The Unsung Architects of Our Green Future: Meet the College Sustainability Managers Leading the Charge

For the College of Menominee Nation, located in Kenesha, Wisconsin, sustainability is nothing new. It’s the continuation of more than 12,000 years of sustainable forestry practices. When the college was founded, tribal leaders sought to preserve and grow this tradition by including the Sustainable Development Institute. 

Rebecca Edler is the Sustainability Coordinator for the institute and has served as interim director twice. She has worked at the College for 16 years,  spending 11 with the Institute. This is where her journey with renewable energy started, while serving as Interim Director, when a faculty member won a grant to install solar panels on their trades building. 

Rebecca saw the opportunities solar presented and took action.

She got to work with an Americorps Vista worker, Emma Ardington, to apply for a grant to install solar panels on their library. According to Rebecca, the application was strengthened by the detailed numbers they had collected from a recent greenhouse gas inventory.  They won the grant. 

“I have to be completely honest here, I do not have a solar background. But I was tasked with overseeing this project.” Rebecca Edler

As her efforts to increase solar energy on campus were taking off, Menominee Nation leaders were looking for new ways to protect tribal sovereignty. 

To do this, they partnered with Indigenized Energy, a non-profit capacity-building organization focused on expanding renewable energy production for Native Tribes. “It was almost like it was meant to be,” said Rebecca. Because of their recent solar installations, Rebecca and others from the institute participated in the meetings. It didn’t take long for the institute to take a leading role in this tribal effort. 

With the help of Cody Two Bears and David Riley at Indigenized Energy, Rebecca applied for and won a grant to install a 40 kW grid at the institute. The Menominee tribe tasked the institute to organize workshops to teach community members how to work with and install solar panels. “It was sort of like the perfect storm–  in a good way. We had the tribe, we had the college, and we had Indigenized Energy,” said Rebecca. 

The workshops were intended to welcome 15-20 participants, but well over 50 signed up. So the institute expanded the program. According to Rebecca, the workshops were, “hands-on learning at its best.” 

 “It was not simply installing a grid, it was also thinking about our workforce development. Thinking about equipping tribal members or community members with the skills, the knowledge, the qualifications, that are needed to succeed in this industry.” Rebecca Edler

Rebecca watched as her community came together to pursue sustainability and sovereignty, “One of my greatest memories is when I was sitting at my desk, and I could look out, it was raining out, and there were women, there were grandmothers out there. They had their hardhats on, they had their goggles on, they had their tools in their hands, and they were carrying those solar panels from the pile and they were getting them up on the grid and installing them.” 

Rebecca was inspired by her neighbors, of all ages, genders, and walks of life, who saw opportunity in renewable energy, “To me it showed the dedication, the desire, and the support of the community to move in this direction of clean energy.”

A Sustainability Manager With A Passion for Solar

When you meet Pat Snowden, it doesn’t take long to learn he is a go-getter. His can-do attitude is infectious and he’s dedicated to his work. Something else you’ll learn about Pat is that he has a passion for solar energy.

Pat Snowden serves as the Sustainability and Resource Conservation Manager for Everett Community College in Everett, Washington. Everett is a public community college serving over 16,000 students. 

Since 2013, Pat has been managing a 19.2kW solar array and according to Pat this solar array has paid off, “Even in our climate, which is notoriously cloudy and at a high northern latitude, we generate roughly 21,000 kWh of electricity annually.”

But Pat’s journey with solar energy didn’t start at Everett. Pat had already graduated from University of Washington-Bothell with a bachelor’s degree and some certificates in solar system design. But he needed to build his skills with Computer-Aided Design, better known as CAD. So, like millions of Americans, he enrolled at his local community college to earn an Associate of Technical Arts degree focused on CAD.

As a student, Pat joined Everett’s student newspaper, The Clipper. His role at the Clipper allowed him to interview the previous sustainability lead for Everett’s facilities team. That interview left a strong impression on him. “That led me to apply to the Facilities Department when a position became available and then I just never left,” said Pat.

Now over a decade later, Pat is upping the ante on solar energy. Everett recently submitted for a grant to install a 100kW solar array on one of their buildings. To Pat, investing in solar is a no-brainer.

“Aside from the educational aspects for students, I think we can offset our energy use with these systems.” Pat went on to say, “I think solar panels are a great long-term investment because they last for so long and can replace many other types of generation.” Pat Snowden

After this grant, Pat doesn’t plan to slow down, “My goal is to install a megawatt of solar panels on campus before I retire.” Pat sees huge opportunity in solar for Everett and higher education as a whole, “I think it has a lot of potential in many ways, including as an educational tool, increased research opportunities, and good paying jobs that help the economy overall.” 

Pat added, “There have been a lot of advances in the last few years in the renewable energy field, and a lot of this has been driven by research at educational institutions.”

Pat see’s his work on renewable energy at Everett helping lead the country to a stronger economy, energy independence, and clean environment, “Even with the climate change and greenhouse-gas emissions aside, this is a looming national security issue that needs to be addressed.” 

And Pat’s passion for renewable energy goes even deeper than that, “I am a solar nerd and am excited about trying to get more solar and renewable energy projects done on the campus. However, my favorite part of my job is talking to students & staff about solar and renewable systems.” Pat continued, “There are a lot of really smart, passionate young people out there and I love seeing them get excited about this stuff. It gives me hope for the future.”

This April, join Rebecca and Pat in observing Earth Day on your campus or in your community. If you already have an Earth Day event planned, share it with your community by registering it on the Global Earth Day Map. If you are looking for a way to observe Earth Day in your community, you can find events near you on the same Global Earth Day Map! And be sure to follow the great work campuses are doing across the globe on the Earth Day Campus Coalition Instagram page!