Forty Under 40: John Coleman

Engineer and eco-consultant John Coleman loves helping businesses save energy.

As director of the Northwest Arkansas office of Viridian, a leading sustainability company based in Little Rock, he is overseeing the completion of 19 LEED projects, and has a portfolio that includes the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Public Schools, and accounts in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.

As content as he is with his work, however, Coleman admits his profession carries with it a curse.

“It’s analogous to a movie critic that can’t just enjoy a movie for what it is,” he said. “When I walk through a building I see the inefficiencies that exist and opportunities for improvement. It doesn’t matter if I’m visiting with a potential client or hanging out at a friend’s house. I tend to notice these things.”

While working as a storm water engineer in Fairfax County, Virginia, the Mountainburg native read Natural Capitalism, a book about the intersection of environmentalism and economic opportunity.

Coleman liked what he read.

“I got passionate about it then,” he said. “It was inspiring and helped inform me on what I wanted to do with my career.”

After stops in Little Rock and Austin, Texas, Coleman landed with the city of Fayetteville, where he worked as the director of sustainability from 2007 to 2011. He launched the Viridian office in 2012.

“I want to continue to grow the business,” he said.