Mackenzie Mindel - SEA Case Story

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What brought you to this moment in your career where the Sustainability Excellence Associate (SEA) made sense for you?

Since 2012, I’ve been on a mission to understand how we can collectively solve some of our world’s most complex problems and why the solutions we tend to put forward don’t seem to make enough progress. This foundational concept led me to completing a bachelor’s degree (2017) in Philosophy, Sustainability and Environmental Studies, and Chinese Language and a master’s degree (2019) in Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership. After five years in the field working in local government policy and climate action planning, I was ready to revisit foundational sustainability concepts and its historical background to ensure I was upholding the integrity of the field.

How are you putting the knowledge, skills, and ability demonstrated in the SEA to work in your career (or work) today?

After working in the sustainability field for five years and spending less time focused on the historical background or fundamentals, which I had spent so much time studying in my undergraduate and graduate education, I felt the desire to reconnect with the core concepts and historical richness of sustainability. The pandemic presented major human and societal challenges, and it also brought Greenhouse Gas emissions on a downward (albeit temporary) trend for the first time in decades. The federal government also mobilized historic levels of capital to achieve the most aggressive climate actions at scale in history. Those contributions have created arguably the most exciting and innovative habitats for the sustainability professional to work in. As exciting as it is to work in this field right now, I was eager to re-ground myself in the basics of sustainability, and the Sustainability Excellent Associate (SEA) was the perfect opportunity for me to settle back in to the foundations of this work. Today, I serve as a Council Member for the City of La Crosse, WI Common Council and serve as Chair for the Climate Action Plan Steering Committee. I work for the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED for Cities Fellow where I support cities and communities around the United States in achieving their climate action goals.

For those starting out in the sustainability field, what advice do you have for them?

Even though I’ve been studying and working in the field of sustainability since 2012, I feel like I’m just now breaking through into my career as a higher-level sustainability professional. I’ve found it difficult to really get into the field as a professional, despite my higher education and experience. In order to help leverage my credibility and expertise, I’ve spent 10 years volunteering on the board of directors for various sustainability organizations and climate action initiatives. For anyone trying to advance in this field, I highly recommend leveraging your professional experience in service to your community, whether local or other levels of government, and taking advantage of as many professional development and networking opportunities as possible, such those the International Society of Sustainability Professionals offers! I also recommend taking time each quarter to speak with youth about how they can impact their communities and work toward our collective climate goals as well. We can all do our part in building up this field and making climate action the status quo!

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Read perspectives from the ISSP blog

Turning Member Feedback into Action: ISSP’s 2026 Strategic Plan

By By Elizabeth Dinschel & Bangaly Kourouma • January 16, 2026

January 16, 2026 At the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), strategy is not theoretical. It is practical, action-oriented, and grounded in the real needs of sustainability professionals working in complex and rapidly evolving environments. The ISSP 2026 Strategic Plan is a one-year, execution-focused roadmap designed to strengthen ISSP’s role as a global professional association for sustainability practitioners. Built directly from member feedback gathered through Town Halls, surveys, and ongoing conversations, the plan focuses on three strategic priorities: financial stability, relevant professional knowledge, and meaningful member engagement. This article explains what the 2026 Strategic Plan is, why these priorities matter, and how member input directly shaped ISSP’s direction. What the ISSP 2026 Strategic Plan Is—and Is Not The 2026 Strategic Plan is not a long-term vision statement or a five-year forecast. It is a focused, one-year plan designed to deliver measurable progress. The plan is intended to: Strengthen ISSP’s financial sustainability Modernize sustainability education and credential resources Improve the member experience across career stages Each priority includes defined actions, timelines, and success metrics, ensuring accountability and transparency.

Paper cut-out figures holding hands in a chain against a dark blue background.

Listening, Learning, and Rebuilding Connection: Reflections from Our First ISSP Town Hall

By Elizabeth Dinschel, December 18, 2025 • December 18, 2025

Elizabeth Dinschel, MA, MBA, is the Executive Director of ISSP Earlier this month, we hosted our first global ISSP Town Hall since I stepped into the role of Executive Director. I logged off that call energized, humbled, and deeply grateful for the honesty, generosity, and care that our members brought into the space. This Town Hall was never meant to be a one-way update. It was designed as a listening session — a chance for ISSP leadership and staff to hear directly from sustainability professionals across regions, sectors, and career stages. And you delivered. What follows are a few reflections on what I heard, what we learned, and where we’re headed next together. Why We Called This Town Hall ISSP has gone through a period of transition — new leadership, new staff, and a renewed focus on modernizing how we serve a truly global membership. Change can be energizing, but it can also create moments of uncertainty and disconnection. We knew we needed to pause, gather our community, and listen with intention. The Town Hall brought together members from multiple continents, industries, and disciplines. Sustainability practitioners, consultants, engineers, communicators, policy professionals, and career-transitioners all showed up with thoughtful questions and candid feedback. One thing was immediately clear: this community cares deeply about its work, about each other, and about ISSP’s role in supporting sustainability professionals at a challenging moment for the field.

Can sustainability be saved by tackling loneliness, not just CO₂ emissions?

By Raz Godelnik, Associate Professor • November 20, 2025

Raz Godelnik is an Associate Professor of Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design — The New School. He is the author of Rethinking Corporate Sustainability in the Era of Climate Crisis . You can follow him on LinkedIn . Can sustainability be saved by tackling loneliness, not just CO₂ emissions? Earlier this month, I stopped at Sunshine Coffee in Laramie, Wyoming, on our way to Yellowstone Park. What brought me there was the fact that it’s a zero-waste coffee shop, with no single-use consumer items. In other words, there are no disposable cups — not for customers dining in, and not even for those who want their coffee to go, like I did. Instead, you can either bring your own reusable cup or get your drink in a glass jar for $1, which is refunded on your next order when you return it (or you can simply keep it, as I did). At first, I was excited about the zero-waste coffee shop concept, wondering what it would take for Starbucks and other coffee chains to adopt it and eliminate the waste that has become an integral part of our coffee (and other drinks) consumption. But as I waited for my coffee, I began to notice something else — something that had little to do with waste and everything to do with people. As I looked around, I noticed their stickers. Beneath the logo, it read: Zero waste. Community space . Suddenly it clicked — this coffee shop isn’t just about eliminating waste; it’s about creating a place where people feel connected. As owner and founder of Sunshine Coffee, Megan Johnson, explained in an interview with This is Laramie : “I wanted to bring sustainable values to Wyoming as well as build a business that serves the community.” That got me thinking about how the second part — serving the community — is integral to the first. After all, in a world where loneliness — a key barrier to people’s well-being — is on the rise, shouldn’t creating spaces for connection be just as central to sustainability as going zero waste?