Women Leaders Are Key to the Future: Helen Petersen
Women are playing a crucial role in the modernization of environmental sustainability and conservation. What better way to celebrate these contributions than to highlight Livable Buckhead’s new Sustainability Manager, Helen Petersen. Helen’s focus on energy transition and community development contributes to a more resilient future. With a background in energy generation, energy conservation, and energy policy, she is transforming industry perspectives on climate, environment, and economic competitiveness.
With a degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in Public Policy Analysis: Environmental and Energy Policy, her unwavering tenacity awarded her a place among a small percentage of women in the field of industrial technology. She has worked across the U.S. collaborating with industry professionals focusing on sustainable energy projects. Helen developed initiatives pertaining to biofuels, energy generation, and building decarbonization. Working in several allied partnerships, she ascertained systematic change does not happen quickly. Research and development from inception, implementation, and completion requires dedicated patience. The process completing a renewable energy project can take years including site selection, financing, new biomaterials/biofuels, pilot projects, demonstration plants, grant funding, federal approvals, and long planning phases. During her work a common theme began to emerge, she observed some of the most innovative change began at local levels.
“I’ve learned about some of the most inspiring and impactful work being done across the country is spurred by local nonprofits who are coming up with great ideas that are curated specifically for their community.” ~ Helen Petersen
Being a Metro-Atlanta native, landing at Livable Buckhead aligned her commitment to social impact, business growth, and climate neutrality with a sustainable equitable interconnected future. Helping to foster a support system for her community through the implementation of sustainable developmental goals, she is creating the contagious power of advocacy.
Creating a successful development plan that resonates with both residents and businesses alike is crucial to mobilizing long lasting change towards resiliency. She will be working to implement programs in the community encompassing sustainable practices towards renewable energy, waste reduction, protection of greenspaces, and the reduction of carbon emissions. Sustainable development goals have the ability to create an environment of equal accessibility which address structural inequalities. Local community programs encourage creative solutions which can be a model for future implementation.
Her ‘hands on’ leadership style promotes community education through the empowerment of shared experiences and knowledgeable guidance. Women are gravitating toward the power of climate technology to facilitate positive environmental and societal change. Her dedication to aligning corporate goals with sustainable development action will help reduce poverty, increase gender equality, conserve ecosystems, and increase equitable economic growth. Helen’s long-term initiative is to reduce embodied carbon during new building development in the Buckhead area. Simply put, reducing the carbon footprint of a building project before it is operational.
“Working at Livable Buckhead provides a great vehicle to deepen connections in my community, garner support from the vast business community, create programming that directly benefits residents, and position Buckhead as a leader in sustainable development.” ~ Helen Petersen
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