The Road to Sustainability

By David Mager May 27, 2009 What a wonderful, fun time I had as an Advisor to the Obama USDA Transition Team in preparing briefings for the incoming Secretary Thomas Vilsack on the subjects of Sustainability, climate change, renewable energy, organics and the environmental footprint of agriculture. After the President's swearing into office, our family piled into our Prius and made a road trip from our barn on the banks of Connecticut River to the mid-West. We stopped at homes of our Social Venture Network (SVN) friends along the way, ending up at the SVN Spring conference in Chicago. Listening to Julius Wallis and Kevin Lynch talk about their new book in the SVN series, Mission Inc. I realized how long it has been since I authored SVN’s Standards for Corporate Social Responsibility and gave something of substance ‘back’ to SVN. So I stepped up to write the next book in Berrett-Koehler Publisher’s SVN series. I am delighted to say that it appears my proposal will be accepted and that I have the good fortune of being able to co-author the book with my friend, former SVN board member and Corporate Social Responsibility Wire (CSRwire) CVO (Chief Visionary Officer) Joe Sibilia. The book’s working title is THE ROAD TO SUSTAINABILITY - How Your Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise Can Become More Sustainable Profitably. Our vision is to have the book translate all the great stuff I have learned over the years in working with over 350 companies and organizations who’s small victories collectively become a handbook on achieving sustainability while having fun and making money. I am hopeful that I can relay the book's progress in this BLOG and, with the publisher’s permission, even share parts of it as it is being written. At this point in time, the 12 page written proposal is in the hands of the SVN series editor, former Board Chair, Mal Warwick.