“Sustainability has been a passion of mine since college. I started my career with DPR in the Bay Area, but when I moved to Florida in 2016, I was disheartened by the lack of ‘green’ infrastructure and regulations, especially coming from California where state regulations on waste management and pollution were more stringent. At that time, I found that there was limited demand in the southeast for sustainability efforts beyond the occasional LEED project, so I focused on my roles in operations, and organically became known as ‘the girl who is passionate about sustainability.’ I took opportunities within my role to make small changes on my projects, and just share my passion with others in the office.

We have set up water refill stations on select project sites and encouraged the use of reusable bottles. We substituted our standard jobsite and office supplies with eco-friendly alternatives when reusable is not feasible. We purchased more reusable dishware for the office and asked that food vendors stop bringing in disposable products when they deliver food. These changes alone are small, but they have provided the opportunity to begin educating others, which is where the small changes start to create a bigger impact.”

Liz Owen, Project Manager

“Ecological restoration takes much more time than it takes to mine or harvest material or destroy it with our pollution and waste. I am personally motivated as an outdoorsman and conservationist to operate sustainably. Healthy habitats and natural areas are important for my own recreation and for the future enjoyment of my kids and the generations to come. Aldo Leopold once wrote, 'There is a limit to the number of lands of shoreline on the lakes; there is a limit to the number of lakes in existence; there is a limit to the mountainous areas of the world, and in each one of these situations there are portions of natural scenic beauty which are God made, and the beauties of which of a right should be the property of all people.'

I’m excited to be a part of this organization on our path to regeneration. With our talented and innovative people, we will prove how to build with minimal environmental impacts. We’ll shift the paradigm of construction and inspire the industry to follow suit. To me, that’s how DPR will change the world.”

TJ Cyr, Integration Manager