Garry A. Harris is the President of Sustainability Solutions Group and Institute (SSG&I), an advisory and consulting firm that provides diverse sustainability, energy engineering, and community development services. The SSI consists of two organizations' Center for Sustainable Communities, a non profit dedicated to making communities cleaner, greener, healthier, safer and more climate resilient, and HTS Enterprise, energy engineering, policy, research and education. Mr. Harris has worked for more than three decades in the energy and environmental field including clean energy, transportation, resilience, sustainable cities, environmental and climate justice, affordable housing, community revitalization, economic and work force development.
Education and Confirmation
BS Nuclear Engineering, University of Virginia
MS Technology Management, Kennesaw State University
MS Quality Systems Engineering, Kennesaw State University
MS Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management, Georgia Institute of Technology
In addition, Mr. Harris has earned more a dozen industry recognized professional certifications and credentials in clean energy, sustainability, quality assurance and control, engineering, and environmental justice including ERS RATER, ECO District AP, RESNET HERS Rate Six Sigma Black Belt among others. Mr. Harris is a graduate of the 2009 Class of Leadership Atlanta; 2013 Class of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership; and 2014 Class of Regional Leadership Institute
How Does the Speaker Contribute to Diverse
Mr. Harris as founder and leads a BIPOC community-based organization with a mission of building a more Just, Resilient, Equitable and Resilient World for All. Mr. Harris is a co-founder of the National Environmental Justice Institute (NEJI) located in Atlanta GA. He is a graduate of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice Academy. Mr. Harris has worked to create, advance and sustain nearly a dozen organizations dedicated to equity and environmental justice.
Why is this project and work important?
This work is important to me personally and our organization because it helps to advance critical technology needed to assist in the reduction of carbon emissions, pollution and climate and subsequent impacts on vulnerable committees
Previous Speaking Experience
Mr. Harris is a highly sought after speaker and has presented before nearly twenty (20) in person and virtual audiences as a presenter, instructor, educator advocate and expert. In 2023, through various media that he reached an audience of over 1 million persons, in part, through the creation of a mass media radio program reaching a national audience focused on climate impacts on underserved communities.