Sustainability Steering Committee

First formed in 2003 by the UCOP Senior Vice President for Business and Finance, the Sustainability Steering Committee (SSC) engages decision makers from all ten campuses in developing and implementing a successful systemwide sustainability policy.

The SSC meets once a year to review policies and progress towards the goals outlined in the UC Sustainable Practices Policy (pdf).

The SSC is composed of a representative from each campus and health system at the Vice Chancellor, Associate Vice Chancellor, or Chief Operating Officer level, faculty representatives, external experts, the Student Regent, and undergraduate and graduate student representatives. Students are active on the committee and provide valuable input in its direction.

The Sustainability Steering Committee is committed to ensuring that UC’s sustainability policy initiatives and programs are diverse in their staffing, and representative and inclusive of the communities who are engaged in these initiatives and programs. See the full SSC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement (pdf).

View the current Sustainability Steering Committee Membership Roster (pdf). 

Working Groups

There are thirteen Policy Working Groups that report to the Sustainability Steering Committee:

Climate Change

  • Co-Chair: Matthew Deines, UC Irvine, Senior Planner, Office of Environmental Planning and Sustainability
  • Co-Chair: Breeana Sylvas, UC Merced, Assistant Director Sustainability, Strategic Planning, Analytics

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ)

  • Co-Chair: Maria Rivera, UC San Diego Health, Digital Data Manager
  • Co-Chair: Ileana Brunetti, UC Santa Cruz, Sustainability and Equity Special Projects Manager

Fleet

  • Chair: Clinton Bench, UC Los Angeles, Director, Fleet and Transit Administration

Green Building

  • Co-Chair: Walt Kanzler, UC San Diego, Senior Director of Design
  • Co-Chair: Sarah Price, UC Office of the President, Associate Director of Design & Construction
  • Co-Chair: Kacy Wander, UC San Diego, Project Manager, Capital Program Management

Sustainability and Wellbeing

  • Chair: Katie Maynard, UC Santa Barbara, Sustainability Coordinator

Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating Systems (STARS)

  • Chair: Kelli O’Day, UC Davis, Assessment Program Manager and Sustainability Officer

Sustainable Building Operations and Laboratories

  • Co-Chair: Carrie Metzgar, UC San Diego, Sustainability Officer
  • Co-Chair: Fortino Morales III, UC Riverside, Sustainability Officer 

Sustainable Foodservice

  • Chair: Santana Diaz, UC Davis Health, Director of Culinary Operations and Innovation / Executive Chef, Food & Nutrition Services

Sustainable Procurement

  • Co-Chair: Russell Chung, UC Berkeley, Director of Procurement, Procurement Services
  • Co-Chair: Liz Kennedy, UC Los Angeles, Director, Ethical Labor and Sustainability

Sustainable Transportation

  • Chair: Erika Hennon Rule, UC Irvine, Acting Sustainable Programs Manager, Transportation and Distribution Services

Sustainable Water Systems

  • Co-Chair: Nurit Katz, UC Los Angeles, Chief Sustainability Officer, Facilities Management
  • Co-Chair: Eli Perszyk, UC San Francisco, Water Program Manager

UC Health Sustainability

  • Co-Chair: Barbara Hamilton, UC San Diego Health, Sustainability Officer
  • Co-Chair: Anna Levitt, UC San Francisco Health, Energy/Utilities Manager

Zero Waste

  • Co-Chair: Jen Bowser, UC Santa Barbara, Sustainable Procurement Program Manager
  • Co-Chair: Allajah Wheatley, UC Merced, Zero Waste Coordinator

Working Groups coordinate the implementation of their respective policy areas by sharing best practices and drafting policy and procedural recommendations to further sustainability goals, capturing benefits from economies of scales and scopes, and providing the Steering Committee with updates on implementation progress and challenges. Working Groups report progress and policy proposals annually to the SSC.

Working Group members are appointed by each campus. Chairs are selected by the Working Group and typically serve a two year term. All UC campuses are represented on each of the working groups.

Working Groups meet several times each year by conference call. Working Group Chairs attend Sustainability Steering Committee meetings to present on any policy updates or new proposals.