Left, Manager of Corporate Sustainability Tiffoni Buckle McCartney, and Director of Risk Management and Sustainability Joanne Caldwell recently joined Georgia Ports to oversee environmental tracking and sustainability efforts.
Employees working on long-term plan
Georgia Ports’ new sustainability team members say the history and reputation of the U.S. Southeast’s gateway made the decision to come aboard an easy one.
Director of Risk Management and Sustainability Joanne Caldwell brings more than 30 years of experience in compliance and sustainability to her new role. Caldwell says she’s seen sustainability evolve during her career in the oil, gas and manufacturing industries. She’s excited to bring that insight to Georgia’s ports.
“What’s interesting about GPA is that sustainability efforts have been voluntary, and part of our continuous improvement,” Caldwell said. “Our leadership team has been proactive in finding ways to reduce our environmental footprint and improve operations. Sustainable initiatives have always been part of GPA’s history and development.”
GPA continually monitors operations at its facilities to ensure cargo moves efficiently while providing significant emissions reductions. Examples include a greater reliance on rail, inland ports and on-terminal improvements such as electric-powered equipment, electrified refrigerated container racks and energy-efficient lighting.
Manager of Corporate Sustainability Tiffoni Buckle McCartney says being environmentally conscious was something she learned from a young age. For the past 16 years, McCartney has managed environmental, health and safety programs for organizations including Georgia Southern University, the United Nations Environmental Programme and Sandals Resorts International.
“Georgia Ports cares about our neighbors – locally, regionally, nationally and globally,” McCartney said. “We’re dedicated to sustainable growth, creating opportunities for the community to thrive, economic development and prosperity.”
Caldwell and McCartney joined GPA in December and have been focused on establishing a long-term sustainability plan that will align with GPA’s mission to fortify local families and sustain communities.
“We want to highlight sustainable actions in all areas of our business,” Caldwell said. “It’s important to know where GPA has been, how we got here, and where we’re going in the future.”
Initially, the team will focus on developing an air emission inventory tool to identify and quantify potential environmental impacts. These metrics will enable leadership to develop best practices and ensure long term plans for improvement will be sustainable.
“GPA’s leadership is focused on being good stewards of the environment,” Caldwell said. “The Authority’s efforts will preserve the economic vitality tied to our deep-water harbors for generations to come.”
