Recently, fans of Carole Collins held a thank you party for her outstanding service to Greenfield. The party was held in the new Greenfield Public Library, which is the newest example of Carole’s efforts to make Greenfield’s municipal operations fossil fuel-free to save taxpayers money and address the climate crisis.
Carole, who spearheaded and directed the only energy and sustainability department in western Massachusetts since its creation in Greenfield nine years ago, achieved a lot of successes and firsts in the state. She is moving on to take a similar job in Northampton. She will be sorely missed.
At the party, Jean Wall, chair of Greenfield’s Energy and Construction committee that advises on municipal building capital expenses, shared that, “When Carole came to Greenfield, I knew nothing about energy conservation or green energy. She has changed everything —both for me and for the city. Now everything I do both personally and for the city is framed within the context of how those actions will affect the planet. You are an award-winning and admired energy conservation advocate, both locally and statewide.”
Erica Gees, an architect with a focus on energy-efficient buildings, also sang Carole’s praises as she talked about her experience of working with Carole on the Library Building Committee.
“After 50 years as a design professional, you are the best I’ve ever seen and you are going to be a tough act to follow. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for firmly setting Greenfield on track with your legacy.”
Erica went on to explain that designing high-performance buildings requires collaboration among several city departments, accurate information, and trust in the design team. “This is where someone like Carole steps in and works her magic. ”
Erica went on to say that, “Whether it was lobbying to increase the performance value of the envelope, pressing for triple pane glazing or questioning the sizing of the mechanical equipment, Carole had diligently done her research, and enlisted relevant expertise to verify and provide the facts. In her diplomatic, yet persistent, determined way, she made sure these strategies would be implemented. She knew where to question the data and push for a better solution. She also knew how to leverage critical resources including grant funding.
“Creating change is a team effort and to have success you want that leadership in the owner’s camp. It was a treat to see Carole in action throughout the process! I wish I had someone like Carole on other projects I’ve been involved with.”
Her fans say that Carole always followed her heart and went beyond her job description, as was the case when she partnered with Wisty Rorabacher to create the Fiske Park Garden. Wisty said that the first time she saw Carole in action was at the John Zon Center, on a panel about sustainability and wise energy use. Wisty was struck by the extent of her knowledge, her ability to make complex ideas and facts easy to understand and her humorous presentation.
“For a community volunteer like me, Carole was a dream come true. When we got together, we would talk about our caring. We would cheer one another on, thinking about what we needed to make our dreams come true. It was because of this positive relationship that, together, and with the help of Dorothea Sotiros, we were able to make the Fiske Park Garden move from a senior citizens’ dream to a Greenfield reality, which is now cared for by two old women. I loved the pride Carole had in Greenfield and her positive belief in what Greenfield could become if only given the chance. She made a believer of me. I will miss her!”
As the retired director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy and member of Greening Greenfield, I added that, “Carole’s vision, creativity and persistence is amazing! With a vision of a fossil fuel-free Greenfield, Carole looked at every use of energy in the city, and found the money to make changes. Today we are getting closer to her dream! And saving a lot of money!”
To date the city has saved around $1 million on street lights alone by converting them to LEDs, and everyone in the city can use zero-carbon-emitting electricity supplied by Greenfield Light & Power.
“Carole has shown us what can be done to reduce costs and climate change emissions. Municipal energy use is only 2% of the energy used by all of us. So the potential for each of us to save money, and make a difference is huge!”
Nancy Hazard is a fan of Carole Collins, a member of Greening Greenfield, and retired director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. She can be reached at NancyHazard30@gmail.com.