Management Diaries: The Operations Side of Sustainability

January 31, 2026

Cortland Global Head of Sustainability Cass McFadden joins MHN’s Denile Doyle to talk about how environmental stewardship is shaping resident experience and long-term asset value.

Headshots of Denile Doyle and Cassandra McFadden

Sustainability is no longer just another initiative for multifamily. As owners and operators implement strategies that move the needle, it’s moved from being a “curse word in corporate America” to one of the core drivers of property value and resident experience.

In this episode of Management Diaries, Denile Doyle chats with Cassandra McFadden, vice president & global head of sustainability at Cortland, about how sustainability is becoming a meaningful lever for long-term performance across multifamily.

Cortland is a vertically integrated investment, development and property management firm with a global portfolio. The company has been expanding its integrated sustainability strategy, ensuring that its sustainability values and goals are embedded across investment and operations.

McFadden recounts what it took for Cortland to earn top GRESB ratings and how the company has applied a policy-to-practice approach, from waste diversion to utility management to resident education.

She highlights why Earth Month can be a productive time to engage with and educate residents about sustainability goals and progress. “That education and conversation can also result in changed behavior, and that makes a big difference when you’re reporting whole building data … through the sort of sustainability lens.”

How does she manage misconceptions about sustainability? The right language and goal alignments, says McFadden, can help you counter the naysayers and get the results you want for your firm.

Here are some of the topics we cover: