The 2024 Greeen Building Showcase was generously hosted for the second year in a row by WS Development in Boston’s Seaport District. Last year the event was held at the Amazon L4 Tower at 111 Harbor Way. This year we moved across the plaza to the even more exciting L5 project, One Boston Wharf Road, which will be the city’s largest net zero carbon office facility. The following overview of the project was provided by Yanni Tsipis, Senior Vice President – Development at WS Development, who oversees all aspects of the company’s Boston Seaport project, a 33-acre, 20-block, 7.6 million square foot mixed-use development at the heart of the Seaport’s thriving innovation ecosystem.
One Boston Wharf Road rises at the entrance to the Boston Seaport district, marking the latest addition to WS Development’s 7.6 million square foot mixed-use project. The building, Boston’s largest net-zero carbon office development, encompasses 700,000 square feet of office, retail, and civic spaces. Designed by Copenhagen-based Henning Larsen Architects in collaboration with Gensler, Buro Happold, The Green Engineer, and McNamara/Salvia, the structure departs from often-seen contemporary glass-box architecture with its distinctively articulated terra cotta facade.
Amazon has fully leased the office space as part of its Boston Tech Hub, which also occupies WS Development’s 111 Harbor Way building (completed 2022).
While the building’s beautiful architecture makes a bold outward statement about our architectural aspirations, its environmental innovations truly distinguish it. The development team committed early to carbon-free operations through an all-electric approach to mechanical systems. This electrification commitment aligns with WS Development’s broader initiative, completed in 2023, to power all of its Seaport assets and much of its New England portfolio with renewable electricity. As part of this strategy, the building employs rooftop air-source heat pumps, advanced energy recovery technology, and state-of-the-art envelope and building management systems.
In addition to its commitment to net zero carbon operations, One Boston Wharf Road also pioneers breakthrough construction technology to address embodied carbon as well. The project is the first ever to incorporate Sublime Systems’ innovative cement—a zero-fossil-fuel alternative to Portland cement developed by this MIT spinout company. With Portland cement production accounting for approximately 8% of global fossil fuel emissions, this advancement could transform the construction industry. The building features this revolutionary cement in key public areas, with educational displays highlighting its significance. The ground floor of One Boston Wharf welcomes the public with open spaces that extend to the surrounding outdoor public realm. This accessibility reflects the project’s larger mission: demonstrating how collaborative vision among developers, designers, and innovators can advance carbon-free construction and operations.
Years in the making, One Boston Wharf Road stands as more than a building—it is an aspirational blueprint for sustainable development. Green building enthusiasts and climate innovators are invited to visit and learn more at www.bostonseaport.xyz or @seaportbos.
In Eversource’s continued commitment to helping build the next generation of commercial zero energy buildings, they’re excited to announce their 4th annual conference! Learn from the experts at NREL, AKF, The Stone House Group, and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District about how commercial zero energy buildings have been designed and constructed. Energy Efficiency Consultants from Eversource will also speak about technical and financial support available through energy efficiency programs to support zero energy buildings. This event will be held virtually.
Agenda
Keynote (9:30 AM – 10:20 AM) Introduction Nick Jones, Eversource
Moving from the Zero Pathway to the Zero Highway Paul Torcellini, NREL Principal Engineer for Commercial Buildings Research Group introduced by Nick Jones, Residential New Construction – Program Lead, Eversource
Session 1 – (10:30 AM – 11:20 AM) AFK Group – Zero Energy Case Study – Verification & Commissioning Brendan McGrath, PE, CCP, LEED® AP; Shannon Kaplan, PE, LEED® AP-
Session 2 (11:30AM – 12:00 PM) How Eversource can Support ZE Projects Jillian Corley, Kimberly Cullinane, and Mike Loughlin, Eversource
Session 3 – (1:00 PM – 01:50 PM) The Stone House Group – Zero Energy Case Studies Darren Cassel, The Stone House Group
Session 4 – (02:00 PM – 02:50 PM) Triple Net Zero Energy Journey John David Head, Director of School Operation, Acton-Boxborough Regional School District
Eversource is New England’s largest energy delivery company, with approximately 3.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Eversource partners with like-minded companies and stakeholders to conduct their business in a responsible and sustainable way, providing the best solutions for their customers and the communities they serve.
The New England Living Building Collaborative is presenting a series of webinars on how water management, water efficiency and water and energy nexus concepts can be incorporated into project planning, design, construction and operation.
Deep Dive into Net Zero Water and the Water/Energy Nexus will explore how energy is involved with water by looking at the energy embodied in water infrastructure, and the energy available from water and how these can be utilized to contribute to an overall energy budget. The implications of embodied and operational carbon in the built environment water cycle will be addressed. Case studies to be included in this third workshop will include thermal extraction of water from reuse water in Manhattan. Additional case studies may include geothermal and extraction of thermal energy from sewers are still underdevelopment and will be announced as the workshop is refined.
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Early Bird Series Package Register for all three courses, get one FREE!
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Meet the Speakers
Sheng Chu Senior Project Engineer | Natural Systems Utilities
Sheng Chu is a Senior Project Engineer at Natural Systems Utilities
Michael Redfearn Senior Vice President | Homeyer Consulting Services, Inc.
Michael is a Marine Engineer with 30 years of experience in the specialty chemical industry for treated water systems. He has worked as an independent water consultant with Homeyer Consulting Services for 25 years and is responsible for Managing 12 Field Consultants in the New York through Mid-Atlantic Region. Mike has developed monitoring programs, management, and forensic services for client water systems to assist in determining the success of their water treatment programs. Evaluate corrosion, scale, and microbiological damage to multimillion-dollar investments in treated water systems. Work with clients and water treatment vendors to develop and implement solutions to unfavorable conditions, then verify and validate their continued success. He has also, developed customize water safety plans for the minimization of legionellosis risk in managed domestic water systems, process water systems, decorative water features, and cooling water systems.
Zach Gallagher Executive Vice President | Natural Systems Utilities
Zach Gallagher is a licensed Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited and BPI Certified Professional holding BS and MS degrees from Rutgers University in Bio-Resource and Civil/Environmental Engineering.
He is currently the Executive Vice President for Water Reuse at Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) and serves on the Board of Directors as Vice Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, NJ Chapter. In 2007, Mr. Gallagher partnered in Alliance Environmental, an environmental engineering and sustainability consulting firm where he served as COO before its merger with NSU. Prior to this time he worked for Applied Water Management Group where he specialized in wastewater management planning and water reuse systems.
Mr. Gallagher’s current focus is on water reuse and complete integrated infrastructure approaches that combine water and energy with a concentration on handling the systems integration aspects and overall functionality.
Bruce Douglas, P.E. Vice President, Business Development | Natural Systems Utilities
Bruce Douglas has over 32 years of experience in integrated water management, specializing in the planning, design, construction, and operation of integrated and onsite wastewater management systems for direct and indirect reuse. He has worked internationally, in the Middle East, Indonesia, and China. Domestically, Mr. Douglas has worked in both the public and private sectors in New England, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, and California. At NSU, Mr. Douglas has lead the New England design-build and operations groups and is currently responsible for business development. He recently played a key role in the establishment of a public-private partnership for a private onsite wastewater treatment facility which will treat wastewater, for indirect reuse, from both private and municipal sources. Mr. Douglas is a registered Professional Engineer and a licensed wastewater treatment plant operator, with a B.S. Degree from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. degree from the University of Vermont.
Learning Objectives
What are net zero water and the water-energy nexus?
How much energy is embodied in water infrastructure?
How can thermal energy be recovered from reclaimed water in a building?
How can consideration of the water/energy nexus be included in project planning, design, construction and operation?
This webinar is approved for the following continuing education credits:
2 General LFA CE credits – living-future.org/lfa/ 2 AIA LU|HSW 2 GBCI CE Hours for LEED AP BD+C
Registration
Important information: when ordering a package deal, it may take a few days to receive admission information for the courses included in the package. We thank you for your patience.
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Scholarships
Are you experiencing financial hardship and may have difficulty affording the course tuition? We have a limited number of scholarships available. Please fill out the scholarship application and we will get back to you as soon as possible about your eligibility.
NOTE: This event is a two-part series. The course is arranged in this way to allow you to practice the energy modeling in between courses:
Class 1: Aug 20th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Class 2: Sept 3rd from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Introduction to Energy Modeling with eQuest
12 Hour Training presented by Built Environment Plus
Building Energy Modeling is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, green certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives. The importance of creating energy models for a building is growing as we focus on building energy efficiency as a key strategy to fight climate change and global heating.
Learning Objectives: After completing the course, attendees will be able to: 1) describe how modeling is used as part of an integrative design process 2) construct simple commercial building energy models using eQuest 3) interpret the results of energy models 4) distinguish between design models and validation models
Prerequisites and Target Audience What will students need to know or do before starting this course? This is a hands-on, project-based course that will give you the confidence to use energy modeling on your projects. While there are no specific pre-requisites, knowledge of the building industry and basic building science will be helpful.
The course will be spread across two days. At the conclusion of day one, attendees will be asked to perform modeling exercises (aka homework) outside of class, to be completed by the next class session. Each section will build upon previous work in class. By the end of the class, students will have created, run and QCed an energy model on a building of their choosing. Along the way, we’ll touch on the uses of energy modeling in an integrated design process, and some of the standards that apply to energy modeling such as ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G.
Note that students will need access to a computer with the Windows operating system, and administrative rights to be able to load the eQuest software.
Day 1 9:30 AM – Start • Introductions • Uses of Energy Simulation • Overview of eQuest • Intro to Our Project • Setting up Building Geometry
12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break • Internal Loads • HVAC systems • Energy Targets • Parametric Runs
4:00 PM – Finished for the Day
Goal for Day 1 1) Download and install eQuest 2) Get a general familiarity with the eQuest interface 3) Set up our Model in Wizard Mode 4) Identify an Energy Target for our project 5) Run Parametics to identify three energy saving strategies
Day 2 9:30 AM – Start • Recap, Q & A • Intro to Detailed Mode • Tips and Tricks •Creating Code Baseline
12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break • Working Session • Modeling Uncommon Systems • Quality Control • Wrap up
4:00 PM – Finished for the Day
Goals for Day 2 1) Move into to Detailed Mode 2) Create your Code Baseline 3) QC Your Results 4) Learn some tips and tricks
** This course will be hosted virtually. All attendees, regardless of whether or not they are eligible for the Green Building Training Program (GBTP), must register for the course through our Eventbrite page. For GBTP participants, your company’s enrollment in the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Small Business Direct Access Program (SBDAP) must be verified before you can access the Zoom link – unverified participants will not be let into the meeting. **
NOTE: This event is a two-part series. The course is arranged in this way to allow you to practice the energy modeling in between courses:
Class 1: Aug 20th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Class 2: Sept 3rd from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Introduction to Energy Modeling with eQuest
12 Hour Training presented by Built Environment Plus
Building Energy Modeling is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, green certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives. The importance of creating energy models for a building is growing as we focus on building energy efficiency as a key strategy to fight climate change and global heating.
Learning Objectives: After completing the course, attendees will be able to: 1) describe how modeling is used as part of an integrative design process 2) construct simple commercial building energy models using eQuest 3) interpret the results of energy models 4) distinguish between design models and validation models
Prerequisites and Target Audience What will students need to know or do before starting this course? This is a hands-on, project-based course that will give you the confidence to use energy modeling on your projects. While there are no specific pre-requisites, knowledge of the building industry and basic building science will be helpful.
The course will be spread across two days. At the conclusion of day one, attendees will be asked to perform modeling exercises (aka homework) outside of class, to be completed by the next class session. Each section will build upon previous work in class. By the end of the class, students will have created, run and QCed an energy model on a building of their choosing. Along the way, we’ll touch on the uses of energy modeling in an integrated design process, and some of the standards that apply to energy modeling such as ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G.
Note that students will need access to a computer with the Windows operating system, and administrative rights to be able to load the eQuest software.
Day 1 9:30 AM – Start • Introductions • Uses of Energy Simulation • Overview of eQuest • Intro to Our Project • Setting up Building Geometry
12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break • Internal Loads • HVAC systems • Energy Targets • Parametric Runs
4:00 PM – Finished for the Day
Goal for Day 1 1) Download and install eQuest 2) Get a general familiarity with the eQuest interface 3) Set up our Model in Wizard Mode 4) Identify an Energy Target for our project 5) Run Parametics to identify three energy saving strategies
Day 2 9:30 AM – Start • Recap, Q & A • Intro to Detailed Mode • Tips and Tricks •Creating Code Baseline
12:30 – 1PM Lunch Break • Working Session • Modeling Uncommon Systems • Quality Control • Wrap up
4:00 PM – Finished for the Day
Goals for Day 2 1) Move into to Detailed Mode 2) Create your Code Baseline 3) QC Your Results 4) Learn some tips and tricks
** This course will be hosted virtually. All attendees, regardless of whether or not they are eligible for the Green Building Training Program (GBTP), must register for the course through our Eventbrite page. For GBTP participants, your company’s enrollment in the Commonwealth Workforce Training Fund’s Small Business Direct Access Program (SBDAP) must be verified before you can access the Zoom link – unverified participants will not be let into the meeting. **
Attend the BuildingEnergy Boston Conference + Trade Show, an event designed by and for practitioners in the fields of high-performance building and design, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), this year’s event is Thursday & Friday, August 13 & 14. The theme of BuildingEnergy Boston 2020 is Transforming Existing Buildings, with additional emphasis on decarbonization and on bringing more diverse communities into the discussion. Register at: nesea.org/be20
This conference is hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), which helps high-performance building and renewable energy professionals improve their practices by learning from and networking with each other. Founded in 1975, it is a member-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the adoption of sustainable energy practices in the built environment. Learn more at nesea.org.
NOTE: This event is a two-part series.* The course is arranged in this way to allow you to practice the energy modeling in between courses:
Class 1: Feb 26th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Class 2: March 11th from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Building Energy Modeling is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, green certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives.
Learning Objectives:
After completing the course, attendees will be able to:
describe how modeling is used as part of an integrative design process
construct simple commercial building energy models using eQuest
interpret the results of energy models
distinguish between design models and validation models.
*This course was originally listed as two separate courses occurring on Feb 26th and March 11th.
Did you know indoor air sensors can be used to not only provide higher indoor environmental quality, but also improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs as well?
In the face of growing energy costs, the University of Cambridge’s Hutchison/MRC Research Centre was met with the unsettling prospect of reducing life-saving cancer research to pay utility bills. After implementing a unique airside solution that allows ventilation to vary based on laboratory conditions, Hutchison/MRC reduced total natural gas costs by approximately 41 percent in the first year, and by 54 percent in year two. The total electricity bill was reduced by 9 percent. The new system, which had a payback of less than 2 years, also helped reduce carbon emissions.
The new solution would modify the center's traditional variable air volume (VAV) control in lab spaces with the demand-based Aircuity system, which allows the ventilation to vary based on conditions in each laboratory. With numerous installations at U.S. university laboratories, the Aircuity system proposed for the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre would be the first in the United Kingdom.
Aircuity, a USGBC MA Chapter Sponsor, is the smart airside efficiency company providing building owners with sustained energy savings through its intelligent measurement solutions. By addressing the inherent deficiencies in conventional approaches to energy efficient building ventilation, Aircuity's smart solutions deliver significant energy savings for a wide range of commercial, institutional and lab building applications without sacrificing occupant comfort, productivity or safety.
Aircuity's mission is to be an industry leader in the optimization of building ventilation for sustainable energy efficiency, safety, and operational performance.
What do you get when you combine a mill complex, the need for affordable housing, and Keith Construction? Development of a 45-unit affordable housing complex for working individuals and families in the Pittsfield's Morningside neighborhood. Rice Silk Mill involved a historic conversion of the mill complex known as the A.H. Rice Company. Originally built in 1874, the complex played a major role in Pittsfield’s rise as a textile manufacturing center during the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.
The historically sensitive renovation resulted in various unit types, including one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, featuring modern amenities (exercise facility, community room, and wireless internet access) in a loft-type setting. Completed on a 13 month project schedule, the project challenges included re-use of existing physical resources, preservation of historic buildings, use of existing infrastructure and energy-efficient design, in a dense urban setting.
The effort has been well worth it, as the new community has contributed to the ongoing revitalization of Morningside neighborhood.
By Bob Laurence, Manager of Energy Efficiency, Eversource
Northeastern University’s new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) features 234,000 square feet of space that houses a vibrant interdisciplinary research community. The six-story complex is mixed with labs and classrooms organized around one central atrium.
It’s also a really cool building. And, you don’t need a microscope to see the state-of-the-art design and energy-efficient technologies.
The university worked collaboratively with Eversource and the design team to identify energy-saving measures and technical expertise to jump start the project. Then, they explored financial resources available through the Mass Save program. Armed with energy-efficient recommendations, architecture firm Payette, engineering firm Arup, and general contractor Suffolk Construction then worked together to bring this stunning building to life.
In fact, ISEC is designed to use 75 percent less energy than a typical intensive research building. Let’s uncover the science of this innovative lab design and its technologies.
• Climate responsive building envelope – The complex is equipped with triple-glazed windows, which reduce glass condensation and prevent heat loss. ISEC also features sun-shading aluminum “fins” to maximize daylight penetration while minimizing heat gain. This basically means a huge comfort boost for students and faculty inside the building—while the university saves on energy costs.
• Variable Air Volume (VAV) fume hoods – While a fume hood may be the most important safety feature in a lab, it’s also a big energy user. Labs use tremendous volumes of exhaust to flush out potentially hazardous fumes. Northeastern added high-performance VAV hoods, which exhaust the amount of air required to maintain a safe velocity setpoint. They also reduce the hood’s supply fan speed and maintain the desired temperature and humidity. Simply put, VAVs maximize safety while minimizing energy consumption.
• Enhanced airside systems – Many labs have a dedicated HVAC system, which can often be expensive to operate. ISEC boasts a cascade system that recovers conditioned air from its offices and atrium, then transfers the air to the labs to save energy and costs. In fact, an approximate 50 percent reduction in energy use over baseline building standards is expected, thanks to this highefficiency cascade approach to recirculating warm and cooled air.
• Occupancy-based airflow controls – Many older labs with low fume-hood counts operate at 10 air changes per hour (ACH) or above, 24 hours a day. Northeastern’s new VAV fume hoods and added airflow controls will reduce its lab ventilation rates from 6 ACH to 4 ACH whenever labs and equipment room spaces are detected to be unoccupied.
As an added bonus, ISEC is also on track for LEED Gold Certification. Visit www.northeastern.edu/isec to learn more about the building.
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.