Ann Erhardt

Background

About Ann Erhardt

Ann started her mission to create and accelerate initiatives that have the potential to create social justice, with a focus on sustainability, climate change and resilience. Throughout her multi-disciplinary career, Ann has made impacts that align with this intent and has created, connected, convened and curated hundreds of initiatives, programs and policies that have created positive change. In her leadership roles, she builds connections, coalitions and relationships with the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Ann has over twenty years of experience in leading organizational change including one of her most recent roles as Chief Sustainability Officer for Michigan State University. She has experience in several sectors including manufacturing, administration, non-profit, higher-education, community-based, and municipal/government. Her key skills and experience focus on organizational development, strategic planning, environmental justice, sustainability and climate action planning. After serving five years as Director of Campus Sustainability at Michigan State University, her focus changed to a more strategic role that concentrated on core business integration of sustainability and climate resilience into the infrastructure systems of the organization. Formerly the Director of Community Energy Programs for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Ann received her sustainable business and environmental science degree and Master of Management (MM) in organizational development from Aquinas College where she delved into the intersections of organizational development and sustainability, mapping the networks and organizational structures that promote the most effective implementation of sustainability strategies. She also achieved an advanced study certificate in Design and Innovation Management from Ferris State University and studied sustainability and climate change leadership at Harvard University.