Leena Verenkar works at Sesa Sterlite Limtied as Assoicate General Manager- Community Relations at Panaji, Goa. She is a Certified Internal Auditor for Integrated Management system by Bureau Verities, Mumbai and is a Core team member for the Sustainability development Reporting and Vedanta sustainability Governance framework (as per IFC guidelines) for Sesa Sterlite Iron Ore business and has total 19 years of industry experience. Leena was coordinating both environmental and Community development and since 2010, headed Community Relation for Sesa where she coordinated Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction measures for the villages around the mining operations and also for socio-economic development of underprivileged families in mining impacted areas. Her passion is to work with underprivileged to improve educational performance and create alternative livelihood options, and working with the specially-abled children for creating vocational skills. She also implemented various activities under Swachha Bharat Abhiyaan.
Social projects implemented under her guidance include Shikshaprogramme in Goa, setting up village computer centers in villages for youth, Livelihood projects both farm & non-farm based, Gram Nirmanin partnership with MFG, Alternative livelihood project in Karnataka & various health Initiatives.
As environment leader she was involved in preparation and implementation of EIA for Goa & Karnataka, Mining operation and as team member for ESIA preparation for Liberia Iron ore operations. She has implemented efficient Waste dump reclamation practices. She has also coordinated various research projects with Goa University, NEERI, ICAR, etc. for improving the reclamation practices and other sustainability issues.
She has a Master’s degree in Microbiology as well as Ecology and Environment and was awarded the National Scholarship Fulbright Indo American Environmental Leadership programme in 2005.