Darla Rivera
Leadership-in-Action Award NomineeNominated for: Empowering Systems - Leadership-in-Action
Title: Senior EHS & Sustainability Engineer
Company: Fujifilm Biotechnologies
Years in Profession: 19+
Nominator: Annie McElvenny, EHS & Sustainability Associatel Fujifilm Biotechnologies - Coworker/Mentee
Title: Senior EHS & Sustainability Engineer
Company: Fujifilm Biotechnologies
Years in Profession: 19+
Nominator: Annie McElvenny, EHS & Sustainability Associatel Fujifilm Biotechnologies - Coworker/Mentee
Describe a situation in which the Nominee exhibited effective influence within your organization. Further define any technical expertise, business acumen, and/or emotional intelligence that contributed to the Nominee's effectiveness. (500 word max.)*
Darla has been an incredible asset at Fujifilm over the past four years. She has driven safety and sustainability initiatives through both construction and operational phases at our 1.3 million square ft biopharma manufacturing facility. She does so by building relationships across the site, and educating employees, and empowering them to be EHS stewards in their own spaces. She's incredibly patient, diligent, and has a wealth of knowledge across multiple fields. Her effectiveness as a leader and EHS manager has led this site to achieving many successes.
Her emotional intelligence is the catalyst. Darla listens first—to supervisors under schedule pressure, to craft workers wary of new permits, and to operators worried about production impacts—then co-designs solutions that met them where they were. She recognized and celebrated “EHS Stars” , which normalizes speaking up and sustains momentum beyond the rollout."
Her emotional intelligence is the catalyst. Darla listens first—to supervisors under schedule pressure, to craft workers wary of new permits, and to operators worried about production impacts—then co-designs solutions that met them where they were. She recognized and celebrated “EHS Stars” , which normalizes speaking up and sustains momentum beyond the rollout."
Explain a situation where the Nominee achieved exceptional results within their area of responsibility. Include relevant metrics or KPIs as proof of impact. (500 word max.)*
Along with championing the EHS culture on site, Darla has been the lead on achieving our site's lofty sustainability goals. We are nearing the completion of our LEED submission and will be one of only a few sites of our kind to ever receive LEED Gold certification. She has led and managed projects such as a 2,300 solar rooftop panel installation, designing a pollinator garden with outdoor offices spaces, and creating a composting program that has diverted over 50,000 pounds of site food waste from landfill. She was also fundamental in the creation of the Business Sustainability Roundtable, a coalition of local businesses and organizations partnering to drive sustainable economic development.
Over the past four years, Darla has managed environmental and safety compliance with an impeccable record. Her leadership has led to numerous North Carolina Department of Labor safety awards, a silver Eco Vadis ESG certification, indicating our ESG performance ranks in the top 15% of our industry, and sustainability excellence awards from our customers.
Over the past four years, Darla has managed environmental and safety compliance with an impeccable record. Her leadership has led to numerous North Carolina Department of Labor safety awards, a silver Eco Vadis ESG certification, indicating our ESG performance ranks in the top 15% of our industry, and sustainability excellence awards from our customers.
Provide an example of how the Nominee's decision-making skills and/or problem-solving approach supported a positive outcome. (500 word max.)*
Darla is famous on our site for her decision-making skills and ability to work with others. One story in particular is told in each New Hire Orientation to every employee that joins our site. During the construction of our site, Darla found out that an interior designer was making changes to the plans for water fixtures. Instead of being a low-flow chrome fixture, the interior designer requested matte black faucets and shower heads that did not come in a low-flow fixture. The famous story tells the tale of how Darla marched to the designer's desk, explained to them the significant impact of the low-flow fixtures and how many thousands of gallons of water they would save each year. Because of her ability to communicate and form relationships, her dedication to sustainability, and her extensive knowledge base, the designer reversed the plans and put in the low-flow fixtures throughout the site. This permanent decision will have lasting environmental impacts. This also led to several more LEED points being allocated, allowing us to reach the minimum number required for LEED Gold Certification.
Offer examples to illustrate the Nominee's dedication to lifelong learning and professional development. (500 word max.)*
Darla continues to dedicate herself to lifelong learning and professional development. She annually attends the US Green Building Council's GreenBuild conference to familiarize herself with innovative ways to improve construction and operational sustainability. As part of the Business Sustainability Roundtable (BSR), she partners with local organizations to share information and learn what similar businesses are doing to reduce their environmental footprints. She frequently visits other sites to learn what they are implementing to reduce waste and water usage, for example. The field of sustainability is constantly growing, and Darla strives to keep up with technological advances. In addition to sustainable professional development, she also attends courses to keep her DOT and RCRA certifications and remain the most educated hazardous waste expert on our team.
Provide evidence of the Nominee's commitment to the fields of EHS&S. Examples may include: serving on the organization's safety committee, volunteering for environmental / sustainable causes, or writing for industry publications. In addition, share any professional impressions of the Nominee's commitment to EHS&S. (500 word max.)*
Darla has spent nearly 20 years in the EHS&S field and building her expertise in safe and sustainable manufacturing.
She is dedicated to the growth of her fellow employees and giving back the community and planet. As the first employee to be hired by our manager, she mentored several of the members on our team and interns, including myself. She has been fundamental in building the safety and sustainability culture at our site. She has been a role model to myself and many others, demonstrating what a woman in business, construction, STEM can accomplish and balance.
Along with her dedication to empowering the young generation, she started multiple of the sustainability programs on site, laying the groundwork for future successes. She is truly dedicated to reducing our site's environmental footprint and keeping employees safe. She has trained hundreds of employees on EHS principles and continues to partner with the community through the Business Sustainability Roundtable. She started both the site safety committee and the site sustainability committee. She has spoken at conferences and is the most knowledgeable EHS expert I've ever encountered, yet remains incredibly humble and approachable.
She is dedicated to the growth of her fellow employees and giving back the community and planet. As the first employee to be hired by our manager, she mentored several of the members on our team and interns, including myself. She has been fundamental in building the safety and sustainability culture at our site. She has been a role model to myself and many others, demonstrating what a woman in business, construction, STEM can accomplish and balance.
Along with her dedication to empowering the young generation, she started multiple of the sustainability programs on site, laying the groundwork for future successes. She is truly dedicated to reducing our site's environmental footprint and keeping employees safe. She has trained hundreds of employees on EHS principles and continues to partner with the community through the Business Sustainability Roundtable. She started both the site safety committee and the site sustainability committee. She has spoken at conferences and is the most knowledgeable EHS expert I've ever encountered, yet remains incredibly humble and approachable.