Measuring What Matters: The Who, What & Why of Sustainability and Sustainable Procurement Performance Reporting in Higher Education

Brought to you by SPLC and our Higher Ed Partner NAEP

Ever wonder how—and why—universities track and share their sustainability and sustainable procurement progress? In this engaging webinar, we’ll pull back the curtain on higher education’s sustainability performance reporting. Learn who’s involved, what’s being measured, and why it matters to leaders in this space - not just for campus operations and efficiencies, but for rankings, reputation, funding, and our shared future. 

Webinar objectives:

• Understand who is involved in sustainability and sustainable procurement performance reporting in higher education
• Explore what is reported and how it’s measured
• Learn why reporting matters for universities, stakeholders, and the planet

Moderator:  
Brad Pryba, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP)  

Brad Pryba assumed the role of CEO at NAEP in September 2023, bringing with him a wealth of experience in leading professional associations. With a deep understanding of the unique dynamics, challenges, and promise within higher education, Brad is committed to advancing NAEP's mission to bring innovative procurement practices to higher education institutions.   

In addition to his many years serving trade and professional associations as a key team member and strategic advisor, Brad has also practiced as an attorney and lobbyist, navigating the complexities of education and procurement at both state and county levels.  

Brad earned a JD from St. John’s University School of Law and a BA from Middlebury College, where he majored in History and minored in Chinese.   

He is the proud father of two and enjoys sharing the culinary wonders of New York City and its surrounding areas with his family, almost all of whom are willing to share spicy foods with him. He is also comically devoted to his small dog, Dosa, who spends most days with him in his office while he works.

Panelists:
Cassandra Hage, Assistant Director, Office of Sustainability, Washington University in St. Louis

Cassandra (Cassie) Hage is the Assistant Director of the Office of Sustainability at Washington University in St. Louis. Cassie is responsible for supporting a broad range of efforts, including the implementation of key areas of the University’s strategic plan for sustainable operations, and managing circularity programs at WashU. She collaborates with partners across the university to support student and staff efforts on sustainability programs and projects, and create connections between academic theory and practical applications.

Prior to joining the team, Cassie served as the Executive Director of St. Louis Earth Day for five years. Under her leadership, the organization’s impact in the community grew substantially, resulting in new programs (like Recycling On the Go, the Green Dining Alliance and Earth Day Action Grants), growth of their namesake event (the St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park), and increased outreach and education activities.

Cassie graduated from Truman State University after earning bachelor and master degrees. Cassie is a St. Louis native, happy to be working toward positive change in her community. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the St. Louis area on bike, making preserves and food from her home garden, tending to her chickens, and sharing the joy of cultivation with fellow community gardeners.

Danielle Van Vleet, Assistant Director of Sustainable and Inclusive Procurement, Arizona State University

Danielle Van Vleet is the Assistant Director of Supply Chain Programs at Arizona State University, where she leads initiatives in sustainable sourcing, supplier performance, federal procurement, P-Card programs, and supplier inclusion. She also serves on the boards of WBEC-West and PSWMSDC and co-founded the Higher Education Supplier Engagement Forum, advancing best practices in inclusive supply chain strategies.

Julian Dautremont, Director of Programs, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

A long-time leader in the higher education sustainability community, Julian Dautremont was one of AASHE’s co-founders and served as Associate Director from 2004 until 2009, when he left to pursue graduate studies. He rejoined AASHE in 2015 as the Director of Programs. In his work with AASHE, Julian played leadership roles in creating the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) as well as the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Outside of AASHE, Julian served for two years as the Chief Sustainability Officer of Alfred State College and spent another year as Senior Program Manager with GreenerU. Julian has an MBA and an MS in Natural Resources and the Environment from the University of Michigan and a BA in Environmental Studies from Lewis & Clark College.

Kris Spriano, Vice President of Programs and Development, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)

Kris Spriano leads the programs strategy, development and deployment efforts for the SPLC, ensuring an effective and impact-focused approach in support of advancing and scaling sustainable procurement efforts across all types of purchasing organizations. Prior to SPLC, Kris was a Supply Chain Sustainability Manager at Cisco Systems focused on supply chain greenhouse gas emissions, environmental compliance, learning and development, and new product program management. Kris is a certified ISSP Sustainability Excellence Associate (SEA) and holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Questions? 

Please send an e-mail to webinars@sustainablepurchasing.org.