City hires U.S. expert to advance green plan

By Doug Ward, Vancouver Sun | September 2, 2009
Mayor Gregor Robertson's team at Vancouver City Hall is turning to a 35-year-old environmental whiz kid from Chicago to spearhead its ambitious plan to make the city the world's greenest.

Sadhu Aufochs Johnston, Chicago's chief environmental officer and deputy chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley, has been appointed Vancouver's new deputy city manager.

Vancouver city manager Penny Ballem said Tuesday that Johnston will become the point man for the city's attempts to reduce its carbon footprint and foster a green-tech sector.

Johnston became so identified in Chicago with that city's leading-edge climate change plans that the media called him the "guru of green." His green practices at home led to one reporter calling Johnston and his wife, Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Chicago's "First Family of Eco Consciousness."
Just like his new boss, Robertson, Johnston is an avid bike commuter.

During his six years in Chicago, Johnston directed the city's Climate Action Plan and Zero Waste plan, and worked with city agencies to promote green initiatives.
"We are absolutely thrilled," said Ballem. "He's a young guy with an extremely impressive track record." Johnston said he was attracted to the job because of Robertson's enthusiasm for making Vancouver greener.

"I've been impressed with the mayor's leadership and the boldness of his climate action plan and with his move to increase cycling on the Burrard Bridge." Johnston, a dual Canadian and American citizen, is familiar with Vancouver. He spent many summers visiting his father and grandmother in Vancouver while growing up in the U.S. The new deputy city manager said that many of his friends and colleagues in Chicago are envious of his latest move. "People say to me that they're so jealous because they love Vancouver and then everybody in Vancouver is asking why am I moving there." Ballem said Johnston's leadership experience in Chicago with sustainability initiatives and city management made him the top candidate for the job.
"He just has this ability to hit the ground running and move things along a very steep curve," said Ballem. In Chicago, Johnston oversaw a staff of about 100 and was charged with directing Daley's push for a city of green buildings, green roots, bike lanes and city-wide recycling programs.
The city also expanded its amount of open space, including the recent construction of Millennium Park.

In 2007, Daley convened a coalition of groups to achieve a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

"Chicago is a transformed city as far as the urban environment is concerned with the waterfront and the downtown core," said Ballem.

She said Johnston also helped make sustainability a key ingredient in all city of Chicago operations.

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