Osmosis Honored by the Sonoma BEA
Sustainability in business is a timely theme anywhere, but is especially a matter of great discussion here in Sonoma county. The Sonoma BEAwas started in 1997 in collaboration with the Economic Development Board by business, environmental and government leaders to promote responsible environmental practices that cut costs for business.
The BEA’s mission is to connect businesses both with each other and with the resources they need to implement affordable, green measures. They focus on no-to-low cost practices to help strengthen local businesses in the current challenging economic climate.
On, February 26, 2010 the BEA honored Osmosis along with 19 other business leaders in the Sonoma county community committed to sustainability.
We at Osmosis had the honor of being recognized by the BEA through a nomination from our friends at Sonoma county GoLocal Cooperative. We are proud to be a Sonoma GoLocal member and encourage other Sonoma county businesses to join as well. The sense of community offered by the GoLocal co-op is phenomenal and their branding is a hit with the local community as well. Thank you for the nomination, we promise to live up to our role as a leader in Sonoma county for sustainability as long as we are in business- 25 years so far!
Our founder, Michael Stusser, and our Green Team Catalyst, Lauren Santibanez were presented with the award from the BEA by 5th District County Supervisor, Efren Carillo. Mr. Carillo provided the ceremony with informative opening remarks about the state of our district and ways to continue working towards a greener Sonoma County.
Also present at the breakfast was keynote speaker Andy Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan who holds appointments in both the Ross School of Business and the School of Natural Resources & Environment. Professor Hoffman presented on the importance of competitive sustainability practices in order to keep up with the innovations in green business. He urged that we not see green business as an option but rather a necessity not just for our planet’s future, but for the future of successful business as well.
Prof. Hoffman focuses on the processes by which environmental issues both emerge and evolve as social, political and managerial issues. He has written extensively about: the evolving nature of field level pressures related to environmental issues; the corporate responses that have emerged as a result of those pressures, particularly around the issue of climate change; the interconnected networks among non-governmental organizations and corporations and how those networks influence change processes within cultural and institutional systems; the social and psychological barriers to these change processes; and the underlying cultural values that are engaged when these barriers are overcome.
Please visit the BEA’s website for more information on the importance of committing to sustainable business practices.
