OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Sustainability Speaker Series (S3)
About S3
The Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) provides a forum to share ideas and strategies to expand social, environmental and economic sustainability within New Jersey. S3 brings together sustainability experts and NJ leaders from diverse sectors to discuss how organizations can incorporate sustainability into business decisions. All events are planned and managed by the Bureau of Sustainability . Check out the S3 Flyer to learn more about the program.
Participating is easy!
S3 is open to everyone; businesses, colleges, government officials, schools, nonprofits and residents. If you are interested in participating in S3, email Sustainability@njdepwptest.net
Why attend?
Join the group of over 600 business leaders who have attended meetings to learn about, improve, and encourage the growth of sustainability in New Jersey!
Past Events
Each S3 meeting has a unique sustainability related theme, and features presentations from experts and NJ leaders. Below you will find a brief description of each event, with supporting materials.
The Sustainability Speaker Series was developed by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Energy and Sustainability’s, Sustainable Business Initiative (SBI). The SBI was launched in 2011 and brought together representatives from State government, business and non-profit sectors to brainstorm and implement programs to encourage sustainability within the state. Through the efforts of the SBI Stakeholder Committees, two programs were developed, the Sustainability Speaker Series, and the NJ Sustainable Business Registry . At this time, the SBI Stakeholder Committees are no longer active.
Check out our Sustainable Business Guides to learn how you can incorporate sustainable practices into your business operations.
This installment of the NJ Sustainable Speaker Series (S3) meeting was held virtually on January 29, 2025. During the meeting registrants learned about decarbonization and general sustainability initiatives being implemented by government agencies and community organizations. Stephen Myers and Daniel Clark from NJDEP’s Bureau of Climate Change & Clean Energy presented on the NJDEP’s Lead by Example Initiative, Lauren Skowronski from Sustainable Jersey explained Sustainable Jersey’s Regional Hubs, and Peter Fried from the Madison Green Team presented on the decarbonization efforts taking place in Madison, NJ.
This installment of the NJ Sustainable Speaker Series (S3) meeting was held virtually on March 21, 2024. During the meeting registrants learned about nature connectivity in New Jersey. Staff with the South Jersey Transportation Authority provided an overview of the Wildlife Crossings the Authority has installed under the Atlantic City Expressway. The staff that presented included Nicholas F. Marchese, Environmental Manager, John McDonnell, Project Manager, Kailey Howard, Stockton University Senior and Assistant Environment Project Manager, and Lauren Hoolahan, Stockton University Junior and Environmental Scientist Intern. Gretchen Fowles, GIS Specialist/Biologist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program discussed the Connecting Habitats Across New Jersey (CHANJ) Program. Finally, Tricia Aspinwall, Land Conservation Manager with The Nature Conservancy provided information on Bobcat Alley, a protected wildlife corridor providing state-endangered bobcats and other wildlife with safe areas to move between their ranges.
This installment of the NJ Sustainable Speaker Series (S3) meeting was held virtually on December 5, 2023. During the meeting registrants learned about community sustainability efforts with focus on creative placement arts, rain gardens and pollinator gardens. Mike Haberland, Associate Professor at Rutgers Cooperative Extension, walked us through the importance of rain and pollinator gardens while also teaching us how to build our own. Leonardo Vazquez, Executive Director of Northern NJ Community Foundation, expanded on this topic by showing us how rain gardens and other forms of public art can serve the community in multiple ways. Finally, Patrick J. McDevitt Jr., Energy Efficiency Analyst at South Jersey Gas and Founder of Sustainable Monroe Township, spoke on how Monroe Township’s public art installation of a community labyrinth has positively impacted their community and the surrounding area.
The Winter 2023 Sustainable Speaker Series (S3) meeting was held virtually on February 23, 2023. During the meeting registrants learned about best practices to ensure building efficiency from industry experts Ken Levenson, Executive Director of Passive House and William Amann, President of M&E Engineers, INC. Ken discussed what the qualifications are for a building to meet Passive House standards and the importance of proper insulation, airtightness, thermal bridge free connections, high-performance windows and doors with solar protection and high efficiency heat recovery ventilation. William complemented this information by sharing a presentation focusing on heat pumps and electrification.
On November 9, 2022, the Bureau of Sustainability hosted a virtual Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) Meeting focusing on Sustainability in the Beauty Industry. During the meeting, Shop LOHAS World co-founder Giovanna Aguilar discussed supply chain sustainability and how she used that as a fundamental building block for her business. We also heard from The B-Hive Salon owner, James Alba, who discussed the methods used to be a green salon. Attendees of this S3 Meeting learned how to start a business with sustainability as a cornerstone of operation and the tools and methods used to own and operate a sustainable salon.
The Winter 2022 Sustainable Speakers Series (S3) meeting was held virtually on January 12, 2022. During the meeting registrants learned about the sustainable business operations of the 268 Wawa, Inc. stores located in New Jersey (all of which are included on the New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry). Whitely McWilliams from Wawa’s Government Relations and Sustainability Team discussed Wawa’s latest sustainable initiatives including installation of EV charging stations, use of solar panels to power some stores, and coffee and food waste recycling at many of their locations. Gina Gambacorto of the Bureau of Sustainability also gave a presentation on the New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry and described how businesses can become members of the Registry.
On April 28th, the Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) held the “Exploring Food Waste Recycling and Energy Generation” meeting, which highlighted New Jersey’s new Food Waste Recycling Law that goes into effect in October 2021. Fredrik Khayati of the Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste provided an overview of the law and Arielle Bernard from Waste Management CORe Facility and Andrew Johnston and Brian Blair from Trenton Renewable Power Anerobic Digestors provided overviews of their recycling processes and what generators need to know to utilize them.”
On April 15, 2021 the Bureau of Sustainability hosted a virtual Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) Meeting focusing on Corporate Sustainability & Green Team Development. During the meeting we learned about Jersey Central Power and Light’s (JCP&L) sustainability efforts along with the work of their parent company FirstEnergy Corp. JCP&L Regional External Affairs Consultant, John Meehan, discussed how JCP&L developed their green team, the team’s sustainable success stories and how other businesses can replicate their model. Following John, we heard from FirstEnergy’s Senior Scientist, Carol Trembly who shared FirstEnergy’s sustainability efforts and plans for the future, including plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.”
On January 6, 2021 the Bureau of Sustainability hosted the first S3 Virtual Discussion Forum. The meeting was focused on Sustainable Community Efforts and Planning. During the meeting Gray Russell, Sustainability Officer of Montclair, discussed town projects focusing specifically on their community choice aggregation program, EV readiness and the town center microgrid. Following Gray, we heard from Walter Lane, Director of Planning for Somerset County, and he discussed how the county is planning to build resilient communities focusing on plans for renewable energy systems, flood hazard planning and green infrastructure.
On October 8, 2019 Sustainable Business Registry member, Flying Fish Brewery hosted a NJDEP Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) meeting. At the meeting, Ky Asral, Bureau Chief of the NJDEP Bureau of Sustainability discussed the goals of the office’s various programs and introduced NJDEP Commissioner, Catherine McCabe who presented Flying Fish Brewery with their Air Quality Partnership Award to honor their commitment to improving air quality, promoting sustainability and protecting public health. Their president, Lou Romano, discussed Flying Fish’s sustainable initiatives which include solar, recaptured steam in brewing, rain gardens and donations to Clean Ocean Action. Following Lou’s presentation, attendees toured the facility to learn more hands on how their sustainable brewing works.
On June 19, 2019 Sustainable Business Registry member, Pinelands Nursery and Supply, hosted a NJDEP Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) meeting. At the meeting, their production analyst, Tom Knezick, discussed Pinelands Nursery and Supply’s sustainable initiatives and the importance of ecological restoration. Following Tom, we learned how to create pollinator habitats from Kelly Gill who is both the Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist at The Xerces Society and Partner Biologist at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The meeting concluded with a tour of the Nursery’s Wildflower Fields led by Pinelands Nursery and Supply’s Seed Production Manager, Steve Knezick.
On March 20, 2019 Sustainable Business Registry member, River Horse Brewing Company, hosted a NJDEP Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) Meeting. At the meeting, River Horse Owner, Chris Walsh, talked about how sustainable operation is smart operation and how the green choices he makes for the brewery keep it profitable. To learn more about River Horse’s sustainable actions, visit their Registry profile . We also had Operations Manager and Brewer, Sean McClurg, take us on a tour of River Horse’s brewing process. Following the River Horse Presentation and Tour we heard from guest speaker Elliott Ruga, Policy Director of the NJ Highlands Coalition. Elliott discussed the importance of preservation in the Highlands and how protecting natural assets mitigates climate impacts.
On February 6, 2019 Sustainable Business Registry member, ZaGO Manufacturing, hosted a NJDEP Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) facility tour. During the tour their Owner, Gail Friedberg, and VP of Manufacturing Operations, Jackie Luciano, discussed ZaGO’s dedication to operation efficiency and commitment to reducing their environmental footprint. ZaGO Manufacturing produces high-tech, inherently green sealing solutions and components used by thousands of engineers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in countless industries, including the military, aerospace, transportation, LED exterior lighting, robotics, electronics and food processing. In addition to producing clean, sustainable sealing solutions, ZaGO has committed themselves to operating sustainably by installing a solar array on the roof and providing educational opportunities for children and STEM students living in underserved communities.”
On September 21, 2018 Humanscale hosted a Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) tour at their manufacturing plant in Piscataway, New Jersey. Humanscale is a global manufacturing company that specializes in designing ergonomic products, with sustainability being part of their design, materials and practice. The Piscataway manufacturing plant is Humanscale’s largest location, a Sustainable Business Registry member and a 2017 NJDEP Recycling Award recipient. Luke Zhou, Lead Sustainability Materials Specialist at Humanscale discussed the importance of having a clean supply chain for their products to achieve overall sustainability. Most products are made in shop and parts that they need to order are custom made, ensuring no carcinogens or pollutants in materials. Alexander Tselepis, Sustainability Coordinator, lead the tour which included a review of Humanscale’s products, production and quality control operations.
The June 19, 2018 S3 meeting, held at Campbell Soup Company in Camden, NJ, focused on the sustainability efforts of Campbell’s and Camden County. Dave Stangis, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Campbell Soup Company, discussed Campbell’s Sustainability Vision to build a more resilient food system and its mission to lead the industry in food that is ethically and sustainably grown, sourced, produced and shared. Following Dave’s presentation, Mike Downs, Environmental Health and Safety Specialist at Campbell’s, spoke about Campbell’s goal development and waste reduction targets, data analytics and tracking, and its waste programs execution. Melissa Donnelly, Senior Manager Global Supply Chain Sustainability at Campbell’s, expanded on Campbell’s waste reduction targets focusing specifically on what Campbell’s has done to minimize its food waste entering landfills. Finally, Chris Waldron, Director of Sustainability and Shared Services for Camden County, discussed the sustainability plans for Sustainable Camden County and highlighted some of the County’s most notable contributions to sustainability— like the City of Camden being the first municipality in the State to pass a Sustainability Ordinance.
On February 22, 2018 Earth Friendly Products hosted a Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) tour at their manufacturing plant in Parsippany, NJ. Earth Friendly Products creates household cleaning products that are derived from renewable resources and plant-base materials. Not only are their products sustainable, but their facilities are too. April Ensinger, Technical Director at Earth Friendly Products shared what it is like to run a sustainable operation from the inside out. The tour included a review of Earth Friendly’s production, assembly and packaging process, recycling efforts and quality control operations.
The October 5, 2017 S3 meeting introduced the shift from SBI—S3 and focused on how large organizations with substantial market power can influence the market to adopt more sustainable practices. Kyle Tafuri, Director of Sustainability for Hackensack Meridian Health, discussed how Hackensack University Medical Center spread out their sustainability practices throughout their entire network and how they are raising the bar for sustainability in health care. Additionally, summer interns from the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies discussed their work with employee engagement at Hackensack UMC.
The April 4, 2017 SBI meeting focused costal business resiliency and risk reduction strategies. Prior to the meeting there was a tour of NJM’s Hammonton facility lead by Greg Iorio. The meeting featured three presentations, the first by Patrick Kobol, Workforce Administrator at NJM Insurance Group; the second by Geoffrey M. Goll, Vice President and Principal Engineer at Princeton Hydro; and the third by Raghuveer Vinukollu, Property Reinsurance Underwriter at Swiss Reinsurance America Corporation. The presentations were followed by a panel discussion featuring Pat, Geoff, and Raghuveer, and moderated by Anne-Marie Peracchio, Director of Conservation and Clean Energy Policy at New Jersey Natural Gas.
The September 29, 2016 SBI meeting focused on leveraging sustainability as a strategy for businesses to attract, engage, and retain their workforce. The meeting featured two presentations, the first by Nick Lange, a Senior Consultant at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, and the second by John Queenan, Senior Director of Global CSR and Sustainability at ADP. This was followed by a panel discussion on the impact of sustainability on employees, obstacles to employee engagement, and lessons learned featuring Nick, John, and Nicole Dubé, Outreach Coordinator in the Ombudsman Office at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and moderated by Kris Kohl, Principal of Becoming Sustainable (formerly HRComputes).
The April 20, 2016 SBI meeting started with a presentation by Christina Simon, Corporate Program Manager of Global Supply Chain Operations at Lockheed Martin. This was followed by a panel of green procurement professionals from the public, private, and school sectors, including Kevin Lyons, Associate Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management and Marketing Sciences at Rutgers, Michael Rosen, CEO of Commercial Cleaning Corporation, and Corey Lowell, Business Administrator of the Keansburg School District. They discussed the benefits and challenges of incorporating green purchasing into their supply chains. The meeting was followed by a tour of the Shore Point Distributing Company’s natural gas fueling station.
The November 20, 2015 SBI meeting started with a presentation by Michele Siekerka, President & CEO of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA). This was followed by a panel of sustainable business practitioners, including Eric Dziedzic, President of CRx Solutions, Erol Odabasi, Director, Medical Device Sustainability at Johnson & Johnson, and Dan Josephs, Executive Vice President / COO of Spruce Industries, Inc. They addressed the question everyone asks when it comes to sustainability! How does sustainability increase my business’ profits?
The June 16, 2015 SBI meeting started with a presentation by Clare Lumkong, Environmental and Sustainability Manager with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). BMS just received the Energy Star Partner of the Year Award for 2015. Clare discussed BMS’s Sustainability Initiatives, including their energy efficiency accomplishments.
Our second speaker, James Friedl with TRC, introduced us to the Business Energy Advisor, a new tool developed for the NJ Clean Energy Program. The Business Energy Advisor is hosted by E Source, and is a web-based library of energy efficiency advice tailored to the needs of business customers.
The March 3, 2015 SBI meeting focused on the NJ Sustainable Business Registry. Stakeholders were introduced to this new program and early adopters shared information about their business and why they registered. In addition, representatives from NRG spoke about their “Ultra-Green” new headquarters currently under construction in Princeton, NJ. For more information on their new headquarters visit: http://www.nrg.com/news/sustainable-headquarters
The November 14, 2014 SBI meeting was a joint meeting with the NJ Clean Air Council focusing on how to promote electric vehicle workplace charging. The meeting started with a presentation by Chuck Feinberg, Chairman and President of the NJ Clean Cities Coalition. This was followed by a discussion on the topic.
Links of Interest
- Workplace Charging Challenge website and our current employer partners and map of their worksites
- The report on the progress of the Challenge and its partners, including the results of a nationwide employer survey
- Resources for deciding if workplace charging is right for your organization and resources to assist in the installation process
- Resources to promote workplace charging among your workforce
- Resources for PEV-driving employees
The October 31, 2014 SBI meeting focused on what Hospitals can do to become sustainable. Participants learned about the Healthier Hospital Initiative and Practice Greenhealth programs. NJ hospital representatives shared their stories about how they reduce waste and save energy and the final presenter introduced us to the new NJ Energy Resilience Bank.
The June 17, 2014 SBI meeting included two speakers and a panel discussion. The meeting started with a presentation by Natalie Teear from PricewaterhouseCoopers who talked about the Dow Jones Sustainability. She was followed by Gregory Butler from Becton Dickinson who discussed how to create an effective sustainable supply chain. Barry Dambach from Alcatel-Lucent joined them at the end for a panel discussion where they answered questions from the audience.
- View the agenda and list of attendees
- Welcome and Introductions – Bob Marshall, Assistant Commissioner, DEP Sustainability and Green Energy (SAGE)
- Dow Jones Sustainability Index – Natalie Teear, Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers Sustainable Business Solutions
- How to Effectively Create a Sustainable Supply Chain – Gregory J Butler, Director, Global Supply Chain Stewardship, The Office of Global Sustainability, Becton Dickinson
The February 4, 2014SBI meeting included a presentation by Jeana Wirtenberg, author of Building a Culture for Sustainability – People, Planet, and Profits in a New Green Economy. She summarized never-before-published stories and lessons learned from nine successful global companies that have headquarters or major operations in NJ. In addition, Robert Coleman, Senior Manager of the Office of Sustainable Development, from Church & Dwight and Barry Dambach, Sr. Director of Sustainability and EHS, from Alcatel-Lucent shared their best practices.
The September 10, 2013 SBI meeting focused on how supermarkets and hotels can become sustainable. Presentations were given by Sonay Aykan, from the NJIT Center for Building Knowledge, on Smart Supermarkets and Ky Asral, from the NJDEP’s Sustainability and Green Energy Program, on the Garden State Green Hotels Project.