ByGeorge!
February 2009

Environmental Leader Named First Director of GW’s Office of Sustainability


Meghan Chapple-Brown has been named GW’s first director of the Office of Sustainability, which was launched in the fall at the recommendation of a yearlong Presidential Task Force on Sustainability.

Meghan Chapple-Brown grew up in northeast Ohio down the shore from the Cuyahoga River, a waterway so polluted by the industrial plants on its banks that it caught on fire multiple times in the mid-20th century. The notorious river fires inspired a movement for local and national water pollution controls in the late 1960s. Chapple-Brown remembers hearing about the river fires as a child and knowing people who worked at the steel mills and chemical plants alongside the water.

“Seeing industry alongside homes and wildlife was quite a juxtaposition,” says Chapple-Brown. “I saw that we needed both development and the environment. It intrigued me and made me think about the tradeoffs and how the environment and the economy might function more harmoniously.”

Chapple-Brown credits these observations for her 15-year career in environmental outreach and advocacy. Appointed as the first director of GW’s newly created Office of Sustainability in January, Chapple-Brown says she is excited to create and pursue sustainable initiatives at the University.

“GW is taking a leading role in sustainability, and the Office of Sustainability’s intention is to bring together different people across colleges and operational departments to fulfill this mission,” she says. “GW students, faculty, and staff are clearly very serious about sustainability and that attracted me to the University.”

“Meghan Chapple-Brown brings the skills and experience that will help the University achieve its aspiration of becoming a model of sustainability in the greater Washington area and a national leader in this area among institutions of higher learning,” says GW President Steven Knapp. “She will coordinate and extend the efforts already underway across the University to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and build a commitment to environmental stewardship into the fabric of our institutional culture.”

Chapple-Brown says the University’s myriad strengths, including its location, institutional resources, and community’s interest in environmental issues, will help the University achieve its sustainability goals.

“At its core, the Office of Sustain­ability will support the efforts to make our operations environmentally sound. We are also looking at the best way to leverage the University’s unique assets. For example, GW could potentially play a more significant role in dialogue with governments about sustainable policies,” she says. “We will also be examining how to leverage the strong environmental academic programs at the University, as well as student enthusiasm and alumni reach, to make an impact on sustainable development.”

Chapple-Brown says general plans include reviewing and revising University operations such as energy efficiency, water use, and transportation systems to make them more environmentally sound. In an effort to meet the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment signed by Dr. Knapp in April, Chapple-Brown also will work with the GW Office of Planning and Environmental Management to create a comprehensive climate neutrality plan targeting the reduction of greenhouse gases and work with an academic task force to look at innovative curriculum in the sustainability field.

Chapple-Brown says she welcomes input from the GW community and is exploring setting up a forum for people to share concerns and create ideas on sustainability at GW.

Chapple-Brown comes to GW from a three-year stint as director of client services at SustainAbility, a strategy consulting firm. At the firm, she worked with corporations, including Nike and Ford Motor Company, to create social, environmental, and economic value through their products, services, and operations. She graduated from Northwestern University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences and pre-medicine. After leaving Northwestern, Chapple-Brown worked for Public Allies in Chicago, a nonprofit organization that focuses on youth development, where she launched the South Side’s first recycling program and developed a community garden to encourage peace in violent neighborhoods and environmental education.

Chapple-Brown also conducted tours of forest preserves and prairies for local families and educators through The Nature Conservancy’s Chicago office. Chapple-Brown returned to school in 1999 and earned master’s degrees in corporate strategy and environmental policy from the University of Michigan. In addition to graduate course work, Chapple-Brown worked on business projects in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.

To Chapple-Brown, the term “sustainable” has a larger meaning that connects people worldwide. “Sustainability is more than just about the environment; it is about creating a global system that can sustain human beings now and in the future,” she says. “For example, when water or food shortages exacerbate poverty, it becomes a social problem. In the future, I hope GW can be a center for intellectual dialogue about these kinds of sustainability issues, and on a global level, work to make the world a more sustainable place.”

 


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