Suzanne Herron, the sustainability coordinator for Campus Dining, has been named the 2019 Greenest Commodore on Campus.
Herron’s achievement was celebrated at the Vanderbilt vs. Missouri Homecoming game on Oct. 19 with a catered tailgate event, tickets to the game, a special prize of Vandy merchandise and an on-field award presentation. Accepting the award on Herron’s behalf was Don Jackson, assistant director of Campus Dining.
The sustainability competition, presented by Waste Management, Vanderbilt Athletics and the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO), invited all Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff to compete for the title of Greenest Commodore on Campus by submitting a 15- to 30-second video detailing what sustainable actions they take to reduce, reuse or recycle; save energy or water; use mass transit and alternative transportation options; or otherwise promote sustainability on campus. The top two candidates each received a catered tailgate for 10 friends before facing off in an on-field football throwing competition for the grand prize.
Herron was recognized for her leadership in Campus Dining’s “No. More. Plastic.” initiative to eliminate single-use plastic water and soda bottles from campus dining facilities; for her efforts to give a reusable bottle to each undergraduate student and build more hydration stations around campus; for heading up the reusable to-go container pilot program; for installing food waste tracking technology that helps Vanderbilt eliminate food waste from its dining facilities; and for reducing food waste through composting and the use of the ORCA machine, which transforms food waste into liquid waste water.
For more information about the sustainability achievements of Herron and Campus Dining, visit the Campus Dining sustainability page. Learn more about Waste Management and how they encourage us to “think green” on their website. For more information on how to participate in future sustainability competitions, visit the FutureVU Sustainability website or email futurevusustainability@vanderbilt.edu.