Lisa Pike Sheehy ’83 Leads Initiative for Patagonia
The seeds of social and environmental responsibility were planted early for Country School graduate Lisa Pike Sheehy ’83, who recently oversaw the implementation of Patagonia’s pledge to donate 100 percent of all Black Friday sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, earning the brand a record-breaking $10 million, five times what had been expected.
Sheehy, vice president of environmental activism at Patagonia, has vivid memories of her time at Country School, tapping the maple trees for syrup on the school’s 75-acre campus, hiking the Appalachian Trail on the ninth grade’s annual Outdoor Action Trip, and most importantly, the sense of community.
“When I look back I’m really struck by how much the school felt like a community, that the teachers and the kids and the parents were very much invested in us and each other.” Going forward she sought to replicate that strong sense of community in other schools and experiences, “right up to my current job at Patagonia.” She feels incredibly fortunate that her job allows her to combine “my vocation and my avocation.”
Sheehy feels strongly that the Patagonia model is more effective than simply cutting checks to large nongovernmental organizations. “We have a deep belief that true and lasting change happens from a diverse and vibrant grassroots environmental movement.”
Implementing Patagonia’s on-going pledge to donate 1 percent of daily sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, Sheehy oversaw distribution of more than $7.1 million to some 800 grassroots organizations throughout the world last year. To date, that amount totals $74 million.
New Canaan Country School
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