Brightening Our Corner Newsletter - February 2018

Welcome August Lanier!

The Foundation is proud to welcome Ray Anderson's fifth great grandchild into the world. James Augustus Lanier IV, "August," was born in December to proud parents, Jay and Whitney Lanier of Asheville, NC. Jay is the son of Ray's daughter, Mary Anne Lanier, and her husband Jaime Lanier. Jay is Ray's oldest grandchild, and he and Whitney currently serve on the Foundation's NextGen Committee, which is made up of Ray's grandchildren and their spouses. Congratulations, as the Foundation continues to work very hard to create a better world for "Tomorrow's Child." 

Foundation Commits Additional $2 Million to The Ray 

The Trustees of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation have granted an additional $2 million to The Ray over the next two years, to fund important research, pilot projects and emerging technologies with the potential to shape the transportation infrastructure of the future. "The Ray began with a single idea from Harriet Langford, Ray's daughter and Trustee of our Foundation," says John A. Lanier, Executive Director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. "Just as her father did with Interface, Harriet asked, 'What if we made this sustainable?' That question was a seed that has grown into so much more, and we are proud to be the lead funders of such a remarkable project." Read more 

It All Started With a Book 

In 1994, Ray Anderson was first inspired by Paul Hawken's book, The Ecology of Commerce. Ray didn't just read books; he devoured them. Shelves of books surrounded him in his office, and stacks of them were always close to him, on his desk. We invite you to visit our new Book Club page and find out what Ray read, and what the staff and trustees are currently reading. Click here to check it out. 

Riding The Ray 

2018 is going to be a great year for The Ray. This spring, Georgia Power is expected to break ground on a one-megawatt solar array on The Ray. The Ray is the first in the southeast to utilize the right-of-way for solar production. Read more. 

Ecocentricity Blog

Whether it’s from a sense of being nostalgic or old-fashioned, I’m not ready to see the end of page-turners. I still choose physical books over digital ones, and I bet I’m not alone. What is the greatest invention of all time? Reasonable people could disagree. Strong submissions include the internal combustion engine for its disruption in transportation and industry, vaccinations for their public health benefits, and the computer or internet for their impact on everything from data storage to global communications. I would respectfully disagree with advocates for each of these, however. Read more 

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Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business   The Foundation trustees and staff recently held their annual meeting with faculty, staff and students from the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech's Scheller College of Business. While the growth and success of the Center's programs are obvious, two other key themes stood out. Read more.    NextGen Grants $50,000 to ACE   In late 2017, the NextGen granted an additional $50,000 to ACE to scale up their delivery of their high-quality climate education across key counties in rural North Carolina and Georgia, between now and 2020. Read more.    Upcoming Events   March 12-14 - Greenprints March 14 - Earthshare of Georgia Sustainability Speaker Series, Marcia Bansley  March 15 - Lifecycle Building Center: Revel in Reuse Fundraiser April 7 - TedXGeorgiaTech 2018 Conference October 14 - RayDay - Tickets available in April    Articles of Interest   Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business   Biomimicry Global Design Challenge    The Ray