Brandi Colander
Brandi Colander
Brandi Colander is the senior vice president and chief sustainability officer of government affairs at ENVIVA Biomass, where she enhances the company's role as a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship. She is a lawyer and environmentalist with experience in public policy, environmental law, sustainability, and government affairs. Her previous roles include positions at the Natural Resouces Defense Council, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Wildlife Federation.
Colander, B. & Monroe, L., 2011. Offshore Renewable Energy: The Path Forward, The Electricity Journal, 24(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tej.2011.07.003
Colander, B., 2010. Where the Wind Blows: Navigating Offshore Wind Development, Domestically and Abroad, The Electricity Journal, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TEJ.2010.03.005
Brandi Colander’s love for the environment stemmed from her parents, who would visit a reservation in New Jersey after church to explore the outdoors. During these experiences, her father would show her bear tracks and types of trees, which further contributed to her curiosity and interest in the outdoors. This interest led her to pursue a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, a joint J.D. from Vermont Law School, and a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University. Colander’s formal transition to the sector didn’t come until later when she worked as an attorney for an air and energy program in New York. This experience introduced her to energy concepts and the importance of energy efficiency.
After graduating with her J.D. and MEM, Colander joined the Natural Resources Defense Council as an Attorney in the Air and Energy Program (2008-2012). In the role, she worked on clean energy programs in Massachusetts. From 2012 to 2013, she served the White House Council on Environmental Quality in the Executive Office of the White House as Deputy General Counsel. Colander further applied her expertise on policy, sustainability, and external affairs at Opower as Director of Market Development and Regulatory Affairs (2013-2014)., the Department of the Interior as Deputy Assistant Secretary (2014-2016), the National Wildlife Federation as Associate Vice President (2016-2017), Charter Communications as Head of External Relations (2017-2020), and Diverse Asset Managers and The Raben group as Principal (2020). Most recently, she served as the Chief Sustainability Officer at WestRock Company, managing the organization's enterprise sustainability portfolio (2020-2021).
Colander currently works for ENVIVA as Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Government Affairs, where she maintains and enhances the organization's role in sustainability. She began with the organization 2022 as a Senior Advisor before being promoted to her current role in 2023. In addition to her role at ENVIVA, Colander serves on the DC Green Bank Board of Directors as the Chair and Board Member of VEIC. She was also a Founding Member of Chief, a network that helps women to get more people into positions of power and keep them there. Furthermore, she is the Co-Founder of She Will Rise, an organization focused on equity in the judicial system.
She has had to overcome many challenges with her wide range of experiences in fast-paced environments. At times, she has had to make tough decisions to value herself, ensuring her talents are acknowledged and honored. She states that "it's completely okay to decide that's no longer how you want to dedicate your time and energy" and that permitting yourself to leave is often tricky but might make the most sense (2023).
Mentorship helped Colander develop both in life and her career. In particular, Dianne Dillon Ridgely was, and remains, an important mentor, as she was among the first people of color she sought to work in a board member role for a corporation. This experience made her question what visibility meant, especially in high-level positions. Listening to Ridgely speak, she learned what it meant to be a person of color in overwhelmingly white spaces, both in and outside of your career.
Colander advises young professionals to "Trust your gut. Spend your time and energy in spaces where you can grow" (Sustainable Forestry Initiative & MANRRS, 2023). This advice involves following your interests and passions while being open to continual learning "even as you cultivate an expertise" (Sustainable Forestry Initiative & MANRRS, 2023).
Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers. Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. (2023). Retrieved February 16, 2024.
Brandi Colander. ENVIVA Biomass. (n.d). Retrieved February 16, 2024 from https://www.envivabiomass.com/about-us/leadership/management-team/
Brandi Colander [Photo]. ENVIVA Biomass. (n.d). Retrieved February 16, 2024 from https://www.envivabiomass.com/about-us/leadership/management-team/
Brandi Colander. LinkedIn. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandicolander/
Brandi Colander [Photo]. ENVIVA Biomass. (n.d). Retrieved February 16, 2024 from https://www.envivabiomass.com/about-us/leadership/management-team/