John Rutherford Seydel III

John Rutherford Seydel III (John R.), an Atlanta native, is the Director of Sustainability in the Office of the Mayor for the City of Atlanta. Seydel works with department leads within the City of Atlanta, as well as with external community partners to achieve Atlanta’s sustainability goals. While in his role, Seydel has helped direct efforts throughout sustainability including projects supporting waste diversion, urban agriculture, energy and water efficiency, alternative fuel vehicles, and renewables towards Mayor Kasim Reed’s goal for Atlanta to continue as a top-tier city in sustainability. Seydel received his Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Denver. He is an environmental advocate and previously served as the CEO of Revolution Nation, an organization which aims to connect millennials to their elected representatives. He has also worked in the renewable energy space with the United Nations Foundation and Southern Company. In addition, he has worked with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Captain Planet Foundation, organizations which promote hands-on environmental stewardship and education projects worldwide for youth.