Manomet, creator of North America’s first and only grocery sustainability system, the Manomet Grocery Stewardship Certification (GSC) program, has promoted Catrina Damrell to head the initiative in the role of program manager of grocery sustainability.
Damrell, who was crucial in the development of the program, has been field manager for the GSC for the past six and a half years. A U.S. Fulbright Fellow alumna, she has held various roles in the environmental arena, among them field technician studying the Bahama parrot on Abaco Island and on-site consultant for a carbon-neutral certification program for wineries in New Zealand.
“I am thrilled to grow Manomet’s work with the grocery sector and beyond,” said Damrell. “Customers are excited when they see grocery stores demonstrating their commitment to sustainability, employees get engaged and more productive when they learn how they can implement sustainability where they work, and the grocery stores save money, water and energy by focusing on making their day-to-day operations more sustainable.”
“Catrina’s impressive knowledge of operational sustainability practices — from waste management to energy efficiency to employee engagement — will make her an effective leader for the Grocery Stewardship Certification program,” noted Andy Whitman, director of Manomet’s Sustainable Economies program. “She has built strong relationships within the grocery sector due to her passion for finding opportunities for retailers of all sizes to save money and resources. I am confident in Catrina’s ability to raise the profile of the GSC grocery retailers as leaders in sustainability.”
The Plymouth, Mass.-based nonprofit organization’s program started in New England but now includes food retailers in 21 states and Canada, among them Hannaford Supermarkets, Weis Markets, Associated Grocers of New England, Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market. The GSC works with grocers to implement store-level sustainable operating practices. More than 1,000 grocery stores across North America receive actionable and comprehensive sustainability data from the program.