Athena Sarafides supports several sustainability initiatives at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, including the New Jersey Sustainable Business Initiative, the NJ Sustainable Business Registry and the Sustainable Jersey Program.
She is a LEED Accredited Professional and helped to establish the US Green Building Council’s NJ Chapter, serving on the board for three years.
She started her career at the DEP in 1986 in the Office of Recycling where she assisted in the development and promotion of recycling and waste reduction programs in New Jersey and nationally as a board member of the National Recycling Coalition for three years.
Athena has a BS in Psychology / Biology from Albright College, an MS in Resource Economics from the University of Maine and an Associates in Fine Arts from Mercer County Community College.