Megan Bloomer ’06 shares experience in sustainability career

When Megan Bloomer ’06 graduated from college, she got job offers for positions which required candidates to have a minimum of 10 years of experience. But because of her liberal arts background and the her experience in the environmental studies program at Randolph, she found that she was more than qualified, despite being right out of college.

“I was placed into jobs with no experience, 10 years ahead of where my career could be,” said Bloomer, who now is director of Village Green, the sustainability department for DaVita, a leading provider of dialysis and part of a Fortune 500 company. “That wouldn’t be possible without my Randolph education.”

Bloomer is on campus today to deliver a talk as part of the College’s Sustainability Speaker Series. She met with students at lunch to discuss careers. At 7 p.m., she will speak to a wider audience in a public talk in Nichols Theatre.

She has titled her presentation, “Moving Sustainability from the Trash Room to the Corner Office,” because she believes people will respect sustainability more if they recognize its potential. “When I explain my job, people say, ‘Oh you’re in charge of recycling,’” she said. “That’s still the first thing that people think. But last night I was on the phone executing a $20 million deal. Sustainability is a lot more than policing what people throw away.”

“I can tell you what goes into which recycling bin, but let’s go talk about how we can save $20 million on energy,” she added.

Bloomer hopes to help people recognize the positive impact of corporate sustainability, but she also wants to show students what their liberal arts education  will prepare them for. She recalls taking classes that had nothing to do with her personal and career interests, but that helped her build a foundation for making connections and finding solutions, which is a daily part of her job now. “It comes naturally to me because I was forced out of my comfort zone and forced to make those connections,” she said. “The platform that you're pushed to create here is the best platform for any field.”

Spring semester 2014 sustainability speaker series

Throughout the spring 2014 semester, Randolph College will host speakers addressing topics on sustainability, ranging from environmentally conscious parenting to launching a career in sustainability.

Six speakers, including two of the College’s alumnae, will participate in the new sustainability speaker series.

“We hear from so many students who have an interest in sustainability, and we thought this would be an opportunity to let them know about it from all different angles,” said Sarah Lawson, a Randolph professor of environmental studies and physics.

The series kicks off on Monday, January 27, with Keye Chatterjee, the director for renewable energy and footprint outreach at the World Wildlife Fund. Chatterjee recently published the book The Zero Footprint Baby: How to Save the Planet While Raising a Healthy Baby.

Lawson said that Chatterjee, a friend she met in graduate school, wrote the book after becoming a mother and exploring sustainable parenting herself. “It’s about making good decisions as a parent,” Lawson said. “Saving the planet is a great gift you can give to your children.”

Other events in the series include:

Sustainability @ Randolph

Learn more about Randolph College's commitment to sustainability.

Randolph switches to renewable energy
It's Not Easy Being Green
Saving Space
Green Thumb

February 17: Green Architecture
John Quale, a professor at the University of Virginia, will discuss the university’s ecoMOD / eco REMOD project, which works on developing economically-friendly and affordable modular homes.

February 24: Sustainable Communities
Kent White, director of community development for the City of Lynchburg, will discuss city planning and sustainability.

March 17: Corporate Sustainability
Megan Arnold ’06, process engineer and operations sustainability lead for Jacobs Engineering, will discuss how her employer embraces environmentally friendly practices.

March 31: Moving Sustainability from the Trash Room to the Corner Office
Megan Bloomer ’06 will share her experiences as director of sustainability for DaVita, Inc., as well as explain what practices are truly sustainable, contrasted with steps some companies take to appear more sustainable than they really are.

April 21: Careers in Sustainability
Corey Barnes, a senior consultant with Deloitte Consulting, will discuss career options for those who specialize in sustainability and environmental studies. He is the son of Rick Barnes, a Randolph psychology and environmental studies professor, and Tina Barnes, Randolph’s coordinator of disability services and the Learning Strategies Program.

Each event in the series will take place at 7 p.m. in Nichols Theatre on the third floor of the Randolph College Student Center.

Lawson said the topics will highlight ways that sustainability leads to a better life. “The biggest thing I hope people get out of this is an understanding of the way their activities impact the planet, and other people,” she said. “It’s really about the livelihood and well-being of people.

“People, planet, and profit all work together,” she added. “Hopefully, people will see the way in which their choices and their lifestyle will play into a more sustainable future.”

Randolph's sustainability efforts lead to Earth Day media coverage

Emily Richards '16 talks with Tim Saunders from WDBJ 7.

Randolph College's sustainability efforts brought WDBJ 7's Lynchburg Bureau Chief Tim Saunders to campus for a special story on Earth Day. Saunders talked with Ludovic Lemaitre '11, Randolph's sustainability coordinator, and Emily Richards '16, a student involved in the Campus Conservation Nationals 2013, about the ways the College is trying to limit its impact on the environment.

On Monday, Randolph celebrated Earth Day with several events, including a special all-organic meal in the dining hall and a planting ceremony.

The Campus Conservation Nationals 2013 was another recent way Randolph has stepped up its sustainability efforts.The College was one of 200 colleges and universities participating in this competition, which was designed to promote electricity and water use reduction.

For almost three weeks, three Randolph College residence halls were engaged in a battle to see who can save the most energy. West Hall beat out Moore Hall and Webb Hall by decreasing its electricity consumption by 8 percent.

To learn more about the competition, go to this press release.


Check out WDBJ 7's coverage of the story at WDBJ7.com

Lemaitre '11, Randolph's sustainability coordinator,is interviewed about Randolph's sustainability efforts.