Our Commons Director previews “Optimistic Innovators” panel and talk in October. Listen to our “Joy in Learning” podcast episode now.

Harley School alumni Nate August ‘11, manager, Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard, Meg (Malone) Sternowski ’06, Corporate Environmental Sustainability Manager, Constellation Brands, will return to campus, 1981 Clover Street, Rochester, N.Y. to lead discussions on Creating a Sustainable Future for its Commons Series on October 24 from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The panel discussion titled “Optimistic Innovators: Creating a Sustainable Future” focuses on current topics in environmental sustainability and will include how experiences at Harley impacted career paths. The panelists will be joined by current Harley student, Davy Brooks ‘18, who is a student leader in Harley’s sustainability program.

More about the panelists

Meg (Malone) Sternowski

Meg is extremely passionate about sharing knowledge of the great things happening around Rochester and with creating a resilient and empathetic community. With a background in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Sustainability, Meg works at Constellation Brands as their Corporate Environmental Sustainability Manager and manages and measures the company’s environmental footprint. Meg has a passion for waste – re-imagining, reusing, repurposing, and recycling to make a long-term difference.

Nate August

Starting with his first exposure to agriculture as a teenager, Nate was hooked. He graduated from Cornell University’s Agricultural Sciences program in 2015 and now manages the Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard in Canandaigua, NY. The farm works to integrate new research and technology with regenerative farming practices to increase the supply of regionally-grown, flavorful and nutritious food for Wegmans customers. Nate is passionate about exploring opportunities for innovation in the dynamic food production industry.

Davy Brooks

Davy Brooks is currently a Harley student who is a student leader in the food and farm program and an active participant in the maker education program. Davy has been involved in designing the growing spaces, planting and managing the micro-farm, and maintaining the Harley bee hives.  

About The Commons Series

The Commons Series is designed to engage local and regional leaders to facilitate discussions in the areas of mindfulness and empathy; environmental sustainability and science; civic engagement and the democratic process; and inquiry-driven exploration.