Lauren Bishop
Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Sustainability & Energy Management
Phone: (828)227-3562
Email: lbishop@wcu.edu
Hometown: Tallahassee, FL
Education:
- Master of Arts, Industrial Technology, Building Science, Appalachian State University,
2005
- Bachelor of Science and Business Administration, Real Estate & Urban Analysis, Appalachian
State University, 2000
Bio: Lauren has been serving at WCU since 2005. She became the Energy Manager for the
Facilities Management Department in 2007. In 2014 she transitioned into her current
role as Chief Sustainability Officer. Her focus includes taking a holistic approach
to integrating sustainability and waste reduction systematically across the campus
and community. It is a dynamic goal that includes utilizing campus as a living-learning
laboratory for student engagement, research, and high impact learning. Her family
includes her husband Blair and two young boys, Harper and Myles. In her free time,
she likes to enjoy time outside with her family, hiking, traveling, playing in her
garden, and being a mom.
David King
Energy Management Specialist
Phone: (828)227-2645
Email: dbking@wcu.edu
Hometown: Asheville, NC
Education:
- Master of Science from Appalachian State University with concentrations in Building
Science and Renewable Energy Systems, May 2012.
- Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, High Point University, 1997.
Bio: David was born in Dublin, Ireland and moved to the states at the age of eight. Prior
to joining Western Carolina University, he worked as a fellow for the Environmental
Defense Fund identifying cost-effective energy upgrades for the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians. He has also worked as the Weatherization Coordinator for Green Opportunities
(GO), a community based green-jobs training program for under-served young men and
women. He is enthusiastic about working with students, staff, and faculty to identify
energy efficiency opportunities and to further energy awareness across campus. David
enjoys mountain biking, surfing, and getting dirty in the garden.
Dana Brown
Recycling Coordinator
Phone: (828)227-4074
Email: drbrown@wcu.edu
Hometown: Spruce Pine, NC
Education: BS, Crop and Soil Environmental Science
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), 1995
Bio: Prior to joining WCU, Dana was the Sustainability Program Manager for Manoa School
in Honolulu, Hawai’i. There, she advocated for recycling and waste minimization, starting
a program for on-campus composting of food waste. She engaged students in every step
of the process, from food and data collection to pile building and compost harvest.
Prior to her time in Hawai’i, she worked as a federal contractor in North Carolina’s
Research Triangle Park, assisting states with their Clean Water Act reporting requirements
by providing GIS and database technical support, training, and outreach. In her free
time, Dana enjoys spending time with her family and working in the yard with her chickens.
