Connecting the dots

Environmental awareness and our mission

At Northeast Delta Dental, our mission guides us to prioritize social impact, essentially the good we can do in our community with the resources we have available. But, we take this definition broadly, understanding that a meaningful positive impact needs to embrace that what is good for the community needs to also include a fundamental look at what is good for the planet.

We are a mission-driven organization.

Anyone that has had the opportunity to hear our president and CEO Tom Raffio speak has heard the phrase, “Everyone deserves a healthy smile.” Though the statement may seem simple, it is a compelling driver for our commitment to caring for the health of our neighbors across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. As we look toward the future, we would be remiss to not acknowledge that “health” extends far beyond oral health, though one piece of the puzzle — it has to include the health of the environment we all share. That is why, in 2024, we took a significant step forward in our journey to be a corporate example in sustainability.

We operate on a holistic philosophy:

A business cannot truly uplift a community without actively protecting the environment that sustains it. In the past couple of years, we were able to see this mission in action by setting a target of positively affecting our energy footprint. Results were quick: a decrease in operational overhead coupled with a major reduction in our regional environmental impact.

The first major leap forward came with the rollout of a massive solar panel installation project. Our roof at 1 Delta Drive is now lined with solar panels, using the power of the sun to create the energy we need. The operational impact was undeniable: We secured a 20% drop in our electric bill right out of the gate. But the financial savings are only half the story. By generating a significant portion of our own electricity on-site, we have been able to reduce our reliance on the traditional power sources. This has translated into a permanent reduction in our carbon footprint.

But we weren’t going to stop there.

We underwent the steps to replace our outdated lighting with high-efficiency LEDs; what proved to be a small change with major reward. The transition instantly cut our lighting energy usage by about 50%. Over the next 20 years, this project is expected to yield incredible savings of roughly $300,000. More importantly for our shared climate, it will prevent over half a million pounds of carbon emissions from entering our atmosphere over that same two-decade span.

What makes these projects so impactful internally is that we are able to use the realized savings to continue to invest in the well-being of our community. We can see the immediate connection of this project to driving our mission forward, not only ensuring that the air in the surrounding community remains cleaner and healthier locally, but allowing us a farther reach into the challenges our community faces in other vital areas.

Shane Baron is manager of corporate services at Northeast Delta Dental. His responsibilities include lease management, general construction management, chair of employee activities and facilities management for 1 and 2 Delta as well as the Maine and Vermont offices. He is also the head of the Foundation golf tournament managing all aspects of promotion, fundraising and oversight of event management details. New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility produces “Sustainability Spotlight” monthly for NH Business Review.