Creation Care Council

EMU’s Creation Care Council grew out of a faculty, staff and student initiative to consider how the campus pulls together its theology of care for the earth with practical everyday decisions made across campus. The council, which developed EMU’s official sustainability principles, coordinates with other groups to develop concrete steps and long-term plans for creation care on EMU’s campus. The council also serves as a visionary body directly involved in long-term sustainability planning for the University.

CCC Statement on Climate Change | ACUPCC – the climate neutrality commitment

Membership

The EMU president will appoint a vice president from the president’s cabinet, and SGA will appoint a student senator to serve as representative. The remaining members should consist of one staff person each from Facilities Management and Marketing and Communications, a student chosen by Earthkeepers who ideally is also involved with Sustainable Foods Initiative, three additional faculty appointed by the provost’s office representing a wide variety of academic departments, two additional staff members-at-large, and the EMU sustainability curriculum coordinator. An additional at-large member from among graduate students is optional.

Terms for members are two years except for appointed members of Cabinet and SGA and the sustainability curriculum coordinator, who is a permanent member of the committee.

Current committee members (alphabetical by last name)

Faculty/Staff

• Jackie Font Guzman (VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
• Marci Frederick (Director of Libraries)
• Doug Graber Neufeld (director of the Anabaptist Climate Collaborative (ACC) and professor of biology)
• Michael Horst (Assistant Professor of Graduate Counseling Programs)
• Jim Leaman (Professor of Economics)
• Ed Lehman (director of Facilities Management)
• Dawn Neil (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator)
• Jim Yoder (Professor of Biology)

Students

• Zach Bauman (Earthkeepers)
• Micah Buckwalter (Earthkeepers, Chair)
• Jessica Chisolm (SFI)
• Abigail Forrest (SFI)
• Donesha George (SGA Representative)
• Jaden Jones (ACC Climate Ambassador)
• Evan Kauffman (SFI)
• Ally Welty Peachey (Earthkeepers)