Sarah started working with American Green Consulting on April 25th of this year as a Technical Certification Specialist. She started part-time and moved to full-time on July 5th. She already loves the AGC team and clients. AGC work aligns with her own sustainability focus: “In a culture of quick fixes and speedy returns, sustainability may not seem important, but it is vital for the continuation or growth of all living things. It is at the root of everything, including the health of our planet and the health of relationships (business and personal).”
Since AGC is centered on sustainability, we provide services to support our clients in their goals related to responsible forestry and protecting the environment. We asked Sarah what she thought people may not understand about the future of sustainability. “I wonder if people often either become overwhelmed by having too broad of a focus (e.g., save the planet) or get stuck in a rut by having too narrow of a focus (e.g., I’m recycling, what more can I do?). Each action is like an individual tree in a forest. They all matter, but it is the accumulation of many that creates the ecosystem. Similarly, each action that individuals can take matters, from reducing pollution to controlling fires. I want people to both be pleased with the efforts they have made AND to look for other ways they can continue to support the Earth.”
Sarah’s most recent work experience as a contract auditor was mostly in FSC Certification, but she also has some experience in SFI, PEFC, and SBP. As the Technical Certification Specialist, her focus is on supporting the AGC team and our clients, especially with complicated questions and scenarios. She is passionate about being of service. “These first few months, I’ve been helping our controlled wood and multi-site clients as these certification areas tend to be the most complex. We have some great products and services like our kits and portals that give our clients choices about how they want to be supported by AGC. We are always working to make things better.” Sarah sometimes thinks of work at AGC as being an interpreter. She understands that the standards clients are audited to can feel like a foreign language. Some of the terms in the standards are used differently in common business practices, and there are a lot of new terms as well. “I have degrees in business and psychology, so I enjoy figuring out how to best help businesspeople understand the requirements and how they relate to their particular industry and company.”
Finally, we asked Sarah to tell us something we may not know about her. “Though I tend to be pretty cautious – in terms of sports and the way I drive, I love rollercoasters! The higher, faster, and more upside-down loops, the better!” AGC appreciates Sarah’s carefulness and her willingness to dive into big projects with enthusiasm, but we hope her experience here is not at all frightening and very smooth!
Additional information about Sarah can be found on our website: https://americangreenconsulting.com/about-us/ If you have technical certification questions, you can reach her at sarah@americangreenconsulting.com.