An experienced sustainability professional with corporate and government contract experience has been selected to lead the Village of Oak Park’s municipal environmental programs. Marynda “Mindy” Agnew, an Oak Park resident, was selected from a field of more than 50 applicants to be Sustainability Coordinator.
Agnew, who has a background in business finance, sustainable community development, government operations, environmental science and conservation, was part of the initial group that procured grant funding for resource reduction, composting and zero waste strategies in District 97 schools. She also worked with key community stakeholders and the Village to launch Oak Park’s CompostAble composting program.
Agnew earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Elmhurst College and studied graduate-level sustainable management at the University of Wisconsin. She also is a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School.
In addition to working with local groups and organizations, Agnew has most recently been under contract with the Village to provide green block party and event coordination. Her role also included working to expand and improve recycling and zero waste processing strategies that have helped make Oak Park a model for other municipalities.
In her role as Sustainability Coordinator, Agnew’s first task will be implementation of the single-use bag ban set to begin in Oak Park on January 1. Her duties also will include overseeing the community choice electricity aggregation program, identifying project funding opportunities, executing strategies that help achieve the Village’s sustainability objectives and working closely with the citizen volunteers on the Environment & Energy Commission.
For more information on Oak Park’s environmental initiatives visit www.oak-park.us/sustainability or email sustainability@oak-park.us.
Mindy Agnew