Garry Harris
Garry Harris
Garry Harris is an experienced environmental justice consultant with vast expertise spanning from disaster preparedness to clean energy and sustainable cities. His career has focused on improving equity globally by providing sustainable development solutions. He received his education from the University of Virginia, Southern Polytechnic State University, Southern College of Technology, and the George Institute of Technology. Harris is the Chief Executive Officer for the Sustainability Solutions Group and Institute.
“You have to be deliberate. You have to be intentional. You have to level the playing field. You have to provide coaching and mentoring. You need patience. And you need to believe that people are worth the time and effort. That’s equity.” Garry Harris, 2023 , Georgia Tech
Rudd, M. A., Althea F.P. Moore, Rochberg, D., Bianchi-Fossati, L., Brown, M. A., D’Onofrio, D., Furman, C. A., Garcia, J., Jordan, B., Kline, J., L. Mark Risse, Yager, P. L., Abbinett, J., Alber, M., Bell, J. E., Bhedwar, C., Cobb, K. M., Cohen, J., Cox, M., & Dormer, M. (2018). Climate research priorities for policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists in Georgia, USA. Environmental Management, 62(2), 190–209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-018-1051-4
Garry Harris grew up in the small town of Portsmouth in southeastern Virginia. In fifth grade, he opened the R volume of the encyclopedia and began learning about radioactivity. He was immediately enthralled and quickly began studying atoms and energy. He credits his parents and community for supporting and fostering his growth and education. His father was a laborer at the shipyards in Portsmouth and helped Harris build the science projects he sketched.
Harris attended the University of Virginia, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering in 1981. Harris then went on to receive three Master’s degrees. Harris received a Master of Science in 1993 from the Southern College of Technology. In 2002, Harris received a Master of Science in Quality Systems Engineering and Organizational Performance from the Southern Polytechnic State University. Finally, Harris received a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2022
After graduating college, Harris entered the industry and began working for Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He also taught fundamentals of thermodynamics and nuclear fuel analysis, furthering his understanding of power generation. Harris was a Senior Reactor Operator and certified instructor by the Nuclear Regulator Commission and the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Harris was an early proponent of clean energy and founded a nuclear power company that later merged with the Department of Energy’s Atlanta renewable energy office. After several years in the industry, Harris began consulting.
Since 2012, Harris has served as the President and Chief Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), a global provider of program management and technical assistance to help ‘redevelop communities from an economic basis.’ He founded CSC to combine his energy, sustainability, and community passions. Since 2015, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of HTS Enterprise LLC. In 2021, he joined the Sustainability Solutions Group and Institute (SSGI) as Chief Executive Officer. SSGI is a consulting and advisory firm dedicated to building an equitable world by providing sustainability, energy engineering, and other community development services.
He has contributed to several energy and sustainability coalitions in Atlanta, Georgia, including the Georgia Energy and Industrial Construction Consortium, the Better Building Challenge Atlanta, and the Georgia Environmental Justice Alliance. In 2023, in collaboration with Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Harris helped launch the National Environmental Justice Institute.
Harris has dedicated his career to local, regional, and statewide projects, frequently working in coalitions addressing various environmental and equity concerns. Some of his work includes clean energy, emergency preparedness, affordable housing, workforce development, transportation, healthy equity, and sustainable cities. Related projects include the Virginia Green New Deal Sustainable Cities and Transportation Initiative and the Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership. His organization, CSC, regularly partners with Georgia Tech to teach courses and provide experience to students who contribute to CSC’s work.
Harris also contributes to several organizations. He is a Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Community Advisory Board member, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, and Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. Harris is a founding member of the Offshore Wind Workforce Alliance and the Greater Atlanta UN Regional Center for Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development.
In high school, Harris earned the nickname “Do It All Harris” because he competed in six track events instead of the traditional one. This mentality of being involved in several projects has led Harris through his career and fueled his numerous significant contributions to science and energy.
“Find your passion and purpose early in life. Your passion and purpose will take you through the good times and the rough times. They will give you direction and energy you never thought you had. They will sustain you. Secondly, never give up on your hopes, dreams, and vision. Third, be determined, persevere, and maintain your aim. My motto is, ‘Count impacts, not years’” (Harris, 2023 in Subramanian)
Garry Harris. (2023). Linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-harris-88609a11a/
Garry A. Harris. N.d. Center for Sustainable Communities. https://csc-atl.org/about-us/garry-a-harris/
Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2023. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.
Taylor, Dorceta (Ed.). 2005. The Paths We Thread: Profiles of the Careers of Minority Environmental Professionals. Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Subramanian, Ravi. September 7, 2023. Meet Garry “Do It All” Harris: A Sustainability Expert Driven by Passion and Purpose. Georgia Tech, Scheller College of Business.
https://www.scheller.gatech.edu/news/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainab…
LinkedIn, 2024