A professional development program for UVA staff

Program Overview

The UVA Staff Sustainability Leadership Program is a professional development pilot program to engage UVA staff in advancing initiatives that conserve resources and reduce waste within their departments. Participants will engage in three phases—Learning, Empowering, and Leading—to build sustainability knowledge, strengthen leadership skills, and implement a workplace project focused on waste reduction, supporting UVA’s 2030 sustainability goals.

The program will include bi-weekly, in-person sessions on Thursday mornings from January to April, followed by monthly project support meetings from May to July, and will conclude with a final showcase and reception in August. This professional development program is offered at no cost to UVA staff.

Phase 1: Learn

Introduction to UVA Sustainability
Waste Reduction
Green Energy & Buildings
Healthy Ecosystems

Phase 2: Empower

Leadership & Change Management
Ideas Into Action

Phase 3: Lead

Monthly Project Support Meetings (3) as participants work on their projects
Final Showcase and Reception

Meet the 2026 UVA Staff Sustainability Leadership Program Participants

Academic Division:

Linda Boling, Conference Operations Manager, Housing and Residence Life

Anna Caughron, Program Manager, Darden Institute for Business in Society

Alexa Eisenbart, Accreditation Specialist, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine

Gina Gellert, Office Manager, Darden Admissions

Taylor Goff, Operations & Outreach Manager, Morven Sustainability Lab

Logan Kendle, Construction Project Manager, Facilities Management Construction & Renovation Services

Connor Lutz, Custodial Supervisor, Facilities Management Custodial Services

Matthew Macdowell, Industrial Hygienist, Environmental Health and Safety

Lori Mohr Pedersen, Executive Assistant to VP/CFO, Facilities Management

Poonam Sharma, Lab Manager, Biomedical Engineering

Steph Shoby, Academic Program Advisor, Department of Human Services, School of Education and Human Development

Lindsay Snoddy, Director of Space Planning & Management, Student Affairs

Jennie Taylor, Operations and Program Services Manager, Virginia Humanities

Nina Tripp, Administrative Generalist, Office of the Provost

DeVon Wade, Career and College Access Program Manager, UVA Center for Community Partnerships / Starr Hill Pathways

UVA Health:

Joelie DeVries, Registered Nurse, 4 South UVA Health

Joycelyn George, Administrative Assistant, Center for Advanced Practice

Hannah Hartke, Registered Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit

Benjamin Heltzel, Registered Nurse Clinician 4, Staffing Resource Office Critical Care Float Pool

Renee Kreiner, Ambulatory Program Assistant Coordinator, General Surgery

Andrew Rainer, Registered Nurse Clinician 3, Main OR

Amy Sparkman, Lead Pharmacist, 340B Program Coordinator, Pharmacy