New CWU Sustainability Officer Has Big Plans for Upcoming Year

Central Washington University recently welcomed Jeff Bousson as our new Sustainability Officer. Since joining the campus community in December, he has begun developing, leading, and supporting sustainability-related planning, projects, and programming at CWU.

CWU Sustainability Officer Jeff Bousson joined the Wildcat family in December.

With more than 12 years of experience building and coordinating successful sustainability programs, Bousson will be leading the development and implementation of Central's first-ever campus-wide Climate Action Plan in 2023.

"I could not be more thrilled to support CWU's mission and commitment to fostering high impact practices, sustainability, and authentic community partnerships over the next several years," he said. "There is not a more exciting time and opportunity for our university to swiftly accelerate equitable climate solutions and further infuse sustainability into the academic curriculum, in collaboration with local community partners."

Bousson will work collaboratively with the administration, faculty, staff, students, and the broader community to shape and implement effective sustainability initiatives across all divisions of the university. In addition to developing a robust Climate Action Plan, he will be identifying and pursuing federal and state funding opportunities that will increase renewable energy and transportation electrification, improve building efficiency, and accelerate decarbonization efforts on campus.

"Considering the state of Washington is setting the bar for climate action leadership, combined with the nearly $370 billion in funding for clean energy, buildings, and transportation projects made available through the Inflation Reduction Act, I believe our university will be taking a lot of shots on goal to significantly reduce our climate footprint for years to come," Bousson said.

Students, staff, and faculty will have ample opportunities to participate in the climate action planning process throughout the year. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement for a campus-wide Climate Plan Kick-Off event in March.

"Thanks to the leadership from the administration, the Sustainability Council, and many other active groups on campus, we will continue to build on our momentum and scale up our efforts to transform our institution to climate neutrality," Bousson said.

Before joining CWU, Bousson served as the Climate Program Manager for Utah Clean Energy, a nonprofit organization based in Salt Lake City. As Climate Program Manager, he provided technical and strategic support for higher education institutions, local governments, communities, and businesses seeking to advance sustainability and climate solutions in Utah.

He earned a master's degree in Climate Science & Solutions from Northern Arizona University in 2015 and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University in 2008.

Bousson asks anyone who is interested to email him with any questions and inquiries on how you can be involved in accelerating sustainability and climate solution efforts across the campus community.