Dedee DeLongpré Johnston
Director of Sustainability
More information
Expertise
- Sustainability in Higher Education
- Sustainable Management
- Green Business
- Recycling
- Carbon Footprint Reduction
- Energy Conservation
- Renewable Energy
- Environmental Issues
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Ecosystem Management
Education
- BS, University of Southern California
- MBA, Presidio School of Management
Media
Dedee DeLongpré Johnston has nearly 20 years of expertise in education, sustainability and environmental issues – the culmination of longtime personal and professional passions. As Wake Forest’s first Director of Sustainability, DeLongpré Johnston works with student, faculty and community leaders to develop strategic initiatives for integrating sustainability into university programs, from teaching and research to public service and campus operations.
Campus highlights during her tenure include implementing campus-wide and football game recycling initiatives, offering campus shuttle and car sharing programs, obtaining LEED certification for new buildings, growing food for the community in the campus garden, and developing peer-to-peer educator networks for students, faculty and staff.
Nationally renowned for initiatives she has overseen at Wake Forest and other national universities, she serves on the board of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and has been profiled in national news outlets such as U.S. News & World Report, Southern Living, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Sustainability: The Journal of Record.
Dedee DeLongpré Johnston says:
On environmental policy …
Unfortunately, “going green” often gets caught in the crosshairs between red and blue states. When sustainability becomes a political issue, it unhinges our progress and gets mired down in rhetoric that’s based in pundancy, not policy.
On green jobs …
The future of the green job market hinges upon our ability to think beyond skilled labor and train managers, policy analysts, and marketing professionals. Even the most amazing green technologies will fail without the proper support, and that requires change from within.
On sustainability in higher education …
Sustainability in higher education is all about raising the bar for ourselves as well as other institutions because we truly care about the outcomes, not because we want a competitive advantage.
