Alan Fish, 61

When the University of Miami became part of the green movement, Alan Fish led the charge, spearheading numerous efforts that today are helping to make the institution more sustainable.

When swarms of local media arrived on the University of Miami campus to observe and report on the school’s testing of a new emergency message system, Mr. Fish was the first person to answer their questions.

And whenever a storm threatened UM, Mr. Fish was always at the forefront, making the tough decisions that ensured the safety of students and employees.

Mr. Fish, former vice president for business services and chair of disaster management who played key roles in myriad programs and changes at the university, died Aug. 22, 2009, after a long battle with cancer. He was 61. A celebration of Mr. Fish’s life was held on Aug. 28, 2009, at the Gusman Concert Hall.

Mr. Fish came to UM in 1977 and was appointed vice president of business services in 2003, a role in which he was the driving force behind a division that handles the establishment, monitoring and review of the majority of UM business contracts.

The unit Mr. Fish led is responsible for every business service center at the university, from bookstores, food services and public safety to risk management, procurement, materials management, environmental health and safety, and parking and transportation.

Mr. Fish retired from the university in 2008, ending a 30-year career during which he oversaw and helped implement several improvements at the school.

Two of the most recent university accomplishments in which he played a major role were the opening of a new on-campus glatt kosher restaurant and the establishment of a program — Ubike — that offers affordable bicycles, bike accessories and enhanced bike-friendly pathways on the Coral Gables campus.

Mr. Fish also helped launch the institution’s Green U program, spearheading sustainable initiatives that included everything from the use of biodiesel fuel in UM’s shuttle fleet to an extensive recycling program and the purchasing of energy-efficient products.

After Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, causing millions of dollars in damage at UM, he helped create the university’s disaster preparation and recovery plan, reviewing and improving it annually.

Mr. Fish also played a key role in the design of the school’s emergency operations center and spearheaded efforts to improve university-wide communication and response to potential threats with the implementation of a new emergency notification network.