The city of Springfield’s first sustainability officer is resigning to pursue private-sector work.
In mid-October, Barbara Lucks will exit her position to work as a full-time private consultant. She said via email this morning the business she’s launching doesn’t yet have a name, but she has two projects starting Nov. 1, one with Friends of the Garden and the other with Springfield Sister Cities Association.
A 22-year employee of the city, Lucks started in 1994 as a materials recovery and education coordinator before leading the new sustainability division when it was created in 2011. In that position, she’s responsible for organization and guiding the city’s involvement in community sustainability projects, according to a news release.
“Barbara has truly been Springfield’s environmental conscience throughout her career, and I know she will continue serving as such as she transitions to the private sector,” Deputy City Manager Tim Smith said in the release.
During Lucks’ tenure with the city, her work has included:
• attracting Canadian manufacturer Canbrands - now Nestle Purina PetCare - to Springfield in 1998, resulting in the creation of 30 jobs and a $3 million, 30,000-square-foot manufacturing plant;
• creating the annual Choose Environmental Excellence Awards recognizing environmental accomplishments;
• starting the annual Environmental/Conservation Education Summit, which brings together around 40 representatives of 30 organizations for a one-day discussion on current issues and topics;
• establishing Springfield as a recycling hub; and
• launching the city’s Green Building Task Force to investigate and evaluate sustainable building policies.
