Peter M. Kimm has been appointed as new US-AEP Executive Director by USAID Administrator Brian Atwood, replacing Larry Crandall who retires this month. Kimm is scheduled to begin work at US-AEP on January 12; Richard Sheppard will be Acting Director in the interim.

On learning of his appointment, Mr. Kimm said, "This appointment is a truly exciting opportunity for me. US-AEP is an important model for combining our international trade, environment, and development goals. I look forward to working with US-AEP's many partners in building on the success to date. Public-private partnerships fully incorporating the private sector are absolutely essential to development and to meaningful aid programs. I believe US-AEP's very talented people will continue to make a real contribution to environmental progress in Asia."

For the past four years, Kimm has been the senior career official in the USAID Environment Center where he supervised the operations of offices responsible for natural resources, energy, and urban programs. He had previously served for more than 20 years as USAID's Director of Urban Programs specializing in urban policy and finance, the urban environment, and local government.

Kimm's Asia experience began with U.S. Army service in the Korean war in 1952 and 1953, where he led a combat construction unit. He then returned to Korea in 1972 to establish a USAID Regional Urban Development Office (RUDO). Similar RUDOs were later set up in Thailand, Indonesia, and India. Kimm has been heavily involved in urban environmental activities in Asia for the past 25 years.

As the top career U.S. government official dealing with urbanization in the developing world, Kimm has received numerous awards and substantial recognition. In 1996 at the Istanbul "Cities Summit", also known at HABITAT II, he received the highest honor awarded by the United Nations Center for Human Settlements for his contribution to resolving the housing needs of the world's poor. Other awards include commendations from the governments of Ecuador and Costa Rica, the Rank Award of Distinguished Executive in the U.S. Senior Executive Service, and recognition as outstanding alumnus in the field of public service by his alma mater.

Before joining USAID, Kimm worked for the private sector in housing and construction in New York City and Latin America. He is a licensed professional engineer and a graduate of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City.

A project supported by US-AEP's NGO-Business Partnership program was recently judged "Most Innovative Environmental Project" by the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation's Sikap-Gawa Awards in the Philippines. This national competition is conducted annually to recognize community projects that have a strong impact on human, social, and economic development. Implemented by The Asia Foundation, a US-AEP partner, the project was cited for employing grassroots technology and earth-friendly materials in the bio-conversion of sugarcane milling waste into organic fertilizer. It was conducted by the Federation of Multi-Purpose Cooperatives of Western Batangas (FEDMUCO), a farmers' association, in partnership with Central Azucarera Don Pedro (CADP), a sugar milling operation. CADP reported that the conversion of milling waste into fertilizer resulted in an 8-10 percent waste reduction and substantial savings due to lower usage of its corporate dump site, while FEDMUCO stated that the experience of implementing the project improved internal management capability. Training seminars and educational mailings--including print and video materials-- enabled farmers, civic organizations, and government officials to learn about the benefits of using chemical-free fertilizer. Application of the fertilizer to rice and sugarcane crops by local cooperatives resulted in lower costs, healthier plants, and fewer pests, convincing participants of the value of organic farming. More than 2,500 bags of the organic fertilizer were ordered for the next season.

Through its cooperative agreement with the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR), US-AEP assisted Malaysia in taking a first step toward forming its own pollution prevention organization. At a November 18 seminar hosted by the Environmental Management and Research Association of Malaysia (ENSEARCH) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian environmental professionals and industry representatives agreed to form a Malaysian roundtable and learned about the experiences of U.S. NPPR members, as well as the pollution prevention (P2) efforts of Malaysian companies. David Thomas-- manager of the state-funded Waste Management and Research Center in Champaign, Illinois, and one of the original NPPR members--shared the history of NPPR as well as his organization's experiences in promoting P2. Another active NPPR member, Kevin O'Donnell of Minnesota Technologies, Inc. in Minneapolis, discussed his state-funded organization's mission to strengthen Minnesota's manufacturing sector by promoting efficiency and global competitiveness through P2 and cleaner production. Case studies featuring the P2 efforts of Malaysian companies were presented by Lu Sim Hoay of the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia; and Manira Yong, an environmental consultant and ENSEARCH council member, moderated the full-day seminar. Participants in this meeting and other invitees will discuss next steps at a larger gathering on December 8, during which they will discuss the group's name, objectives, and activities. US-AEP and NPPR will continue to work with the Malaysian group and will sponsor a special issue of the ENSEARCH Journal devoted to P2.

Two conferences to help U.S. service providers and companies export environmental technologies were recently held by the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce-Office of Environmental Technology Exports. These events, held in Chicago, Illinois, on October 17 and in Miami, Florida, on November 18, engaged more than 130 total participants from 20 states, including service providers such as state departments of economic development, world trade centers, small business development centers, universities, and environmental associations, as well as U.S. environmental companies. Prior to both conferences, NASDA sponsored a workshop on writing grant applications for US-AEP's Environmental Technology Fund, covering topics such as eligibility requirements and specifics on the application process. Approximately 35 companies and service providers attended these workshops, and many expressed interest in applying for a Tech Fund grant in the near future.