Search Results: green careers recap

March 2, 2020

Green Careers Recap: Corporate Social Responsibility

By Jonathan Oriondo   Pictured Left to Right: Emily Taubenblatt (moderator), Judith Albert, Julie Jack, and Ashley Hartman   On Tuesday, January 14, GreenHomeNYC organized the first Green Careers panel of the year. This time, we got to hear from three people about what it’s like be employed in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility. Our panelists shared details about their journeys to their current positions, and about what to expect in the CSR world. (more…)

July 31, 2019

Green Careers Recap: Career Opportunities in Waste Reduction and Management

By Tamanna Mohapatra   Photo by Kenton Archer   On July 9th, 2019, GreenHomeNYC hosted a panel discussion on careers in waste management. Our three panelists engaged the audience with inspiring stories about their career paths, and offered insights into this growing and varied field. They also shared great career tips with the diverse group of participants.   (more…)

October 31, 2018

October Green Careers Recap: Sustainable Career Tracks: NYC Government

By Radhna Saxena Photos By Jessica Bartolini     On October 9, Green Careers hosted a Career Tracks panel on NYC government jobs.  Professionals working to advance sustainability causes in various government sectors discussed their educational background, first steps in the sustainability industry, and job roles and responsibilities, while offering advice to those seeking a career in governmental sustainability.   Environmental Remediation     Kestana Anokye is a Project Manager in the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation, the agency that designs and operates municipal programs for cleanup and redevelopment of vacant contaminated lands. Anokye has a background in Geological Sciences and worked with two environmental consulting companies after college. Two years into her second job, she realized her growing passion for sustainability.  When a colleague suggested that she attend forums, like those hosted by GreenHomeNYC, to learn about opportunities in the field, it seemed a bit intimidating that almost every speaker had a degree in engineering.  But she was determined to find a way to combine her skills and training with her interests to find the right job.   While networking is invaluable, Anokye advised that persistence in your job search is most important, even when things don’t work out immediately.  That tenacity and patience led to her current position at the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation.   Energy Management     Michael Roos graduated with a liberal arts degree in economics and geography, and didn’t foresee his current role as a Building Performance Analyst for the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services Division of Energy Management. While pursuing his master’s degree at Columbia University, Roos learned about the role that local governments play in advancing urban sustainability, with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC serving as a case study. One of his professors encouraged him to apply for an internship in the Energy Department of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Interning with the largest public housing authority in North America was a valuable introduction to the field of energy management in city government.   Roos returned to the Energy Department in a permanent capacity as an Energy Analyst, deploying his data analysis skills to work extensively with the Utility Management Information System (UMIS), NYCHA’s utility bill database. He working with technical consultants to conduct energy analyses of NYCHA’s 2,500 residential buildings and facilitate energy benchmarking in compliance with New York City’s local laws. After a few years, he transitioned to his current role at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which serves as the hub of energy management activities for over 4,000 municipal buildings across the five boroughs. His role involves managing energy and performance in alignment with Mayor DeBlasio’s goal of a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings by 2025.   Roos advised job seekers to set up a keyword search on the city’s job website and DCAS Energy Management to stay abreast of new opportunities in city government. He noted that networking is an effective way to connect with the tightly-knit community of energy and sustainability professionals in New York. He added that the DCAS-administered Energy Management Institute offers continuing education classes for city workers to enhance their technical knowledge.   Sustainable Communities     As Director of Strategic Alignment & Implementation for NRDC’s Healthy People & Thriving Communities (HP&TC) Program, Lindsay Robbins works to foster the development of healthy, sustainable communities for all.  While studying film and TV production at NYU, she discovered a love for urban studies and decided to pursue a master’s degree in urban planning. During this period, she became involved with several environmental groups at NYU that banded together to advocate for an environmental program at the university and the adoption of sustainable practices. Leading the effort with a few fellow students, Robbins successfully advocated to set up the program and bring other sustainability initiatives to the campus. After graduation, she was hired by NYU to assist in the planning, design, and renovation of university buildings.   Robbins moved into government work when she was hired to work on multifamily efficiency programs at NYSERDA. Working in NYSERDA’s then-small NYC office was a great advantage, as it helped her take on a lot of responsibility quickly. Subsequently she worked for the state of Maryland, managing an energy assistance program for low income households, where she worked to weave energy efficiency into the mix. Now at NRDC, Robbins works on energy efficiency for the affordable housing sector, helping the HP&TC program achieve its broader goals. She advised job seekers not to be discouraged by the lack of a technical degree; this is a field that requires a variety of skill sets and there are ample opportunities to learn, if you remain curious and keep asking questions.   Housing Development     Tom Sahagian has had extensive experience working in private, non-profit, and governmental jobs, including the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development. He obtained a degree in journalism, later deciding to make the move into energy efficiency.  But he noted that his ability to write well has been a huge advantage over his entire career.   Although there are pros and cons to working in government, he felt one compelling advantage is that government organizations are not driven by profit.  The tendency to care more about the work, rather than gains or paybacks, can be a rewarding experience.   Sahagian’s advice is to be willing to start at the bottom, work hard, and learn new things every day to steadily climb up the ladder. He recommended pursuing continuing education for technical topics, and reading magazines on energy efficiency to stay abreast of the latest tools, technologies, and concepts. A few other important qualities for success:  Be smart and committed.  Be ready to do a lot of reading, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.   The panelists noted there’s often a long period between applying for a government job and getting an interview, so it’s important to be patient and persistent. And they agreed that regardless of your educational background, keep learning, keep reading, and keep applying until you find your dream job in sustainability.  

January 27, 2020

GreenHomeNYC Careers Recap: Careers in the New Green Economy — Government Edition

By Jonathan Oriondo     On October 29th, GreenHomeNYC convened a panel discussion on sustainability careers in government, a field that promises change and growth in the new green economy. In New York in particular, breakthrough climate legislation is not just leading the way to a carbon neutral city; as our speakers demonstrated, it is also leading to innovative and meaningful careers.   (more…)

October 28, 2019

Green Careers September Recap: Careers Paths to Energy Efficient Buildings

By Elena Weissmann Photo by Alicja Osinska On September 10, 2019, the GreenHomeNYC community gathered at GROHE to learn from industry experts about jobs in the energy efficient buildings arena here in New York City. We were lucky to be joined by Elizabeth Taveras of the NYC Division of Energy Management (DEM), Daquan Dennis from the CUNY Building Performance Lab, and Mina Agarabi of Agarabi Engineering PLLC.   Elizabeth, Daquan, and Mina gave participants a glimpse into a day in the life at their current workplaces, an understanding of the journeys that took them there, and advice on how participants might navigate their own journeys into this growing field. They also addressed the impact New York City’s new Local Law 97 will have on both careers and culture in the city’s buildings. (more…)

October 26, 2019

Green Careers August Recap: Careers in Academia

By Carl Hourihan   Photo by Ross Jaffe   On August 13, 2019, Green Careers hosted a varied panel of professionals in academia to share their career journeys. While their paths each took a different direction, the three speakers had two things in common: their paths all had many twists and turns, and they all navigated their voyages with passion and perseverance as their compass.   (more…)

June 27, 2019

Green Careers: Presentation Skills Workshop Recap

By Melanie Mason On Tuesday, June 11th, GreenHome NYC was excited to host one of our board members, Paul Reale, to lead a workshop on presentation skills. Paul is also the Director of Building Operations Research and Training at CUNY Building Performance Lab. He shared his experience presenting in various settings, including conferences and classrooms, and brought enthusiasm and expertise to a group of young professionals looking to further their skills. For those who missed this interactive workshop, you can check out Paul’s 13 pieces of advice here: (more…)

June 12, 2019

Green Careers May Recap: Nonprofit

by Ryan Cooper   On Tuesday, May 14, 2019, three professionals from the nonprofit sector gathered to discuss careers in sustainability. The panel included Danielle Bissett from the Billion Oyster Project, Gahl Sorkin Spanier from the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA) and Irene Nelson from the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC).   Energy Efficiency for All Gahl Sorkin Spanier is Business and Market Analyst at the Association for Energy Affordability, an organization “dedicated to achieving energy efficiency in new and existing buildings in order to foster and maintain affordable and healthy housing and communities, especially those of low-income.” The AEA delivers energy efficiency services for low income housing, conducts energy audits, designs green buildings for both new and existing structures, offers trainings for residents and building operators, and provides certifications for building professionals in the energy sector. Prior to Joining AEA, Gahl studied architecture at the Israel Institute of Technology and later received a Bachelors degree in architecture from Pratt Institute. After working for a number of years as an architect at various firms, he received an MBA from INSEAD. Following the completion of his business degree, Gahl focused his attention on green building and the intersection between sustainability and poverty. He believed that the choice to make and benefit from a positive impact on the environment should be for everyone, not just those with money. (more…)

April 24, 2019

Green Careers April Recap: Sustainable Start-ups

By Melanie Mason Image by Ross Jaffe   On April 9th, four start-up professionals joined GreenHomeNYC at our host venue Grohelive! Center to speak about their experience launching start-ups in the sustainability sector. The four panelists shared their journeys to where they are now, their perspectives on the current markets, and advice for finding a career in the industry. (more…)

March 20, 2019

Green Careers March Recap: Networking Skills Workshop

By Carl Hourihan Image by Louise Lauren   We all know the adage, “It’s who you know, not what you know.” Although this isn’t 100% true all the time, it certainly helps when you’re trying to start a new career! Emily Taubenblatt led our workshop, helping participants to gain the skills needed to meet and connect with the people you need to know for starting a new career. (more…)