Media Contact: Amanda Leesburg 404-842-0040 amanda@leesburgpr.com
Ira Blumenthal Named President of Captain Planet Foundation
ATLANTA – January 24, 2008 – The Captain Planet Foundation, an international eco-foundation for youth based on the successful Captain Planet cartoon, is proud to announce the appointment of Ira Blumenthal as its new President. A self-proclaimed “environmentalist in training,” Blumenthal will lead the Foundation’s efforts to support hands-on, environmental projects for youth by building relationships within the environmental, educational and business communities as well as overseeing the Foundation’s grant portfolio. For the past 20 years, highly respected brand and business development expert Ira Blumenthal has counseled world class clients to “capitalize on change” and extend their brands through strategic alliances. As the founder of the Atlanta-based consulting group, CO-OPPORTUNITIES, Inc., Blumenthal has transformed and counseled international brands such as: The Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, Disney, Marriott, Wal-Mart and Kroger among others. A sought after keynote speaker, Blumenthal has also been a visiting instructor at The University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University and currently serves as inaugural Executive-In-Residence at Georgia State University's School of Hospitality. Additionally, he is the author of the popular marketing book, Ready, Blame, Fire! and plans to unveil his latest publication, Managing Brand You in May of 2008 with co-author Jerry S. Wilson. As a father of two daughters, three sons as well as a grandfather to one, Blumenthal is a dedicated parent, community activist and children’s advocate. Currently, Blumenthal sits on the boards of Atlanta’s Green Business Expo as well as Georgia State University’s Green Hospitality Consortium. He is also a board affiliate with The Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association and is an Advisory Board member of The HoneyBaked Ham Company of Georgia. His hospitality background also led to past tenure as a member of the Advisory Board of Food Chain, a national food rescue program. And love for his kids and passion for mentoring the next generation resulted in coaching over 50 youth baseball and basketball teams. Blumenthal further invested his time with them by serving as a board member of Oregon Park, a Cobb County youth sports complex, as well as former board member and president of the Harrison High School Basketball Boosters. And ever expanding his repertoire, Blumenthal is also the recipient of the coveted “George Washington Honor Medal” for literary excellence from The Freedoms Foundation. “We’re thrilled that Ira has joined the Foundation and know he will be a catalyst for change, educating the next generation of environmental leaders, said Laura Turner Seydel, Chairperson, Captain Planet Foundation. “Ira’s passion and dedication to the cause is contagious and comes at a time when we need eco-education outreach both nationally and across the globe.” “What an amazing opportunity to be able to apply my experience, network and abilities to help educate and inspire children to become great stewards of our planet, notes Blumenthal. “There comes a time in every person’s life when they should move from focusing on success to focusing on significance. This is my time and I am thrilled to be a Planeteer.” About The Captain Planet Foundation Captain Planet Foundation is located at 133 Luckie Street NW in Atlanta, Ga. They can be reached by phone at 404-522-4270. Founded in 1991, The Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) was created to support hands-on, environmental projects for youth. CPF's objective is to encourage innovative projects that empower today's children as environmental stewards. CPF is committed to making a global impact with projects throughout the United States and around the world including Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica and the US Virgin Islands. For more information, visit www.captainplanetfdn.org.
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