Sustainability Consulting
State Environmental Award for Environmental Sustainability Program – Nebraska
With the support of The Forrester Group, Western Nebraska Community College planned and implemented its campus-wide environmental sustainability management plan in less than a year. By embracing an EMS, as encouraged by EPA, WNCC is changing its environmental culture from within and helping to increase environmental awareness to the public in general. As a result of the plan, the environmental footprint for WNCC has also decreased its resource consumption.
Following implementation of the plan, WNCC was publicly recognized for its environmental efforts, including a stateside environmental award from the Nebraska Industrial Council on Environment’s Environmental Award – Other Organizations during the Nebraska Safety Council’s Conference & Exposition in 2006.
Facilitation of EPA Funding for Longstanding Rural Issues – Missouri
Despite its status as a small village, The Forrester Group assisted the Village of Stella, Missouri, in getting an abandoned asbestos-contaminated hospital noticed and addressed by EPA. We also assisted the town leaders in a visioning process to develop plans for how to redevelop the site and the village in the future. Through our contacts with the EPA, we successfully linked the village to the proper parties at the EPA to conduct investigations and removal activities. These activities cost approximately $600,000 and were subsequently carried out by EPA. In a follow-up from our client, we received the following commendation for our work:
“Shawn, we could not have had a successful meeting without you. You guided us and brought out things that were just what we needed. How blessed that you would give us a gift such as this. We want to show you our appreciation by being successful, and with God’s help, we will do this.”
At the town’s invitation, The Forrester Group’s Shawn Grindstaff was honored to ride in a Memorial Day parade celebrating the progress on the hospital.
Environmental Gap Analysis for Large Metropolitan Sewer District – Missouri
The Forrester Group served as project manager and team leader on an environmental process gap analysis for this large urban sewer district in St. Louis, Missouri. This project included detailed research, interviewing, and comparative analysis of the District’s status with numerous formats, including ISO14001, Missouri EMP, National Biosolids Partnership EMS, and hybrid forms of EMS.
Environmental Process Improvements Tailored to Culture of Industrial Facility – Missouri
As the project leader for planning and implementing an EMS at an industrial facility in Missouri, The Forrester Group provided management training, implementation assistance to the internal EMS team, and EMS gap analysis. The Forrester Group customized the EMS plan to the culture of the organization, tailoring its special needs into an EMS format that the organization could design, develop, and sustain on its own over the long term.
The organization chose to emulate its customized EMS after the popular ISO 14001 framework, recognizing how it dovetailed into the organization’s existing ISO 9002 quality certification. The company, headquartered in St. Louis, later self-certified that facility to ISO 14001 and plans to spread the EMS to other facilities in the organization. Working with relevant personnel and management, The Forrester Group brought valuable insights and practical experiences to bear on the eventual EMS success this company has experienced.
USEPA Future Midwestern Landscapes Study for Biofuels, Agriculture, and Water – EPA Regions 5, 7, and 8
The Forrester Group was the process designer and lead facilitator to help guide this major USEPA-ORD study on the future scenarios for a large region from Ohio to Montana (Central Plains, Great Plains) on issues related to the production of biofuels, the future of agriculture, and the water quantity/quality impacts of various futures. The process kicked off with a Stakeholder Forum on November 7, 2007, in Ames, Iowa. The Forrester group led a team of four sub-facilitators in a dialogue process with numerous stakeholders from across the Midwest, representing agribusiness, NGOs, conservation advocates, farmers, government, and academia.
Beaver Water District Knowledge Gap Assessment and Research – Arkansas
Beaver Lake provides drinking water, hydroelectric power, recreation, and water supply to Northwest Arkansas, one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. and home to significant sectors related to poultry (Tyson Foods headquarters) and retail (Wal-Mart headquarters).
The Forrester Group was the process designer and facilitator for an innovative knowledge gap assessment for the Beaver Water District (BWD). The focus of the study was to better determine educational program needs and to analyze stakeholder knowledge processing for future watershed planning efforts. We also performed interviews/research for the BWD-sanctioned study to determine knowledge gaps of a cross-section of Beaver Lake elected officials, professional policy practitioners, and general population.
James River Basin Partnership Watershed Plan Facilitation – Missouri
The Forrester Group was the process designer and facilitator for a new watershed management plan process for this populous region of southwest Missouri. The Forrester Group is leading the facilitation efforts for the James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) basin-wide watershed planning process that has been underway since 2006.
Working under JRBP’s direction and with collaborators like Table Rock Lake Water Quality Inc. and Christian County Soil and Water Conservation District, The Forrester Group is designing the process and facilitating stakeholder planning groups within each of the six sub-watersheds in the James River Basin. Localized groups in the Headwaters, Middle James, Finley River, Lower James, Table Rock Lake and Flat Creek sub-watersheds will work independently and together in the future to help make a workable and realistic grassroots-driven plan for water quality improvement. Due to the nexus between tourism, water quality and socioeconomic progress, the planning effort will focus on the sustainability of clean, abundant water as a key indicator for the future. We will also be assisting in the Water Management Plan (WMP) strategic discussions and future activities as the plan moves ahead. The plan’s approach and grassroots strategy is the first of its kind in the State of Missouri.
EMS and Compliance Audit for Northwest Missouri State University
The Forrester Group assisted Northwest Missouri State University with completion of a campus-wide environmental audit process and assisted in the planning and implementation of a fully-functional EMS. Northwest Missouri State University is a national leader in the use of alternative energy sources in campus operations and is a two-time winner of the Missouri Quality Award. Northwest was the first campus in the region to voluntarily conduct a compliance audit of their own operations under the EPA Self-Audit Policy and develop a management system (Environmental Leadership System) as an extension of their vision in educational affairs and leadership. The Forrester Group has assisted Northwest with these activities in furtherance of their ambitious goals in quality and leadership.