By Tommy Stuart
After a nationwide search, UK alumnus and employee has been named the university’s first sustainability officer.
Shane Tedder, currently serving as UK’s sustainability coordinator for the Office of Residence Life, will now be responsible for the entire campus’ sustainability.
“I plan to approach this job with the same amount of enthusiasm and effort that I did before,†Tedder said.
As an undergraduate, Tedder attended UK and majored in anthropology and environmental studies. After graduating in 2004, he returned to UK for graduate school to study conservation biology.
“What I want to do is develop programs on campus that help inform people of what sustainability is and what individuals in the university community can do to promote sustainability,†Tedder said.
On an individual and institutional level, sustainability is about responsible global citizenship with a triple bottom-line:Â economic vitality, environmental stewardship and social justice, Tedder said.
Five other candidates were considered individuals, but his reputation, passion and ability to work with others put him over the top, said Bob Wiseman, vice president for facilities management.
Wiseman appointed a committee to choose the individual best suited to be UK’s first sustainability officer.
Gail Hairston, UK spokeswoman and member of the committee, said the decision, though difficult, was unanimous among members of the committee.
“With the challenges and expectations in UK’s future, I believe we chose the best person for the job,†Hairston said.
Wiseman wanted a position filled at UK that was solely designated to promote sustainability practices.
“When sustainable practices are a part of everybody’s job, it becomes nobody’s whole responsibility,†Wiseman said. “I wanted someone who woke up each morning with sustainability as their core responsibility.â€
Wiseman is optimistic for the future of UK’s sustainability practices and improvements.
“I’m looking forward to (Tedder’s appointment),†he said.
Tedder said he should take on his new position sometime next week.
I love when places conduct a “nationwide search” but then just end up hiring the person they were going to hire in the first place. I wonder if people were interviewed who had to fly or drive in from afar and how much carbon was used for this process. Just promote and get it over with.