We're making strides in growing our PACE Coalition, and getting support for Commercial PACE Financing in the House. Our goal is to introduce PACE financing to a number of Representatives on the TUE Committee, so that a PACE Financing bill can be passed when the session resumes in January.
This morning, the USGBC MA staff and some of our friends from MassDevelopment met with Representative Brodeur at the State House. We explained the benefits and the straightforward structure of PACE Financing to Rep. Brodeur. As the Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (TUE) and a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, his support is key for us to advance this bill in the House. Brodeur was enthusiastic about PACE and pledged his support, so we are excited to continue partnering with him as we move this bill forward.
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing is a tool that incentivizes commercial property owners to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, by tying the project's cost to the property through a long-term voluntary tax assessment. Therefore, property owners can save money with more energy efficient buildings–and they don't have to worry about getting a full return on their investment before selling the property, because they only pay for the energy efficiency upgrade as long as they own the building. When the building is sold, the project will be paid for–and the energy savings will be reaped–by the next owner.
PACE has already been successfully implemented in a number of states, notably California and Connecticut, and is set up for success in Massachusetts. A unique legislative proposition, Commercial PACE Financing would be overwhelmingly beneficial for the state. It does not face opposition from environmental organizations or the business community. By incentivizing energy efficiency projects, PACE would create jobs in green building industry (the fastest growing part of the real estate sector). Neither the state nor taxpayers need to spend any money to enable this financing tool, and MassDevelopment is already established as the funding clearing-house for these projects.
Commercial PACE is simply a financing mechanism that needs to be enabled by the legislature. After a bill is passed to support PACE, municipalities in the state will be able to arrange, in conjunction with MassDevelopment, for commercial property owners to finance energy efficiency projects through property tax assessments.
Last session, the Senate voted for PACE Financing Bill S. 1774, but the bill has not yet been introduced in the House. While we continue to meet with representatives over the next month, we will grow the PACE Coalition, getting both the business community and environmental organizations to voice their support for this innovative energy efficiency financing tool.
If your business or organization would like to join our efforts advocating for PACE, please contact advocacy@usgbcma.org. Stay tuned to this issue, as we're expecting major PACE bill updates in the next two months!
Visit our Advocacy page for a more thorough explanation of PACE Financing.
A couple photos of today's meeting at the State House:
Advocacy Committee Volunteer Bill Tobin explains how PACE Financing would bring jobs to Massachusetts.
Representative Brodeur and Grey Lee, USGBC MA Executive Director.
Below: our Advocacy Team with Rep. Frank Smizik talking about PACE on a similar occasion recently
In just one weeks we'll be holding our next LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation course! I'm excited to say that I received my LEED Green Associate Accreditation just a few months ago, and the course I attended to prepare was invaluable in helping me learn what would be included in the exam and what to focus on. This is also the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the game because we will be transitioning to an updated version of LEED next year, and this will give you a better grasp of the updated certification information for the new version.
Find more details about the course and register here!
The full day comprehensive course covers the following topics:
Chapter #1 – Introduction
This 1-hour chapter will explain the LEED Green Associate credentialing process and serve as an introduction to LEED, sustainability, the USGBC, the GBCI and the LEED rating system.
Chapter #2 – Location and Transportation / Sustainable Sites
This 1-hour chapter will focus on site issues such as connectivity, transportation, erosion, landscaping, and heat island effect.
Chapter #3 – Water Efficiency / Energy and Atmosphere
This 1-hour chapter will focus on water issues (plumbing efficiency, irrigation, process water, etc.) and energy and atmosphere issues (demand, efficiency, renewable energy, ozone depleting substances, etc.)
Chapter #4 – Materials and Resources
This 1-hour chapter will focus on procurement and waste diversion.
Chapter #5 – Indoor Environmental Quality
This 1-hour chapter will focus on indoor environmental quality issues such as indoor air quality, occupant comfort and green cleaning.
Chapter #6 – Innovation / Regional Priority / Certification Process
This 1-hour chapter will explain the LEED certification process and the Innovation and Regional Priority categories.
Chapter #7 – Exam Review
This 1-hour chapter will focus on exam format and registration and strategies to pass the exam.
Chapter #8 – Exam Review
This 1-hour chapter will focus on sample exam questions.
This year, when you are thinking of making a year-end charitable contribution, keep the USGBC-Massachusetts Chapter and our Community in mind.
In November we have been posting regularly on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages about our work to provide everyone with access to green buildings and green communities. We are much more than a member group or a professional organization; along with providing valuable education and networking opportunities, we provide a wide range of community projects and advocacy campaigns.
Our Chapter supports local governments, emerging professionals, local community organizations and the public to move along the path towards sustainability.
So stay tuned on social media to hear more about the specific impact of each of these projects and support our work to make green buildings and green communities accessible to all by making a donation on Giving Tuesday.
For the first time ever at a world climate change summit, this year there is a dedicated “Building Day” on the agenda. Scheduled for December 3, “Building Day” will teach attendees about the role that the built-environment can play in mitigating climate change.
Paris COP21 is also aiming to be the first ever climate conference where representatives of all 196 countries must sign a legally-binding agreement, pledging concrete commitments to decrease their emissions–a timely moment for green buildings to be put on the map. Negotiators will deliberate next week about the specific strategies. But after this Building Day raises world leaders' awareness about the significance of buildings' emission contributions, greener buildings may be on the top of their agenda. If there is push from the international community for green buildings, that may be the major catalyst needed to transform the building market.
More than 150 world leaders will attend the Paris climate talks, but this conference is commercially-inclusive, with thousands of attendees from both the public and private sectors. This collaboration is key to ensuring a healthy future for our environment and our economy.
French President François Hollande with other world leaders at the beginning of the conference
Why Buildings?
Buildings account for more than 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Already the largest single contributor to emissions, this number is predicted to double by 2050 if current building construction and operation practices continue. Without a dramatic change to building practices, the risks from climate change will quickly multiply–rapid urbanization, especially in developing countries, could accelerate these impacts.
However, being the largest single emissions contributor, it is clear that buildings should be the focus of emission-lowering efforts–and the green building industy is starting to pick up steam.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, here are a few key reasons that diplomats at Paris COP21–and professionals in the building industry–should make green buildings a priority as they craft new emission-reduction strategies:
The buildings sector offers one of the most cost-effective and economically beneficial paths for reducing energy demand and associated emissions. At the same time, it also supports adaptation and resilience to climate change.
There are many low-energy, renewable and deep-renovation solutions available. There are already proven policy, finance and technology strategies that exist.
There are significant economic, health, and social benefits of sustainable buildings. Buildings provide shelter, places to live, work, learn and socialize–most of our time is spent indoors. Moreover, buildings provide more than 50% of global wealth, and as one of the largest local-level employers, the sector also offers a path to poverty alleviation.
Buildings are long-term ventures, and investments in our future. With structures that last for decades, failure to act now would ensure an increase in GHG emission for decades.
December 3: Building Day at Paris COP21
Building Day will provide the opportunity for an unprecedented alliance of organizations that are all committed to the same key objectives as our own USGBC MA Chapter:
Helping to put the buildings and construction sector on the “below 2 °C path”
Aligning existing initiatives, partnerships, commitments and programmes to achieve greater scale and increase the pace of efficiency actions
Catalysing stronger collaboration and targeting sectoral and cross sectoral climate action and solutions for allaligning environmental initatives, programs and partnerships to increase the pace and scale of catalyzing stronger collaboration and cross-sector solutions for climate change.
The Paris Climate Conference's Building Day agenda puts forth the following Alliance Proposition:
“Before COP21, every country will have determined its national contribution to limit global warming to below 2 °C. The world must come together immediately to support them to meet – and where possible, exceed – their targets. By publicly committing to support countries to implement ambitious actions in the buildings sector, including to meet their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), we propose an alliance to leverage our capabilities to facilitate:
Communication – Raising awareness and engagements, making visible the magnitude of the opportunities and impacts in the buildings sector, defining sectoral goals and promoting transparency and information exchange.
Collaboration – Taking action to further enable public policies and market transformations towards climate neutrality, implementing partnerships, sharing technology and know-how, and improving deal-flow and access to efficient financing and funding.
Solutions – Offering programs for further ambition and locally adapted solutions that firmly put the buildings sector on a below 2 °C path: invreasing efficiency of buildings systems and envelope, mainstreaming low GHG materials, low-emission new buildings and scaling up deep renovation.”
Going Green is Not Just Ethical: It's Economical
In the past few weeks leading up to the Paris COP21 climate talks, 54 major real estate and building companies, including Thornton Tomasetti, Skanska an JLL, signed on to the Building and Real Estate Climate Declaration. This business call-to-action urges policymakers to seize the economic opportuntiy of tackling climate change. The declaration was recognized last week at the U.S. Green Building Council's annual Greenbuild Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C.
This document is a companion to the 2013 Ceres' Climate Declaration, which has more than 1,660 signatories nationwide–including iconic brands like Gap, Inc., General Mills, Disney, Apple and Starbucks. However, the building sector, a major economic driver in the United States (with real estate construction alone contributing $1 trillion towards the U.S. economic output in 2014), produces 39% of carbon emissions annually. Industry leaders signed this document to call attention to the specific risks and opportunities associated with the building sector.
“The Building and Real Estate Declaration is the first collective statement of the building community on climate, and it signals we are ready to get to work, both sustainably and profitably,” said Roger Platt, USGBC President, who praised the industry's call-to-action. “Our community knows that buildings represent the lowest cost and greatest potential to reduce carbon emissions. The Climate Declaration will give visibility to buildings as a critical climate solution. We’ve proven that by acting sustainably, we can leverage innovation and efficiency to driven economic growth.”
Industry giants including Skanska, JLL and Thornton Tomasetti, signed the declaration to show their commitment to sustainability, to communicate opportunity and best practices to policymakers and industry partners, and to recognize that strong policies are necessary to tackle climate change at the scale and pace needed. The signatories of the Building and Real Estate Declaration, and advocates of green buildings including USGBC and Ceres, urge negotiators at COP21 to follow this lead. Read more about this declaration and its potential impacts at the USGBC National site.
Check out the Paris COP21 site to get updates from the conference. Tune in to the climate talks especially on December 3, for news about the first ever “Building Day”!
Shoebox Energy Modeling: How To Do Quick, Early Simulations will be shown on 12/15/15 in Cambridge at noon. Most whole building energy simulations require a mechanical system design, making them unsuitable for early-design modeling. By the time you’re sizing mechanical systems and debating the finer points of shading mechanisms, you know you’ve missed some really big energy-saving opportunities. Learn from the architects and energy modelers who are turning to shoebox models—with one or just a few zones— to capture big energy, design, and construction savings.
New Construction & Philadelphia’s Energy Benchmarking Law will be shown on 12/16/15 in Boston at 4:30. Energy benchmarking and disclosure mandates are a growing national trend. Although these policies are geared towards existing buildings, there is a unique opportunity to impact the new construction industry as well. This session is intended to educate design professionals, energy services providers, and commercial building owners about the importance of optimizing the energy performance of new buildings and how to achieve the best results using integrated design, energy modeling, EPA's Target Finder, and more. We will also review Philadelphia's energy benchmarking and disclosure law, Year 2 results, and current green codes and standards, which will be beneficial to policy makers who have recently adopted or are considering similar legislation.
Geothermal Heating and Cooling: A Renewable Energy Technology will be shown on 12/21/15 in Worcester at 6pm. This course will cover several critical topics surrounding our industry today in the world of geothermal heating and cooling. You will learn the basic principles of the geothermal heat pump technology and we will discuss some of the misconceptions that often arise in today’s market. You will walk away with an understanding of how and why geothermal heat pumps systems are so incredibly energy efficient and gain a general understanding of how the four basic systems are designed and work for each job application.
In just three weeks we'll be holding our next LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation course! I'm excited to say that I received my LEED Green Associate Accreditation just a few weeks ago, and the course I attended to prepare was invaluable in helping me learn what would be included in the exam and what to focus on. This is also the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the game because we will be transitioning to an updated version of LEED next year, and this will give you a better grasp of the updated certification information for the new version.
Find more details about the course and register here!
The full day comprehensive course covers the following topics:
Chapter #1 – Introduction
This 1-hour chapter will explain the LEED Green Associate credentialing process and serve as an introduction to LEED, sustainability, the USGBC, the GBCI and the LEED rating system.
Chapter #2 – Location and Transportation / Sustainable Sites
This 1-hour chapter will focus on site issues such as connectivity, transportation, erosion, landscaping, and heat island effect.
Chapter #3 – Water Efficiency / Energy and Atmosphere
This 1-hour chapter will focus on water issues (plumbing efficiency, irrigation, process water, etc.) and energy and atmosphere issues (demand, efficiency, renewable energy, ozone depleting substances, etc.)
Chapter #4 – Materials and Resources
This 1-hour chapter will focus on procurement and waste diversion.
Chapter #5 – Indoor Environmental Quality
This 1-hour chapter will focus on indoor environmental quality issues such as indoor air quality, occupant comfort and green cleaning.
Chapter #6 – Innovation / Regional Priority / Certification Process
This 1-hour chapter will explain the LEED certification process and the Innovation and Regional Priority categories.
Chapter #7 – Exam Review
This 1-hour chapter will focus on exam format and registration and strategies to pass the exam.
Chapter #8 – Exam Review
This 1-hour chapter will focus on sample exam questions.
On December 11th Jonathan Wright of The Wright Builders and his project team leaders will lead professional tours of two buildings designed to meet the rigorous standards of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) – of which there are only eight certified projects in the world. Currently under construction, both The R.W. Kern Center (80% complete) and The Hitchcock Center for the Environment (framing is in place) are on Hampshire College's Campus in Amherst, MA.
Light refreshments will be provided by The Wright Builders and the conversation with continue after dark at the Kern Center with the Facility Owners participating in a Question and Answer session, led by the Boston LBC Collaborative.
Project Details:
The first building is the 17,000 square-foot R.W. Kern Center. Upon its completion, the Kern Center will be a multifunctional learning, teaching, and exhibition space; the point of entry for prospective students and their families into the Hampshire community; and the location of the admissions financial aid and new student programs offices. Project completion is scheduled for the winter of 2016.
The second building is the new 9,000 square-foot Hitchcock Center. The building will be New England's first public environmental education center to meet the LBC (version 2.1), more than doubling the Center’s capacity to host programs for all ages, while also being a one-of-a-kind teaching tool. The new “living” Hitchcock Center is designed to model and mimic natural systems with interpretive and interactive exhibits, and will be an extension of Hitchcock’s mission to create a healthier more sustainable future. The building will be completed in the summer of 2016.
The MIT Spec Lab at 130 Brookline Street in Cambridge was certified LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors v2009 on November 14th. Our Chapter Sponsoring Partner Arrowstreet renovated the building into a new laboratory building for MIT, which is now fully occupied by tenants 24M Technologies, an innovative energy storage company founded by two MIT professors, and Intellia Therapeutics, an industry leader in therapeutic gene editing technology.
100 High Street in Boston was certified LEED Silver for Existing Buildings v2009 on Novermber 19th. The property is managed by CBRE New England who provide services and amenities that cultivate creativity and drive productivity.
ONE Marina Park Drive, home to EnerNOC, was designed by our Chapter Sponsoring Partner Elkus|Manfredi Architects and certified LEED Gold for Existing Buildings v2009 on November 20th. The building was the first newly constructed LEED Gold Certified building in Boston in 2010.
Congratulations to everyone involved in these projects! If you have a project that has recently been certified or otherwise earned a distinction, please let us know so we can share the story with your peers in the industry.
We're excited to welcome New England Lab as our newest bronze level chapter Sponsoring Partner!
New England Lab was established in 1990 as a laboratory furniture specialist. Their focus on quality, service and value to the client has been the foundation of their continuous growth. Taking the time to understand their client’s requirements, vision and budget allows them to provide the necessary support throughout the life of the project. As a result they are able to offer the correct product combined with seamless project coordination. Their internal manufacturing capabilities along with their strong network of manufacturing partners ensure that they meet specific project requirements and can respond quickly to their client’s needs when tight deadlines must be met.
Their dedicated team of professionals combines expert knowledge and experience in design and installation of laboratory furniture, to achieve great results for their clients. They also take great pride in completing projects on time and within budget and can assist with design, coordination, and material selection and provide a complete solution for clients laboratory furniture and systems needs. They are devoted to furnishing state-of-the-art laboratories that meet the current and future needs of the research, medical and scientific communities.
New England Lab provides material that is rapidly renewable, made with recycled content and has no added urea formaldehyde. New England Lab holds an FSC® (FSC-C105535) chain of custody number enabling them to provide proper documentation from product sourcing through installation for certain products. They have supported dozens of LEED accredited projects in New England and the Mid Atlantic States. With LEED AP's on staff they can assist in material selection, proper material categorization and paperwork. They can provide material to meet the following LEED credits: MR 4.1, MR 4.2, MR6 and MR 7.
Welcome to our sponsor community, New England Lab!
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.