Suzanne Burnes - Making Atlanta Sustainable

Suzanne Burnes - Executive Director, Sustainable Atlanta

An alumnus of the prestigious Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership, Suzanne brings two decades of environmental and sustainability experience to Sustainable Atlanta. Prior to joining as executive director, she served as the Assistant Director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Sustainability Division. There she was responsible for managing the division’s U.S. EPA and DOE grants, a staff of twelve, and for coordinating the department’s Sustainable Energy Management Plan and Council. During this time she also managed the division’s flagship environmental leadership program, the Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia, whose nearly 275 voluntary member businesses and organizations work to implement energy, water and material conservation practices.

Suzanne’s experience in the environmental field includes consulting to U.S. EPA and the military on environmental cleanup and compliance issues. She also served on the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy’s Subcommittee on Promoting Environmental Stewardship, advising U.S. EPA Administrator Jackson in 2009-2010. Suzanne earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College, with an emphasis on Environmental Policy.