We are honored to announce Finegold Alexander Architecture as our newest Advocate Level sponsor.
The success of Finegold Alexander Architects' projects results from their proven ability to balance the goal of design excellence within the realistic parameters of budget and schedule. Throughout the planning stages of a project, a variety of architectural concepts are fully explored in relation to aesthetics, function, site and environmental issues, engineering requirements, energy conservation, accessibility, cost, and schedule.
When focusing on sustainability, Finegold Alexander Architects embraces the opportunity to develop sustainable energy sources and with the common sense of new planning and design creates spaces in a holistic approach to energy conservation. Interior finishes, materials and natural/artificial lighting are among initiatives that they can suggest and include to reduce energy use.
Welcome to our sponsoring partner community, Finegold Alexander Architecture. We are proud to have you as a partner and look forward to accomplishing great things together.
Fall has fallen upon the EPMA Committee! Last Monday night we kicked off the meeting with some delicious cider donuts and new members. The group discussed the past month’s events, including the Panel on Careers in Sustainability and BMC Rooftop Garden Tour, as well as upcoming activities and local events. On the horizon is the anticipated Greenbuild International Conference & Expo taking place in Boston from November 8th – 10th! With Greenbuild almost here, the EPMA committee is hosting a “How to Network at Greenbuild” event this Thursday, October 26th if you need to fine tune your networking skills!
Last week we were joined by Andrew Breiter-Wu, President and Sales Director of Breiter Planet Properties, for a presentation on his energy consulting firm, Breiter Planet Properties. Breiter Planet Properties helps clients implement commercial solar developments by working as a liaison with property owners, local government officials, and engineering firms. With operations all over the United States, the vision of Breiter Planet Properties is to accelerate renewable energy generation adoption by providing flexible options in roof and leasing, along with other services, to real estate owners. Consultants assists with the sales and procurement for solar development projects with projects typically ranging in size from 500 kW to 5+ MW.
Although Breiter Planet Properties has run into challenges with uncertainty in the market due to the shifting political landscape and utility regulations, the emerging company is expanding throughout the United States and looking to tap into the Japanese market within the next two years. The work of consulting firms, such as Breiter Planet Properties, is paving the way for communities to lower their carbon emissions and transform into a low carbon economy to fight climate change to the benefit of all. Way to go Andrew!
Join us for next month’s presentation by Oliver Bautista of Turkel Design, who will explain the process of how a new single family dwelling is built using prefabricated wall panels; from it's initial schematic design phase all through construction of the panelized shell assembly.
On Thursday USGBC – Residential Green Building Committee organized a tour for the FUSE Cambridge Apartments – a 244-unit apartment community located at 165 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge, MA. The 250,000-square-foot complex, developed by Hines and managed by the Bozzuto Group, is LEED certified (Silver) and is the first in Massachusetts to introduce Well Signature apartment homes. Well Signature apartments incorporate features such as advanced water and air filtration systems and innovative technologies for lighting.
The group was initially greeted by Sean from Hines and Nate from Bozzuto Group in the club room with wine and cheese. Soon the tour began in the lobby. The lobby was designed to be a window to connect pedestrians and residences to the adjacent 100+ acre Alewife Brook Reservation. The lobby spans two stories with glass facade so people walking by on CambridgePark Drive have a direct view of the reservation.
After we walked outside towards the Alewife Brook Reservation the hosts explained that the parcel of land the apartment sits on was previously a factory therefore a lot of remediation work had to be done to the soil before the foundations for the apartments could be poured. The other interesting thing is that the orientation of the building and design of glass façade was optimized for viewing angles of two willow trees that stood side by side overlooking the reservation, which we were told, was not standard practice in the industry. Over 60 percent of the 244 apartment units have a window over-looking the reservation. The apartment complex has a 1:1 bike rack to parking space ratio.
The group then walked around the building and re-entered through the front lobby from Cambridge-drive Park. The group was brought to the second floor to view the common room and the green wall. The common
room is where residents can go to do work. It is equipped with wifi, computers, printers, and lots of places to sit. It even has a conference room for meetings. The hosts explained that many of the residences take advantage of the common room using it as an office to get work done. After touring the common room, the group arrived at one of the show pieces of the property – the living green wall. The green wall consists of 250 individual potted plants on a wall with lighting above that is optimized for their photosynthesis needs. It gets watered about once a month and so far, the hosts say it’s been a big success. The wall breathes life to the interior of the apartment and lifts one’s mood up each day after work.
At the green wall the group had a lively discussion about lighting requirements in commercial buildings. Afterwards, the group was shown a sample apartment unit which incorporated the Wells Signature equipment. It is offered at the apartment as an add-on package which includes: advanced air purification, circadian mood lighting, circadian shower, blackout shades, aromatherapy, water purification, Cleveland clinic wellness, and well hub.
The Residential Green Building Committee gathered on October 16th, 2017. We had a guest presentation from John Rockwell, of Zehnder America. He was here to help us understand proper and efficient mechanical ventilation standards for buildings.
He started off by emphasizing the importance of making buildings airtight, and not just jumping straight to insulation measures when looking for fixes. He continued to explain that air movement is the primary goal, because of all the contaminants and toxins buildings can have inside (in the rugs, furniture, etc), and we need that to move through.
John went on to explore the different ventilation options: Exhaust Ventilation, Supply Ventilation, Balanced Ventilation and Heat Recovery Ventilation. The conclusion was that the Balanced Ventilation is highly recommended in conjunction with an HRV or ERV, over Supply Ventilation for example, which pulls outside air into the home, while the stale air exits the home through building envelope leakage. The HRV serves as a heat exchanger between the fresh and stale air, and they actually have a higher heat recovery efficiency than an ERV. The reason being is because the HRV isn’t focused on moisture transfer like the ERV’s are, so there are more resources being dedicated to the heat exchange.
John explained that when choosing to implement an HRV or ERV, it is important to think about climate, occupancy, and humidity levels. Not only are all these ventilation methods supposed to be efficient for overall energy use, but they are also supposed to enhance the health and comfort of the inhabitants within the building.
John taught us a lot on Monday night, and was an extraordinary teacher for all of us! We hope you will join us at our next Residential Green Building Committee meeting to continue the conversation and learn from one another.
Thoughts on the future of green building in Massachusetts
In the Boston area, we have a couple of both advantages and disadvantages that drive the market. One of the advantages we have is a very supportive regulatory environment that is moving all of the built environment towards greener, more environmentally sensitive outcomes. We also export architecture. There are more architects than can work on projects locally, so we are actually a net exporter of design – a big exporter. So things that happen here are exported to other places.
Some of the disadvantages are that even with a very supportive market, it's a relatively conservative practice space. Engineering and architecture practice in the Massachusetts area is not super progressive in general. I think that what is happening with green building now is it is becoming ubiquitous within standard design. It is not the realm of leaders at this point, it is the realm of everybody, and so you see it in all of the regular engineering and architecture firms in the area who are all the least bit engaged. Green building has a lot more reach than in the past.
I think that, in the future, there will be two or three primary movers which emerge out of the general green building movement. One of these is a focus on health and healthy places. This is important to how people live and how people work, and how to improve health. Residential developers have figured this out, and they see value in creating more healthy developments.
The second mover is the net zero movement. I think that the industry, as well as consumers have finally gotten it into their heads that we can make our buildings close to net zero, and even net positive. What we are seeing now is that communities are engaging with the idea of net zero communities, housing developments are engaging with the idea of net zero housing at a large scale, and municipalities are legislating net zero towns. This will be transformative. It is going to take a while for it to take hold in the mainstream, but it is already taking hold for the leading practitioners.
The third mover is that the social structures that have underpinned how development is done are being called into question, which sharpens the game. The resilience movement is part of that. Equity efforts are part of that. I think there are a lot of forces that are pushing people who participate in, regulate, and consume the built environment to rethink what they are trying to do. So, I think there is a real opportunity for us, both as practitioners and as an organization to help move these issues forward. We have a lot of opportunities as a chapter, to really help move the market in ways that are pretty substantial
The SMMA Fund, the firm's philanthropic arm, has awarded its 2017 scholarship to Daniel Morton, a senior from Hudson High School. Daniel was chosen from a field of applicants based on his academic performance, recommendations from his counselors and teachers, and his stated intent to pursue studies in the field of design that contributes to the built environment.
Each year, the SMMA Fund grants scholarships to outstanding students from high schools that the firm has designed. The Fund has provided more than $36 thousand in financial assistance to 34 students from 13 high schools since its inception in 2010.
In his application, Daniel cited a passion for mechanical engineering, which has seen him lead a team of fellow students in the development of a sports-based prosthetic for a young softball player. The experience, and the knowledge gained in his time at technology-rich Hudson High School, which has been selected for inclusion in the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Model School Program, has fostered his desire to continue studying the discipline at the collegiate level.
“The SMMA Fund is a demonstration of our commitment to social responsibility and directly benefits the communities we serve,” said Marie Fitzgerald, SMMA board member and director of the firm's interior design practice. “We are proud to assist Daniel as he takes the next step in his educational journey.”
Presently second in his graduating class of 148, with a grade point average of 4.45, Daniel captains the school's golf and tennis teams, participates in its ski and ultimate Frisbee clubs, and has been a member of the National Honor Society for the entirety of his four-year career. He plans to attend the University of Pennsylania or Northeastern University in the fall of 2017.
The Southland Science Tour on Saturday, November 11 is a Greenbuild 2017 Green Building Tour you just can't miss! The day trip will bring attendees to two projects south of Boston that demonstrate how higher education institutions can minimize their environmental footprint despite their high energy use intensity. The objectives of the tour are to understand the key strategies necessary to achieve Zero Net Energy in a laboratory building and identify opportunities to simultaneously enhance occupant health and safety while reducing energy consumption. Upon completing this tour attendees will be able to discuss how historic preservation and modern state-of-the-art educational spaces can combine to create unique, sustainable opportunities and how the site, neighborhood and structure of an historic building can impact the sustainability story of a project, including remediation, preservation and meeting the tenets of LEED certified project.
The John J Sbrega Health and Science Building at Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA, is a 2017 AIA COTE Top Ten recipient, and is anticipated to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Designed as a Net-Zero Energy building, numerous strategies were employed to reduce the building's baseline energy use intensity, and cut fossil fuel consumption. The building realized a 67% reduction in hourly air changes and air-handling capacity. Additional strategies triggered a number of capital cost savings ranging from less ductwork and smaller air handling units to decreased floor-to-floor height and building envelope area. The John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building is as a shared resource occupied by multiple disciplines within the Sciences and Health Professions disciplines at Bristol Community College. The facility represents the translation of basic science to its application in the health professions. For the sciences, the building accommodates flexible instructional labs and support space for field biology, biotech, microbiology, and general chemistry.
The South Street Landing in Providence, Rhode Island, was an abandoned structure formerly occupied by the Narragansett Electric Company that now houses a statewide modern nursing education facility through a joint venture among three universities. The project team has worked to preserve historic features of the original power station including the large, 50-ton gantry crane and the Dynamo concrete pedestal. The site design features stormwater management best practices, and the 4-story dynamo block and hall where the generators churned electricity was reimagined into a commons. The core/shell and interior fit-out of the nursing education center are both targeting LEED-CS and CI Gold certification. The $220 million South Street Landing project represents a major transformation of the Jewelry District that will spur further economic growth and advance academic excellence in the capital city and across Rhode Island.
Greenbuild 2017 is just around the corner! Sign up for this tour and many other opportunities today! Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. The ideals and passion of the green building community come alive at Greenbuild. The buzz is contagious. Greenbuild brings together industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building in their everyday work, and a unique energy is sparked. Participants are invigorated. Inspired. They find themselves equipped to return to their jobs with a renewed passion and purpose. Register today!
The Living Building Challenge asks us to imagine a building that answers the question: “What does good look like?”
As a green building certification program and sustainable design framework that visualizes the ideal for the built environment, the Living Building Challenge (LBC) sets out to create buildings that are:
Regenerative spaces that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.
Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site. Living Buildings produce more energy than they use and collect and treat all water on site.
Healthy and beautiful.
Greenbuild is kicking off its Green Building Tours series with “Green Day Out” at 8:00am on Monday, November 6. Green Day Out will bring participants to see three buildings designed to meet the Living Building Challenge, and a fourth that uses the most advanced cross laminated timber construction in the United States! This tour will take you to Western Massachusetts, where you be able to see the application of and implementation of sustainable design frameworks that have resulted in cutting edge projects that are changing the building industry. Here's a sneak peek at the projects:
The R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College, designed by USGBC MA Chapter Sponsor Bruner/Cott & Associates, is a 2-story, 17,000 SF registered LBC project & 2017 COTE Top 10 Award winner. It generates 100% of its energy on-site and reduces water consumption by 95%. To reach the desired self-sustaining goals, the eco-friendly center has been outfitted with solar panels, composting toilets and a rainwater harvesting system. The Kern Center now functions as a hub for student life with a “community living room” and cafe, and it also serves as a welcome center for parents and staff. Moreover, it also houses a learning and teaching laboratory for both students and visitors. This green building is aiming to bring Hampshire closer to its goal that is to be completely carbon-neutral in coming years.
The Hitchcock Center for the Environment is a single story, 9,000 SF environmental education center and registered LBC project. Designed to be a teaching tool, The Hitchcock Center offers free tours twice monthly to the community. The net zero energy building harvests and recycles its own water, uses composting toilets, and was constructed with responsibly sourced, nontoxic materials. The Hitchcock Center includes educational displays for Pre-K through adults, explaining composting toilets, potable rainwater harvesting & treatment, and greywater systems. The project supports a new approach to achieving environmental literacy in the 21st century.
The Bechtel Environmental Classroom, a 2,300 SF single story building designed as a field station for Smith College, was the fifth Certified Living Building in the world and first in New England. Designed by Coldham & Hartman Architects, the classroom is a wood-framed building that serves as a field station for a 233-acre forest and pasture property. It doubles as a classroom and seminar space. The building uses solar panels and an innovative septic system involving composting toilets to fit the consumption imperatives. Since the building’s opening in September 2012, students have monitored a range of data points of electricity and water usage to demonstrate that the building operated over its first year of occupancy as a net-zero facility. “The design and construction of this remarkable building has been a great way to engage our students’ cross-disciplinary abilities and put them in a position where they were making production decisions,” said Drew Guswa, professor of engineering and director of Smith’s Center for Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability (CEEDS) in a press release. “The building has been, and will continue to be, an invaluable teaching tool.”
The University of Massachusetts Amherst Design Building is a 4-story, 87,500 GSF building pending LEED Gold. Its heavy-timber wood structure demonstrates how the industry can address climate change by building with wood. UMass says its new Design Building is the largest modern wood building in the U.S. – and the most advanced cross-laminated timber (CLT) building in the country. Designed by Boston-based architects Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the $52 million building is among the first in the U.S. to use a wood-concrete composite floor system. The building saves the equivalent of over 2,300 metric tons of carbon when compared to a traditional energy-intensive steel and concrete building, says the university.
Join us! Monday, November 6 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Meet at Tour Meet Desk (Lobby). This is a tour you just can't miss! Upon completing the tour, you will be able to discuss 1) why building with wood is critical for the building industry and addressing climate change; 2) the fundamentals of mass timber buildings and structural systems; 3) the basic requirements of the Living Building Challenge; and 4) the collaborative approach and engagement strategies used in Living Building Projects to ensure goals are met.
Greenbuild is just around the corner. Register today and take a look at the schedule for all of the exciting events Greenbuild 2017 has to offer!
We are amidst a paradigm shift in the building sector– a shift that is completely necessary in the face of our changing climate. One significant tool in the emerging design strategies toolbox for sustainable building construction and operations is the principle of “Net Positive”. A positive energy building is one that produces more energy from renewable sources than it consumes.
Why is this significant? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption was consumed by the residential and commercial sectors in 2016. From space heating and cooling to electricity use, addressing energy consumption at the building level has the potential to make a significant impact on reducing total national energy consumption and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Massachusetts is very much a part of this movement!
As a part of Greenbuild 2017, the Green Building tours program is showcasing Massachusetts net positive efforts in a full day tour on Monday, November 6 from 8:00AM to 4:00PM. The tour, “Net Positive Revolution” will explore LEED-certified, net positive and passive house buildings that clearly show revolution is afoot again in Massachusetts! Attendess will gain insight on the philosophy and design attributes of the Passive House certification system as well as the building site design, envelope, MEP and renewable energy systems that contribute to net zero building design. In addition, tour attendees will be able to better define how the use of wood as a sustainably-sourced and local material can enhance a project's sustainability.
The tour visits include: an office in Newton MA, with a passive and net positive design that confronts the challenge of retrofitting an existing building to meet Passive House standards; a passive house in Wayland MA which can be heated and cooled by the equivalent of a single burner on a stove; a net positive farmhouse in Lincoln, MA; and Walden Pond Visitors Center (image at right), a net zero energy building that also demonstrates what can be achieved with locally sourced materials and integrating a building into its landscape. Process and detail strategies will be shared by both design professionals and contractors responsible for these projects.
Green Building tours are one of Greenbuild's most popular and exciting features, providing the opportunity to explore green buildings ranging from higher education facilities to sports venues. In addition to the tours, Greenbuild has a whole week of exciting events (Nov. 6 – Nov. 10) including workshops, education sessions and networking opportunities. Be sure to check out the schedule and sign up today!
Stantec is a process driven firm and we believe that sustainability goes well beyond the building’s footprint. Sustainability considers stewardship of the physical, social and financial health of an institution within the broader context of its environment and community. Our design ideas are embedded with energy efficient principles in mind—from the orientation of the building masses to building technologies—we take advantage of both building systems and client engagement to help build a sustainable future.
Designed in hyper-collaboration with Massachusetts College of Art and Design students, professors, staff, alumni, and trustees, the MassART “Tree House” Residence Hall has become a landmark in the Boston skyline. The 21-story residence hall for 476 freshmen includes a café, living room, health center, communal kitchen, game room, laundry room, fitness center, and 17 floors of residential semi-suites with a lounge or a workroom on each floor. Inspired by Gustav Klimt’s 1909, ‘Tree of Life’ painting, the building is designed to promote healthy lifestyles, sustainable practices, and to culturally connect to its vibrant surrounding community of art and the Colleges of the Fenway. The MassART “Tree House” is LEED Gold Certified.
The Eddy is a highly sustainable, mixed-use building located along the waterfront in East Boston. Standing 17 stories tall, the building consists of 259 apartment units, a suite of amenities, restaurant space and unrivaled views of the Boston skyline. Numerous site improvements reinforce the building’s connection to the water which offers recreational opportunities as well as transportation alternatives to East Boston residents. The development of The Eddy extended the Harborwalk, creating nearly one acre of publicly accessible waterfront space as well as open space used for community events. By leveraging the natural assets of this unique site, a host of benefits are now available for the East Boston community to enjoy. The Eddy is LEED Gold Certified.
Special author: Elizabeth King, Associate at Stantec
Annie is widely regarded within the marketplace as an expert in third-party verification and sustainable program development. She previously held positions like Vice President of Certification Services at GreenCircle Certified, LLC until starting her own independent organization in 2017. She sits as a technical advisor to: the US Green Building Council’s Materials and Resources TAG, the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), Clean Production Action and the GreenScreen Program, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, the ASTM E 60 Committee, and the Collaborative for High Performing Schools National Technical Committee.
LAUREN HILDEBRAND
Sustainability Director, Steven Winter Associates
Lauren Hildebrand is a Sustainability Director at SWA. Her work focuses on sustainable and high performance residential and commercial building design, construction, renovation, and operation. Ms. Hildebrand’s expertise includes: sustainable design integration; indoor air quality and energy performance testing; and implementing project certification for both commercial and residential programs, such as LEED®, ENERGY STAR®, NYSERDA, NJ Clean Energy, and Enterprise Green Communities. Awards presented to her clients include the 2013 USGBC NJ Urban Green Project Award. Ms. Hildebrand works as a LEED® for Homes Green Rater and verifies implementation of the LEED® for Homes criteria. She is an integral part of the initial strategic planning sessions and workshops with builders, architects, and homeowners based on the LEED for Homes program. She also partners with and implements criteria for Enterprise Green Communities (EGCC), NYSERDA’s Multi-Family Performance Program, and the ENERGY STAR® Multi-Family High-Rise Program Certification. Ms. Hildebrand also has experience with a variety of commercial and mixed use projects, including LEED® for New Construction, Commercial Interior, Core and Shell, and Schools. In addition to her project experience and program guidance, Ms. Hildebrand manages classroom training and curriculum development for architects, owners, developers and building management staff on green and high performance building design strategies, cost effective building system operation, and energy-saving maintenance practices.
MICHAEL GRYNIUK
PE | Associate, LeMessurier
Michael Gryniuk, PE is a Structural Engineer at LeMessurier in Boston. As the leader of LeMessurier’s Sustainability practice, he is responsible for strategy, project consulting, and education for LeMessurier. He is currently on the Steering Committee of Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Sustainability Committee of ASCE and currently serves as Chair of the Structural Engineers (SE 2050) Commitment Program Working Group whose aim to establish a national commitment program for structural engineers for the purpose of achieving net zero embodied carbon in structural systems by 2050. Mike taught for many years at the Boston Architectural College. His current projects include the 2 million square foot Hub on Causeway development as well as upcoming developments of Kenmore Square. Mike has also led several other projects for institutions including Boston College, Holy Cross, RISD and UNH. Mike attended Syracuse University and Tufts University.
ANNE PECK
Vice President, AEW’s Architecture & Engineering group
As Vice President in AEW’s Architecture & Engineering group, Ms. Peck is responsible for physical property inspections, engineering and mechanical system evaluations and environmental audits on potential investments for all commercial property types. She is also responsible for the review and analysis of energy audits and LEED gap analysis with respect to acquisitions, and oversees the scope and results of third-party due diligence reports on property acquisitions. For development projects, Ms. Peck is responsible for the evaluation of construction documents to assess the constructability and recommend sustainable products and practices. She is responsible for overseeing the construction of new development projects from AEW’s initial involvement through closeout and warranty completions. Ms. Peck assists asset managers with large capital improvement projects or physical problems at various properties. In addition, Ms. Peck Co-Chairs AEW’s Sustainability Committee and provides guidance and assistance with most sustainability initiatives with the objective of reducing operating costs, improving indoor air quality and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. She sits on the GRESB Real Estate Benchmark Committee in North America and assists with all sustainability reporting for AEW. Ms. Peck is a licensed Massachusetts Construction Supervisor with LEED AP Certification, and passed her FE exam towards a mechanical engineer/registered professional engineering license.
ANDREA ALAOWNIS
Interior Designer, Jacobs, Boston
Andrea Alaownis is an Interior Designer with the Jacobs, Boston, MA office. After graduating from Radford University, she has concentrated on commercial projects through all phases of design and construction. As a WELL Accredited Professional, she participated in assisting the Jacobs Boston office to achieve WELL V1 Gold, Fitwel 3 Stars, and LEED V4 Gold certifications and continues to educate the design community and clients on wellness through design.
KIMBERLY LEWIS
Senior Vice President, Market Transformation and Development U.S. Green Building Council
As Senior Vice President for Market Transformation and Development in North America, Kimberly Lewis knows better than anyone that market transformation begins with community. Kimberly is laser focused on diversity, inclusion, equity and advancing transparency and excellence. By honing our community’s focus on collaborative impact, Kimberly incorporates people‐centric strategies to provide the organization and movement with a strong foundation of stakeholder based support.
Kimberly’s efforts encourage innovation in the market and challenge all of our community members to go above and beyond what was possible yesterday, to define the built environment of tomorrow. Kimberly knows that when we celebrate our leaders and advocate for growth across sectors, regions, and programs, taking care to bring our best to underserved populations and communities, we achieve real and lasting market transformation of the highest order.
To this end, Kimberly directs all of USGBC’s local communities, volunteers, and emerging professionals around the world, delivering on the USGBC mission to improve the quality of life for all through more sustainable cities and communities worldwide.
Kimberly was the founder of the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, which is now globally represented in five international markets. She has served on the advisory boards of Starwood Hotels, Marriott International Hotels and the convention and visitors bureaus in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Denver. She is a member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), where she has served on the CSR task force.
Kimberly serves on the board of directors for Groundswell and is the former chair of the board of trustees of the Green Building Foundation. Committed to healthy communities and equitable access to green buildings regardless of income level, Kimberly has been recognized with numerous awards. In April 2011, Kimberly received prestigious recognition as the White House Champion of Change for Clean Energy. She was also named Glamour Magazine 70th Anniversary 70 Women Leaders to Know in Sustainability. Most recently Kimberly was recognized with GB&D Magazine’s 2018 Women in Sustainability Leadership Award.
JIM STANISLASKI
AIA LEED AP BD+C | Senior Associate, Gensler Boston
Jim Stanislaski, AIA LEED AP BD+C is an Architect at Gensler in Boston. As co-leader of Gensler’s northeast region Design Resilience practice, he is responsible for strategy, project consulting, and education for over 1,000 staff in four offices. He is currently a Director on the Board of USGBC MA and a member of the Architecture Boston Magazine Editorial Board. Jim is a former President of AIA MA and has served on two National Academies research panels for renewable energy and energy efficiency at airports. As a past co-chair of the Boston Society of Architects Committee on the Environment (BSA/COTE), Jim led the AIA 2030 Professional Series at the BSA, serving to educate local designers on strategies to achieve net positive energy goals for buildings. Jim has also testified before state and city government committees to advocate for environmental legislation and regulation. Jim started his career as a US Air Force officer and attended Syracuse University.
CARLIE BULLOCK-JONES
LEED Fellow, WELL AP | Founder and Principal, Ecoworks Studio
Carlie Bullock-Jones, LEED Fellow, WELL AP, is the founder and managing Principal of Ecoworks Studio and has dedicated her entire career to bringing about a greener, healthier built environment. As a nationally known expert in sustainability, Carlie has facilitated on numerous award-winning projects. With a passion for green sports, Carlie has spearheaded LEED certification efforts for several stadiums, arenas, and training facilities for the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLS and higher education projects. Most notably, Carlie was the LEED consultant for the new home of the Atlanta Falcons, Mercedes-Benz stadium, which achieved the highest LEED Platinum score of any sports facility in the world.
As a LEED Faculty mentor for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the first external WELL Faculty for the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), Carlie is a highly sought-after speaker and writer for national events and publications. She has been extensively involved in the development of LEED standards over the years, serving as a Subject Matter Expert for USGBC and GBCI, assisting in course curriculum, exam development and reference guide creation. In 2012, Carlie was inducted by USGBC as a LEED Fellow, one of 77 in the world at that time. Carlie is also one of the first WELL Accredited Professionals on the planet, demonstrating expertise and extensive knowledge of human health and wellness in the built environment. As an early adopter of the WELL Building Standard, Carlie facilitated WELL certification efforts for the 27th, 37th and 100th WELL certified projects in the world (Silver, Gold and Platinum respectively). Most recently, Carlie was the recipient of the 2018 Inaugural IWBI WELL Leadership Recognition Award.
KOMAL KOTWAL
AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
Komal Kotwal is a Sustainable Design Leader and Project Manager at HOK with over 13 years of experience. Komal has led sustainable design and LEED Certification efforts for over 2M square feet including 1+M sf. of LEED Platinum projects and two Net-Zero projects. With the intent of bringing the human connection to sustainability, Komal currently focuses on intentional design to address human behavior and foster physical, mental, and emotional health. As a WELL AP, Komal is one of HOK’s leads in promoting and practicing health and wellness in architecture. Komal has served on the AIA Houston Chapter’s Board of Directors, Texas USGBC Regional Council and on USGBC’s Greenbuild Program Committee among others. A strong advocate for equity and inclusivity, Komal serves on HOK’s firm-wide Diversity Advisory Council and is a recent addition to HOK’s Management Board.
Speaking Engagements
TSA Convention 2016: Design for Healthy & Livable Communities
Gulf Coast Green Conference 2015: Integrating LEED ND Communities
CSI Chapter Annual Meeting 2014 : 2030 Commitment and how to get there
American Society of Indian Engineers ( ASIE) 2016: Getting to LEED Platinum
University of Houston, 2018: Staying Ahead of the Commercial Energy Code
Texas A&M University, 2016: Integrating Sustainability: A path to Net-zero
ANITA SNADER
LEED AP BD+C | Environmental Sustainability Manager, Armstrong World Industries
Anita Snader is the Environmental Sustainability Manager of Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, PA. She manages the sustainability strategy for Armstrong Ceiling and Wall Solutions, and serves as an internal environmental advocate, and environmental spokesperson. She is a LEED accredited professional, and well versed in the LEED rating systems and USGBC initiatives. As co-chair of Armstrong’s LEED EB team, she led the corporation to a LEED EB Platinum for their Headquarters building in Lancaster, PA in June 2007, and served on the team obtaining LEED EB recertification in 2014.
Recently, Anita has led Armstrong in a new initiative focusing on the Health and Wellbeing of occupants called Better Spaces. She drives the material health and transparency efforts, and created and manages Armstrong’s commitment through our SUSTAIN™ portfolio of high performance ceiling systems.
Anita joined Armstrong in 1997. Her experience is in Marketing, Research, Product Development and Customer Satisfaction both in the consumer goods, hospitality, building products and advertising industries. Her passion centers in developing strategies for reducing our impact on the environment through product and process innovation, and is always looking at opportunities to share knowledge and innovation with others.
Speaking Engagements: • Mindful Materials Series (2018 – NYC, Chicago)
• USGBC Central PA – 2017 – Green Con – Healthier Buildings
• USGBC GreenBuild – 2016 – Los Angeles, CA – LEEDv4 and Material transparency
• Living Future – Seattle 2016 – Declare and Living Building Challenge
• Costa Rica Green Building Congress – May 2015 – Materials and LEEDv4
• Canada Green Building Conference – June 2015 – Panel on Material Transparency
• USGBC GreenBuild – 2014 New Orleans, PA – two sessions
• State of Green Business – 2011
• PA Green Growth Partnerships, Pittsburgh, PA 2009
• PennTap, Green Workshop, Harrisburg, PA 2008
• Central PA USGBC Chapter Construction Waste Workshop, 2008
• LEED for Existing Building Workshop, Lancaster, PA, November 2007
• NeoCon East, Green Building Workshop, Baltimore, MD, October 2007
• ICA International Conference – Madrid- Acoustics and Green Building, September 2007
• ASHRAE ‘007 Conference – Long Beach, CA – Acoustics and Green Building, May 2007
• GreenBuild 2006 – Got LCA?, November 2006
• Local Green Building Council of PA –LEED for Schools Workshop, October 2006
• Various Recycling Summits throughout the nation
• Customer and sales presentations each month
Tune in:
Listen to a podcast interview with Anita Snader here.
DR. JOSEPH ALLEN
Assistant Professor of Exposure Science | Director of the Healthy Buildings program
Dr. Allen researches community and occupational exposures and health risks related to a broad range of chemical, biological, physical and radiological stressors. In particular, he focuses on the built environment, emissions from building materials and consumer products, and building system performance, each of which has the potential for both positive and negative impacts on human health, well-being and productivity. He is the Director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and faculty director of the Harvard Sensors for Health research group. Dr. Allen teaches a class on the Impact of Buildings on Human Health, and is the faculty advisor for a new initiative out of Harvard’s Office for Sustainability – the Harvard Healthier Building Materials Academy.
HEATHER HENRIKSEN
Managing Director, Harvard University Office for Sustainability
Heather Henriksen has served as Harvard University’s chief sustainability officer since 2008, advising the President and senior leadership on strategy and building an organizational change enterprise. Heather leads the Office for Sustainability which oversees the implementation of the Harvard’s comprehensive Sustainability Plan (co-created with faculty and students in 2014) and the University’s ambitious new Climate Action Plan (to be fossil fuel-free by 2050 and fossil fuel-neutral by 2026) which builds upon the 2016 achievement of Harvard’s initial science-based climate goal.
The Office for Sustainability has expanded a multi-disciplinary living laboratory research program that partners with faculty and students to use the campus as a test bed for piloting and sharing innovative solutions to real-world sustainability challenges. A nationally recognized leader in healthier building materials, Heather is leading an effort with faculty within Harvard to translate research into practice related to heath in the built environment including a focus on addressing the use of chemicals of concern in common building products. Through this work, Harvard is partnering with business and non-profit leaders as they strive to transform the marketplace for a healthier built environment. Heather also advises courses throughout Harvard College and the professional graduate schools and speaks nationally and internationally on sustainability.
Heather is on the Board of Directors of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative. Heather serves as Advisory Committee Co-chair of the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), and she is a member of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). Heather holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
LAUREN M. WALLACE
Principal & Director of Certifications and Consulting, Epsten Group, Inc.
Lauren M. Wallace is a Principal and the Director of Certifications and Consulting at Epsten Group, Inc., where she has helped facilitate sustainability and wellness measures for thousands of projects around the globe. Ms. Wallace is a USGBC and WELL Faculty member, WELL AP, LFA, LEED AP BD+C, LEED Project Reviewer, BREEAM USA In-Use Assessor, Fitwel Ambassador, Parksmart Advisor, and TRUE Advisor. With a background in Architecture, Ms. Wallace has more than ten years of experience in sustainability. She speaks regularly to audiences with varying expertise about implementing change in the building industry, focusing on technical information and application.
BECCA RUSHIN
Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Jamestown
Becca Rushin is the Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Jamestown where she leads ESG initiatives through the Jamestown Green program and the Jamestown Charitable Foundation. Prior to joining Jamestown in 2012, Ms. Rushin worked as a local government consultant for Clark Patterson Lee, where she served as Community Development Coordinator and Sustainability Commission Staff Liaison for the City of Dunwoody. She is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and holds a LEED AP O+M credential. Ms. Rushin is an active volunteer with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Environmental Policy from Sewanee: the University of the South and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development: Environmental Policy and Management from Utrecht University.
JODI SMITS ANDERSON
Director of Sustainability Programs, DASNY | LEED AP BD+C
Jodi Smits Anderson is the Director of Sustainability Programs for DASNY, an architect, LEED AP BD+C, AIA member, lifetime member of NESEA, past regional and national U.S. Green Building Council committee member, wife, mom, hiker, kayaker, knitter, and storyteller. She has spoken at the ILFI unconference in Seattle, WA, at the NACUBO conference in Austin, TX, at the first Wellness in Design conference in San Diego, CA, and several times each at Greenbuild, NESEA’s Building Energy Boston, and the NYS Green Building Conference, and has been a guest teacher at SUNY ESF, RPI, Ithaca College, NYU, Cornell, and SUNY Albany. She is a NY Energy Code trainer, the 2018 recipient of the Green Building Advocate award, and has assisted in research and writing for Project Drawdown, which cites the 100 market-proven ways we already have in our toolkit to reduce CO2 in our atmosphere. She has a featured article appearing in the Journal of Green Building’s V14 N3 in July of 2019, on Excellence in Building Envelopes, and is currently working on a ZNE renovation to an existing residence hall, a project intended to change how we do renovation projects in New York state. Jodi’s goal is to understand and incorporate informed sustainable practices into design, construction, and living, and to share whatever she has learned and learn still more from whomever will talk with her.
JIM NEWMAN
Founder and Principal, Linnean Solutions | LEED AP, O+M; EcoDistrict AP
Jim is the Founder and Principal at Linnean Solutions, a mission-driven firm that helps local governments, organizations, and communities reach sustainability and resilience goals. Jim’s twenty years of experience includes carbon mitigation planning and life cycle assessment; sustainability and resilience building certification; climate action and adaptation planning for municipalities, agencies, and organizations; resilience analysis, policy, and design standard development; EcoDistrict planning and management; and stakeholder engagement processes to strengthen communities. As a Living Environments in Natural, Social, and Economic Systems (LENSES) Facilitator and Trainer, Jim regularly leads community planning workshops, and trains others in becoming effective facilitators.
Previous to Linnean, Jim worked with BuildingGreen as the Director of Strategy, where he led the development and introduction of most of BuildingGreen’s online products including LEEDuser.com, BuildingGreen Suite, and the High Performance Buildings Database. Jim is a founding board member of the Resilient Design Institute, and a key author of several influential resilience reports and tools—including the Building Resilience in Boston report and
the Enterprise Community Partners’ Ready to Respond: Strategies for Multifamily Building Resilience manual. He is a member of the RELi/USGBC Steering Committee, where he has worked to bring a social equity lens to the development of the new certification standard for resilient buildings.
JULIE JANISKI
Associate Principal, BuroHappold Engineering
Julie Janiski leads integrated teams of engineers, designers, analysts, and subject-matter experts at BuroHappold Engineering for projects with ambitious goals related to design innovation, building performance, and the health, wellbeing and experience of building occupants and community. Julie’s recent work includes: Cornell Tech’s new Verizon Executive Education Center with Snohetta; Glenstone Museum with Thomas Phifer and Partners, St. Ann’s Warehouse theatre in Brookyln with Marvel Architects; a number of U.S. Embassy projects internationally for the U.S. State Department; a new corporate headquarters campus in Baltimore for Under Armour; an integrated “roadmap” plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by the year 2050 (80×50) for the City of New York; and The House at Cornell Tech – a residential high-rise in New York City which is certified Passive House. Julie also teaches at Columbia University’s GSAPP in the first-year core studio, and has been a guest critic/lecturer at other universities including MIT, Tulane, and NYU.
SARA NEFF
Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation
Sara Neff is Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation. Sara took Kilroy from having no sustainability program to being named the #1 publicly traded real estate company on sustainability in North America by GRESB, and under her leadership the company recently committed to becoming the first carbon neutral real estate company in North America by the end of 2020.
At Kilroy, she oversees all sustainability initiatives such as solar and battery deal-making, the implementation of energy and water efficiency initiatives throughout the existing and development portfolios, the integration of sustainability standards into annual financial reports, the launch of the Kilroy Innovation Lab, and the award-winning green leasing program. She holds a BS from Stanford and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
TRISTAN ROBERTS
Co-Founder, Facilitator at The Laurentia Project | LEED AP BD+C, LFA
Tristan Roberts is responsible for leading staff support for HPDC’s Technical Committee, education programs, and the evolution of the HPD Open Standard. Mr. Roberts is a leader in the advancement of green building practices. Prior to joining HPDC in May 2018, he was part of BuildingGreen, Inc. for eleven years, where he most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer, moderating and leading the community development of LEEDuser forum which supports over 10,000 users. He is the author of hundreds of articles and in-depth reports on building industry trends and technologies, and is a frequent speaker and educator in the areas of green building and sustainable design. His objective stance and focus on practical tools has earned him the trust of a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the industry, including architects, sustainability professionals, manufacturers, and nonprofit groups. Mr. Roberts has taught sustainability and building science at the Boston Architectural College.
TIM CONWAY
Vice President of Sustainable Development, Shaw
As a flooring industry expert, Tim Conway is focused on the positive affects that sustainable flooring products have on our buildings, and more importantly, the people that occupy and live in the spaces we design. Tim has worked closely with Bill McDonough and the internal team at Shaw for the past twelve years developing and maintaining Shaw’s Cradle to Cradle certifications, HPDs and EPDs. His unique role at Shaw enables him to drive the communication between clients’ requirements and the product development team at Shaw. He has presented at GreenBuild, Living Future, and Design Future Council and has been an integral part in the development of healthy carpet specifications for clients all over the world. Tim is passionate about collaborating with clients to develop flooring specifications that are safe throughout a product’s entire supply chain, from raw material chemical building blocks to end of life replication. He has a unique ability to translate complex systems like Cradle to Cradle and HPDs into simple stories that empower change and deliver buildings that have positive intent for the future of our people and our planet.
BILL WALSH
Founder and President, Board of the Healthy Building Network
Bill Walsh is the Founder and President of the Board of the Healthy Building Network (HBN). Since 2000 HBN has been defining the leading edge of healthy building practices that increase transparency in the building products industry, reduce human exposures to chemicals in building materials, and create market incentives for healthier innovations in manufacturing. He has been Visiting Professor at Parsons The New School for Design, is a Fellow of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts, and a founding board member of the Health Product Declaration (HPD) Collaborative. Bill and HBN have been awarded the Design for Humanity Award by the American Society of Interior Designers (2019); WEACT for Environmental Justice Leadership Award (2018); Healthy Schools Network Hero (2013); US Green Building Council’s Leadership In Advocacy Award (2012). Previously he served as a national campaign director at Greenpeace USA, and held staff attorney positions with the US Public Interest Research Group and the Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown University Law Center. He holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and LLM in Public Interest Advocacy from Georgetown University.
BRENT TRENGA
Building Technology Director, Kingspan North America
Brent has truly run the construction industry gamut serving in various roles including Architect, Construction Manager, Developer and even project owner, allowing him to fully understand the sustainability ecosystem. As Building Technology Director for Kingspan North America, Brent is committed to reducing the environmental impact of business operations, products and services through continuous improvement and environmental transparency.
JENNIFER TARANTO
LEED® AP ID+C, BD+C, USGBC Faculty, WELL® AP, WELL Faculty and Fitwel Ambassador Structure Tone, Director of Sustainability
Jennifer Taranto ensures the principals of sustainability, wellbeing, and Lean construction are incorporated into client projects and everyday work practices throughout the STO Building Group.
Jenn is a passionate advocate for reducing environmental impact of the built environment and enabling organizations to improve people’s health and wellbeing while reducing the construction and operating costs of facilities. She gets involved in the early stages of client projects to define the needs and the overall sustainability goals in order to create an internal road map to team success.
Jennifer brings more than eighteen years of experience in the commercial real estate and construction industry, and joined Structure Tone in 2001. Her previous roles included superintendent and project manager prior to becoming Structure Tone’s Director of Sustainability in 2008.
As a founder of the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter and the former Chair of the Chapter’s Board of Directors she is recognized as a leader in the sustainable built environment. She has lectured at Wentworth Institute of Technology and Boston University and spoken at Labs21 Conference (I2SL), Delaware Valley Green Building Council’s Sustainability Symposium, Living Futures and Greenbuild. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from North Carolina State University.
Jennifer has a Bacon number of 2.
LEIGH STRINGER
Workplace Strategy Expert and Researcher, EYP
Leigh Stringer is a workplace strategy expert and researcher whose work has been covered recently by BBC News, The Globe and Mail, Fortune, CNN and Good Morning America. She works for EYP, an architecture and engineering firm. She is the author of two best-selling books, The Green Workplace and The Healthy Workplace. Leigh is currently collaborating with Harvard University’s School of Public Health on a new Health and Human Performance Index and the Center for Active Design in New York on their Fitwel building certification program to create new tools, connect like minds and blur the boundaries across industries in order to advance our improve our well-being at work. Leigh is on the board of directors of a new non-profit, Global Women for Wellbeing, an organization that aims to give women a voice to create better health and wellbeing for themselves, their businesses, and their communities.
CHARLEY STEVENSON
Principal, Integrated Ecostrategy
Charley Stevenson has been delving deeper and deeper into healthier building materials since beginning work on his first Living Building Challenge project in 2011. With the team at IES, he has developed process and software to integrate better materials selections into all project types and to transform the market as quickly and easily as possible. The Red2Green platform has reduced Red List research and documentation effort by a factor of three while building up a library of over 10,000 products screened for compliance.
PETER SMITH
Senior Vice President, International WELL Building Institute
Peter is engaged with leading organizations and institutions seeking to transform their real estate portfolios to enhance health and business metrics. As Senior Vice President at IWBI, he leads a team driving the global growth and adoption of the WELL Building Standard, the first performance-based building standard to exclusively focus on human health. Peter is also an active speaker and educator, promoting health in the built environment through industry events and technical workshops. Previously, Peter served as Vice President of Delos Solutions, a team of consultants and subject matter experts incorporating health and wellness strategies into the pioneering WELL Certification projects. Working closely with Delos Labs, an internal research group, he identified best-in-class design solutions, products and technologies to improve the built environment and optimize for human health, well-being and environmentally sustainability. Peter has an extensive background in building science and energy efficiency. Prior to joining Delos and IWBI, he worked as a Sustainability Consultant at Steven Winter Associates, an industry leading green building consulting firm. Focusing on affordable housing in the greater New York City area, Peter worked with multifamily developers to implement sustainable design principles and energy efficiency measures into new construction projects and validate high-performance building criteria. Peter holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in Environmental Economics. He also maintains accreditations for WELL AP™ and WELL Faculty™.
JASON JEWHURST
Principal, Bruner/Cott
Jason’s passion for reconnecting with the natural environment informs all of his work as a specialist in sustainable and high-performance building design. With a strong technical background in building systems, technology, and sustainability, Jason is driven by a deep respect for craftsmanship and the art of making and by the possibilities created by merging tested traditions of construction with new fabrication technologies and material production. He leads design teams to explore possibilities inspired by a shared set of values and goals to create high-performance contemporary architecture that is beautiful and inspiring. He is a recipient of a 2017 Living Hero Award.
BLAKE JACKSON
Architect, Associate, and Sustainability Design Leader, Stantec Architecture and Engineering
Blake Jackson is an architect, Associate, and Sustainability Design Leader with Stantec Architecture and Engineering in Boston, Massachusetts. His work focuses on the nexus between sustainability, wellness, and resiliency, and he has over fifteen years’ experience in planning, retail, hospitality, labs, healthcare, commercial, higher-education, and multifamily projects. Blake is a prolific author and speaker on his three main areas of focus, is an adjunct faculty at the Boston Architectural College and at Mount Ida College, and he currently serves as the Vice President for Advocacy for the Boston Society of Architects. He was named a national top “40 Under 40” built environment professional by Building Design and Construction Magazine in 2015.
ANNE HARNEY
FAIA, LEED Fellow, Long Green Specs
Anne Hicks Harney has over 30 years of experience, focusing on high quality design imbued with a solid technical and sustainable foundation. Formed in 2016, Long Green Specs provides sustainability focused construction specifications and building science material expertise to Architectural firms across the country. She is a member of the AIA COTE Advisory Group. She was a founding co-chair of the Baltimore – Building Enclosure Council, chair of the AIA Materials Knowledge Working Group, and a member of the USGBC Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group. In 2016, Ms. Harney was awarded fellowship by the AIA and became a LEED Fellow.
Speaking Engagements
Living Future unconference 2019 – Using the AIA COTE Toolkit to Elevate Every Project –
Living Future unconference 2019 – Entering the material pool – deep end jump or shallow slide?
2019 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit – Go Forth and Prosper, While Changing the World
Greenbuild 2018: Chicago IL, November 2018 – Closing the Transparency Loop: Collaboration in Action
AIA Conference on Architecture 2018, New York NY: Holding Ourselves to Higher Standards – Healthy Materials Every Time
BRENT EHRLICH
Products & Materials Specialist, BuildingGreen
Brent is the products & materials specialist at BuildingGreen, where he has been researching and writing about green building products, materials, and their health and environmental impacts for more than a decade. He brings a nuanced understanding of materials, their constituents, and lifecycles to his work as a consultant and speaker and leads a team of editors that selects products for the company’s BuildingGreen Approved database and annual Top 10 Products Award.
Speaking Engagements
• Annual BuildingGreen’s Top 10 Products award at Greenbuild (8 years as presenter)
• Northeast Sustainable Energy Association: NESEA 2014: The Forest and the Trees
• NESEA 2011: Materials Track Chair + Cool New Products presentation
MATT EDLEN
Director of Acquisitions and Development
Matt Edlen oversees acquisitions and development in the Midwest and East Coast for Gerding Edlen’s various investment funds. Matt is responsible for sourcing, negotiating and executing on investment opportunities across key urban markets within those regions.
Prior to his role in acquisitions, Matt was focused on the development and management of the firms internal multifamily marketing and sales platform. His efforts have helped the firm invest over $1 billion worth of real estate across the country in cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago.
Matt currently serves as national chair of the board for Design Museum Foundation and as a board member for Boston’s NOAH (Neighborhood of Affordable Housing), and The Oregon Sports Authority. He has also served as board member and chair of the site selection committee for PHAME Academy, board member and co-chair of the Arts Connector Program of Business for Culture and the Arts, and alumni board member of Young People’s Theater Project. Matt earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University of Chicago.
MIKHAIL DAVIS
Director of Restorative Enterprise, Interface
Mikhail Davis is Director of Restorative Enterprise at Interface, a world-leading modular flooring company with a fully integrated collection of hard and soft flooring. Interface’s mission, Climate Take Back™, invites industry to commit to making a profit in a way that is restorative to the planet and creates a climate fit for life. Mikhail is responsible for advancing Interface’s mission in the Americas by building internal leadership capacity, facilitating strategic alignment of efforts, and creating external partnerships that shift the marketplace toward sustainability. He leads Interface’s product transparency efforts in the Americas and was lead author and editor of Interface’s Radical Industrialists column at GreenBiz.com for two years.
An expert in sustainable materials and NGO collaborations, he represents Interface in many organizations focused on sustainability innovation, closed-loop systems, recycling, and chemicals of concern, including serving as 2016-18 Chair of the US Green Building Council’s Technical Advisory Group on Materials and Resources (MR TAG), Co-Chair of the Materials Working Group of BizNGO and Program Advisor to the Next Generation Bio-based and Sustainable Chemicals Summit.
STEVEN BURKE
Sustainability Manager, Consigli Construction Company
Steven is a Sustainability Manager at Consigli Construction Co., Inc., an 800+ person construction firm based in Massachusetts. His position involves management of company sustainability processes and sustainable construction projects at Consigli. He has a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, and has delivered many presentations on how to integrate health and wellness into the design and construction of the built environment.
Global Head of Sustainability, Superior Essex
Sustainability Director, Steven Winter Associates
PE | Associate, LeMessurier
Vice President, AEW’s Architecture & Engineering group
Interior Designer, Jacobs, Boston
Senior Vice President, Market Transformation and Development U.S. Green Building Council
AIA LEED AP BD+C | Senior Associate, Gensler Boston 
LEED Fellow, WELL AP | Founder and Principal, Ecoworks Studio
AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
LEED AP BD+C | Environmental Sustainability Manager, Armstrong World Industries
Assistant Professor of Exposure Science | Director of the Healthy Buildings program
Managing Director, Harvard University Office for Sustainability
Principal & Director of Certifications and Consulting, Epsten Group, Inc.
Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Jamestown
Director of Sustainability Programs, DASNY | LEED AP BD+C
Associate Principal, BuroHappold Engineering
Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation
Co-Founder, Facilitator at The Laurentia Project | LEED AP BD+C, LFA
Vice President of Sustainable Development, Shaw
Founder and President, Board of the Healthy Building Network
Building Technology Director, Kingspan North America
LEED® AP ID+C, BD+C, USGBC Faculty, WELL® AP, WELL Faculty and Fitwel Ambassador
Workplace Strategy Expert and Researcher, EYP
Principal, Integrated Ecostrategy
Senior Vice President, International WELL Building Institute
Principal, Bruner/Cott
Architect, Associate, and Sustainability Design Leader, Stantec Architecture and Engineering
FAIA, LEED Fellow, Long Green Specs
Products & Materials Specialist, BuildingGreen
Director of Acquisitions and Development
Director of Restorative Enterprise, Interface
Sustainability Manager, Consigli Construction Company