The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/65892
nents that were overdesigned. Again, her approach emphasized col- laboration. "She works in a way that says partnership," notes WPI classmate 0DUN *LOGD\ DQ DFFRXQW H[HFXWLYH DW 6HOHFW (QHUJ\ Ŕ,W ZDVQŒW MXVW 'Hey, give me the best rate.' We were a small company, and Kathy was an advocate for us." $W ƂUVW /RIWXV RSHUDWHG IURP D SRVLWLRQ RI SXUH HIƂFLHQF\ DQG cost-savings, but during her eight years at Shaw's, her environmen- tal consciousness began to grow. She worked hard to convince man- agement to put savings into renewable energy credits and looked for ways to improve the chain's environmental impact in other ar- eas, such as waste, water, refrigerants, and packaging. As her aware- QHVV H[SDQGHG KRZHYHU VKH EHFDPH LQFUHDVLQJO\ GLVLOOXVLRQHG with shifting priorities, especially after the company was acquired by a national conglomerate. "Watching priorities change, all in the QDPH RI :DOO 6WUHHW SURƂWV ŕ VKH VD\V GLVDSSRLQWHG KHU She went on to serve as director of business development for EnerNOC Inc. in Boston, where she received top sales awards and EURXJKW LQ ELJ FOLHQWV OLNH &DUJLOO; 3Ƃ]HU ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 3DSHU 6WRS Shop, and National Grid, as well as Whole Foods Market's Northeast Region. Loftus was already aware of employees—even the environ- ment—on equal par with investors. When a friend told her that Whole Foods was looking for someone to head its energy policy, she jumped at the chance. Making the Case for Change Loftus arrived at Whole Foods in 2006 with her sleeves rolled up, ea- ger to make a difference. She already knew the company would have LWV RZQ FKDOOHQJHV VSHFLƂFDOO\ LWV GHFHQWUDOL]HG PRGHO (YHQ WKRXJK she is the one who sets the standards and goals for sustainable engi- neering, it's up to the individual regions and stores to implement WKHP DV WKH\ VHH ƂW $IWHU :KROH )RRGV DFTXLUHG VHYHUDO GLIIHUHQW companies in the 1990s, the company found itself with many dif- ferent store designs and management styles, which meant that one- VL]H ƂWV DOO VROXWLRQV ZRXOGQŒW ZRUN /RIWXV IRXQG QHZ YDOXH LQ KHU persuasive and sales skills to convince regional managers to consider VSHFLƂF GHVLJQ LQQRYDWLRQ DOZD\V GHPRQVWUDWLQJ D ŔZHŒUH DOO LQ WKLV together" approach. "Rather than telling people what to do, Kathy makes the business case for change. She is the type of leader who not only can convince people, but can lead them through the implementation," says Paul Torecellini '86, principal engineer at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The DOE works with retail- ers across the country to implement sustainable engineering, giv- ing Torecellini the opportunity to observe Loftus's persuasive skills ƂUVWKDQG ,I ORFDO RU UHJLRQDO PDQDJHUV DUH UHVLVWDQW VKHŒOO VLGHVWHS confrontation by working with other regional leaders more amena- EOH WR H[SHULPHQWDWLRQ (YHQWXDOO\ VKHŒOO JHW RWKHU UHJLRQV RQ ERDUG A TEACHABLE MOMENT Sustainability is everywhere at WPI—from President Berkey's Task Force on Sustainability to the Student Green Team, whose members dig through garbage cans to assess recycling. Last year WPI received an A– on the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card. (Only 52 schools in the nation got grades of A– or higher.) "Many institutions are doing a greenhouse gases plan, or a carbon footprint," says WPI sustainability coordinator Liz Tomaszewski. "At WPI, we have students and faculty who have the interest and the passion, and a curriculum designed to ensure that all students leave campus with the ability to devel- op sustainable solutions to the world's problems." Sustainability wasn't even a word when Kathy Loftus was at WPI; now there'ʹs a BA program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies already developing a new generation of professionals to assume roles just like hers. once they see what they're missing. "Sustainability initiatives work best when managers completely buy in," says Torecellini. "So Kathy is careful to show how it works, stressing that she can replicate that success in hundreds of other stores." Loftus has had particular success close to home in the North At- ODQWLF 5HJLRQ ZKHUH VWRUHV XVLQJ WKH VXE PHWHULQJ V\VWHP VKH ƂUVW implemented at Shaw's have gradually reduced their energy usage through technology upgrades. The improvements, documented by metering, won a coveted Mass Savers award this past November. "When other regions see concrete evidence of progress, that success brings other regions on board," she says Torecellini didn't know Loftus at WPI, but has since come to ad- mire her multidisciplinary approach to engineering goals. "With her technical foundation, she takes a broad look at a problem and asks how are we going to solve it—but she wisely takes into con- sideration that there are other factors in play, like personalities or budget restraints." Often, he says, she calls him for advice on how to implement an innovative idea. "That's what WPI teaches—how to think creatively and handle situations where there are no set answers," Torecellini says. Spring 2012 23