of leaders that walk that line and can inspire all of us to do the same.” said Gifford Pinchot III President and Co-founder of BGI.

Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) in Washington, one the first graduate school in the U.S. to offer an MBA in Sustainable Business, announced Thursday May 7th the resignation of Dr. Jon C. Strauss and the re-instatement of co-founder Gifford Pinchot III as President.

Dr. Strauss was appointed President last November in a time when co-founder, and then President, Gifford Pinchot was transitioning to a less than central role in the governance of the school.  During Dr. Strauss’ time as President he dealt with the financial challenges caused by the slowing of philanthropic giving in the face of the worst financial crisis since the great Depression.  Six months later, the institution has made a number of staff reductions, stabilized fund raising, made good progress towards achieving accreditation, and developed a feasible plan that will allow BGI  to Change Business for Good through the continued improvement and expansion of its pioneering MBA Program in Sustainable Business.

Dr. Strauss will be returning to his first professional love, engineering education. He has been named as the Interim Dean of Engineering at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. There he will be responsible for leading the continued growth in excellence of this 4,500 student College of Engineering at this 30,000-student university in West Texas. Dr. Strauss is particularly enthused by the prospect of helping TTU achieve its aspiration to become this nation’s premiere “Energy University” with a particular emphasis on sustainable energy.