SF names Associate Vice President for Facilities – Santa Fe College

Appointment of Associate Vice President for Facilities Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals

On November 19, 2025, Santa Fe College announced the appointment of Jesse Vander Biezen as the Associate Vice President for Facilities. This strategic leadership role is pivotal to advancing the college’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the stewardship and development of its physical infrastructure.

Profile and Qualifications

Ms. Vander Biezen’s appointment brings extensive experience in creating sustainable and effective educational environments, directly supporting the achievement of several SDGs. Her qualifications include:

• Over 25 years of experience in higher education facilities planning, campus development, strategic planning, and sustainable design leadership.
• Previous role as Santa Fe College’s Director of Planning and Design, where she aligned campus visioning with long-term strategic goals, contributing to resilient infrastructure (SDG 9).
• A comprehensive educational background with an Associate of Arts from Santa Fe College, a Bachelor of Design, and a Master of Education from the University of Florida, providing a foundation for fostering quality educational settings (SDG 4).

Strategic Mandate and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

In her new capacity, Ms. Vander Biezen will oversee the Facilities department with a mandate that strongly emphasizes sustainability and responsible management. Her key responsibilities are directly linked to specific SDGs:

1. Sustainable Infrastructure and Learning Environments: She will lead the planning, design, and construction of all college sites. This work is critical to building and upgrading educational facilities to be inclusive and effective, directly advancing SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by developing resilient and sustainable campus infrastructure.
2. Resource Efficiency and Climate Action: Oversight of the operation and maintenance of facilities will focus on resource efficiency and sustainability. This includes implementing practices that support SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) through energy-efficient buildings, SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) through sustainable resource management, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by reducing the college’s operational carbon footprint.
3. Fostering Sustainable Communities: A core responsibility is promoting the stewardship of the college’s physical resources to ensure all facilities and grounds constitute safe, functional, and sustainable environments. This aligns with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by ensuring the campus serves as a model for a safe, inclusive, and environmentally responsible community hub.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article is centered on a leadership role at Santa Fe College, an educational institution. The role’s responsibility to ensure all facilities provide “safe, functional, and sustainable environments” directly contributes to the quality of the learning environment, which is a cornerstone of SDG 4.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The new Associate Vice President’s role involves the “planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of all the college’s educational sites.” This is fundamentally about developing and managing infrastructure. The emphasis on creating “sustainable environments” aligns with the goal of building resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  A college campus functions as a micro-community or settlement. The appointee’s responsibilities include “campus visioning and long-term planning” and promoting “stewardship of SF’s physical resources.” These activities are directly related to sustainable planning and management of a human settlement, aiming to make it safe and sustainable.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.

   The article explicitly states that the new AVP will be responsible for ensuring “all facilities and grounds provide safe, functional, and sustainable environments.” This directly corresponds to the goal of providing safe and effective learning environments.

2. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.

   The role’s focus on creating “sustainable environments” and the “stewardship of SF’s physical resources” implies upgrading and managing the college’s infrastructure (its facilities) to be more resource-efficient and environmentally sound.

3. Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

   The appointee’s experience and responsibilities in “campus visioning and long-term planning” and aligning these with “collegewide strategic goals” reflect the principles of integrated and sustainable settlement planning and management, applied at the scale of a college campus.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not provide explicit, quantitative indicators. However, the responsibilities outlined for the new position imply the types of measures that would be used to track progress:

• Implied Indicator for Target 4.a: The successful implementation of plans for the “operation, and maintenance of all the college’s educational sites” to ensure they are safe and functional. Progress could be measured by facility audits, safety records, and user satisfaction surveys regarding the learning environment.
• Implied Indicator for Target 9.4: The development and implementation of a campus-wide sustainability plan. Progress could be measured by tracking resource consumption (e.g., energy and water usage per square foot), waste diversion rates, and the number of construction or renovation projects that meet green building standards.
• Implied Indicator for Target 11.3: The existence and execution of a “long-term planning” document or campus master plan that explicitly incorporates sustainability principles. Progress would be the successful alignment of “campus visioning” with strategic goals and state reporting, as mentioned in the article.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: sfcollege.edu