There is approximately one week left for U.S. Green Building Council member companies to vote for 5 open national Board of Director positions.  Since there are three solid candidates, in addition to myself, running for the Energy seat, it’s important that members understand why I want your vote.  I believe in USGBC’s mission, and as a long-time participant in their Chapter network, I know that it’s possible to make a difference.  By working together, we can:

• Foster enhanced engagement between USGBC chapters and the national team. Better collaboration between these two groups will lead to stronger community relations, increased membership, and accelerated progress towards our mission. 
• Promote energy and operational improvements that will enhance the USGBC user experience and ensure superior performance within all LEED certified buildings
• Strengthen connections between international and domestic LEED program users, with a focus on energy benchmarking collaboration. 

I want to do everything I can to reinforce positive perceptions of LEED and to accelerate the drive to greater levels of energy efficiency in buildings. I hope you’ll help me get that chance. Click here to be taken directly to the ballot page.

In the 15 years I’ve been working to reduce energy consumption and costs, the idea of a green building has evolved from being considered something exotic to being a key focus for virtually every owner. One of the single biggest forces driving that evolution may be the development and refinement of U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system. Owners need a comprehensive, consistent way to measure and rate the level of energy and sustainability they can claim for their buildings, and LEED is the best ways to do that.

LEED’s continued success is based on USGBC’s ability to adapt the system, using an open, consensus based process. Weaknesses identified in earlier versions have been addressed in recent years, and the criteria for certification have become tougher as owners vie to make their buildings greener than their neighbors.

USGBC success has come with criticism from many quarters, including its own practitioners. For example, some critics claimed that energy played too big a part in the early LEED NC (new construction) scoring system, while others said energy’s role was too small. And so on.

I believe in the USGBC mission, particularly when it comes to my primary area of expertise: energy efficiency and carbon emission reductions. Having spent the last 5 years as a USGBC chapter leader, one of them as board chair for the USGBC Charlotte Region Chapter, I have had an opportunity to help address some of the criticism, as well as shape green building and sustainability efforts within our region.  I am now running for a USGBC national Board of Director’s seat to expand my influence and to provide valuable input on real market issues that impact key energy components of the LEED rating system.  LEED is much better today than it was six years ago, and my goal is to ensure it is better six years from now. 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

If you work for a USGBC member company, I encourage you to vote for me prior to October 2^nd.  Click here to be taken directly to the ballot page. 

Thank you in advance for your support!

P.S.  Spread the word and share my nomination profile with your local USGBC chapter, clients, and associates who are involved with USGBC!