Tim Cole discusses the role of leadership in addressing sustainability challenges. He suggests “People don’t follow the plan, they follow the man”.

Tim Cole is the Sustainability Officer for Virginia Beach City Public Schools and the Vice President of the Green Schools National Network. Tim was instrumental in the promotion and development of the first LEED certified elementary School in Virginia -- Hermitage Elementary-- as well as the first K-12 LEED Platinum Transportation and Maintenance Facility in the country.

Under Tim’s leadership, Virginia Beach City Public Schools has constructed over 1.6 million square feet of LEED building space and was selected as the “Best Green School District” in the United States by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2012.

Tim is active on several advisory boards, including the Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project.

Tim is an ex-Navy SEAL and holds a Bachelors of Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx