HomeMy WebLinkAboutDenzell Hayes spotlightWhat does sustainability mean to you?
When I think of sustainability, I think of it as a systems-
thinking approach to be applied to any process or pro-
ject. Sustainability to me means making decisions based
on the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit.
When you make decisions based on the triple bottom
line, you take into consideration all of the externalities
associated with a decision. This allows you to make the
best long-term choice. Sustainability is fluid and can be
constantly improved upon. It’s often easy to forget that
the word “sustainability” can almost always be inter-
changed with the word “efficiency.” Solving problems
considering all externalities simply creates more holistic,
efficient, and sustainable long-term solutions.
How is sustainability incorporated into your position?
In my position, my primary responsibility is to ensure that the public knows what the
City of Iowa City is doing to make Iowa City more sustainable. I work to ensure the
public is up-to-date by preparing the monthly Sustainable Iowa City Newsletter, supplying the City of Iowa City’s Com-
munications Department with sustainability content for our social media efforts, as well as preparing other various sus-
tainable communications for the City.
What actions have you taken to improve sustainability within your position?
My position is a new one for the City of Iowa City. I work directly with Brenda Nations, the City of Iowa City’s Sus-
tainability Coordinator. The addition of my position has allowed the City’s sustainability efforts to be effectively con-
veyed to the public. I have worked to grow the subscription base of the monthly Sustainable Iowa City Newsletter,
optimize the City of Iowa City Sustainability webpage, and provide sustainable social media content for the City’s Com-
munications Department. Through this work, I hope to provide more people with up-to-date and engaging sustainabil-
ity content so residents can know what the City is doing to make Iowa City more sustainable.
In your opinion, what efforts can be made to
improve sustainability within your position or within our community?
The primary way I can work to improve sustainability within my position is by growing the subscription base of the Sus-
tainable Iowa City Newsletter and other sustainable communication outlets. Getting more of the community to engage
in the efforts the City is taking to make the community more sustainable is crucial to advance its sustainability goals.
Communities are made up of individual people. It takes an effort from those individuals to
drive real change for a community. My hope is that through my position I can enable indi-
viduals to help create a more sustainable community by providing them with quality and
interactive communications.
For more information about the City of Iowa City’s sustainability efforts, visit
www.icgov.org/sustainability, subscribe to our Sustainable Iowa City newsletter at
www.icgov.org/e-subscriptions, or follow #SustainableIC on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Sustainability Spotlight:
Denzell Hayes
Communications Assistant, City of Iowa City Office of Sustainability