Ithaca College

This message is being shared on behalf of Dr. Timothy Carey, Associate Vice President, Facilities

I am pleased to share with the Ithaca College community that Mark Darling, Sustainability Coordinator within the office of Energy Management and Sustainability, will be retiring as of Friday, January 15th.  Before I share some of his more significant accomplishment, I wish to acknowledge that Mark delayed his retirement by more than six months so that he could assist me during a challenging period as we transitioned the Office of Energy Management and Sustainability following the unfortunate and untimely passing of the former director, Lew Durland.  Mark’s willingness – indeed eagerness – to ensure continuity in the critically important sustainability initiative during the past several months is, I believe, a testament to his dedication to and passion for the College’s continued pursuit of sustainable processes and practices.

During his twenty-eight year tenure at IC, Mark has had a number of responsibilities.  Some of these include: leadership of the waste management program, coordinator and then supervisor of the Recycling/Resource Management Program, and development and coordination of programs and activities designed to foster sustainable operations and practices. Mark also served on numerous committees and task forces, and was a trusted and knowledgeable mentor to countless students.  It should also be noted that early in his career and while working in the Facilities Services department, Mark enrolled in classes and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997.  

Mark’s contributions to the field of sustainability are extensive.  He has presented on composting, recycling, and waste reduction at state and national conferences; received the New York State 2000 Governor’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Program Innovation Award for his initiatives at IC; served on the Steering Committee of the National Recycling Coalition’s College and University Recycling Council from 2006 until 2011; and, was elected President of the Board of Directors for Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc., a not-for-profit entity in Ithaca. 

Please join us for coffee as we honor Mark Darling’s years of service on Friday, January 15th from 10-11 a.m. in the Facilities Administration Building conference room.