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. 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 (faculty, staff and students) working together through each step of the procurement process. Sustainable procurement requires a holistic strategy that 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. To that end, UC campus procurement departments 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 (PLC). This Working Group drives results within the UC community, its resources, industry, and technologies. To advance these aims, the Working Group:

  • Supports PLC activities by developing and recommending objectives, initiatives and projects relating to sustainable 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.
  • Developing and recommending updates to the UC Sustainable Practices Policy for sustainable procurement activities. Coordinates annual reporting to the Regents on progress towards sustainable procurement goals.

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)
  • 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
  • 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, Chief Small Business Officer, UC San Diego

Main Focus

  • Education & Training – ongoing education, training and resource building in support of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy for Procurement. 
  • Policy Implementation – supporting ongoing efforts to embed change in alignment with UC Sustainable Practices Policy for Procurement.
  • Current Efforts – identification of '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!