CBE to Host Kimberly-Clark’s Howard Sharfstein Feb. 27

Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics (CBE) will host Howard Sharfstein for its Ethics and Social Responsibility Speaker Series from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 in Communications Facility 110 on Western’s campus.

Sharfstein’s presentation, titled, “The Forest for the Trees: One Company’s Journey to Develop Sustainable Fiber Sources,” is free and open to the public.

Sharfstein is associate general counsel for Kimberly-Clark Corp., based in Roswell, Georgia.  Sharfstein provides legal support to the corporation on matters related to environment, energy, safety, and sustainability. Among his responsibilities, Sharfstein advises Kimberly-Clark’s business leaders and its Global Sustainability team on compliance requirements that attach to air emissions, water discharges, waste management practices, and occupational safety requirements.  He also devises and executes regulatory risk-reduction strategies focusing on climate change and other environmental policy initiatives; provides advice concerning Kimberly-Clark’s sustainability policy initiatives,  including fiber procurement (forestry and alternative fiber); and helps the company build relationships with non-governmental organizations.

Before joining Kimberly-Clark, Sharfstein was a practicing environmental attorney at Troutman Sanders in Atlanta, Georgia, and Nixon Hargrave (now Nixon Peabody) in Washington, D.C. He also worked in the waste-to-energy industry and served as a policy advisor to the New York State Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation. Howard has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the State University of New York at Albany, a master’s degree in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a J.D. from Georgia State University. 

Western’s College of Business and Economics Ethics and Social Responsibility Speaker Series program brings senior business leaders to campus to interact with students and share their perspectives and experiences related to ethics and social responsibility.  The Speaker Series is presented by CBE’s Center for Innovation in Education.

For more information about these events and others, please contact Sandra Mottner at (360) 650-2403.