New Providence's Douglas Sullivan Named Sustainability Hero by Sustainable Jersey

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. — Douglas Sullivan did not set out to lead a sustainability movement. He just wanted to help with an emissions inventory.More than a decade later, the environmental engineer from New Providence has been named a Sustainability Hero by Sustainable Jersey — the statewide certification program that has partnered with the Borough throughout its green journey. The recognition honors Sullivan's sustained leadership guiding New Providence's environmental initiatives and his role in achieving silver certification earlier this year."I organized the goals and objectives and we worked together as a committee with the municipality to achieve the silver certification," Sullivan said. "I said, we can do this."The day the notification arrived, he said, brought a smile to his face.Sullivan, who has chaired Sustainable New Providence since 2013, joined the group the same year the Borough first achieved bronze certification. What began as a volunteer assist on a greenhouse gas emissions inventory eventually grew into a full-time leadership role that has shaped New Providence's environmental direction for more than 11 years.A senior environmental engineer at Dewberry, Sullivan brings more than 40 years of professional experience in hazardous waste investigation, remediation and environmental compliance to his community work. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Norwich University and began his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the New York District.Programs That Took RootUnder Sullivan's leadership, Sustainable New Providence has launched and sustained several community initiatives.The Borough's community garden — now entering its 10th season — opened in 2016 with 28 raised beds, built through a coalition that included the New Providence Garden Club, Department of Public Works, Boy Scout Troop 63 and employees from BASF. Funding came from the Union County Means Green Program, a PSEG Foundation-funded Sustainable Jersey grant, the BASF Community Fund and the Borough itself. The garden has since grown to 39 plots, with one bed dedicated entirely to growing produce for local food pantries. No chemical substances are permitted; plots are maintained using organic practices.Freecycle Fest, a free community swap event held twice yearly, has become a popular fixture. Residents bring gently used, working items and offer them to neighbors at no cost — keeping goods out of the waste stream."Freecycle Fest is an important event that helps our community members reuse rather than throwing things in the garbage and ending up in the landfill," Sullivan said.The Borough also used a $2,000 Sustainable Jersey grant, funded by the PSEG Foundation, to launch the first-ever New Providence Green Challenge — a five-week summer campaign that drew more than 200 registered participants. Families completed weekly sustainability actions, shared results via email and social media, and gathered for a closing celebration in the community. A new Recycle Mascot created for the event will return to future programs.The annual Green Fair brings residents together with organizations including PSE&G, Union County Recycling, the New Jersey Clean Energy Program and local electric vehicle owners to explore topics from energy efficiency to composting.What's Next: A Community Energy PlanSullivan said the Borough is nearing completion of a Community Energy Plan — a project he called significant for New Providence's long-term sustainability and funding prospects."The Community Energy Plan is an important project that we are nearing completion of," he said. "Having this plan will open the Borough up to additional funding opportunities through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to help implement projects."The Borough received a $10,000 grant and technical assistance from Sustainable Jersey to develop the plan. Community input was gathered through a resident survey at a local street fair and via email outreach.Sullivan also guided conversations with Borough Council on electric vehicle charger installations and brought high school student representatives into monthly committee meetings — a move he said has expanded engagement with younger residents.'We Would Not Have Done This Without Sustainable Jersey'Sullivan is candid about the role the statewide program has played in New Providence's progress."We would not have done all of the sustainability actions without a Sustainable Jersey program," he said, citing the guidance, resources and structured framework that helped the committee convert plans into results.At the core of his work, he said, is a straightforward belief about shared responsibility."It's a fact that we need to conserve resources," Sullivan said. "They are finite. I don't want to kick the can down the road for the next generation."Sullivan grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., and has lived in New Jersey with his wife, Karen, for more than 25 years. The couple recently became grandparents. Outside of work and volunteering, Sullivan is an avid road cyclist and recently completed a 45-mile ride through New Jersey's Monmouth County. He often rides through the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge — watching for turtles and checking on a resident eagle's nest."Sustainability resonates with who I am as a person," he said.