Careers in Sustainability

Craig Moody Mary Ferdig

American Society for Public Administration NebraskaUniversity of Nebraska, Omaha

College of Public Affairs and Community ServiceSeptember 25, 3013

craig@verdisgroup.com mferdig@sustainabilityleaders.org

Objectives

• What constitutes a sustainability career?

• Examples of sustainability careers?

• Examples of background and skills needed for a sustainability career?

Who are you and why are you here?

Sustainability: what does it mean?

The ability of the current generation to meet its needs, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Brundtland, 1987

Triple bottom line: Integration of social, economic and environmental concerns (people, planet profits). Elkington, 2004

A fundamental awareness of human interaction responsibilities—a fundamental element of all of life’s interrelatedness—in response to the threatening complexities of our modern age. Ferdig, 2010

What Constitutes a Sustainability Career?

The United Nations Environmental Program Says. . .

A sustainability career includes work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality.

Specifically. . .

. . . but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.

UN Environmental Program

• Supply Chain & Operations• Energy and Resource Management• The Built Environment• IT & Technology• Education • Community & Organizational Development• Agriculture/Food• Environmental Protection and Remediation• Regulation

Sustainability Fields. . .

Sustainability Careers. . .

. . .chief sustainability officer, sustainability director, engineer, architect, planner, sustainability consultant, clean energy consultant, waste management specialist, program coordinator, energy specialist, field coordinator, lighting specialist, carbon analyst, urban gardener, organic farmer, researcher, professor, writer, vehicle designer, renewable energy developer, green finance, activist, lobbyist. . .

UCO Dispatch Supervisor Blue Sky Biofuels Oakland, CA Sep 23 Education and Outreach Specialist I Thurston County Solid waste Olympia, WA Sep 23 Manager, Policy and Advocacy Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 21

Installation Technician Conservation Services Group Milwaukee, WI Sep 21 Project Manager, Africa Rainforest Alliance New York, NY (Richmond, VT; Washington, DC)

Sep 20 Supervisor, Waste Solutions ECOVA Seattle, WA Sep 20 Project Lead ECOVA Spokane, WA Sep 20 Database Architect Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA

Sep 20 Staff Accountant The Nature Conservancy San Francisco, CA (SF Bay Area financial district) Sep 19 EHS Academy Senior Program Manager Institute for Sustainable

Communities Montpelier, VT Sep 19 VP, Financial Planning and Analysis ECOVA Spokane, WA Sep 19 Software Engineer ECOVA Portland, OR Sep 19 Project Associate ECOVA

Seattle, WA Sep 19 Manager, Account Management Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 19 Senior Financial Coordinator Conservation Services Group

Albany, NY Sep 19 Marketing & Communications Volunteer Can YA Love Washington, DC (Work remote) Sep 18 Data Team Fellowship (DC) Greenpeace USA Washington, DC Sep

18 Clean Energy Consultant IFC, World Bank Group Washington, DC Sep 18 Waterloo Regional Trailhead Facility lntern Madison Audubon Society Waterloo, WI Sep 17

Sustainability Program Manager (Job Id 3465) California State University, Northridge Northridge, CA Sep 17 Program Coordinator, Corporate Social Responsibility NBCUniversal

New York, NY Sep 17 Manager, Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility NBCUniversal New York, NY Sep 17 Coordinator, Digital Membership - Development

Rainforest Alliance New York, NY Sep 17 Field Manager Conservation Services Group Albany, NY Sep 17 Energy Specialist Conservation Services Group Boston, MA Sep 17 Sustainable Transport Intern- Shanghai Confidential Shanghai, Shanghai, China Sep 17

Director of Research and Education Linda Loring Nature Foundation Nantucket, MA Sep 17 Sales Representative Nularis Energy Solutions Various Sep 16

Recruitment and Alumni Manager Legatum Center at MIT Cambridge, MA Sep 16 Associate Brand Manager Organic Valley La Farge, WI Sep 16 Energy Specialist

Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 14 Energy Specialist Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 14 Program Officer Enterprise Community Partners New York, NY (Financial District) Sep 13 Program Director Enterprise Community Partners

Current Sustainability Jobs!

http://jobs.greenbiz.com/

UCO Dispatch Supervisor Blue Sky Biofuels Oakland, CA Sep 23 Education and Outreach Specialist I Thurston County Solid waste Olympia, WA Sep 23 Manager, Policy and

Advocacy Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 21 Installation Technician Conservation Services Group Milwaukee, WI Sep 21 Project Manager, Africa Rainforest

Alliance New York, NY (Richmond, VT; Washington, DC) Sep 20 Supervisor, Waste Solutions ECOVA Seattle, WA Sep 20 Project Lead ECOVA Spokane, WA Sep 20 Database

Architect Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 20 Staff Accountant The Nature Conservancy San Francisco, CA (SF Bay Area financial district) Sep 19 EHS

Academy Senior Program Manager Institute for Sustainable Communities Montpelier, VT Sep 19 VP, Financial Planning and Analysis ECOVA Spokane, WA Sep 19 Software

Engineer ECOVA Portland, OR Sep 19 Project Associate ECOVA Seattle, WA Sep 19 Manager, Account Management Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 19

Senior Financial Coordinator Conservation Services Group Albany, NY Sep 19 Marketing & Communications Volunteer Can YA Love Washington, DC (Work remote) Sep 18 Data Team Fellowship (DC) Greenpeace USA Washington, DC Sep 18 Clean Energy Consultant IFC,

World Bank Group Washington, DC Sep 18 Waterloo Regional Trailhead Facility lntern Madison Audubon Society Waterloo, WI Sep 17 Sustainability Program Manager (Job Id

3465) California State University, Northridge Northridge, CA Sep 17 Program Coordinator, Corporate Social Responsibility NBCUniversal New York, NY Sep 17 Manager,

Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility NBCUniversal New York, NY Sep 17 Coordinator, Digital Membership - Development Rainforest Alliance New York, NY Sep 17

Field Manager Conservation Services Group Albany, NY Sep 17 Energy Specialist Conservation Services Group Boston, MA Sep 17 Sustainable Transport Intern- Shanghai Confidential Shanghai, Shanghai, China Sep 17 Director of Research and Education Linda

Loring Nature Foundation Nantucket, MA Sep 17 Sales Representative Nularis Energy Solutions Various Sep 16 Recruitment and Alumni Manager Legatum Center at MIT

Cambridge, MA Sep 16 Associate Brand Manager Organic Valley La Farge, WI Sep 16 Energy Specialist Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 14 Energy Specialist

Conservation Services Group Westborough, MA Sep 14 Program Officer Enterprise Community Partners New York, NY (Financial District) Sep 13 Program Director Enterprise

Community Partners

Current Sustainability Jobs!

http://jobs.greenbiz.com/

Getting into the Field:

Background & Skills

Observations and Experiences

The Verdis Buckets & Filters

1. Passion – if it’s not there, we don’t consider you.

2. Strengths – good ol’ Gallup StrengthsFinder3. Skills – communication, leadership, attention to detail, organization, professionalism

4. Expertise – energy conservation measures, water, communicating sustainability, waste management, environmental impact, GHG inventory

Finding YOUR Career in Sustainability

First steps. . .

• Identify what you're interested in• Get experience through school coursework

or projects• Get experience researching related

internships and jobs• Build the structure of your resume and

continue to work to fill it in

Your Resume. . .OBJECTIVE: PROJECT COORDINATOR INTERN – COMMERCIAL RETAIL PROGRAMS

PROFILE

Strong interest in sustainability and energy efficiency

Demonstrated self-starter with effective combination of organizational and communication skills.

Strong academic training in sustainability

Strong writing and research skills

Proficient in MS Office (highly proficient in Excel) and database management

EDUCATION

B.S. Environmental Studies, University of Nebraska, Omaha, degree expected June 20XX

RELATED COURSEWORK

Environmental Sustainability

Sustainable Development

International Green Building

Sustainable Cities

RELATED PROJECTS AND RESEARCH PAPERS:

Senior Capstone: Nicaragua Renewable Energy: In a team of 10 students, travelled to Nicaragua to assess

http://www.pdx.edu/sites/www.pdx.edu.careers/files/SUSTAINABILITY%20RESUME%20SAMPLE.pdf

University of Nebraska Sustainability Programs. . . For example: • UNO Environmental Studies Program:

http://www.unomaha.edu/environmental_studies/index.php• UNO College of Business: MBA Sustainability Concentration • UNO Center for Urban Sustainability (affiliated with Peter

Kiewit Institute, Creighton University and Metropolitan Community College)

• UN Durham School Architectural Engineering and Construction http://engineering.unl.edu/durhamschool/

• UN Daugherty Water for Food Institute: http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/

• UNL Sustainable Agriculture http://sustainableag.unl.edu/

Metro Community College. . .Array of Courses:• Biofuels • Solar Energy Design and Installation• Solar Electric Installation• Green Problem Solving• Home Maintenance Carpentry• Programmable Logic Controls Applications• Commercial Building Energy Efficiency• Social Problems• Commercial Building Energy Efficiency• Renewable Energy• Electric Vehicles• Sustainability Leadership Presentation Series

Other Programs, Courses and Trainings in the Area. . .

• Creighton University: http://www.creighton.edu/about/sustainability/curriculum/index.php

• LEED Certification Training Omaha: http://www.greenedu.com/leed-green-associate-exam-prep-courses?location=omaha&state=ne

• Nebraska Business Development Center: http://nbdc.unomaha.edu/sustainability/

• Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center http://www.p2ric.org/

Current Opportunity Resources

Green Biz: http://jobs.greenbiz.com/

Treehugger: http://jobs.treehugger.com/?dcitc=th_nav

Idealist: http://www.idealist.org/search/v2/advanced(jobs, organizations, volunteer programs, internships, by location)

Green Dream Jobs: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm?city=&state=37&country=0&level=0&category=0&keyword=&go=greendreamjobs.main&submit=find+jobs

Resources Mentioned During the Presention

Bellevue University: Sustainability Managementwww.bellevue.edu/SustainabilityMgmtJohn.kyndt@bellevue.edu

Greater Omaha Young Professionals (see Chamber of Commerce)

Phi Alpha Delta Pre-law Fraternity

Objectives

• What constitutes a sustainability career?

• Examples of sustainability careers?

• Examples of background and skills needed for a sustainability career?

Careers in Sustainability

Craig Moody Mary Ferdig

American Society for Public Administration NebraskaUniversity of Nebraska, Omaha

College of Public Affairs and Community ServiceSeptember 25, 3013

craig@verdisgroup.com mferdig@sustainabilityleaders.org