Ryan McPherson

Buffalo

In September of 2011, Mr. McPherson was named the University at Buffalo’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. In his role as the CSO, Ryan connects people across the university with information, innovation, and tools to reduce UB’s footprint on the future and enhance quality of life by improving environmental stewardship, increasing economic efficiency and augmenting cultural values and awareness. He specifically works closely with university partners and employs an integrated campus-wide strategy that leverages the university’s operations, curriculum, external engagement and research to further UB’s sustainability efforts. Over the past five years these efforts have resulted in the university being recognized by the EPA’s Green Power Partnership as the top green power user, the US Green Building Council for the best community collaboration, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s winning proposal under the Reforming the Energy Vision Campus Challenge and the Association for the Advancement in Sustainability STARS gold status. Prior to taking on this new role, Ryan was the Associate Vice President for Government & Community Relations where he successfully led a multi-year New York State effort that resulted in the enactment of the most comprehensive higher education legislation in a generation. Before leading the university’s advocacy efforts, Mr. McPherson was the Chief of Staff for the External Affairs Division and was responsible for day-to-day operational leadership. In addition, he also played a pivotal role in creating the President’s Environmental Stewardship Committee, the university’s Climate Action Plan and driving a university wide approach to sustainability. Ryan is also very active in the community and played a key founding role in establishing the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable and the Western New York Environmental Alliance. In addition to occupying board seats at these organizations, he is also a trustee of the Western and Central New York Nature Conservancy, and a board member of the New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education, GoBike Buffalo, other local organizations and a member of numerous university wide committees. Previous to joining UB, Ryan worked in Washington, DC and New Hampshire advocating for greater environmental protection and democratic participation. Mr. McPherson received his B.A. in political science from the University of New Hampshire and graduated magna cum laude from the University at Buffalo Law School with a concentration in environmental law. Ryan enjoys endurance running and cycling, hiking any mountain he can find and coaching youth hockey and soccer. He and his wife Alexandra have a 14-year-old daughter and a 11-year-old son and live on their farm in East Aurora, NY where they work to instill a love of nature and all things biophilia.