Gerry has been a registered dietitian with Fresenius Kidney Care for 15 years and is someone who has cared about environmental impact all her life. She works in the La Jolla, Calif., center, and says she’s always been “sort of the recycling kook in the center,” referring to her long-standing efforts to help colleagues adopt more environmentally friendly habits. “As a child of the 70s, this was just something that was important,” she said. “We were worried about the earth.” Then she got her master’s degree in public health and took a course on environmental determinants of health, which focused on the connection between what people are exposed to and their health. These events reinforced her convictions. As Fresenius Medical Care has adopted corporatewide sustainability goals and initiatives, and with the establishment of the Grassroots Environmental Employee Network (GREEN) ERG, she’s gone from being the lone “kook” to an “ambassador” for a growing effort to integrate sustainability into daily operations. Moreover, being part of the GREEN ERG has allowed her to find “her people” and connect with other employees throughout Fresenius Medical Care who share her commitment to environmental stewardship. Since her earliest days at the company, Gerry has encouraged her centers to participate in Plastic Free July, a global initiative to reduce plastic pollution. Over time, she believes she has helped change minds and habits. She says there is a core group at the La Jolla center who, together, have changed the way the center staff think about what they throw away. Staff often leave recyclables in Gerry’s office because they know she’ll make sure they stay out of the waste stream. While there is still a lot to do, Gerry is very pleased with corporatewide initiatives to reuse Mircera shipping containers, recycle ink cartridges, and most recently, to begin collecting and recycling used batteries. If you are interested in learning more about the GREEN ERG, visit the GREEN ERG Sharepoint page or email green@fmc-na.com.