Aquinas College :: Sustainable Business

Sustainable Business Student Feature	Recent Sustainable Business Program Graduates
Current Internships

Current Sustainable Business Students

	Joseph Balog is a junior majoring in Sustainable Business, who was raised in Traverse City. His parents often took him camping where he explored Michigan forests and developed a love for hiking, climbing, and camping. Joe’s favorite past time activity is volunteering for variety of causes, and he also enjoys photography. Two fun facts you may not know about Joe is that he once fell while playing a game of musical chairs in front of 3,000 people, and he can recite the entire script of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Joe had always been drawn to Catholic Theology. Joe’s inspiration to seriously investigate Sustainable Business came two summers ago when he read the book Cradle to Cradle and felt “it just made sense.” Joe discovered that the principles of this
book seemed to fit well with his faith. He continued to read other publications on the subject and has since become utterly intrigued with the principles of Sustainable Business.

Joe is currently researching the intrinsic philosophy behind Sustainable Business and is looking for the connections of his Catholicism to the movement. He particularly enjoys the social aspect of sustainable business and looks forward to working overseas for a nonprofit organization, when Joe hopes someday to use his sustainable business expertise to significantly reduce world poverty.

	Lindsay Baker is a junior majoring in Sustainable Business major and working towards her Spanish minor. She grew up in Jupiter, Florida with her parents where she was taught to respect all people and things. Lindsay believes that in respecting the earth, she respects all people. Aside from hugging trees this school year, Lindsay is enjoying her position as an resident assistant at Regina Hall. When she is not working hard at school, the multi-talented Lindsay enjoys playing the clarinet, saxophone, piano, and harp! While enrolled at The College of the Atlantic in Maine and working towards a degree in environmental economics, Lindsay stumbled upon the Sustainable Business Program at Aquinas College. After researching the program, Lindsay realized this degree was a
perfect fit for her and she then made the decision to transfer to Aquinas. Since coming to Grand Rapids, every class, conversation, and assignment, has furthered Lindsay’s understanding and appreciation for the sustainable business movement.

The natural world has always been a big part of Lindsay's life, and Sustainable Business gives her the competency to enhance the environment and human community while making the organization that employs her even more profitable.. Lindsay is always anxious to wrap her mind around each new concept presented in SB class. “Each day I realize how fantastic and top notch this program really is,” Lindsay remarks. She knows she has found her academic home at Aquinas College.

	Rachel Tueth is a senior dual majoring in the Sustainable Business and Spanish. She grew up around the natural world while her father was the superintendent of a beautiful and inspiring state park in Illinois. Rachel spent the majority of her youth outdoors. Her dad was always teaching and showing her new things about nature, and from an early age, she was fascinated by the natural world. She enjoyed camping trips out west and anything else where she could be outdoors. Rachel formed a deep connection with nature which gave her the urge to dedicate herself to helping human society operate with the same elegance. Besides being outdoors, Rachel also enjoys tennis, walking, traveling, reading, and listening to music.
Rachel knew only a little about Sustainable Business before coming to Aquinas and decided to pursue the degree after learning how she could incorporate her love for nature and community into her daily life in a career. Rachel has always been in awe of how nature works and was glad to find a major that can incorporate her love for nature in a way that adds value to her community and that can also help businesses become more profitable as a result. “A career that I can enjoy while truly making the world a better place is my dream,” says Rachel.

Her favorite area in Sustainable Business is the environmental studies component. “The biodiversity of our planet is crucial to our survival, and I love exploring the interdependencies we have with other species,” she said. “By protecting and nourishing the environment, we in turn allow our species to thrive as well.”

Rachel tries to keep herself up-to-date on the latest innovations in businesses trying to help spur the movement. She loves telling curious people about her degree and what it entails. She believes that education is key to the success of the sustainability movement, and she tries to inform as many people as possible about all the positive effects that come from Sustainable Business.

	Lauren Rogers is a junior Sustainable Business major, with a double minor in accounting and French. Lauren was drawn to the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes and that was very appealing to Lauren who felt that the degree aligned her “values and beliefs into an educational experience.” Lauren is especially interested in how daily processes can be made more effective and sustainable. She is interested in integrating sustainability into urban life. Lauren’s family history influenced her in choosing her course of study. She cites her grandfather as a major influence on her, “I think he probably influenced me the most to
choose Sustainable Business. He always spent time in nature and taught me how to enjoy and respect it. At the same time he thought that business was an important thing to learn, and that knowing how industry works would be beneficial to me in my future.”

Lauren loves the outdoors and her favorite hobbies include traveling, camping, cooking, running, spending time with family and friends, and reading. She incorporates sustainability into her daily life by making small, yet important, changes in her daily habits in an effort to provide value to the natural world. She involves others in her life by sharing with them what she has learned about sustainability.

	Katie Rogala, a junior, is majoring in Sustainable Business & Community Leadership. “When I came on a tour to Aquinas I had no idea what I wanted to study. Then I heard about Sustainable Business and it sounded exactly like what I had been looking for, the perfect mix. The program just made sense and I knew it was something I could really believe in wholeheartedly,” says Katie. Her favorite area in Sustainable Business is the Triple Top Line. She says it is embodiment of sustainability, and it combines the three things that should be at the core of every business. Katie grew up in Livonia, Michigan with her mother who always attempted to make environmentally-conscious lifestyle choices. Katie unknowingly grew up being taught
the importance of respecting the earth and people. Her father worked at the VA hospital in downtown Detroit and, Katie says he has the biggest heart of anyone she knows. Both of her parents have always been an inspiration to her.

Katie is a student ambassador and enjoys spreading her enthusiasm about Aquinas. She recently joined the newly formed lacrosse team here at Aquinas and found out that she really likes playing. “I love being outside in general,” says Katie. “Hiking, swimming, even walking to Gaslight Village (a neighborhood near Aquinas) are fun.Katie enjoys educating people who aren't familiar with sustainability and presses her roommates to recycle everything even after they've thrown it away. She tries to take the extra time to realize the importance ofthe fundamentals of sustainability and to live her beliefs.

	Mary Tate grew up in Petoskey, a small city in northern Michigan, with her parents, sister and brother. “We're a close family and have always believed in ‘being the change you wish to see,’” states Mary. “I developed my passion for making a difference through my family's support and drive for social issues. We always enjoyed lively discussions and debates about many social and environmental issues, which fueled my passion and helped me develop a strength and courage to fight for what I believe is right.” Mary is currently a junior majoring in Sustainable Business and is undecided on a minor. From an early age Mary said she knew she had a passion for the environment and social issues, but she was unsure about where her passion would lead her. When she
found the Sustainable Business program at Aquinas, she knew it was exactly what she had been searching for. Mary says, “Sustainable Business has allowed me to grow in multiple ways and has handed me the tools I need to tackle the current problems facing the world concerning the environment.”

Mary says she does not yet have a favorite area in SB because everything ties together and can hardly be separated. Two areas of particular interest are developing local interdependent communities and the concept of biomimicry. Mary says that sustainability touches everything in life. We can make a decision to follow conventionality or to take the more difficult path and make the small steps towards sustainability that sometimes seem insignificant. For example, she chooses to walk or ride her bike to work or school instead of driving, even in Michigan’s freezing winter months. She is a firm believer that every small change you make in your own life will and does make a difference, but adds that "less bad" solutions will never generate significant change.

	Rebecca Goh is in her senior year at Aquinas as a Continuing Education student. She is double majoring in Sustainable Business and International Business with an emphasis in Mandarin language. Before children, Rebecca had many hobbies such as traveling, camping, hiking, raising horses, and gardening. Today, she assumes the role of mother, wife, and student. Rebecca says that her parents taught her the value of living within her means. “It’s a hard thing to do with today’s credit-funded lifestyles. My dad has always been interested in nature and took us to see many natural wonders of the U.S. wilderness. It is a very comfortable place for my dad, and he made sure my siblings and I were introduced
to its strength and harmony.” Her parents grew up during the Great Depression and she says at home nothing ever went to waste.

After working for a typical corporation, Rebecca felt like she could be doing more. “A career change was due and when I found the Sustainable Business program at Aquinas, I knew it was the answer I had been seeking.” Rebecca says that being able to help companies address the environmental and social aspects of business along with the economics will be a worthy challenge and one that allows her to positively affect people around the globe. Rebecca learned about living within her means and the benefits of community when she lived overseas.

Today, Rebecca and her family live near the Aquinas, Eastown, and Fulton Heights neighborhoods. “My latest challenge has been to see how long I can leave my car parked. I made it 8 days once before I needed to use it on a very rainy day.” She is composting and cycling as much as possible so her garbage each week is limited to less than one full bag. Each semester brings new information to build Rebecca’s knowledge of possibilities for establishing combined economic, environmental and social benefits.

	Marnie Spitzley is currently a senior majoring in Sustainable Business with a minor in Accounting. The primary reason she came to Aquinas was to play softball and had been planning on going into education. After taking Introduction to Environmental Studies with Dr. Tueth as a general education course, she was enthralled and decided to join the Sustainable Business movement. She switched majors right away. Marnie grew up in East Lansing, Michigan with her parents, two brothers, and one sister. “Living in East Lansing did not influence me to choose Sustainable Business as much as summers at my cottage in Ludington did,” says Marnie, “The sand dunes, forests, and lakes gave me a great appreciation of nature. I just can't imagine our children,
grandchildren not being able to experience nature the way that we do.” Marnie enjoys playing sports, especially basketball, softball, volleyball, soccer, and tennis. She says that they consume most of her spare time. She also enjoys snowboarding and water-skiing and loves spending time with her friends and family.

After learning about the strategic failures of conventional business, Marnie wants to make a difference in the world. Some of her favorite topics in Sustainable Business include sustainable energy systems, full-cost accounting, and natural capital. Marnie also really enjoys the scientific and biological aspects of the program. “Sustainable Business offers so many amazing lessons and I believe that the education aspect is very important,” Marnie says, “If we can continue to spread the movement and find other people with the same passions as us, then we are moving in the right direction.”

	Adam Zahn, a senior majoring in Sustainable Business, has lived in Grand Rapids for most of his life with his parents, who he characterizes as both environmentally and socially conscious. His father has worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Quality for over twenty years as an engineer, while his mother has volunteered her time with local organizations such as West Michigan Environmental Action Council and the Grand Rapids Community Media Center. Adam spent a large portion of his childhood in forests and parks and has grown to prefer the wilderness to urban life. “I see Sustainable Business as the reconciliation of my environmental and social concerns with the economy’s demand for profitable companies,” says Adam.

Adam had initially considered education as a career, until one day his older sister Jessica, an alumna of the Sustainable Business program, suggested that he read Cradle to Cradle by Michael Braungart and William McDonough. By the time he finished the book, he knew that he was going to follow her into Sustainable Business. For Adam, the beauty of sustainable business is its focus on the interconnectedness among a wide range of issues.

Adam practices Silat, an Indonesian martial art. He has been attending classes for over three years and was accepted as a teacher in training this last summer. Adam now works for the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. This past summer and fall he facilitated the museum transition from conventional cleaning products to more safe and benign alternatives.

Shane McGrath is a senior majoring in Sustainable Business. Some of his favorite hobbies include reading, playing the guitar, cooking and baseball. Shane grew up in New Jersey where he joined an environmental club in high school that did clean-up projects, bird watching, and heard ecologists and other guests speak on environmental topics. Shane says, “I never thought all my good times in that environmental club could turn into a career path for me, until I found the Sustainable Business Program at Aquinas College.”

Shane finds the Sustainable Business field intriguing because of its multidisciplinary nature. He says that he came across the major by accident and was excited to find a curriculum that combined so many of his interests in one program. Shane’s favorite area

in Sustainable Business is the social component of the Triple Top Line. “I feel Sustainable Business will play an important role in enhancinglocal business and culture, and making society better for future generations.” To incorporate sustainability into his daily life, Shane tries to do the best to apply what he has learned and share what he knows with others. He believes that directly engaging individuals in sustainability is critical to the movement.

Sean Fahey is currently a junior majoring in Sustainable Business. Sean grew up in Grand Haven, MI with his parents and his father, Marty Fahey, works at Aquinas as the Director of College Relations. Some hobbies he enjoys include road biking and engaging in various political discussions with his friends.

Sean chose Sustainable Business because he wants to makean impact and change the world. “I really didn't get passionate about the environment until the summer before I came to Aquinas,” says Sean. “This is when I realized I could actually make a difference in my community with this major.” His favorite areas in the field include sustainable energy and

biomimicry. Sean incorporates sustainability into his daily life by recycling, trying to walk or ride his bike rather than driving, being an advocate for sustainability, and cutting back on his energy and water use.

Amber Burrows is a senior majoring in Sustainable Business with a minor in English Literature. When the time came for her to attend college and choose a career path, she knew her choice would have to be meaningful. Amber began in the School of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and after moving to Grand Rapids, continued her education at GRCC before finally arriving at Aquinas. In her second semester at Aquinas, she took the introduction course to Environmental Studies. When the semester ended, Dr. Steketee approached her with the idea of becoming a Sustainable Business major. Amber says, “The clouds parted and the birds sang, and as nothing makes me happier than a beautiful day - I knew this could be the proactive path I had been looking for.”

Growing up with her mother in rural southwest Michigan, minutes from Lake Michigan, and her aunt on the northwest side of Chicago provided her with insight into the incredible impact of humans on the spaces they occupy. She says, “The incredible journey of my life has provided me with few greater sources of constant guidance than the natural world, my mother, and her younger sister, my aunt. Both of my female mentors live, work, and breathe compassion through action.”

Like her mentors, Amber tries to make decisions that are purposeful and reflective of deeper meaning. She says, “Finding a partner with a similar philosophy has only increased my personal ability to tread lightly.” The two of them maintain a household of rescued animals and musicians, all of whom are avid nature enthusiasts and local business supporters. Amber is grateful for the ways Sustainable Business has enhanced her life and cannot wait to apply equal passion and enthusiasm to her future career.

Current Sustainable Business Internships:

Rachel Tueth and Mary Tate - During fall semester these students perform a variety of roles for Bissell, a Grand Rapids headquartered floor cleaning equipment/products company, including staff sustainable business education and input on the design of sustainable practices.

Congratulations to our May '09 graduates!

Mariel Borgman, Becky Brown, Ann Erhardt, Angela Haberl, Lindsey Kauffman, Colin Knue, Bryant LaPres, Chris Meyer, Michelle Miscisin, Kalee Mockridge, Bobbi Parmer, Carol Parsaca, Shayna Rohrer, and Eliza Searles!

Employment of Sustainable Business Program Graduates:

Becky Brown, May '09 is currently an Americorp VISTA participant working at Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids,MI as the Volunteer and Intern Coordinator. She recruits and trains volunteers who will empower nature center visitors to build a strong and lasting connection to the natural world.

Bryant La Pres, May '09 is currently employed by PM Environmental, headquartered in Lansing, Mich., as a sustainability and energy consultant. Bryant is working on sustainability projects as well as Phase I environmental site assessments. PM Environmental also has offices in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Indiana, Alabama,Tennessee, and Florida.

Hillary Bisnett, May '08 is currently employed by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. as the Healthy Food in Health Care Coordinator. Hillary will focus on helping hospitals in the Midwest to understand and acquire best management practices for implementing healthy food programs, working with other organizations to provide healthy food to SE Michigan neighborhoods, and serving on the Michigan Green Health Care Committee. This committee has a few new campaigns that include localizing the food system in Michigan.

Karen Gray, May '08 has recently been hired as a salaried employee at Steelcase after one year of work as an intern/contract employee of the Global Environmental Performance department and Supply Chain Management Group. Her new position involves product certification initiatives such as MBDC C2C, and BIFMA-E3, managing RECs from the Texas wind farm, Green Suppliers Network, and other voluntary and regulatory projects geared toward Steelcase’s suppliers.

Katie O'Brien, May '08 is currently employed as an education assistant by SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Compost Education, a non-profit organization in Chicago. When groups visit SCARCE’s facility, Katie teaches them basic environmental principles such as cycling, composting, and energy/water conservation. She also travels to schools and businesses to perform energy audits.

Megan Cramer, graduated in May '07 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Business with a secondary concentration in environmental studies. Megan grew up in Coopersville, Michigan as the youngest of three sisters. She began her higher education at Grand Rapids Community College with an interest in geography. Her grandmother, mother, and sister all attended AQ and Megan decided to continue the tradition. She enjoys traveling and practicing sustainability on an individual and a community level. When asked why she is interested in sustainability Megan says, “Sustainability just makes sense to me. I can see the whole picture—everything is connected. I know the importance of the natural world and I am also aware of the fragility of it. I want to assist other people in acquiring an understanding of the natural world's role in our prosperity.”

Upon graduation, Megan relocated to Lanesboro, Minnesota, where she is currently employed by Eagle Bluff Environmental Education Center as a naturalist and educator.

	Lara (Fulton) Webster, a May 2007 graduate, grew up in Ludington, Michigan with two younger brothers and one younger sister. Her mother owns a dance studio and so consequently, Lara grew up dancing ever since she could walk. Her dad is also self-employed and he installs waterproof deck systems and insulation. In the spring semester of her junior year, Lara had an amazing time studying abroad in France. Nature has always played an important role in Lara’s life growing up as a child. The only time she and her siblings were allowed to stay inside was if they were sick or if it was raining, otherwise they were outside until dark. Lara feels that due to her early connection with nature, she now has a much deeper appreciation of the natural world.
Lara now works for Pilgrim Manor of Grand Rapids, a long-term assisted living facility for the elderly, as sustainability coordinator. Her job responsibiliites include directing the continuous implementation of a sustainable business framework that includes projects such as storm water management and sustainability metrics as well as education for Pilgrim Manor staff and residents.

Liz Ivkovich graduated in May 2007, earning a bachelor's degree in both Sustainable Business and International Studies. Liz grew up in Horton, Michigan. During her undergraduate studes, she spent a semester in Nepal caring for the elderly and plans to return in the future. Her mother is a music professor and her dad is an engineer and Liz says her parents have always stressed the value of an education in her family that includes one brother and two sisters.

Liz has accepted the position of International Associate Director of Administration for Word Made Flesh, a non-profit Christian missionary organization headquartered in the U.S. with operations worldwide. .

Josh Miller graduated in December 2006 with a B.S. in Sustainable Business and a second major concentration area of Environmental Studies. He grew up in the nearby town of Rockford and graduated from Belding High School. During his years at Aquinas, Josh was an accomplished athlete achieving All-Conference, All-Regional, and Academic All-American status on the men’s cross country team. He also distinguished himself academically and graduated magna cum laude in December.

Josh completed his internship at Sustainable Research Group (SRG) of Grand Rapids in the fall of 2006, where he conducted research supporting the Michigan Mercury Switch Program, alternative energy technologies, and the BIFMA furniture sustainability standard

initiative. Upon completion of the SRG position, Josh began a year-long internship at Metro Health Hospital. His primary responsibilities at Metro included internal education and marketing for the employee carpool program, bio-based cafeteria product research, and general grant writing.

In December 2006, Josh was hired as the Sustainability Coordinator for Spectrum Health of West Michigan. Responsibilities include managing the organization’s comprehensive environmental management system, overseeing collection and analysis of hospital sustainability indicators, assessing management of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and providing internal sustainable business education and training to Spectrum's 13,000+ employee workforce.

Kate Luce graduated from Aquinas in May 2006 with a B.S. in Sustainable Business and Environmental Studies. During the fall of her senior year, Kate spent a semester in San Francisco, where she interned with a web-based re-use company called IReuse. During her internship, she helped divert landfill waste by developing marketing campaigns, and creating and editing content for the IReuse’s website.

Currently, Kate works in East Lansing, MI for the environmental consulting firm Entrix, where she is employed as an Assistant Staff Scientist. Entrix is a national company known for its work in natural resource management and environmental risk assessment.

Entrix has recently started a corporate-wide sustainability initiative, and Kate has had a chance to head up the local office "green team". Kate says she now regularly draws upon her SB educational experience at Aquinas in many of her duties.

In her free time Kate is also a member of an up & coming band called "The Hallows." She plays the violin and does some vocals.

Melissa Cunningham graduated from Aquinas College in May 2006 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainable Business as well as a minor in Spanish. She completed an internship in the district office of U.S. Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers. Melissa is now employed by the Psychological Studies Institute of Atlanta, GA as a dean's assistant. Her responsibilities include acting as a liason among the dean, students, and faculty; coordinating several projects and events on campus; and providing direction for transitioning the organization to sustainable business practices.

Jessica Eimer graduated in December 2005 with a B.S. in sustainable business, environmental studies, and geography. During her last semester at Aquinas, Jessica interned at Metro Health Hospital where she organized an internal carpooling program for hospital employees. The program will make it relatively easy for employees to locate and contact potential commuters/ride share partners and provide incentives (paid for by a Michigan State Energy Office grant) for active carpoolers.

In January, Jessica was hired as the Program Director for the Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College (C4S). She will be active in our newly launched campus sustainability initiative by organizing and managing student involvement, assisting in conducting a

campus sustainability inventory, and supporting the internal suggestion submission process. Jessica will also help organize conferences on campus, continue to promote the sustainable business program and the Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College in the community, help maintain the web site for C4S and the sustainable business program, and supervise student involvement in the Center.

Jennifer Carlson graduated in May 2006 with a B.S in Sustainable Business. She completed her first internship with MIA, Inc. where she lobbied for Michigan legislation to implement much needed social programs for low-income senior citizens. Jennifer then completed a second internship as a marketing assistant at StelterPartners of Grand Rapids and now works for Cycle-Safe, Inc. in Ada, Mich.

Leslee Rohs graduated from Aquinas in May 2005 with a B.S. in environmental studies and history as well has a dual minor in sustainable business and Spanish. Leslee worked for the New Products Department at Crystal Flash Energy of Grand Rapids from the fall of 2004 until September 2005. Her responsibilities included product concept development for an alternative boiler fuel. She also conducted informal market research as well as environmental policy research, which involved summarizing energy policy, environmental regulations, and opportunities for grant funding. Crystal Flash Energy has a history of promoting alternative energy sources in West Michigan and her experiences there were invaluable.

In September of 2005, Leslee began a challenging, full-time position in the district office of U.S. Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers as a Constituent Services Representative. Leslee serves as a liaison between the residents of Michigan's third district and federal government agencies. Leslee finds it rewarding to assist individuals and local businesses in the community to solve problems and communicate with federal agencies.

John Ebers graduated from Aquinas College in May 2004. He double majored in political science and environmental studies and began studying topics related to sustainable business through independent studies about a year before the SB program formed. John is particularly interested in the impact of business on the natural world and earned his sustainable business minor in the spring of 2005.

John first interned with Metro Health Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich. in the spring semester of 2004 and was subsequently hired for a full-time position after graduation. As the Sustainable Business Officer for Metro, John is responsible for the program management of a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) that

includes intelligent product procurement, waste elimination, energy and water improvement, and environmental health and quality programs for Metro. Notable projects include the LEED integration for the $150 million new Metro hospital in Wyoming, Mich. and project manager for Metro’s Storm Water Management Grant that is assisting with the funding of a 48,500 square foot vegetated roof on the administrative wing of the new hospital.


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