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Mini Profile
What does it mean to wear a "green suit"?
by Tara Wesely, Assistant Manager of Environmental Sustainability, Aveda Corporation, ELP Fellow 2002-2004
 Shortly after the President's inauguration last year a remarkable editorial appeared in the Boston Globe. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) guru Amy Domini used the editorial to mark the President's pick for what she called "the most significant environmental appointment" that could be made by an incoming administration: Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Domini argued that the SEC's role in enforcing transparency in corporate governance, if broadly construed to include the disclosure of future liabilities caused by poor environmental performance, could in time make many environmental regulations administered by states and by EPA of secondary importance.
The first time a mentor encouraged me to work for Aveda, I scoffed. After all, I was a cultural studies graduate student who had occupied an administration building for three days in protest of the university's contract with Nike. I couldn't fathom the idea of working for Corporate America, much less the beauty industry.
Three years later, here I am, wearing a green suit (with Tevas, mind you) in the land of the Aveda unified look (all-black attire, impeccable makeup, perfectly coiffed hair).
It helps that Aveda is not your typical corporate setting. Maybe it's the yoga classes, the organic cafeteria or the turf lawn that's been turned into restored prairie. Aveda was the first privately held company to sign the CERES principles in 1989. Aveda product packaging contains levels of post-consumer content unheard of in the beauty industry (as much as 80%) and has been on the no-petrochemical, no-animal testing wagons since before celebrities made them cool. Aveda is far from perfect, but it does have a recognized history of environmental leadership.
Even so, my work is often without existing models or protocol. I have to push internally and educate my colleagues on sustainability issues. Aveda wants to do the right thing. Still, it is easy to feel like I am speaking a foreign language when I talk about protecting biodiversity, addressing environmental injustices, greening travel outputs, and sourcing sustainable building materials -- when everyone around me uses the word "incentivize," and has really great (smelling) hair.
Prior to joining Aveda, I hadn't imagined working for a company where I could turn sustainability concepts into tangible practices and policies. Lately I'm more willing to admit it might be possible to work for a corporation and create change. |
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Kari Carney,
Michelle Knapik,
Tara Wesely
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