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Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

I am writing to share with you some sustainability-related organizational changes we are making within Strategic Resources and Support, including changing the name of the Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability.

Why we’re making these changes

With Chancellor Justin Schwartz’s creation of a new vice chancellor for sustainability position that will lead the university’s efforts to combine strides in academic, research and operational sustainability, SRS is making these strategic changes now to best align our people and operations in support of university goals and the new campus structure.

What’s changing

• The Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability will become the Office of Infrastructure and Resilience, and Chris Ewing’s title will change to vice chancellor for infrastructure and resilience. This will not fundamentally change the work of the organization. Taking action to incorporate sustainable operations across our campus and deliver upon the goals of the Climate Action Plan will remain a key driver of the team’s work. However, the name change will help avoid overlap/confusion with the new vice chancellor’s office.

• Chief Sustainability Officer Heidi VanGenderenwill take on the title of senior advisor for sustainability and climate, reporting to Deputy COO Jennifer McDuffie in my office. Heidi’s duties will include, among others, advising campus leadership, advancing strategic sustainability initiatives, onboarding of the new vice chancellor for sustainability, collaborating on implementation of the Climate Action Plan, and continuing to help broaden the local, regional and international reputation of CU Boulder. 
• The Office of Infrastructure and Resilience is creating a new director of sustainable operations role that will help I&R continue to infuse sustainability across its full portfolio of work in coordination with the new VC for sustainability. The director will focus on implementation of the Climate Action Plan and other campus sustainability recommendations in our built environment.

Timeline and next steps

The I&S name change and Heidi’s new position take effect immediately, though there will be a transition period for the name change as we work to inform campus partners and update websites and other collateral. The new director of sustainable operations role will be posted online in the coming weeks, and I encourage you to share the posting with your networks.

Gratitude

I am grateful for Chris and Heidi for their university-first approach and flexibility as we navigate this period of transition. And I am grateful for all of you for your dedication and adaptability. Climate action and sustainability, now more than ever, are the work of everyone on campus – but particularly so for this group, whose efforts will play such an important role in decarbonizing our campus and achieving the ambitious goals laid out in our Climate Action Plan. These changes will help us augment the collective efforts we will be making as a university.

Sincerely,

Pat