Mayor Fischer has finally filled one of the most talked-about spots in his administration — at least it was talked about a lot during last year’s election. Rival candidate Jackie Green had pushed for the office to be created, and many thought he would be a candidate for the job. Instead, Fischer hired Maria Koetter as the city’s new Director of Sustainability.
She’s been involved in environmental programs as a consultant. It will be interesting to see what gets accomplished through this new office, and if it justifies the $78K salary. Here’s the official release from the city:
Mayor Greg Fischer has named Maria Koetter as Louisville Metro Government’s first director of Sustainability.
“Having a point-person for sustainability will not only lead to cost-saving efficiencies in city government, it will help make Louisville a more environmentally-friendly city and serve as an economic development tool by attracting new green industries and jobs,” Fischer said. “Maria has the corporate, regulatory and community background to be an effective leader on this front.”
Koetter has more than 20 years in the environmental and regulatory industry, most recently as the founder and owner of Louisville-based Bgreen2 which has provided sustainability consulting services to a variety of companies and organizations including Norton Healthcare, Greater Louisville YMCA and Lexmark International.
She has national experience working with clients such as Shell Oil, Halliburton Energy Services and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Prior to starting her own firm, Koetter worked for 10 years with the California-based firm Tetra Tech EM Inc. where she managed a variety of local and national environmental projects and initiatives. She also served as project scientist for ERD Environmental Inc., involved with soil, water, air and wastewater assessment and cleanup efforts and working closely with the EPA and local and state regulators.
Koetter has chaired the local environmental group Green Convene and participated in strategic planning for Louisville’s Partnership for a Green City.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Western Kentucky University in 1989 along with a Teaching Certificate in General Science. An avid runner, she has been active in the community with the Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Kosair Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Koetter’s first day is Jan. 18. She will be paid $78,000 a year
