Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato today named Jeaneen Zappa as the County’s first sustainability manager. Zappa will work with County department directors and Onorato’s Green Action Team to identify ways to reduce the County’s ecological footprint.
“I am pleased to announce that Jeaneen Zappa will be joining our team, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in business and sustainability planning,” said Onorato. “The hiring of a sustainability manager is part of our ongoing effort to operate an efficient and environmentally friendly government that uses less energy and saves taxpayers money.”

Zappa’s responsibilities include drafting environmentally preferable procurement policies, expanding recycling in County-owned facilities, and providing sustainability training to employees. She will also coordinate Allegheny County’s recently announced greenhouse gas inventory, which will include baseline quantifications for energy usage in County buildings, fuel usage in County vehicles, and emissions from County operations.

In addition, Zappa will work to implement Allegheny Places, the County’s first comprehensive plan. Allegheny County’s commitment to sustainable practices is evident throughout the plan, and especially in the sections regarding economic development, housing, parks, open space, greenways, transportation, environmental resources and energy conservation.

Zappa is a LEED accredited professional and has most recently served as green business development director with the Green Building Alliance, a non-profit organization that offers education and training in green building practices, research services and product development funding, and technical support for green building projects.

Zappa holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, as well as bachelor’s degrees from Syracuse University in magazine journalism and marketing. Her first day with the County will be June 8.