James Moyer, Former Associate Vice President, Grand Valley State University
James Moyer, retired Associate Vice President at Grand Valley State University, said that his introduction into the sustainability field was not an intentional act. His previous employer was challenged to address flooding issues in a neighborhood several miles from the site of a new fire station and was tasked with elongating the time element associated with stormwater management.
When he started working for GVSU, its stormwater program was basic. When introduced to LEED, the university began to understand that sustainable practices were beneficial both environmentally and economically: LEED Silver became the minimal standard.
“The stormwater management effort was a radical change,” says Moyer. “We set a goal of returning stormwater runoff to the level that existed before the Allendale campus was envisioned”.
Among many things, he is proud of the radical approach that he helped to foster within GVSU, specifically the use of chemicals in the cleaning of all buildings and it’s approach of establishing LEED certification as a prerequisite for all projects. He was also proud to return the University’s stormwater runoff levels to that of 1960 and created a path for the University to achieve such goals in the future.
Looking ahead, Moyer believes that the current and next generation will strive to do better as we work toward a more sustainable future. In an era of limited resources, he sees people being more careful about their choices of materials, consumption, recycling, and other areas. Moyer explained, “If the population can reduce consumption and continue to address inequality issues; sustainability opportunities will proliferate.”
