If Not Nau, When?

I am the sustainability manager at Nau Inc.

Nau, Inc. is a retail (as well as direct) technical and lifestyle outdoor clothing company committed to integrating economic, environmental, and social factors into our business model. We aim to spark a dialogue among individuals and companies who are committed to doing well by doing good. We have aspired to design the entire enterprise from the ground up with the idea and ideal of sustainability at the center of the venture. That includes how we design and manufacture our products, the design and construction of our stores, how our products are shipped, and the people we hire. We give 5 percent of every sale to social and environmental organizations. Customers are encouraged to help decide which organization will receive that 5 percent.

I'm working on wearing many hats without messing up my hair. Seriously, one of the exciting aspects of sustainability, especially in a start-up, is the wide range of projects. They include integrating sustainability attributes into our materials, products, processes, and stores; developing labor and environmental standards for the factories that make our products; and tracking, reducing, and offsetting our greenhouse-gas emissions.

Drive, bus, or bike. My goal is to bike to work more consistently, but sometimes it's difficult to get motivated to get on a bike when it's cold, rainy, and gloomy out.

I grew up in a logging town that exemplified the economic and environmental impacts of mismanaging the environment. That led me to an interest in the role businesses could play in addressing environmental issues. I received a degree in environmental science supplemented with economics courses at Willamette University. Following college, I worked for a consulting company and volunteered for several environmental nonprofits. After being denied for many sustainability jobs and networking with enough people to fill a banquet hall, I landed a job as sustainability manager at Nike -- a fantastic job for me! I learned a great deal in that challenging and rewarding job. Nau recruited me in 2005, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work for such an amazing start-up company.

Portland, Ore.

After college I worked at a big firm that consulted on environmental planning and engineering. The firm's management and their clients fulfilled only the minimum that regulations required. In order to initiate change, I arranged a meeting between management and several business leaders who integrated sustainability into their businesses. After the meeting, which I thought was a success, the president of the consulting company insisted that he still didn't see any reason to do more than the regulations required.

Being recruited to work with a team of industry leaders at Nau to build a brand from the bottom up. Rather than trying to fix existing systems, we have had the opportunity to integrate sustainability at the front end of everything we do. That leads to a different kind of thinking, which makes every day both exciting and challenging.

The property-rights ballot initiatives that swept across states in the U.S. recently. The campaigns deceived many voters into thinking that they were voting for fairness for property owners, but in reality, the initiatives allow big timber companies to turn coastal forests into sprawling subdivisions and allow corporations to turn farmland into gravel pits and strip malls. The ballot measure that passed in Oregon, Measure 37, now threatens our treasured quality of life, as well as our farms and forestland. Many residents in rural communities face threats to drinking water and the availability of scarce water resources because of Measure 37. Visit 1,000 Friends of Oregon or the Sightline Institute to learn more.

My heroes from the past include Henry David Thoreau, Teddy Roosevelt, and Tom McCall, the former Oregon governor who led the land-use planning initiatives to protect our watersheds, beaches, forests, and farms and create vibrant cities. Current heroes include David Suzuki and Malcolm Gladwell.

I enjoy snowboarding, even though I'm aware of all the environmental issues associated with that sport. Every time I fall, I figure that's the mountain's way of getting back at me. Or maybe I'm just a bad snowboarder.

For fun I do a little bit of a lot of things, which is typical of Portlanders. Snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, cooking, dinner out with friends, and fixing up my house are a few of the activities lately.

Sushi -- fish listed in the green section of the Seafood Watch guide.

I hug a tree twice a day -- just kidding.

The Columbia Gorge -- it's hard to beat the amazing views, waterfalls, and cliffs that you'll find on a hike through the gorge. If you ask me on another day, I might say the Oregon coast, Oregon's high desert, or the Cascade Mountains.

Urban growth boundaries that foster vibrant cities, neighborhoods, and rural towns and protect farms, forests, rivers, and other ecosystems.

At 18: Morphine. Now: Jack Johnson.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, donate or get involved with 1,000 Friends, Sightline, or OregonWild. If you live elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad, consider helping NRDC, Conservation International, or another organization in your region.