Bernhard Prioritizes Sustainability with Creation of Vice President of ESG Position

New role reflects depth of commitment to environmental, social and governance practices

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Aug 17, 2021, 09:00 ET

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernhard is continuing its focus towards a better future with the announcement of Alyssa Jaksich as its first vice president of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). The new position demonstrates the company's commitment to deliver innovative engineering, construction and energy solutions that work to promote sustainability across the industry.

"Not only are customers becoming more critical of their own ESG performance, they are also turning that lens on us," said Ed Tinsley, chief executive officer at Bernhard. "With eight of the top 10 business risks identified by the World Economic Forum being ESG related, it is becoming increasingly clear that a heightened awareness of ESG factors is critical to sustaining success."

Jaksich will develop, consolidate, operationalize, and publicize Bernhard's ESG strategies and initiatives through coordination with multiple internal teams and business stakeholders, furthering Bernhard's ongoing mission of promoting sustainability.

"Ethics, safety, teamwork, and innovation are the very foundation and fabric of our work," said Melissa Samuel, chief legal officer at Bernhard. "As a result of Alyssa's diverse experience, she has come to embody these values while gaining an intimate awareness of both internal and external needs for ESG."

Under Jaksich's leadership, Bernhard will establish clearly defined goals to enhance its commitment to reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, improving its internal diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and creating momentum behind its charitable giving and community engagement efforts. The company's ESG framework will focus on transparency, stakeholder engagement and performance tracking to measure results.

"Establishing an ESG program cannot be a paper or marketing exercise – there must be real commitment behind our policies and initiatives paired with quantitative and transparent reporting mechanisms," said Jaksich. "I am extremely excited for the opportunity to work alongside our executive team to further embed ESG initiatives into Bernhard's culture, business plan and strategy."

Jaksich previously served as Bernhard's vice president of EaaS implementation where she led a team focused on increasing efficiencies within the solutions division at Bernhard, particularly related to Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) projects. She was a key driver in the development of Bernhard's industry-leading measurement and verification services, and was heavily involved in the development of numerous EaaS projects. Jaksich earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., double majoring in chemical physics and economics.

About Bernhard
Bernhard is a leading Energy-as-a-Service company delivering turnkey projects and custom solutions in the United States with 100+ years of energy and infrastructure project experience servicing higher education, health care, commercial and specialty markets. Bernhard combines development, financing, design, construction and operations to deliver turnkey Energy-as-a-Service solutions that reduce energy use, risk and cost so that our clients can focus on their everyday work. Headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana, Bernhard has more than 2,000 employees in more than 20 office locations across the country. For more information, visit Bernhard.com.

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