Measure to Improve poses a critical question in its latest blog post: Who Should Be in Charge of Sustainability? Hint: It’s Not Just Marketing or Food Safety. Written by Founder Nikki Cossio, the piece explores why sustainability can’t fall solely on traditional departments and outlines a more effective, collaborative path forward.

Sound familiar? A request for sustainability data comes in and gets handed off to Marketing or Food Safety. Maybe that’s happening at your company right now. If so, you’re not alone, and honestly, it’s understandable.

Marketing knows how to tell your story. Food Safety knows how to document compliance. However, neither department is designed to lead sustainability effectively, and certainly not on its own.

Sustainability Requires More

Credible sustainability stories require more than marketing; they need verified data to back them up. And while food safety teams are experts in documentation and compliance (if you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen), their scope is often limited to food safety-specific protocols. On the other hand, sustainability spans everything from water and waste to HR initiatives, packaging, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainability is simply too much and too broad for any one person or department to manage in isolation.

Even for those of us who’ve spent years working in sustainability, the role has shifted. Today, we see ourselves less as experts and more as generalists, people who bring together the right voices and subject matter experts across operations. That collaborative mindset is critical if sustainability is going to take root and grow within an organization.

So, Where Do You Start?

Appoint a point person, not to have all the answers, but to direct traffic. Look for someone passionate about sustainability and a strong understanding of your business operations. Their role is to coordinate, gathering data, connecting the dots, and asking the right questions.

Then, build a team around them.

Sustainability Green Team

We call it a Green Team, but the name is less important. What matters is that it’s cross-functional. Bring together people from operations, HR, food safety, maintenance, purchasing, growing, accounting, and any other core teams within your organization. The team should reflect your business. It should be a team that can share insights, break down silos, and help integrate sustainability into everyday work.

Green Teams help build culture. They create ownership, generate ideas, and when supported, can drive meaningful progress. For many employees, participating becomes a point of pride, especially when they see their input making a real impact.

Even more important: Green Teams build internal champions. And champions build momentum.

This isn’t about piling more work onto someone’s plate. It’s about distributing ownership and developing long-term capacity across your organization.

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Restaurant Association is pleased to announce Karl Dahlgren as its new Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Judy Mulcahy as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). As CPO, Dahlgren’s leadership will shape how the Association delivers value to the industry through the strategy, development, and management of ServSafe® and the future growth and development of a full suite of the organization’s product portfolio. As COO, Mulcahy will oversee day-to-day operations to ensure alignment of the Association’s people, processes, and systems with long-term strategic goals.

“Karl’s and Judy’s leadership will complement the important work underway across the organization to position the Association for continued relevancy,” said Michelle Korsmo, president & CEO of the National Restaurant Association, in a recent press release. “As an indispensable partner to the restaurant industry, we are focused on how the Association and our products, programs, and services can help protect, promote, and guide the prosperity of America’s restaurants. Karl’s and Judy’s expertise will support these efforts to move us forward into the next era with clarity, focus, and greater operational strength.”

Karl Dahlgren has more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning the banking, technology, nonprofit, and training sectors. A growth-oriented business leader, he has successfully led teams across product, sales, client services, and technology. His background includes steering organizations through transformative initiatives, including market expansion, strategic partnerships, and operational turnarounds. Dahlgren holds a B.A. from North Park University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Most recently, he was Executive Vice President of the National Safety Council and leader of their training line of business.

"I am honored to join the National Restaurant Association at such an important time in the industry,” said Dahlgren. “I am excited to work with a talented team to strengthen the value delivered through critical programs, including ServSafe. Together, we’ll drive innovation and support operators in building resilient, future-ready businesses."

Judy Mulcahy has more than 25 years of experience in association leadership, government contracting, engineering, and nonprofit management. Her expertise encompasses strategic planning, human resources, finance, business development, and organizational transformation. Mulcahy holds a B.A. in Personnel and Industrial Relations from the University of Cincinnati. Most recently, she was Chief Operating Officer for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

“I know the power that food has to bring people together, and I’m excited to join the National Restaurant Association as Chief Operating Officer to support and elevate the dynamic restaurant business in America during a time of transformation,” said Mulcahy. “This is an organization dedicated to uniting communities and providing opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to grow and thrive. I’m inspired by this team and the people at the heart of this industry.”

IRVINE, CA - With a proprietary raspberry program cultivated for the summer, Gem-Pack Berries has cultivated favor with both retailers and consumers. I touched base with Michelle Deleissegues, Senior Vice President of Marketing, to learn a bit more.

“May marks the beginning of the Watsonville season, which builds throughout late spring and intensifies in mid-June,” she tells me. “Peak follows in June and July, for full summer enjoyment, and should hold steady throughout the season.”

The supplier’s domestic raspberry volume begins to decline in the fall, with a steady decrease through October. The season draws to a close in November with the turn in the weather.

Gem-Pack's Watsonville raspberry crop was established by Well-Pict thirty years prior, before transitioning to Gem-Pack in 2022 when Well-Pict joined the Gem-Pack family.

We’ll keep you up to date on the latest in berry production in California, so stay tuned to ANUK!