2016

Brittany Doherty: Career in sustainable business

Brittany Doherty '14 credits her leadership experience at UMassD for her success in the business world.

Sustainability initiatives at UMassD

I’ve always had an interest in entrepreneurship and business, but I became specifically inclined by corporate sustainability after joining the Net Impact chapter at UMass Dartmouth. Net Impact is an international non-profit organization for students and professionals interested in using business skills to support environmental, social, and economic change within an organization.

While undergraduate president of Net Impact for three years, I was involved in on- and off-campus initiatives that benefited the environment and community such as sustainability reporting and conservation events.

I was also involved in a first-in-the-nation pilot project developed by the National Institute for a Sustainable Economy. The program developed effective ways to integrate technology and behavior change to reduce the consumption of energy and water on campus. The operation of meters was installed in all apartment buildings and incentives were given out to students living sustainably.

Diverse background in environmental policy

As I learned more about sustainable business, I learned how vital the federal and state governments' role is in driving change within an organization.

Achieving advanced knowledge in the formulation and implementation of environmental policies has helped me pursue the career I want. I now have a diverse background in how to effectively contour local, state, national, and global changes that directly relate to business operations.

Program manager at Sustainability Roundtable

Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. helps executives set goals, drive progress, and report results in their move to more sustainable high-performance across corporate real estate, energy, waste and water, GHG emissions, and employee engagement.

As the program manager, I assist in an array of responsibilities including client servicing, benchmarking reports, research, event planning, marketing and communications, and overall operations organization.

If it wasn’t for the leadership positions I held at UMass Dartmouth, I wouldn't be in the position I am today.

Gaining valuable leadership experience within my sustainability and business classes—and Net Impact especially—formed a foundation that lifted my knowledge and skill sets for the business world today. Having tangible assets to bring to the table like sustainability reporting, course projects, and other analytical reports shined light on my growth attributed to UMass Dartmouth.