Celebrating Black Excellence in Sustainability: Business & Education

Zachary Verhulst, Managing Principal at Pure Architects, aims to be a great steward of their clients’ and our planet’s resources through his practice of architecture. Zachary has always been fascinated by people, as well as how they interact with others and the world around them. In an effort to further promote sustainability in this field, Pure Architects sets internal and external goals focused on healthier, more sustainable architecture. Over the last 10 years, Zachary has worked on over 20 LEED certified projects, as well as many others designed to meet LEED standards but did not go through the certification process. He is currently working on multiple projects including a Net-Zero Housing Competition in Ohio and a partnership out-of-state to design Net-Zero and Passive House projects. Locally, Pure Architects partners with West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, USGBC West Michigan, AIA’s Committee on the Environment and local universities to discuss how sustainability and social justice are intertwined in architecture. Pure Architects is also a signatory of AIA’s 2030 Commitment and him and the Pure team are involved with the International Living Future Institute and work to intentionally choose materials, advance their standards of excellence and business practices.

Zachary said that “For Pure Architects, [sustainability] is a core belief in who we are, not just what we make, We believe in the prosperity of all people and that healthy buildings, productive environments, and social equity contribute to achieving that. They all tie together, AND, we have the responsibility to work hard to constantly improve each of them.” Pure recognizes that sustainability goes far beyond their own projects and they plan to have a positive impact not only on businesses but human beings as well. He is looking forward to when the systems in which we all work catch up and start to mandate change that is positive for everyone from building code to energy code and inclusive practices. 

Zachary is especially proud of how Pure Architects has progressed within such a short amount of time. Within six months, Pure recently hired their third employee and started working on their 25th project. Pure also recently received their JUST label from the International Living Future Institute. In becoming a JUST organization, Zachary and the team worked to integrate Justice Diversity Equity and Inclusion (JEDI) policies and practices into their business so that they have a framework that will guide how they grow, how they work and how they live.

Zachary noted a few barriers in the architecture field, including lack of early educational exposure to the field and a lack of diversity. In terms of k-12 education, he highlighted that realizing that architecture is a career path is very challenging, especially if you have never had an interaction with an architect, and that drafting classes and STEAM curriculum are uncommon. Reflecting on his previous experience, typically being the only Black person in his studios, he recognizes the barriers for People of Color in the field that oftentimes include a lack of scholarships and financial barriers, a small number of design schools, and a long-term (ten year) path to licensure. Zachary explained that, “About 2% of licensed architects in this country identify as Black people and many of them are located in larger, diverse cities”. He hopes to continue to cultivate and hire diverse talent moving as they grow.

Zachary said that meeting and working for a Black architect as a young person changed his life and that he hopes to create many opportunities for young professionals of color so that they can have that same experience. He admires people like Zena Howard, Gabrielle Bullock, Rainy Hamilton, the late Phil Freelon, Jason and Adair at JSN in LA, the Moody family, Kimberly Dowdell, Michael Ford, Isaac Norris, and many others. He hopes that one day, when he retires, there are many who admire him as he admires many excellent architects who have come before him. 

Misti Stanton is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer with Mercantile Bank of Michigan, and also serves on the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum’s Board of Directors. In her role at Mercantile Bank, she assists with the development of programs to attract, retain, and promote a diverse workforce. A few of these opportunities include developing robust DEI training, programming, learn & lead opportunities for all staff, and a summer intern program for college students. Misti’s vision for the future of sustainability is to bring more awareness and inspiration for all to better understand the importance of sustainability. She explained, “The more diverse the company, the more ideas will be generated to enhance all the sustainability efforts and thus the company.”

Misti is proud of her ability to connect with and support others- to lift others up so they can fly. She acknowledged that she stands on the shoulders of so many who have helped to pave the path for the opportunities she’s received. Mentoring others to achieve their greatest personal potential is what motivates her. Through this work, she has been able to promote literacy, learning and mentorship, and have a positive influence on the lives of thousands of children, youth, and young adults, and girls and young women of diverse backgrounds. She feels called to be in a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion role and celebrates the opportunity to be able to connect with people and allow them to feel both seen and heard. 

Through her work, Misti has experienced a resistance from others to change. Misti said, “Challenges for me are not getting caught in the grandness or complexity of the work that I do but to stop and celebrate the small victories because it is still a victory of change and openness. The greatest challenge is that there is no end to this work. It will continue to evolve.” Real change takes time, and the struggle of DEI work is clearly understood, but rarely do we stop to appreciate the beauty of the process of learning and evolving. 

Misti works to leave all space in which she operates better than when she arrived. She notes that, “if we would all do that, the world would prosper and grow beyond measure.” Misti feels called to serve others and recognizes that if you are truly present, you are bringing people along during the journey but recognizing that this work will continue after she leaves. Overall, Misti feels that her legacy will be her love for others and her dedication to empowering others, both kids, teens and adults,  to live their best lives.

Jonathan Wilson, the Regional Corporate & Government Affairs Manager for DTE Energy, works as a liaison between DTE and the communities they serve in West Michigan and works to build and maintain good relationships with municipal, business, and community leaders and advance sustainability initiatives. Jonathan also volunteers as a Board Member with the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, the Muskegon County Community Foundation Environmental Committee, and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Environmental Affairs Committee. Jonathan looks forward to seeing a future of sustainability with more regional collaboration among stakeholders and more equitable outcomes from various projects and initiatives.

Jonathan is proud of DTE’s clean energy efforts to provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy and that the business has taken bold steps to increase investments in renewable energy and reduce their carbon footprint. Along with this, he is proud of DTE’s net zero goal for their gas business, reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. They hope to meet this goal through a three-fold approach – including working with suppliers, DTE gas operations, and partnering with customers. Combined, these efforts would make up a reduction that is equivalent to offsetting the natural gas emissions of 1 million homes or taking 1.3 million cars off the road annually. Jonathan highlighted the difficulty to reach underserved communities with sustainability conversations and efforts, which minimizes the potential impact of community programs. Overall he is looking forward to addressing some of these barriers to ensure that the programs DTE offers are widely adopted so that neighbors can benefit. Jonathan strives to be a collaborative partner in sustainability efforts across the region to ensure that DTE’s products and resources are accessible and aligned with the community. 

Ana Jose, Program Manager for Transformando West Michigan with the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has a heart dedicated to serving and strives to be an advocate for those without a voice. She said that through her work, she has been given the opportunity to work with different organizations to ensure that they continue to change the lives of People of Color in our community. Ana notes that there is meaningful change that is happening through the Community Collaboration on Climate Change (C4) that she is proud to be a part of. This group specifically seeks to foster a collaborative approach across the community’s existing efforts to address climate change in the greater Grand Rapids area and empower community and advance equity-based solutions recognizing the interconnectedness of sustainability, environmental justice, equity, health, and economic outcomes. 

When asked about her legacy, Ana wants to see her community taking advantage of what others have had the opportunity of benefiting from. She also wants to provide education in collaboration with organizations, like WMSBF, to ensure we are developing deliverables and changing the infrastructure of our business community through energy efficiency, operationalizing cost savings, and supporting business growth. 

Ana’s vision of the future of sustainability is to see all of the Latinx businesses in the community participate in a sustainable program that would equip them for more sustainable business practices. Last year, 20 Hispanic business owners participated in Transformando’s PACE program training who did not have prior knowledge of the program. All participants were interested in learning more about sustainability and how it could help to prepare them for success in their businesses. Ana also mentioned that the Chamber believes that knowledge-based skills are a vital resource for community businesses and that they are happy to support business owners not only with knowledge but with tools on how to succeed. 

Ana is proud to see that their business community is learning more about sustainability, as well as understanding its importance. Ana notes, “Seeing how they are looking at it as a way of life gives me hope because it means that our next generation will be able to have a much better environment, cleaner air, and a much better quality of life.” She mentioned that the Latinx community has many barriers in sustainability, including lack of exposure, immigration issues, hunger, education, equity, and inclusion. Ana said that these barriers are prevalent in many communities of color who have not been welcomed into many discussions and who have been affected disproportionately by the pandemic and economic barriers. She said, “The list can get longer by the minutes, but I just want people to understand that we will continue to move forward and see our community strive, establish and ready for their new chapter in this community love, prosperity, honesty.”

Jeffrey Byrd, an Educational Training Specialist and Career Coach with Grand Rapids Community College, supports potential students to enroll in training programs that GRCC offers. He values this opportunity, as it allows him to be involved with various communities with the hopes of eliminating as many barriers as possible and encouraging a positive educational experience. Along with his role at GRCC, Jeffrey is a West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum board member. This allows him to further engage in the issue of sustainability. 

Jeffrey would like to have sustainability become common and accessible to all of our communities, businesses, and schools, through the development of training and programs. He is proud of the current increase of awareness of sustainability in our communities. Through his involvement in many groups, Jeffrey aims to meet people where they are, deeply understand the communities in which he is engaged, and be intentional about communicating the importance of a more sustainable world. Overall, Jeff would like to be known as someone who has and will always be in service to others and walk alongside them to achieve their life goals. He strives to be honest, truthful, and fair to everyone no matter their background, as well as bringing others along in the journey and leading by example.

Andrew Sims, works in Minority Business Development with the Michigan Minority Supplier Diversity Council (MMSDC) and focuses on supporting minority business owners across the state through certification, advocacy, development and connection. He is working on a project called the Excellence of Black Business: It’s a family affair, in conjunction with Muskegon Museum (leading to a permanent display) and Black Wall Street in Muskegon County. He was recently selected to chair the Grand Valley State University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation committee. He is excited that the practice of sustainability is shifting away from a focus solely on environmental sustainability such as cardboard and plastic recycling to a focus on people. Andrew believes it is imperative that we do more than develop a self-serving pipeline of talent, but also cultivate readiness of talent at multiple levels within their supply chain for sustainability purposes and disinvested communities. We must develop talent in critical mass for those who have immediate talent needs to be prepared to enter supply chains in conjunction with advanced technical skills development. 

Andrew is most proud of the relationships that he has fostered between Corporations and Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). He takes great pride in knowing that his advocacy has translated into real dollars for MBEs. Throughout his work, Andrew has identified two primary barriers including: a mainstream ideology around individualism and network biases, the adversity of structural inequity resulting in a lack of access to resources, specifically for Minority Business Owners. Andrew likes to frame his work around impact instead of leaving a legacy. He will continue his meaningful work that encourages people to expand conversation around equity to address barriers and advance advocacy for Minority Business Entrepreneurs.

James Moyer, former Associate Vice President at Grand Valley State University, said that his introduction into the sustainability field was not an intentional act. His previous employer was challenged to address flooding issues in a neighborhood several miles from the site of a new fire station and they were tasked with elongating the time element associated with stormwater management. When James started working for GVSU, their stormwater program was basic, but when GVSU was introduced to LEED, they better understood that sustainable practices were beneficial both environmentally and economically and established LEED Silver as a minimal standard. James stated that this standard caused the University to change many things from their design approach and choice of materials used to how buildings are utilized and cleaning approaches. James stated, “The stormwater management effort was a radical change; we set a goal of returning stormwater runoff to the level that existed before the Allendale campus was envisioned”. James’ primary role was as a challenger to designers, contractors and suppliers to do better.  

Among many things, James is proud of the radical approach that he helped to foster within GVSU, specifically the use of chemicals in the cleaning of all buildings and it’s approach of establishing LEED certification as a prerequisite for all projects. He was also proud to have accept the stormwater challenge to return the University’s stormwater runoff levels to that of 1960 and created a path for the University to achieve such goals in the future. 

James mentioned that the universal history of acceptance of minimal compliance codes and standards has posed as a challenge and barrier to his work. Even through navigating such barriers, James has been known to be an avid listener and a supportive partner to many to not only see projects through, but hold all parties accountable through the process. 

Looking ahead, James believes that the current and next generation will strive to do better as we work toward a more sustainable future. In an era of limited resources, he sees people being more careful about their choices of materials, consumption, recycling, and other areas. James explained, “If the population can reduce consumption and continue to address inequality issues; sustainability opportunities will proliferate.”