Described by her peers as a servant-leader and heralded for her ability to rally a team around a cause, Sarah Brown is striving to make Waterloo Region a more sustainable community.
Sarah is the Project Manager for REEP Green Solutions/Sustainable Waterloo Region's ClimateActionWR , a greenhouse gas inventory and reduction plan for Waterloo Region. The program is an ambitious collaboration between Sustainable Waterloo Region, REEP Green Solutions, the Region of Waterloo, area municipalities, local utilities, stakeholder organizations, and the community at large. Sarah is responsible for developing relationships among partners, guiding and executing project planning, and managing external communication.
Achieving common ground and buy-in between such a complex and diverse range of stakeholders is arguably unprecedented in a two-tiered municipality and testament to Sarah's collaborative approach, strong leadership and knack for diplomacy.
Recently Sarah led her team to the successful completion of a community-wide Greenhouse Gas inventory - an important milestone in the ClimateActionWR plan. With results in hand, they are now working on an action plan to reduce the Region's emissions, engaging the community through public forums, and preparing to champion the process further as each municipality is asked to approve their part. In the end, this plan will guide the Region's decision making for years to come, integrating sustainability into the blueprint of the community.
While juggling her ClimateActionWR responsibilities, Sarah completed the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation's Engage! KW philanthropic leadership program. She now sits on their Advisory Group mentoring emerging local entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Sarah holds a BES in Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo, as well as a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Queen’s University.
Earlier this year Sarah was recognized as one of the Waterloo Region Records' Top 40 Under 40. She has also been nominated for the 2013 Faculty of Environment Young Alumni Achievement Award.