Debera Johnson has been a catalyst for transformative change at Pratt Institute for over 20 years and a lifetime advocate for collaboration. She is currently the Academic Director of Sustainability at Pratt Institute and is leading Pratt’s commitment to integrate sustainability through its academic programs. Deb is the executive director of Pratt’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies, a regional resource to support teaching sustainability in an urban environment. While Chairperson of the Industrial Design program at Pratt she founded and continues to direct the Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable Innovation whose dual purpose is to support start-up sustainable/social enterprises and engage Pratt alumni, faculty and students in projects that focus on sustainable innovation for industry and the non-profit sector.

What's one thing you do every day to make a difference? Pay attention.

What's your favorite thing about where you live? Brooklyn is a global, neighborhood that's passionate, creative, entrepreneurial, and gutsy.

Which Compostmodern speaker are you most excited to hear from? Scott Thomas. Design for politics has really shifted through the Obama campaign. I'm interested in what worked, what sustained and what was missed in continuing to engage people in Obama's vision.

What's the one thing you'd want people to know about sustainability? I think we spend too much time asking people to stop doing things when we should be envisioning a future that is exciting and even better than what we've got now.

Fill in the blank. Reduce, reuse, recycle, _______: Rejoice!!