Jeslin successfully diverted more than 80,000 lbs. of fiberglass waste from the landfill by finding a way to recycle what once was waste cluttering her company’s parking lot into new, usable material. In doing so, she saved CertainTeed an estimated $50,000 a year. Net Impact recognized Jeslin as a finalist for the Force for Change Award two years ago for the work she did to align measurable business goals with such a significant environmental impact.

First created to recognize the efforts of students and professionals making environmental and social strides, we’ve overhauled and renamed the award to focus exclusively on those hard-working professionals who are changing the world from inside their workplace – so welcome to the 2012 Impact at Work Award.

More Than Just a Pat on the Back

The Impact at Work Award is specifically designed to recognize the folks who roll up their sleeves and find new and creative ways to align their company’s business goals with real-world social and environmental impact. These aren’t your typical CEOs and celebrities – they’re people like Darren McGann, who won last year’s Force for Change Award by creating a green travel program for employer KPMG.

Darren’s project was “a good example of what an individual within an organization can do to make change,” he says. “It didn’t require any capital cost, didn’t require any money to implement and it was a successful example of how you can modify business processes to both quantify and modify employee behaviors – in this case, travel patterns.”

Darren’s work on the program was impressive enough for avoiding approximately 932 metric tons of CO2, but it also impressed polar explorer Robert Swan, who invited Darren to lead his environmental organization’s education program…in Antarctica. Now, we’re not saying that you’ll net a free trip to Antarctica by applying for the Impact at Work Award, but you could win a pair of complementary tickets to the 2012 Net Impact Conference. Just as inspiring, not nearly as cold.

Plus, what employer wouldn’t throw its support behind an award-winning program that serves its bottom line as well as it serves people or planet?

It’s Never Too Late to Make Your Impact

We’re accepting entries for the 2012 Impact at Work Award through August 17th, which means it’s not too late to pull the trigger on that idea you’ve been mulling over. We’re looking for projects large and small – if it’s made a demonstrable impact, it’s eligible.

So download the Impact at Work Toolkit (PDF) to get your project started, rally the troops, and apply today!

So when Net Impact San Francisco, the professional chapter in her region, held its annual leadership retreat, she went. At grad school, students were often “so distracted by classes it was really hard to put yourself into the chapter. The professional chapter, everybody was there because they had a gift to contribute, something to teach the world about, because they really wanted to be there. This was a community I’d be able table to build friendships out of – not just professional relationships.”

But it worked both ways. By attending events and “making myself impossible to ignore,” Avary met Paul Herman, CEO of HIP Investor and Lifetime Net Impact professional member. “Paul was deeply involved, and respected that I was the co-president of my chapter at Dominican.” After she graduated, Paul offered her a role at HIP Investor, and she’s now an equity holder and advisor.

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Tapping Into a Larger Community

Like Avary, Sarah Dale Schwald felt that “graduating into this economy was terribly scary.” Not having a job lined up took some of the shine out of sunny Los Angeles for her. “I loved my time running Net Impact Drucker, and particularly the opportunities it gave me to go to national Net Impact events and really plug into the larger community of peers who shared my values. When I graduated, I wanted a way to stay tapped into that larger community, and build one here in Los Angeles as well.”

So she decided to revive the Net Impact Los Angeles professional chapter. In her job interviews, “I've found that people are most interested to hear about Net Impact Los Angeles, because it demonstrates a level of dedication, values, and the skill set required to run a project.”

While her Supporting membership gives her access to the Net Impact job board, it's also provided much more than that. It “has continued to grow my own personal network, and provide some of the community that I seek, as well as support from people who have experience and share my values.”

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So what else do you get?

Graduating into the full-time working world isn't always easy, even when armed with a hard-earned degree. Luckily, becoming a Net Impact Supporting member is. And with your Supporting membership, you'll get an all-access pass to the following tools and resources:

• Hundreds of job opportunities through the Net Impact Job Board
• Career Connections, our online platform where you can meet like-minded Net Impacters for support and advice
• Our weekly Issues In Depth online dialogues, featuring exciting conversations and insights from leading experts in the field
• Access to the online Member Network, including your full professional profile and Member Mail, making you accessible to the entire Net Impact network
• Annual conference discount