Sustainability at ESF
Our People
Office of Sustainability Staff
Mark Lichtenstein
Executive Operating Officer & Chief Sustainability Officer
malichte@esf.edu | 315-470-4748
Mark Lichtenstein is the executive operating officer, chief sustainability officer, and an Environmental Studies adjunct professor at ESF. He’s also a faculty associate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Mark has been engaged with sustainability and regenerative community engagements throughout the US, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and in Belize, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. He has focused his efforts on post-disaster efforts in the Caribbean, testifying to the US Congress in 2017 about the post-hurricane response in the region, and co-founding and advising ESF’s “Acorns2Action,” a unique student-led disaster response group. Mark was an active member and facilitator of the Vieques Sustainability Task Force—established by US President Barack Obama, and an initiative of the White House Task Force on Puerto Rico. He is a member of the SUNY Puerto Rico Task Force and New York State Stands with Puerto Rico initiative. Mark is vice president and a board member for Island Green Living Association (US Virgin Islands), treasurer and board member for Vieques Love (Puerto Rico), and an Island Innovation Ambassador. He co-founded and facilitated the Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands Recycling Partnerships.
Mark served eighth terms as president, is an honorary board member, and lifetime achievement award winner of the National Recycling Coalition; co-led the formation of national and regional recycling organizations in the US; and, conceived of, and is principal investigator for the New York State Center for Sustainable Materials Management, the first of its kind in the US. He is an advisory council member of Beyond Plastics based at Bennington College (VT). He co-founded and led the first national (US) sustainable materials management summit held at the University of Maryland, focused on the circular economy, and developed and directed a regional sustainable materials management program in upstate New York, and marketed the first-ever recyclables traded through the Chicago Board of Trade.
Mark is a select member of the National Roster of Environmental Conflict Resolution Professionals administered by the US government through the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution. He is an advisory council member for Planet Forward hosted by George Washington University (DC), led sustainability centers at Syracuse University, and served as an expert witness to the US Environmental Finance Advisory Board. He is the founder and principal of Embrace Impatience Associates, and the principal of Lichtenstein Consulting, providing training and consultation on board development, circular economy, communications, conflict management, environmental finance, facilitation, leadership, negotiation, recycling, resiliency, and sustainability.
Mark has a Master of Arts in Public Administration, and a Graduate Certificate of Advanced Studies in Conflict Resolution, both from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, and graduate training in environmental science and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from ESF. He has certified mediator training, is an experienced interest-based negotiator and process facilitator, and is a certified public participation specialist.
Sue Fassler
Director of Sustainability
Director of Sustainable Operations
scfassle@esf.edu | 315-470-6701
As the Director of Sustainable Operations, Sue supervises and advocates for the Custodial and Grounds Divisions. She also serves as the College's Director of Sustainability. Through this work, she led the installation of EV charging stations at the Syracuse campus, removed single use plastics from beverage vending machines campus wide, launched reusable container programs across ESF's campuses, formalized campus composting, and developed the College's Green Purchasing & Break Free From Plastic Policy. Sue also manages the College's zero waste and circularity programs. Among other initiatives, this includes a leadership role on a SUNY-wide committee to eliminate single use plastics across all campuses. She also Co-Chairs the United University Professions (UUP) Environmental Issues and Advocacy committee and sits on the board of the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust.
Sue holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from SUNY ESF, as well as a M.P.S. in Environmental Science (Environmental Policy and Democratic Processes) and a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Michael Amadori
Energy Manager
amadori@esf.edu | 315-470-6580
Michael Amadori started as the Energy Manager in March 2022. Michael works with the entire campus community to foster a culture of energy conservation into the planning processes, facility operations, research activities, curriculum, student activities, and extracurricular life. He is also in charge of tracking ESF progress under the American College and University President's Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and manages the implementation of our renewable energy and carbon neutrality objectives.
Prior to starting at ESF he worked for five years as the Sustainability Manager for Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. His responsibilities at HWS included long-term strategy, analysis and education, working with students, faculty, offices across campus and in the local community to promote both sustainable practices and an understanding of sustainability challenges.
Prior to HWS, he spent five years running an organics recycling company he founded, Full Circle Feed. At the same time, he worked as an adjunct professor for courses in Ecology, Energy Markets & Regulation, Engineering Economic Analysis, and Poisoning of a Planet at several colleges in upstate NY.
His educational background includes a B.S. in
Biological Sciences from the University of Rochester in 2007 and a M.S. in Ecological
Engineering from the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry in 2012. In
between his schooling, he performed a year of service for the AmeriCorps in Lake Tahoe,
NV, where he was responsible for environmental education and outreach to the local
community, water quality testing and analysis, energy audits, and managing zero-waste
events.
Delaney Demro
Sustainability Planning and Institutional Alignment Manager
Delaney leads the development of sustainability planning for the College. This includes preparing ESF's Sustainability Action Plan, reporting for AASHE STARS, and aligning the College's efforts with national and global programs like Nature Positive Universities and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
She also works as a Project Manager with the Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) housed at ESF. Her work with the Center includes leading the CSMMxTRUE program for zero waste and studying extended producer responsibility programs.
In her previous role with the Office, she led the development of ESF's Green Purchasing Guide, Virtual Campus Sustainability Tour, Sustainability Ambassadors, and the Sustainable Events and Green Office certification programs.
She earned an M.S. in Environmental Science from ESF for her study, the CREEQ Project. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and a minor in Environmental Economics and Law. She has past experience studying citizen-science, water quality monitoring, anaerobic digestion of food waste, phytoremediation, and biochemical drivers for the spread of invasive plant species.
Rochelle Strassner
Sustainability Outreach and Engagement Manager
rmstrass@esf.edu| 315-470-6556
Rochelle helps lead the development and implementation of sustainability programming for the College. Her work is focused on fulfilling and effectively communicating the Office of Sustainability’s programs and initiatives on campus and with other sustainability stakeholders. Rochelle is also involved with managing the Office of Sustainability's web presence, overseeing student assistants, and advising sustainability-focused student clubs.
Rochelle holds a B.S. in Environmental Science & Biology as well as Anthropology, and a minor in Chemistry from SUNY Brockport. She received her M.A. in Biology from Miami University where she was part of Project Dragonfly's Global Field Program.
Student Employees
Meet the Office of Sustainability's student employees below!
EcoReps
The EcoReps are sustainability peer-to-peer educators that live and work in ESF's dorm, Centennial Hall. This program has long been a part of the College's dorm experience, and was reimagined and relaunched for the Fall 2021 semester . Each year, 10 paid students teach their peers about the core tenants of sustainability, encourage sustainable lifestyle choices, and foster a sense of community between the students and the greater Syracuse area.
Bella Osborn
Activities Coordinator
Major: Conservation Biology (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2024
Victoria Murphy
Education Coordinator
Major: Conservation Biology (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2026
Lisa Steinberg
Communications Coordinator
Major: Environmental Studies (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2025
Everett Tucker
Major: Environmental Studies (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2026
Hillary Suzuki
Major: Landscape Architecture
Year: Class of 2026
Kara Schemm
Major: Conservation Biology
Year: Class of 2026
Leila Kaufman
Major: Conservation Biology
Year: Class of 2026
Maddie Partell
Major: Natural Resource Management
Year: Class of 2027
Willow Grace
Lila Vasquez
Sustainability Engagement Assistants
Our Sustainability Engagement Assistants work to educate the campus community about a variety of sustainability practices and initiatives. They help to promote and integrate College-led programs in campus life and to learn what programs the community would like to see developed in the future. They organize regular activities and collaborate with student groups. You may see them around campus, tabling, "trash talking", or performing a waste audit.
Lisa Steinberg
Major: Environmental Studies (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2025
Allysia Yanez
Major: Natural Resources Management (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2024
Julia Sanders
Shannon Dunn
Major: Environmental Science (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2025
Student Garden Assistants
Our Student Garden Assistants help to maintain and cultivate the student garden located at ESF's Lafayette Road Experimental Station in Syracuse. These students get first dibs on the produce and flowers grown in the garden, but much of what is grown is shared with campus.
Chelsea Rose Green
Raquel Mannella
Carter Rogan
Major: Environmental Science (M.P.S.)
Year: Class of 2024
Kathryn Resanovich
Major: Environmental Education & Interpretation (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2025
Sustainability Program Assistants
Our Sustainability Program Assistants work on a variety of sustainability projects, including the development of ESF's WELL Portfolio, collaboration with the NYS Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM), serving as liaisons between non-profit organizations and ESF and more!
Isabel McCullough Valentin
Major: Environmental Studies (B.S.), Concentration: Communications, Policy, and Environmental Justice
Year: Class of 2024
Work Focus: Helps coordinate and develop ESF's organizational structure as it relates to increasing initiatives with Vieques and Puerto Rico in general. She is also employed by the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center (EFC) and serves as a primary liaison between ESF and the EFC as related to both organizations' involvement with Puerto Rico initiatives.
Owen Volk
Major: Environmental Studies (B.S.), Concentration: Communications, Policy, and Environmental Justice
Year: Class of 2024
Work Focus: Works closely with ESF's Digital Storytelling Studio (DSS) and its Office of Communication and Marketing (OCM). He is helping by being a liaison with DSS, OCM, and the sustainability office. Owen is also a Planet Forward (PF) Correspondent, serving as a representative for ESF with PF, and helping to develop joint PF and ESF programs.
Savannah Wright
Major: Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)
Year: Class of 2023
Work Focus: Assists with the College's commitment to the WELL Building Portfolio and Equity Standards. She is focused on the development of associated wellness and mental health initiatives. She is also helping lead initiatives on Vieques as they support ESF's Landscape Architecture program. In addition, Savannah is conceptualizing ideas for the potential development of ESF's "Block D" parcel, while also considering its relation to the Interstate-81 project that will remove the raised highway currently located to the west of the Syracuse campus.
Sustainability Research Assistants
Our Sustainability Research Assistants focus on specific sustainability initiatives to assist the Office of Sustainability in developing new and refining existing campus sustainability programs. Among other things, their work helps ESF keep and earn new sustainability related certifications and helps to solidify us as one of the leading sustainable colleges.
Shirley Chen
Major: Environmental Studies (B.S.)
Year: Class of 2024
Work Focus: Plastics Reduction Partnership Certification
Abhinaya Polaka
Major: Environmental Science (B.S.), Concentration: Renewable Energy Science
Year: Class of 2025
Work Focus: Energy management and carbon accounting
Eden Gardner
Major: Environmental Studies, Policy Planning and Law concentration
Year: Class of 2025
Work Focus: PLAN ATLAS Zero Waste Fellow, Sustainable Certifications and Awards
Sara Dreibelbis
Major: Sustainable Resources Management (M.S.)
Year: Class of 2024
Work focus: Environmental Justice & Food Research Assistant