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PrintI am Tulsa - Cory Hoffart
A partnership between TulsaPeople and Tulsa's Young Professionals.
It’s no surprise that Cory Hoffart likes the color green.
To him, green represents more than a color. It represents progress, change and responsible and accountable living.
“From a broader perspective, progress is illustrated by our government and financial policies encouraging the adoption and creation of the growing green-collar economy,” he says.
“Many economists view this as a vital element to help get our country out of this dire economic situation.”
But green also is fundamental to Hoffart’s daily activities.
His local sustainable business, Green Collar Energy, tests and secures building structures and improves the performance of end-use fixtures and appliances to decrease electricity, water and natural gas consumption, which ultimately saves money on energy costs and greatly reduces a home’s environmental footprint.
Hoffart says that although being “green” is a general term, to him it means taking small steps to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
“We can all do small things like use less energy in our homes, sign up for the City’s recycling program, purchase carbon credits to support renewable energy developments or eat and support local food production, etc.,” he says. “I don’t and won’t ever encourage people to be martyrs for the cause, but together our small improvements can make a big difference.”
The young eco-preneur started Green Collar Energy a few years after he graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2003, where he majored in energy management and minored in renewable studies. He became passionate about sustainability during his second year in college when he took a course about renewable resources in the energy program.
In an effort to become more involved in the community, he and a few friends started an organization called Green Corn (GCO), named after the 1971 Green Corn Rebellion in rural Oklahoma when poor farmers rose up against military conscription.
“We were attracted to the thought of them banding together and fighting for their beliefs,” Hoffart says. “That thought inspired us in the initiatives we undertook — raising money for local schools, cleaning up tribal lands, lobbying for the university to purchase wind power, etc.”
The GCO quickly made a positive impression on campus and got attention from the students, faculty, OU President David Boren and the Board of Regents when the organization lobbied the university to make a large purchase of wind power from the Blue Canyon Wind Farm near Lawton, Okla.
With the GCO’s efforts, the university made Oklahoma’s largest purchase of renewable energy in state history.
“It was a valuable learning experience and jumping-off point for all of us involved,” he says. “The members of that group have gone on to achieve much already … They and others are continuing work on behalf of progressive initiatives similar to those pursued by the GCO.”
After graduation and traveling the country, Hoffart, who is originally from North Dakota, decided to open his own sustainable business in Tulsa, where he has lived for 18 years. He says he’s always been entrepreneurial and realized the potential of his business to flourish here.
“We have extreme climate variations, so people have high energy use throughout the year, which provides much room for improvement,” he says.
The name for Green Collar Energy came from the first Democratic presidential debates when candidates discussed green-collar jobs.
“Green Collar Energy is an energy- and environment-saving company that combines white-collar financial principles with (a) blue-collar work ethic,” he says.
In addition to his business and personal commitment to living green, he also spends his time helping Tulsa become a more sustainable city through his work with Tulsa’s Young Professionals (TYPros).
Hoffart joined TYPros less than a year ago when the Sustainability Crew formed, and he remains committed to the cause by co-chairing the crew this year.
One of their goals includes putting together a government scorecard to monitor and record the way state elected officials in Oklahoma vote in regard to energy and the environment.
The crew also recently created a new series focused on green education called Green Speak, through which speakers discuss local sustainability issues and how they affect the community.
Besides serving as Sustainability Crew co-leader, in his few hours of spare time, Hoffart says he enjoys working on a startup Internet gaming site with a friend and traveling around the world.
“I travel a little for work, but mainly just to keep fresh and inspired,” he says. “It’s also important to learn from other cities and bring those experiences back here to Tulsa.”
As for the future of Green Collar Energy, Hoffart plans to sell branches of his company to other cities this spring. He wants to improve homes and businesses nationwide, while continuing operations in Tulsa.
“I love Tulsa,” he says. “My roots are here. I’m proud of Tulsa. It’s not perfect, but that’s why I like it. We have the opportunity to improve it. And that’s challenging and exciting.”
