Ezra Small

Ezra Small, the new Sustainability Manager at the University of Massachusetts, is a western Massachusetts native, a UMass, Amherst alum (07G), and has just relocated from Philadelphia, PA where he was working with the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. Ezra will be fostering a culture of sustainability by coordinating efforts for the UMass Sustainability Initiative. He will chair the Chancellor’s Environmental Performance Advisory Committee (EPAC), the body of administration, faculty, staff, and students who are responsible for reducing carbon emissions and energy usage on campus and advancing overall sustainable efforts at the University. Among the many projects happening on campus, Ezra anticipates working to increase recycling rates in the dorms and implement a green office program with students, increase the visibility through promotion and marketing of the Sustainability Initiative, integrating sustainability into the curriculum, and working with the many dedicated staff and student led environmental committees such as green building, transportation, waste reduction and food production and energy.

Prior to moving back to Massachusetts, Ezra worked with the Delaware Valley Green Building Council where he coordinated education programs for green building professionals. Prior to his work at DVGBC, Ezra as worked with the National Park Service and Forest Service, served as an AmeriCorps VISTA and the Student Conservation Association, coordinated the Berkshire Environmental Educators Network, and more recently the Climate Crisis Coalition based in western Massachusetts, where he helped build the student climate movement in colleges throughout the state, and coordinated legislative visits to the nation’s capitol to advocate for equitable and effective climate and energy policies.

Ezra is married to his wife Jamie, a pediatrician physician assistant, and they have a black lab dog named Gus. They like to hike and climb and they can’t wait to do the 7 sisters hike in October.