Hannah is a freelance sustainability consultant, helping businesses and manufacturers develop sustainability programs, calculate greenhouse gas footprints, and drive positive impact.
She grew up in West Virginia on a small farm – independent and resilient. She regularly spent hours playing in fields, streams, and forests with her sister (she hilariously describes the two of them as “somewhat feral”), surrounded by a loving family and great community.
Hannah studied Industrial Engineering at WVU – the Mountaineers are still the only football team she follows. She spent the summer after graduation working at a winery, and moved to Frederick shortly after when she started her career.
Many high-level companies are required to issue Sustainability or Impact reports – think of your favorite “household name” companies. Hannah’s target clients are small and medium enterprises who may sell to these big companies. They are outside the official regulatory requirements, but they can be asked or required to do things by their corporate customers.
On any given day Hannah might be collecting utility data, calculating greenhouse gas emissions, developing an environmental policy, authoring a sustainability report, allocating philanthropic funds, or generally acting as project manager for efficiency projects at facilities.
Extracurriculars
Hannah is involved with a few volunteer organizations around Frederick. She is currently the Vice President at East Frederick Rising, a smart growth-focused non-profit. She also volunteers at a local organic farm on Saturdays.
For the fifth year in a row, she is partnering with Sistermoon Farm in WV to put on a small music festival: Tomato Jam (follow them on Instagram, link below, for more information!). Hannah loves bringing people together and being involved in programs that speak to her values.
Some of her hobbies include cooking, reading, swimming, drinking wine, and gardening. She starts to go crazy if she goes too long without taking herself to some remote natural space for at least a few hours!
Why we love Hannah
How much time do you have? Hannah has been an incredible addition to the Cowork community. Are you in need of a friendly smile and some energy? She’s got you covered. Looking for an insightful, articulate discussion about today’s newspaper? Count Hannah in. Speaking of the newspaper, she’s the one you need if you’re stuck on the crossword puzzle. If it isn’t obvious when you read through her Q&A below, Hannah truly, deeply cares for the world around her and the people in it. We felt it when she treated everyone to homemade banana bread her first week here!
Q&A with Hannah
How did you get into corporate sustainability?
Growing up in West Virginia, I experienced beautiful natural scenery and ate delicious homegrown food. I also witnessed coal mining, and how extractive-based industries rarely show regard for the environment or the people once they’ve got what they came for. It taught me an important lesson about values and sustainability that have become a big part of who I am and why I do what I do today.
After college, I joined the biopharmaceutical industry and worked as a plant engineer in Operational Excellence over the course of 10+ years, eventually shifting into corporate sustainability.
What inspires you and keeps you going?
Our health and wellbeing is intertwined with the planet, for better or worse. Valuing natural resources and working towards a more sustainable economy drives me every day. We can live better, be happier, but not always with “more stuff.”
I love that my work has evolved into something that allows me to manage programs, not just projects. My favorite thing about my job is getting to engage with people on things they already care about, but haven’t necessarily seen operationalized.
For example, who knows how a greenhouse gas footprint is actually calculated and what it means in context? It’s no wonder we’re in a climate crisis that we invented! However, I firmly believe that’s not the fault of “individuals” but rather the systems. Empowering Sustainability Champions and educating people is a soft skill that is absolutely critical to this type of work, and I really enjoy that.
Cowork Frederick members tend to be a little unconventional. How does that apply to you?
I work to live. I view work primarily as a path to fulfillment, rather than simply as a paycheck. This is one reason why I love working in Sustainability. When I worked in corporate America, I learned so much about business and people and myself. Though I advanced my career I realized I was surrounded by a lot of people just getting by. And I don’t mean financially, but spiritually.
I started thinking a lot about what my “ideal” life looked like, felt like. How do I prepare myself for that type of life? What moves do I need to make? What skills do I need to learn? I believe the world is full of abundance but we have to have the right mindset to access it. I regularly ask myself if I’m attuned to the right vibration.
Which of the guiding values defined by Cowork Frederick members speaks to you?
Balance. Especially in today’s modern world it can feel like we’re always being pressured to do or be more. Buy more, work more, be fitter, visit more places. All that chasing can lead us to neglect our actual internal needs. Balance helps remind me that you can’t pour from an empty cup, to balance myself before that which is external to me.
What is something you’ve done lately that has impacted your success?
I achieved my Sustainability Excellence Associate (SEA) certification which helped me get a raise!
Why Cowork Frederick?
Though I love working remotely, I’ve found that especially in the winter time I needed a place that wasn’t my home office, to work and socialize. I also love the atmosphere at Cowork Frederick with friendly people, intriguing workshops, and occasional yummy treats, all in a beautiful historic row home downtown that I can walk to!
For those who want to learn more, how can you be reached?
Follow Sistermoon Farm on Instagram and join us at Tomato Jam 5 in August!