What can I say? We're #1! We have #MoreGreenBuildings! We have more members, more sponsors, more volunteers and more engagement across the spectrum. It has been an honor to work for this community of practitioners who share my passion for transforming the building industry. I have only been a steward, standing on the shoulders of giants, helping cultivate the next generation of green building leaders in our organization's purview. I am happy for the opportunity to serve and looking forward to coming out as a volunteer to help with programs and advocacy. I know we will meet again.
Take care and thank you for participating in our mission and supporting our essential work. It's exciting to think about what will come next.
Thank you,
Grey
What a funny week-long spectrum of weather, but I did soak up some sunshine Sunday on my back deck. The ice-coating from Saturday melted out from under my chair and the birds were singing! It's looking like Spring is finally coming around, and it'll be good to get outside more often.
What did you do this weekend to connect with nature?
A big theme of our organization right now is Greenbuild 2017 – we are the host Chapter, after all. Last Thursday's Greenbuild Networking Night was the most fun I've had in a long time. Thank you to our Host Committee (above) – they are doing tremendous work. It was great to see our growing staff take charge and even perhaps upstage me! We saw lots of familiar faces, but plenty of new ones as well – all ready to go All-In this November. Thank you Shawmut for hosting us.
Let me draw you in to my situation. As I peruse the course catalog at the Kennedy School, I am faced with the challenge of choice. I am going to keep building my career on the theme of sustainability in the built environment, but allow me to ask you: what can you see me doing after this program, on the other side of a Master's in Public Administration? What kind of classes do you recommend? I would be delighted to hear your suggestions.
Meanwhile, let's focus on the upcoming programming coming up this month right here at USGBC Massachusetts! Please see below.
Massachusetts keeps breaking records and climbing to the top in not just green building, but health, education, and economy. We recently reported that MA was #1 for LEED Green Building, and now in a report by US News, we're the #1 state overall.
We all benefit from a civic-minded and engaged population. Our traditions of local Town Meetings, widespread elected offices and community boards have ensured our local and state policies are responsive and useful. Things like energy policy, building codes and training programs are places where our organization overlaps with the broader public policy realm. I hope you'll join us as we continue to make headway on our advocacy agenda – our roundtable is next week (3/9/17).
A couple of weeks ago we held our annual Building Tech Forum – did you see our recap? Thanks again to Union Point, Boston Properties, Siemens, and Fraunhofer for sponsoring, to all of our speakers and presenters, and to all who attended! Read the recap and see pictures here.
Save the date for March 30th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm, at a location TBD in Boston for our next Greenbuild networking night. Find out how you and your organization can go all-in with us on our Road to Greenbuild in November. This will be a Chapter members only event, so become one now if you aren't already.
If you're looking for a good event tonight, we have a building tour of NEU's Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex, guided by Payette and sponsored by Suffolk Construction.
Although “generally victorious” can be something of a punk attitude, I am actually feeling pretty good since the recent USGBC rankings were announced. Lots of great stories behind the numbers, throughout the country.
Congratulations to our colleagues who have worked so hard over the course of the past year to attain certifications of their green building projects. I'm sure we'll see you and raise our glasses at our Green Building Showcase later this year.
Our community of practitioners gathered last week fo our Annual General Meeting. What a fine crew! So many good people who are working to advance our mission every day. Lots of new faces as well – great to see. We must congratulate our Volunteers of the Year, and new Board members. There are many ways to be involved with our work. Have you played ENGAGE yet?
I look forward to our next encounter: perhaps at the Building Tech Forum?
Many of us are active on many fronts. Many of us are focused on our families, our careers, and our station in life. Working toward better buildings is an awesome way to connect our moral universe with the practicalities of making a living.
Together, working with our mission, we are advancing policies and market-based solutions to address the wrongs we see in the world.
It is clear that our built environment affects social and ecological outcomes. Thank you for holding on to the complexity, the multi-stage reality, and the hard work it takes.
Let us continue our work, bending the arc toward justice, for all,
Grey
PS – our community convenes: sign up before the end of the early bird pricing for the Building Tech Forum.
