Shane Stennes graduated with a BA in Political Science and International Relations from St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict, and went on to receive a Master of Human Resources from the University of South Carolina. Originally, Shane became involved in University sustainability  by working as the Sustainability Coordinator for University Services, facilitating the creation of the campus’ climate action plan and sustainability integration in various departments. Following other roles in Facilities Management resulting in a deeper understanding of the behind the scenes action at the U, Shane was hired as the Director of Sustainability. Average days usually involve catching up on industry digest, meetings, and keeping up on new information or ideas that may help advance sustainability. Shane was hired as the systemwide Chief Sustainability Officer in 2022.

Recently, Shane’s favorite project was working on installing solar PV on University property, which involved a broad group of stakeholders ranging from attorneys to energy engineers to product specialists. The effort of this varied and talented group will likely lead to new developments in renewable energy use for the University. Shane is interested in sustainability because he enjoys working on integrative solutions for tough and intractable issues that aren’t always well understood. Ultimately, he wants to be a part of the effort to do something now to create a better future for his children and his home state.