Making Sustainability Standard Practice
Vol. 11       No. 7      July 2017 
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Intimate setting, dynamic speakers, and cross-cutting curriculum. September 13-15 at Yale University.
Upcoming ISSP Events
TopFrom the President's Desk
We Are Bonded By The Idea
That A Better Way Is Possible
By Rob Andrejewski, ISSP-SA, Director of Sustainability, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
This is an incredible time to have a career in sustainability. Thousands of organizations across the globe have altered the way they operate in order to meet today's unprecedented social and environmental challenges. We've seen a shift from a focus on compliance toward a recognition of sustainability as a strategic driver integral to innovation and prosperity. Collectively, we are closer than ever to realizing the goal of adopting sustainability as standard practice in business, governance, community development, and education.

As sustainability has matured as a field, the ISSP Board has maintained its focus on empowering professionals to advance sustainability in organizations and in communities. Our members called for cohesion around what it means to be a sustainability professional, what competencies are necessary to perform at a high level, and how to ensure that employers find and develop the right people. ISSP's renewed emphasis on defining the body of knowledge and credentialing grew out of this demand. Today, there is no better way to recognize professionals for their knowledge, skills, and abilities, while simultaneously providing credibility to employers seeking assurance of a standard level of competency, than to become a certified ISSP Credential Holder.

Alongside the ISSP Board of Directors and the 2017-2018 Leadership Team, I look forward to continuing to work toward the advancement of sustainability. As professionals, we are bonded by the idea that a better way is possible. There has never been a better time to join ISSP and work together in forging that path. Please reach out to me or a staff member to get involved today.

Summer Is the Season to Get Certified!
If you haven't seen it yet, check out the new online directory of ISSP credential holders , sortable by not just by name, but by country, company, or industry. A quick search reveals the broad array of sustainability professionals that have earned an ISSP credential since 2015, hailing from countries spanning from France (2 credential holders) to Australia (11 credential holders). The information is automatically generated from our member database, so make sure to update your profile with your latest location and company information.

Beginning this summer, we will be organizing a series of presentations featuring panels of ISSP-SAs and ISSP-CSPs, each speaking about the value their credential has brought to their workplace, career, and personal brand. These presentations will introduce the value of the ISSP credentials to audiences of sustainability professionals, industry and trade groups, and hiring managers. If you are an ISSP credential holder and want to be involved in this project, let us know by filling out the ISSP Volunteer form .

As the Northern Hemisphere settles into the summer months, many students and professionals alike are using some of their 'down' time to study for the ISSP-SA credential exam so they can earn recognition for their knowledge, skills, and abilities as a sustainability professional. If you're interested in following their lead, visit our website for more information and study materials.


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New Leadership Team Announced
A new Leadership Team has been elected by the ISSP Board of Directors. The new officers assume their roles as momentum continues to grow for the ISSP Sustainability Professional Certification program and ISSP increases its capacity through partnerships with Organizational Members and Education Partners

Members of the 2017-2018 Leadership Team are:
  • President - Rob Andrejewski, ISSP-SA, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
  • Vice President - Rosalinda Sanquiche, ISSP-SA, Well Written Consulting, St. Augustine, FL
  • Secretary - Marsha Willard, ISSP-CSP, AXIS Performance Advisors, Portland, OR
  • Treasurer - Lucinda Brown, ISSP-CSP, STET Sustainability Consulting, Norwich, VT
  • Development Director - Simon Harvey, ISSP-CSP, BusinessLAB, Auckland, New Zealand
  • Past President - Jeff Yorzyk, ISSP-CSP, Green Chef, Boulder, CO
Read more about all of ISSP's board and management team.
ISSP New  Member  Ambassador Program
Have you been an ISSP member for at least 6 months?  Would you like to expand your network of Sustainability Professionals and help welcome new ISSP members into the community? The ISSP New Member Ambassador Program allows longer-term ISSP members to welcome new members to ISSP; help them become familiar with ISSP's mission, resources, and member benefits; and facilitate networking among new and existing ISSP members in their region, including hosting occasional virtual meetings of ISSP members. Though this program was only recently created, there are currently more than 30 ISSP New Member Ambassadors all around the world, with more to come as the program develops. If you are interested in becoming an ISSP Ambassador, see the description of the position on the Volunteer Opportunities page and click on the Volunteer button. If you have questions, please contact our Ambassador Program Intern, Taylor Racela.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Explored by ISSP Greater NYC Chapter
Environmental experts from Belgium, Kenya, Catalonia, Brazil, and Argentina were among the panelists when the ISSP Greater New York City chapter met this week to explore the topic of Regional Governments and the 2030 SDGs Agenda. The speakers each highlighted best practices and lessons learned with illustrative case studies as they pursue the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in their respective regions. See the full speaker line-up and learn more about the ISSP Greater New York City Chapter.
Summer Webinars:
Reporting and Integrating Sustainability
Reporting frameworks are key tools the sustainability professional can use to help define and measure a company's sustainability performance. However, choosing the right model is vital, since there are as many different ways to look at and measure sustainability as there are business models.   Join us to Deepen Your Toolbox and learn about a sustainability reporting framework developed by the Sustainable Food Trade Association and its members. Inspired by the Natural Step framework, SFTA's reporting format takes a comprehensive systems-based approach, so many, if not most, of these metrics can apply across a spectrum of industries.

We all know that sustainability performance improvements must be linked to the larger organizational objectives.  Ensuring that we speak the language of Operational Excellence is imperative.  When integrated, we can use the rigor of our operational excellence peer professionals to improve performance on human rights, fair trade, organizational governance, or even community involvement.   Join presenter Andrea Hoffmeier as we demonstrate how sustainability leaders can easily use existing resources, human resources that are already in their organizations, for performance improvement.

All webinars are free for ISSP members, and attendance earns 0.5 CEUs for ISSP-SAs and ISSP-CSPs.  Use the links above to sign up today!
Calling All Sustainability Professionals!
ISSP is developing a new offering aimed at sharpening professional skills with regard to implementing sustainable practices in organizations, communities, and large systems. We are seeking working professionals who are willing to co-create a case study based on real challenges that they are currently grappling with or have recently worked through to use in a series of guided webinars to cement core sustainability concepts.

If you have a good story to tell and would like to be a featured case, please check out our full call for presenters and   contact us with a brief description of your case situation.

Explore Who You Are In the World
At Upcoming Rocky Mountain Retreat
By Hillary Mizia, Executive Director, Shadowcliff Mountain Lodge
 
Recently I was at a networking event and asked someone "Who are you in the world?" 

It caught her off guard, but after a beat her eyes light up and she enthusiastically shared with me all the ways that she's amazing.  In our work as sustainability professionals, it can be really challenging to remember not just who we are in the world, but also who we are in the sustainability world and why we even do what it is that we do!  For those exact reasons, Beyond Sustainability: A Workshop for Professionals was created.  Join together with other sustainability professionals in a meaningful setting to connect with each other, interesting and valuable tools to elevate your work, and reconnect with your inner sustainability warrior.  Space is limited for this "non-conference," happening August 27th-31st in Grand Lake, CO.  Learn more and register here .  I hope to see you there, and learn who you are in the world!


Sustainability Events Around the World   
 
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world's leading professional association for sustainability professionals. ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward through building strong networks and communities of practice.