Sustainable Procurement Working Group

Procurement plays a key role in UC's climate and sustainability commitments, including the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, Global Food Initiative, Zero Waste goal and water goal. As such, sustainable procurement across the UC system focuses on aligning systemwide buying power with UC's strategic goals to procure products and services in a conscious, sustainable manner.

This collaborative effort includes university personnel throughout every step of the procurement process (faculty, staff and students) working together to address the university system's needs. Sustainable procurement focuses on planning, sourcing, and buying smart; reduction over reuse and recycle, and providing environmentally preferable, as well as socially and economically responsible options to campus and local communities. This requires a more holistic strategy throughout the procurement process. As such, each University campus procurement department came together to form the UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group. 

procurement venn diagram

UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group

The Sustainable Procurement Working Group is tasked with leading university sustainable procurement efforts by both the UC Sustainability Steering Committee and Procurement Leadership Council. UC Procurement has assembled this working group to drive results within the UC community, its resources, industry, and technologies. To advance these aims, the working group:

  • Supports Procurement Leadership Council activities by developing and recommending objectives, initiatives and projects reflecting the subject matter of sustainability in procurement. This includes updates to policy, processes, reporting, standard contracts, support systems, and training.
  • Supports the development and delivery of best practices in sustainable procurement at each of the UC locations.
  • Supports Sustainable Steering Committee activities by developing and recommending updates to the UC Sustainable Practices Policy as they relate to sustainable procurement. Coordinates annual reporting to the Regents on progress towards the sustainable procurement activities in the UC Sustainable Practices Policy as well as updates on group activities.

UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group Members

  • Heather Perry, Sustainable Procurement Program Manager, UC Santa Barbara (co-chair)
  • Russell Chung, Chief Procurement Officer, UC Berkeley (co-chair) 
  • Stephanie Lopez, Special Programs Manager-Procurement, UC Office of the President (manager) 
  • Sapna Thottathil, Associate Director-Sustainability, UC Office of the President
  • Dean Shehu, Life Sciences Commodity Manager, UC San Francisco
  • Loren House, Supplier Diversity Program Manager-Supply Chain Management, UC Berkeley
  • Julie Alvarez, Sourcing Manager for Life Sciences, UC Davis
  • Yvonne Macon, MRO Commodity Manager-Strategic Sourcing, UC Office of the President
  • Meagan Torres, Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager & IT Category Manager, UC Merced
  • Sandra Chang, Commodity Manager, Strategic Sourcing, UC Los Angeles
  • Henry Gutierrez, Procurement Analyst, UC Riverside
  • Lily Zaprianoff, Administrative Support, UC Irvine 
  • Anthony Singleton, Manager, Chief Small Business Officer, UC San Diego

Current Projects

  • Education & Training - ongoing education, training and resource building in support of the new UC Sustainable Practices Policy for Procurement. 
  • Supplier Sustainability Assessment Tool - project to gain better visibility into UC's supply chain, assess risk in supplier partnerships, address supplier sustainability practices, and drive supply chain improvements that support UC's overall sustainability goals.  
  • UC Zero Waste Foam Packaging Ban - developing guidance to help procurement staff and UC buyers address foam packaging in our supply chain.
  • Policy Implementation - supporting ongoing efforts to embed change in alignment with new UC Sustainable Practices Policy for Procurement. Efforts include - working with strategic suppliers to identify 'UC Green' products in hosted and punchout catalogs, developing template content to aid in solicitation development, refining spend reporting to show progress against sustainable procurement goals and more!