Celebrating Veterans in Sustainability and Sustainable Business (2025)

I had a highly decorated leader tell me one time to help others get stronger to help us achieve victory. I’ve applied this while working with municipalities, non-profits, and businesses who are working towards local and state sustainability goals.

As a veteran, the best way I think people can thank us for our service is to use the things we fought to defend when we swore an oath to the Constitution. As the Executive Director of Friends, I get to see people doing this all year long in our parks–public spaces that welcome everyone regardless of race, creed, gender, or political affiliation. People gather to play, to worship, to speak, to protest, to share meals, to rest, to have fun, in all of our more than 2,000 acres of your parks.

My time in the U.S. Army continues to shape who I am today. After my first deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, I saw the world in a completely different light. I joined the military to make the world a better place, but what I experienced challenged me to fully define what better means to myself. I found that problems are generally more grey than black and white. That experience gave me empathy where there was once ignorance and taught me to see problems through multiple perspectives. It made me curious to ask why something is happening rather than just accept that it is. That same mindset guides my work in sustainability today. In a field that’s constantly evolving, curiosity, empathy, and a drive to improve people’s lives are what allow meaningful progress to happen.

Serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves as an Infantry Machine Gunner gave me a profound respect for nature through time spent in diverse environments—from deserts to mountains and snow to sunshine. The U.S.M.C. taught me how to lead under pressure, adapt quickly, and stay mission-focused, even in the face of uncertainty. All together, these lessons have been invaluable in my role leading global Sustainability efforts for JR Automation, a Division of Hitachi, where Sustainability is a foundational pillar. I’m honored to serve a new mission—building a more sustainable and resilient future for our business and our planet. Semper Fi.

Observing the environmental destruction in Kuwait from the intentional setting of oil fires and spilling of crude oil in the Persian Gulf cemented my desire to help protect our natural resources from anthropogenic sources.