Sustainability expert Christian Gunter to present April 26 Great Decisions lecture on sustainable building and investing

Whitworth alumnus Christian Gunter, '98, who serves as director of Sellen Sustainability, will discuss sustainable building and investing during the fifth and final lecture in the university's 55th annual Great Decisions Lecture Series. The series features five speakers who focus on current political, cultural and economic subjects of interest to the international community. The public is invited to attend the lectures free of charge. Gunter's lecture, "Beyond Green: Responsible Property Investing Trends and Strategies," will take place on Thursday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth University. For more information, please call (509) 777-4937.

Patrick Van Inwegen, an associate professor of political science at Whitworth, says one of the reasons he invited Gunter to campus was to help students see the connection between what they are studying now and how they can be active agents for positive social change in the world.

"Christian's work at Sellen and other companies has consistently involved meshing best business practices with a commitment to the communities and environments in which they operate," Van Inwegen says. "Many in our community are aware of the concept of sustainability, but Christian's perspective and experience allow us to see how this integration of economic, social and environmental sustainability is what really matters for viable communities."

Sellen Sustainability is the green-building consulting, education and training arm of Sellen Construction, the largest general contractor in the Northwest. Prior to joining Sellen, Gunter was vice president of responsible property investing at Bentall Kennedy, one of the largest institutional real estate investment advisors in North America. At Bentall Kennedy, Gunter secured LEED building certifications representing nearly $3 billion in value.

Gunter graduated from Whitworth in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in political studies. He also holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Washington.

For information on the Great Decisions lecture series, please call (509) 777-4937. Great Decisions 2012 is sponsored by the Whitworth Political Science Department. Gunter's lecture is funded in part by the Daniel Fund, established by Floyd and Shirley Daniel to encourage education on environmental issues.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Kathy Fechter, academic program assistant, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4937 or kfechter@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.