Tonkon Torp Attorney Earns Sustainable Leadership Award
11.17.2010
Tonkon Torp's Max M. Miller, Jr. has been honored by the Oregon State Bar with one of two new awards for Sustainable Leadership.Miller earned the award in recognition of his volunteer leadership in moving the legal profession to embrace sustainability as a goal.
Miller has a long record of developing and nurturing sustainability initiatives within his firm, in Portland's business, legal and civic communities, and on behalf of clients. He founded and co-chairs Tonkon Torp's Sustainability Practice Group.He also chairs the Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group, where he works with clients in renewable energy, manufacturing and responsible stewardship of Oregon's natural resources.
Miller was the principal drafter of Tonkon Torp's Sustainability Policy, which addresses everything from waste and energy use reduction to procurement, business travel and commuting, and use of green building materials in office space improvements.In 1999, he and several colleagues formed an internal Sustainability Committee which he has chaired since its inception.The committee has transformed many of the firm's operations to embrace sustainable office practices and has educated employees about sustainability from both a personal and business perspective.The committee has also provided outreach to other law firms to share best practices in sustainability.
A founding member of Oregon Lawyers for a Sustainable Future, Miller served on the Oregon State Bar Sustainability Task Force in 2009.He served three years on the Portland Business Alliance's Sustainability Committee and was a facilitator for PBA's Green Team Forum that instructs business members on sustainable practices.He also brings his sustainability and environmental perspective to his role on the City of Portland, Mayor's Economic Cabinet and the advisory board of a national publication, Sustainability: The Journal of Record.