When Class of ’05 grad Drew Fleeter went off to Harvard University, he had some impressive leadership credentials under his belt, but it was his love of environmental science that guided many of his subsequent choices.

“I wanted to work at the intersection of environment and business, and Markit provided that opportunity,” Fleeter said. “It was an opportunity to take a position to contribute to the growth of  the environmental market and environmental projects.”

Markit, which aims to “enhance transparency, reduce risk and improve operational efficiency,” first hired Fleeter as an environmental associate in 2010. As a junior on the team, he dealt with clients, helped with the use of the registry and did basic operations work. In 2011, Fleeter was promoted to the assistant vice president and was promoted to vice president of the environmental team within a year.

“I currently work in environmental business, building technological infrastructure to support carbon, water and other international environmental markets, “ Fleeter said.

While in Jefferson, Fleeter was the undersecretary general of the Model United Nations program and was the co-editor-in-chief of tjTODAY his senior year. He was also awarded a $10,000 scholarship in the AAA Travel High School Challenge in 2004.

“Model UN and tjTODAY gave me some of my first experiences with running organizations, having an impact on the community and motivating teams to meet important goals,” Fleeter said.

His tjTODAY adviser, Jennifer Seavey, remembers his cool demeanor and his determination to follow his dreams.

“Drew knew how to make decisions with a degree of calm well beyond his years,” Seavey said. “It’s no surprise he’s doing exactly what he’d hoped to do with his life.”

At Harvard, Fleeter interned at Resources for the Future, The Climate Group, The GreenLife Organization and Ecosecurities from 2006 to 2009. Concurrently, Fleeter continued to pursue his interest in politics and international cooperation in the Institutes of Politics and as the head of the Harvard National Model UN.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and Public Policy in 2009, Fleeter went on to become a project analyst for EcoSecurities, a company focused on improving the environment.

“I knew I wanted to study science based on my time at TJ, and I also wanted to continue learning about the policymaking I had experienced in Model UN and the communications I had worked on at tjTODAY,” Fleeter said.  “My major allowed me to combine all three of these areas into a unified field of study in college.”

Fleeter hopes to go to business school and to continue his work in business development to create sustainable and low-carbon solutions for the environment.

“I love what I’m doing in terms of business and the environment. Maybe down the road, I will start my own company or join some other kind of alternative energy company,” Fleeter said.

(This article originally appeared in the December 21, 2012 print edition.)