Overview:
Patricia Burke is the Town of Hingham’s Sustainability Coordinator. While assigned to the Town Administrator’s office, Patricia is able to work throughout town departments. In the past year she has been frequently out and about, visiting sites and meeting with staff, volunteers, students and residents.
“Sustainability” in the municipal sense is the ability to minimize environmental impact and promote a high quality of life for residents, balancing social, economic, and environmental considerations.
As Sustainability Coordinator, Patricia provides the leadership and administrative ability to support town efforts to promote sustainable policies and practices, an area of focus is on town facilities and operations.
In this role, Patricia coordinates the Town’s participation in the State’s Department of Energy Resources Green Communities program. She drives energy efficiency, clean energy, and waste reduction projects across departments. The Coordinator also supports work toward the town’s implementation of its Climate Action Plan – and achieving the town’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. (Climate Action Commission | Hingham, MA)
Her responsibilities include documenting the Green Communities annual report of the energy consumption of the Town’s buildings and vehicle inventory. Then working with Town departments, state agencies, and the private sector to identify needs, best practices, and potential funding sources, she coordinates work toward making Hingham a more sustainable community. This often entails applying for and managing grants related to energy efficiency, clean energy, and general sustainability projects. She frequently coordinates communication and outreach efforts around a given project and maintains relationships with local groups focused on carbon reduction or sustainability.
The Coordinator also serves as a resource to the Town’s Climate Action Commission, Energy Action Committee, and Cleaner Greener Hingham.
Some specific examples of projects that have benefited from the Town having a Sustainability Coordinator are:
- Ongoing tracking and analysis of town building, vehicle, and facility energy consumption and carbon emissions through the state’s tracking tool. Supporting the transition to electric vehicles when feasible.
- Working with the Hingham Fire Department using Green Communities grant funding to assess the Central Fire Station and fund efficiency improvements through weatherization and installing a heat pump water heater.
- Identifying and facilitating the contribution of outside technical assistance to inform and support municipal project decisions.
One of Patricia’s goals is to integrate sustainability into the Town’s collective mindset so current and future projects incorporate strategies such as carbon emissions reduction, waste reduction, energy efficiency and minimize impact. Patricia works with department heads to think “sustainability” into their work, including identifying grants and rebates that might be available.
Meet Patricia Burke!
Patrica, a Hingham resident, was appointed Hingham’s Sustainability Coordinator in August 2024. Along the way, she spent much of this first year learning the workings of the town government. She also coordinated two successful Green Communities grant awards with a combined value of $220,000.
Prior to taking the Sustainability Coordinator position, she was a sustainability consultant specializing in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project work. LEED is a globally-system, developed by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, that recognizes buildings for sustainable design, construction, and operation.