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: Guillermo Ortiz, UC Merced, Sustainability and Diversity Educational Programs Manager
  • Co-Chair: Maria Rivera, UC San Diego Health, Digital Data Manager

Fleet

  • Co-Chair: Clinton Bench, UCLA, Director, Fleet and Transit Administration
  • Co-Chair: Greg Nishihira, UC San Diego, Associate Director, Fleet Services

Green Building

  • Co-Chair: Walt Kanzler, UC San Diego, Senior Director of Design
  • Co-Chair: Mark Maxwell, UC Merced, Assistant Project Manager / LEED Coordinator, Sustainability Officer

Sustainability and Wellbeing

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

Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating Systems (STARS)

  • Co-Chair: Camille Kirk, UC Davis, Director of Sustainability and Campus Sustainability Planner
  • Co-Chair: Kelli O’Day, UC Davis, Assessment Program Manager and Sustainability Officer

Sustainable Building Operations and Laboratories

  • Co-Chair: Carrie Metzgar, UC Irvine, Sustainability & Planning Analyst
  • 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: Heather Perry, UC Santa Barbara, Sustainable Procurement Analyst, Purchasing

Sustainable Transportation

  • Co-Chair: David Sorrell, UC Berkeley, Transportation Demand Management Administrator & Campus Mobility  Manager
  • Co-Chair: Erika (Hennon) Rule, UC Irvine, Acting Sustainable Programs Manager, Transportation and Distribution Services

Sustainable Water Systems

  • Co-Chair: Nurit Katz, UCLA, Chief Sustainability Officer, Facilities Management
  • Co-Chair: Eli Perszyk, UCSF, Water Program Manager

UC Health Sustainability

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

Zero Waste

  • Co-Chair: Kikei Wong, UCLA, Zero Waste Coordinator
  • Co-Chair: Jeffery Summerhays, Sustainability Manager, Zero Waste

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.