On Wednesday, June 26, Whit Sutton will be featured as a speaker at the Memphis and Shelby County Sustainability Summit. Sutton is the first-ever full-time energy manager at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). He will speak on the topic, “Reaping the Rewards of Smarter Energy Practices.” The session will take place from 9:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road in Memphis. The summit is free and open to the public; however, advance registration is required through this link: TnEnergy.org.
Presented by the Tennessee Energy Education Initiative, this summit brings together energy experts from across the country to discuss topics related to energy management and energy efficiency solutions. Participants will learn how technology can be used to save energy and receive an overview of renewable energy solutions, with an option of choosing between two customized information tracks: Track A — Health Care or Track B — Education and Campus.
“Our campus comprises more than 3.5 million square feet of space in the Memphis Medical Center. As a result, the UT Health Science Center uses a substantial amount of energy on a daily basis, powering our labs, classrooms, offices and clinical care facilities,” observed Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at UTHSC. “We are very pleased to welcome Whit to this first-ever, full-time position. His almost 30-year career, in-depth knowledge of, and many long relationships at UTHSC will be of significant benefit as he develops new initiatives to move our campus toward greater energy efficiency,” Dr. Brown added.
The UTHSC energy manager is responsible for analyzing current energy usage and developing and maintaining a campus energy management plan in order to provide proper environmental conditions, with cost effective energy utilization. The energy manager provides leadership, vision, and direction in the creation of a short- and long-term strategic plan, to achieve the university’s energy goals. He is also responsible for ensuring high quality, reliable and affordable utilities for the campus through reduction, conservation and innovation.
The UTHSC utility budget exceeds $10 million annually, thus the energy manager must articulate the campus’s mission and goals in the area of energy management. Outreach to and support from faculty, staff, students, and the community are essential in order to realize UTHSC’s energy conservation and efficiency goals.
The Tennessee Energy Education Initiative provides training, tools, and local events to help organizations in Tennessee take control of their energy usage. By connecting you with the right resources, expertise, peer experience, and potential funding options, the Tennessee Energy Education Initiative provides a roadmap to successfully navigate the energy landscape. For more information, visit www.tnenergy.org.
As Tennessee’s only public, statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. Offering a broad range of postgraduate and selected baccalaureate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UTHSC also educates and trains cohorts of medicine, pharmacy and/or allied health students — in addition to medical residents and fellows — at its major sites in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. Founded in 1911, during its more than 100 years, UT Health Science Center has educated and trained more than 56,000 health care professionals in academic settings and health care facilities across the state.