George Washington University
PAE-1: Sustainability Coordination

GW has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by convening a Board of Trustees Committee on Sustainability. The Committee on Sustainability of the Board of Trustees advises and assists the university in fostering its responsibilities concerning sustainability issues in its research, academic, and operational realms.

- George A. Coelho (Chair) Managing Director, Good Energies, (UK) LLP - Richard W. Blackburn, Retired Executive Vice President General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, Duke Energy - Christopher J. Bright, Historian - Lee Fensterstock, Chairman & CEO, Fensterstock Associates - John Gaffney, Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP - Gary Granoff, Chairman, Ameritrans Capital Corporation - Gerald Lazarus, Professor of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Founder of the Johns Hopkins Wound Center -Linda Rabbitt, Chairman & CEO, Rand Construction Corporation Faculty and administrative staff who currently report to the Committee on Sustainability of the GW Board of Trustees include Lou Katz, Executive Vice President and Treasurer Steve Lerman, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, A. James Clark Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Meghan Chapple-Brown, Director, Office of Sustainability, Division of Operations and Senior Advisor on University Sustainability Initiatives Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability Lisa Benton-Short, Academic Program Director for Sustainability, and Associate Professor of Geography William Dean, Associate Vice President for Development

The Office of Sustainability opened in January 2009, following the completion of the Task Force Report on Sustainability. The Task Force, convened by President Knapp upon his arrival at the university, provided a series of recommendations on sustainability to the university, creating an Office of Sustainability was one of their top priority areas. The office provides a strategic home for sustainability initiatives on campus, and the office works in partnership with many stakeholders on campus to advance our work.

The Director of the Office of Sustainability leads a team to provide centralized support and leadership for the advancement of GW’s sustainability mission to create systems that are healthy and thriving for all, long into the future. The Office does this by helping with tasks such as: - Setting sustainability goals - Supporting others at GW with the integration of activities into their current work (including curricular and research strategy, energy usage, new buildings, procurement, water use and waste, transportation, land use / ecosystems) - Engaging with students to better serve their interests, provide service-learning, and build momentum on student projects - Facilitating partnerships between the university and external leaders on initiatives and events – non-profit organizations, multi-lateral organizations, business, local and national government, funders, peer institutions, others - Helping to identify resources for sustainability efforts and sharing best practices across the university - Identifying and incubating sustainability projects that don’t yet have a “home” in the university GW’s Office of Sustainability works closely with many departments on campus such as facilities, services, and campus planning, campus development and construction who lead the design and construction, and facilities operation and maintenance work. In addition, the Office of Sustainability supports and partners with other divisions ranging from the president’s office and the provost’s office, to food and dining, procurement, investment, finance, development, student activities as well as various schools to integrate sustainability into the fabric of the organization. The Director also acts as Senior Advisor on University Sustainability Initiatives to institution leaders including the President, Provost, Executive Vice President and Treasurer, Vice President Development and Alumni Relations, and the Vice President for Research. GW has launched a pan-university effort that integrates sustainability across the curriculum, research, practice (campus and business practice), and outreach. As Senior Advisor, her role is to help GW become a leader in sustainability across these areas. She works closely with the Academic Director of the university-wide effort.