Cate Berard: A guru for the greening of IT

Name: Cate Berard

Age: 32

Organization: Environmental Protection Agency

Title: Program Manager, Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC)

Nominated for: Taking a leadership role in the Obama administration’s efforts to introduce sustainable practices for buying, managing and disposing of IT products.

First IT mentor: My high school boyfriend (now husband of 10 years), who convinced me that there must be a job where I could meld my love of IT and the environment. He is a constant cheerleader for my work and the importance of taking the environment into consideration when managing IT assets.

Latest accomplishment on the job: Helping federal partners use green IT activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30,975 metric tons in 2010, the equivalent of removing 20,000 passenger cars from the road for one year, and save more than $32 million.

Career highlight: Being designated as program manager for the FEC after I had been with the government for just one year.

Your advice for a government IT wannabe: Every agency has important work they are trying to accomplish, and IT should always be viewed as a productive means to that end.

What you enjoy most about working in government IT: Although the government might be slow to adopt new technologies at times, we do lead by example, move the marketplace and influence the private sector. We have the ability to be a great example of how to successfully implement green IT.

Three favorite job-related bookmarks: FederalElectronicsChallenge.net, EPEAT.net, EnergyStar.gov/PowerManagement

Dream non-IT-related job: Celebrity house sitter

Read the next Rising Star profile or view the full list of winners.