University’s Sustainability Efforts to be Honored by National Facilities Magazine

The University of La Verne will be honored with an achievement award from Facility Maintenance Decisions magazine in recognition of the university’s commitment to creating a safe, sustainable and efficient campus.

The university is one of eight organizations, including school districts and medical facilities, that will receive the award during a ceremony in Las Vegas on Nov. 1.

“I am pleased that the university’s sustainability efforts and commitment are being recognized,” said Clive Houston-Brown, vice president of facilities and technology. “Robert Beebe, senior director of Facilities Management, has been a strong advocate and proponent for our sustainable initiatives and has been on the forefront of identifying and implementing projects that reduce our utility usage and carbon footprint.”

The university has implemented more than 30 projects focused on sustainability in the last three years. They include:

• Being one of the first campuses to join the Billion Dollar Green Challenge, committing to spend $400,000 on sustainable initiatives in five years. Since joining the challenge in 2013, the university has installed drought-tolerant plants, drip irrigation, LED lighting and upgraded air conditioning units.
• The creation of a Sustainable Campus Consortium, which oversees and manages the university’s green revolving fund, accumulated from sustainability savings. In 2016, the consortium challenged students in the residence halls to reduce power consumption, resulting in a 14 percent electricity reduction.
• Requiring sustainability and environmental problem-solving instruction as a life science general education requirement and introducing a minor in sustainability.

“Most sustainability awards are geared toward one single project so it was wonderful to find a popular organization such as Facilities Maintenance Decisions magazine willing to recognize and honor our efforts,” Beebe said.

The award will be presented at the National Facilities Management & Technology Vegas Conference and Expo. Beebe, who plans to attend the expo to accept the award, said he will also be participating with other recipients on a panel called “Achieving Excellence in Maintenance Operations.”

He has been asked by the magazine to be on a podcast for a feature called “Management Track,” where he will discuss his career and provide advice on moving up in the profession.

The award is the latest honor the University of La Verne has received for its green initiatives.

Last year, the Princeton Review named the university in its annual Guide to Green Colleges for the fifth consecutive year. And Vista La Verne residence hall received gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) in 2013, the first such honor to be given to any building in the city.