Climate Change and Sustainability
How Meredith Alumnae Are Making a Difference
By Taylor Sexton
Climate Change and Sustainability
How Meredith Alumnae Are Making a Difference
By Taylor Sexton
Climate change and the environment are in the news for many reasons. Typically the information conveyed is (understandably) alarming and sparks feelings of eco-anxiety and existential dread. In fact, 80% of Americans believe global warming will be a significant problem for future generations. It’s easy to get sucked into the doom-scrolling, but there is hope.
There have been plenty of technological advancements and calls for social change that are beginning to set us up for a “greener” future. Whether it’s connecting corporations with nonprofits, lobbying for clean power in the federal government, or advocating for the health and prosperity of citizens, many organizations and people are working to preserve the environment.
Here’s how three Meredith College alumnae are using their skills to make a positive impact in the field of sustainability.
Building Sustainable Connections
Heather Beard, ’93, works as the executive director for EarthShare North Carolina, an organization that connects corporations with 70+ nonprofits working to meet humanity’s most basic needs.
“The mission of our organization is to bring more people and resources to the health of our environment, connecting more people with learning and volunteer opportunities, and just knowing how, as individuals, they can make a difference,” she said.
Beard’s daily work involves reaching out to businesses to inform them about how EarthShare NC can support them in their engagement with the environment and in sustainability.
Lobbying For Clean Power
Diana Godlevskaya, ’18, works as the deputy director of federal affairs at the American Clean Power Association, which is the largest trade association for the clean power sector and represents numerous members.
“Overall, my job is split into two categories. One side of it is lobbying. I’m a registered lobbyist, and I lobby Congress for a living. I cover appropriations and green hydrogen. Those are my two specific portfolio topics,” she said. “And the other part is I run our political action committee, which includes fundraising and funding members of congressional campaigns across the country.”
Caring For the Well-Being of Others
Indyah Bryant, ’19, works as the multimedia communications officer in the Office of Public Affairs and Environmental Education at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The DEQ is the lead stewardship agency for protecting North Carolina’s environmental resources with a mission to provide science-based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all citizens.
As the multimedia communications officer, Bryant’s days never look the same. She does a variety of projects ranging from creating video content, planning and organizing public meetings, writing press releases, and more.
Building Sustainable Connections
Heather Beard, ’93, works as the executive director for EarthShare North Carolina, an organization that connects corporations with 70+ nonprofits working to meet humanity’s most basic needs.
“The mission of our organization is to bring more people and resources to the health of our environment, connecting more people with learning and volunteer opportunities, and just knowing how, as individuals, they can make a difference,” she said.
Beard’s daily work involves reaching out to businesses to inform them about how EarthShare NC can support them in their engagement with the environment and in sustainability. From there, she helps connect them with a nonprofit and find a middle point so both parties can reach their goals.
“It’s really rewarding because all of our work is designed to help people understand their individual connection to the climate, learn more about the work going on in their communities for clean air, clean water, and environmental justice, and have that entry point to be involved in those things.”
One of Beard’s favorite and most impactful projects is the Earth Day Corporate Events Program, which has 30 businesses and 400 employees involved. The program involves a mobile app that participants download, and then for two weeks, they can try out different sustainability actions. The app encourages friendly competition among coworkers through its approximately 60 actions. What makes it unique is that each time a participant completes an action, they can see the calculated impact in real time.
“You can see how much water was conserved, how much was diverted from the landfill, how much carbon was kept out of the atmosphere because you reused your water bottle or because you took another action on the list,” she said.
Another event Beard is looking forward to is an Earth Day breakfast the organization will be hosting. It is an hour-long work session, plus networking and breakfast that anybody is invited to attend.
“We really are seeing companies across the board struggling with employee retention and building a culture where employees want to stay. Employees, investors, customers, everyone is saying, ‘we need to see what you’re doing for the environment. Everyone needs to have a role in it.’ So, employees especially want to work for a place that they feel good about,” she said.
After being with EarthShare NC for 20 years, Beard has watched the organization grow and thrive. She said the relationships they’ve managed to build between employers and nonprofits and the programs they’ve created to connect companies with their employees are a point of pride for her.
“There’s no other organization like us in North Carolina. So we’ve created things that are brand new and fresh and really tried to mobilize people in a new way. All of our work is for our member nonprofits, so every day, my work is to advance and strengthen their work. I’m incredibly proud of that because these people are amazing who are out there working for our environment every day.”
Lobbying For Clean Power
Diana Godlevskaya, ’18, works as the deputy director of federal affairs at the American Clean Power Association, which is the largest trade association for the clean power sector and represents numerous members.
“Overall, my job is split into two categories. One side of it is lobbying. I’m a registered lobbyist, and I lobby Congress for a living. I cover appropriations and green hydrogen. Those are my two specific portfolio topics,” she said. “And the other part is I run our political action committee, which includes fundraising and funding members of congressional campaigns across the country.”
One of the largest projects Godlevskaya has worked on is the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, one of the biggest packages of climate investments signed into law in U.S. history. The bill includes $369 billion in funding for clean energy projects, pollution controls, tax breaks on electric vehicles, and solar and battery manufacturing.
“The Inflation Reduction Act is the biggest piece of climate legislation in our country’s history. So many people worked on it, and it’s cool to say that I was one of the people working on it. It took thousands and thousands of people and experts and lobbyists and scientists. But it’s an honor to be a small piece of that huge community that pushed this over the finish line.”
This bill isn’t the only positive change happening in sustainability right now. Godlevaskaya said the market and people’s perceptions have made a significant move toward renewables.
“This is an industry that’s creating jobs in our states, and it’s an industry that’s powering our homes when the power goes out. We have energy storage, for example, that can kick in and provide another reliable resource. I think the perception and shift toward clean energy makes me hopeful.”
Even though there are many ways individuals can become more sustainable in their daily lives, Godlevaskaya highlighted the importance of getting involved with the community and local government. Godlevaskaya currently lobbies at the federal level but previously lobbied at the state level with a primary focus on the Carolinas, Louisiana, and Georgia.
“A huge learning experience was not only how much power state governments have but how much local governments have,” she said.
Godlevaskaya explained that many sustainability projects are rejected at the local level. For example, there are issues with solar projects across the country because of “Not In My Backyard” groups, local councils, and district groups saying they don’t want these projects in their district.
“It’s so important to get engaged at the local government level. Honestly, that is where people can make the most direct impact in the near or at least near-to-medium future,” she said.
Godlevaskaya traces her passion for sustainability back to her time at Meredith, where she participated in tending to the Dickson Foundation Community Garden, agriculture initiatives, and a rain reclamation program.
“Meredith has always had a really cool and interesting approach to sustainability,” she said. “I think it’s important to continue encouraging that on campus. I also think that there is a lot of opportunity to build out the sustainability program at Meredith.”
She also credits Professor of Biological Sciences Erin Lindquist, who passed away in 2019, for her current career path.
“My advisor was so incredibly wonderful. Her name was Dr. Erin Lindquist, and she was a pillar in the Meredith community. She was in the biology department and led the environmental sustainability program, and did a lot of fieldwork in Costa Rica. She was just a wonderful human and absolutely helped me get to this place in my career,” she said.
Godlevaskaya said that at the end of the day, sustainability is not only good for the environment but for humankind as well.
“Humans are an inherent part of this ecosystem, and when we talk about sustainability, we also have to figure out where people are. Whether it’s folks who can’t power their homes, or it’s the folks in marginalized communities who have been impacted by pollution for as long as we’ve had different sources of fuel, humans are an inherent part of this ecosystem. When we talk about sustainability, we also have to figure out where people are.”
Caring For the Well-Being of Others
Indyah Bryant, ’19, works as the multimedia communications officer in the Office of Public Affairs and Environmental Education at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The DEQ is the leading stewardship agency for protecting North Carolina’s environmental resources with a mission to provide science-based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all citizens.
As the multimedia communications officer, Bryant’s days never look the same. She works on a variety of projects ranging from creating video content, planning and organizing public meetings, writing press releases, and more.
“My favorite thing about my job is the variety of things I get to work on daily,” she said. “I also love the people I work with because we are all passionate about a variety of topics, we come from different backgrounds, and are overall supportive of each other.”
Earth Day is one of DEQ’s biggest days of the year as it is dedicated to what they work for every day. It’s also one of Bryant’s favorite times of the year because of all the activities the department participates in.
“From stream clean-ups throughout the state to teaching children and students about climate change, we are all really active together as a team. This isn’t the only time that we’re active in the community to talk about climate change or how to protect our environment. Still, it’s definitely a time when you can feel everyone’s excitement for the day,” she said.
While working at DEQ, Bryant said she has learned more about the importance of environmental sustainability and just how much fun it can be. For example, Bryant has recently found a love for electric vehicles, which have become a primary focus for the country and the world. She said she was surprised to learn how much pollution one car can produce, and she has been impressed by the technological advances and styles of electric vehicles over the last year.
“DEQ has hybrid and fully electric vehicles at some of our offices, and I was able to drive one of the hybrids. While in the car, I was able to see the car switch from using the gas to using the battery, and to me, that was the coolest thing. I am a big tech person, so that is why I was amazed,” she said.
Overall, there are many advancements, both technologically and socially, happening in sustainability. One of Bryant’s favorite parts about her job is caring for the well-being of people and the environment.
“There are so many people who don’t have clean water or can barely breathe fresh air because of man-made factors and human activity in general. So when we preserve and protect the environment, we’re doing a favor to ourselves and those we love. Just something as simple as recycling can be a step toward a healthier environment for us to live in,” said Bryant.