Aaron Binkley
AMB Property Corporation Director
Sustainability Programs
Aaron G. Binkley is Director, Sustainability Programs for AMB Property Corporation. Binkley is an expert throughout the AMB organization on matters associated with LEED™ Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. His responsibilities include working closely with operations and development teams globally to further AMB’s Sustainability Initiative, including our carbon strategy, tenant outreach and education programs, energy efficiency and retrofit initiatives, and renewable energy projects. Prior to joining AMB, Binkley worked as an architect where he engineered an historic renovation recognized as the oldest building to achieve LEED™ certification in the U.S. Binkley is a Registered Architect; LEED™ Accredited Professional, and has a Master of Science degree from MIT in Real Estate Development. AMB Property Corporation® is a leading global developer and owner of industrial real estate, focused on major hub and gateway distribution markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia. As of March 31, 2008, AMB owned, or had investments in, on a consolidated basis or through unconsolidated joint ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 150.2 million square feet (14.0 million square meters) in 45 markets within 14 countries. AMB invests in properties located predominantly in the infill submarkets of its targeted markets. The company’s portfolio is comprised of High Throughput Distribution® facilities—industrial properties built for speed and located near airports, seaports and ground transportation systems.
Alan Whitson
RPA President
A popular author, consultant, and speaker Alan Whitson has been pegged as the “Green Building Guru Who Paints a Profit-Making Picture.” He is one of the nation’s most charismatic, knowledgeable speakers on how to build the business case for high performance buildings. He is the seminar leader for the acclaimed Turning Green into Gold®” educational programs. More than 17,000 design, construction, engineering, facilities, and real estate professionals involved in over one billion square feet in projects have viewed these seminars in live formats and via the internet. He is chairing a national task force to write a Model Green Lease. Whitson’s books include 365 Important Questions to Ask about Green Buildings, Smart Moves Manual, 327 Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Lease, Building Operating Costs Guidebook, and Bottom Line Comparative Lease Analysis Software. He is a reviewer for BOMI’s Asset Management textbook. His column, Turning Green into Gold, appears regularly in OfficeInsight, a national online newsletter. He has written for a multitude of newspapers, magazines and trade journals including Buildings, Building Operating Management, Buildings Design & Construction, Business Xpansion, Colorado Real Estate Journal, Commercial Building Products, Crain’s, and Environment Design+ Construction. He also was a key contributor to two online training projects, Green Building Core & Shell and Sustainable Healthcare, for AIA, USGBC, and Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability. Whitson’s experience encompasses over 40 million square feet of facilities around the world in the roles of Asset Manager, Corporate Facilities Manager, Construction Manager, Development Manager, and Commercial Real Estate Broker. The scope of Whitson’s 30+-year career gives him a keen insight into the real estate needs of today’s corporation, and a unique understanding of the architectural, construction and real estate industries. He has held positions with: The Muller Company, Newport Beach; Bank of America’s Corporate Real Estate Division; Storek & Storek Architecture, San Francisco; The Shorenstein Company, San Francisco; Environmental Design Engineering, Seattle, San Francisco and Honolulu.
Andrew C. Florance
CoStar Group
Founder/CEO/President/Director
As President and CEO, Mr. Florance has directed CoStar’s successful expansion from start-up, to its IPO in July 1998, and to its market-leading position today as a publicly traded enterprise (Nasdaq: CSGP) with approximately 1,300 employees worldwide, a client base that includes the commercial real estate industry’s leading brokerage firms and property owners, and an international service platform covering the United States, the United Kingdom and Paris, France.
Mr. Florance has also been a leader in raising awareness of the importance of energy efficiency and sustainability within the commercial property sector. In 2008, he conceived and co-authored the first comprehensive analysis of leasing and sales activity in energy-efficient office buildings in the United States. The study, which was published in the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, was selected by the American Real Estate Society as the Best Paper published in the prestigious academic real estate journal in 2008. The groundbreaking study was also cited as a critical factor in CoStar Group’s selection as the only commercial real estate-related company to win an ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009.
In addition, Mr. Florance has received numerous other awards recognizing his accomplishments as an entrepreneur, innovator and corporate leader, including:
- Named Real Estate Industry Executive of the Year for 2009 by the editors of the Cornell Real Estate Review;
- Recognized for leading CoStar to its ranking among the 50 fastest growing Maryland technology companies by Deloitte & Touche for 10 consecutive years, and its selection by Business 2.0 magazine for its list of the 100 fastest-growing public technology companies;
- Named Transwestern 's 2007 Public Company Trendsetter of the Year;
- Honored by Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) with its 15th anniversary award for industry innovation.
- Received Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2000;
- Won a prize from NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, for his contribution to a white paper examining the potential impacts of 9-11 on investment-grade office buildings;
- Awarded two patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for developing mobile information gathering systems for collecting comprehensive commercial real estate information in the field.
A graduate of Princeton University, Mr. Florance serves on the Board of Trustees for several organizations, including: The St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware; Gibson Island Country School in Pasadena, Maryland; and Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC. He is a member of the Sierra Club and serves on the Board of Directors for the American Real Estate Society, an association of real estate thought leaders whose members include leading global academic and professional researchers dedicated to exploring the critical issues of applied real estate decision-making.
Asieh Mansour, Ph.D.
RREEF
Chief Economist and Strategist
Ms. Mansour holds the corporate title of Managing Director, Chief Economist and Strategist for RREEF Alternative Investments. She joined RREEF in 1998. She is the global macroeconomist for the RREEF Alternative Investments business, supporting investment and acquisition decisions for real estate, infrastructure, and private equity. She is responsible for analyzing the global economy, and its affect on RREEF fund offerings and strategy. She has over 20 years of alternative investments research experience and sits on the RREEF Alternative Investments Global Executive Committee. Ms. Mansour holds a PhD in economics from Tufts University.
Brian Dunbar
Colorado State University
LEED AP, Executive Director, CSU Faculty
Brian Dunbar is director of the Institute for the Built Environment (IBE) and professor of Construction Management at Colorado State University. Professor Dunbar holds two degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan, is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED AP, passing both the 2.0 and 2.1 exams. Brian’s teaching, research, and project work focuses on environmentally sustainable design and construction materials, methods, and systems. Professor Dunbar coordinates the graduate emphasis in sustainable building at Colorado State and has developed university and professional courses on sustainable building, including an annual course on St. John, USVI. Through IBE, an interdisciplinary research institute that engages faculty and industry partners in healthy and sustainable building issues, Brian has guided project work and facilitated charrettes for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, American Institute of Architects, municipalities, school districts, and the Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation. Brian has served as LEED consultant for six registered projects and, in 2004, was selected as a LEED-CI faculty member by the USGBC. Brian’s sustainable building teaching and research as been honored and recognized by the AIA, the USGBC-Colorado Chapter, local communities, and universities.
Cathy Turner
New Buildings Institute
Senior Analyst
Cathy Turner is Senior Analyst for New Buildings Institute (NBI), a nonprofit organization working to improve commercial building efficiency and environment through research, guidelines, and communications. Her work focuses on measured energy performance feedback: developing building performance review tools, and increasing the availability and usefulness of performance feedback for audiences ranging from program managers to individual building owners. A co-author of the 2008 study for USGBC of measured, post-occupancy energy performance of LEED buildings, Ms Turner combines recent building-efficiency research with a strong business and quantitative-analysis background.
Dale R. Dekker
AIA, AICP
Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
Principal
As an original founder of D/P/S, Dale has over 30 years experience as a registered architect and planner. His extensive experience includes high tech, one-of-a-kind research facilities for Sandia National Laboratory, award winning school designs for Albuquerque Public Schools, and socially responsible designs of assisted living facilities for the elderly. Raised in Albuquerque, Dale has developed an extensive network of individuals and companies that are routinely brought together to assist his clients in creating successful projects. Dale is also very involved in enhancing the quality of life in our community by participating as a volunteer on a variety of boards and commissions. As an experienced architect and planner, Dale is committed to building a better state and community.
David M. Jellison
Liberty Property Trust
Vice President and City Manager
David M. Jellison is Vice President and City Manager for Liberty Property Trust. His team’s primary mission is to:
To attain or exceed the company’s growth and profitability objectives by exploiting opportunities in the local market for development, acquisitions, dispositions, new leases and lease renewals. To represent the company in the local commercial real estate market. To represent Senior Management in the local office. To manage the company’s assets and direct local staff in a manner that advances the company’s interests.
Prior to joining the Liberty Property Trust staff, Mr. Jellison served in executive-level positions with two of the region’s most notable real estate companies, MEPC American Properties, Inc. and United Properties. He was a broker with United Properties for 13 years and headed the Minneapolis operations of MEPC American Properties for nine years when Duke-Weeks Corporation acquired MEPC and Mr. Jellison became vice president and general manager of Duke’s Minneapolis office group.
In addition to his business success, Mr. Jellison is an active member of the community. He supports both professional and spiritual organizations, including the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) and the Calvary Memorial Church in Wayzata, MN. He served three years as the chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Minnesota Chapter of NAIOP. He also served on their Board of Directors and as president of the MN Chapter and currently serves on the NAIOP National Board of Directors and is a past Chairman of the National Board.
Raised in Fargo, North Dakota, Mr. Jellison earned his B.S. Degree at Moorhead State University. Mr. Jellison’s family consists of his wife; Susan, two daughters; Mindi and Kami, who reside in San Diego, CA, and son; Tad, who resides in Minneapolis, MN.
Dr. David P. Lorenz
M.Sc. MRICS
Lorenz Property Advisors - Chartered Surveyors
Founder
Dr. David Lorenz MRICS is the founder of Lorenz Property Advisors – Chartered Surveyors (a strategic sustainability consultancy) and managing director of AAAcon Asset Management GmbH. He holds a degree in real estate economics from the University of Applied Sciences in Stuttgart, a Master of Science in Construction Management from the Nottingham Trent University and the Waterford Institute of Technology, and has a doctorate in economics from the University of Karlsruhe.
David has several years of experience in valuation, estates management and property development and is actively engaged in research and education at the Chair of Sustainable Management of Housing and Real Estate at the University of Karlsruhe.
He has published on issues relating to sustainability in property investment, valuation and risk assessment in refereed journals such as the Journal of Property Investment & Finance, Property Management and Building Research & Information. David is a spokesperson of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Chairman of the RICS EU Advisory Group on Sustainable Property Investment & Management.
David L. Pogue
LEED AP
CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
National Director of Sustainability
Institutional and Corporate Services
Dave manages the development, introduction and implementation of a wide-ranging platform of sustainable practices and policies throughout CBRE’s 1.1 billion square foot America’s portfolio of managed properties, working closely with Facilities Management, Project Management, Global Corporate Services and Asset Services, focused on achieving a consistent balance of maximum financial performance and responsible environmental stewardship.
Dave’s efforts have led to the introduction of the firm’s Sensible Sustainability program, which includes the aggressive endorsement of the EPA Energy Star program, the introduction of the Green Knights, a partnership with BOMA International for the company-wide delivery of the BOMA BEEP training and the recently announced association with USGBC to gain LEED EB certification on a 100 building portfolio.
Doug Gatlin
U.S. Green Building Council
Vice President, Market Development
As the vice president for Market Development at the U.S. Green Building Council, Doug has oversight for deploying the family of LEED rating systems in all the major commercial market segments and for managing overall customer relations for LEED and the Council’s new pilot initiative, the Portfolio Program.
Prior to joining USGBC, Doug served as a senior advisor to the deputy associate administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he worked for nearly 10 years. From 1997-2004, he served as Team Leader for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings program From 1992-1996, Doug was a project manager at the Washington, DC based Climate Institute, where he managed the Energy Smart Cities campaign, an effort to promote energy efficiency as way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. During this time he also helped the U.S. Department of Energy launch the Rebuild America program and was hired to manage the first round of Rebuild America Partnership Workshops. He has authored publications on climate change mitigation strategies, energy efficiency program design, and energy efficiency project financing.
Doug holds a bachelors degree in political science from Duke University and a masters in public policy from Georgetown University.
Grant Austin
Founder and President
Institute of Green Professionals (IGP)
Grant Austin is the Founder and President of the Institute of Green Professionals (IGP), the first global education and credentialing organization for sustainable development professionals and academics in the areas of architecture, engineering, land-use planning, landscape architecture, real property valuation (residential and commercial), corporate social responsibility, accounting, and law.
Mr. Austin is the lead researcher and course developer in cooperation with academics at Harvard University, Rice University, University of Pennsylvania, University of New Mexico, McGill University, Boston College School of Law, and College of Charleston. He is an adjunct professor of real estate at both Florida Atlantic University and University of St. Thomas, and is currently a Faculty member at Boston Architectural College. Mr. Austin serves on the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors EU Advisory Group on Sustainable Property Investment and Management.
Mr. Austin received a Hons. B.A (summa cum laude) from York University and a M.Sc. in Real Estate Appraisal from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His professional designations are the MAI from the Appraisal Institute, the MMRS from the Market Research Society, and the MRICS from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He has served on government, university and private advisory boards and many committees, both nationally and internationally. Primary interests: Development of graduate-level education and research on sustainable development, interdisciplinary studies in sustainability, life-cycle property analysis with Building Information Modeling, and sustainability valuation.
Mr. Austin is also the President of American Valuation, Inc., a real property valuation and trial consultancy firm.
Jack Crews
Jones Lang LaSalle
Managing Director
Mr. Crews is Managing Director of Jones Lang LaSalle and is located in the Dallas, Texas office. He focuses on the disposition and capitalization of office and retail assets throughout the southwest. Mr. Crews has been involved in all aspects of the real estate industry since 1982 and specifically focused on the disposition and capitalization of assets since 1995. Over the past 10 years Mr. Crews has worked directly with his team to successfully complete the disposition or capitalization of over 51 Million with a value in excess of $4.2 Billion. Prior to joining Jones Land LaSalle Mr. Cres was a Principal with Trammell Crow Company prior to the acquisition of the firm CBRE responsible for building a team of 12 people that completed assignments in office, retail and industrial over a four year period. During this time the production in Dallas grew to over $1.5 billion in annual assignments.
Prior to joining Trammell Crow Company Mr. Crews was a Senior Director and a founding member of the HFF, LP Capital Markets Group. During the six years with HFF Mr. Crews worked with senior management to execute assignments in Dallas, Texas and hire other professionals in major markets connected to the core debt and equity business. The business grew to include over 20 professionals and $5 billion in production during this time. Mr. Crews attended the University of varsity athletics as member of the Golf Team. Since leaving the University of Arkansas Mr. Crews has been involved in ULI, ICSC and NAIOP as well as several local civic and social organizations such as Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas (President The Phorum), Highland Park Presbyterian Day School (current board member), Northwood Club (current board member) and Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Jay Spivey
National Director of Analytics
CoStar Group
Jay Spivey is the National Director of Analytics with CoStar Group. Has been with CoStar since 1999 and has more than 19 years of research and analytic experience in the commercial real estate industry. Mr. Spivey has been the primary architect behind CoStar’s Analytic product offering, including:
- · Developing the definitions and methodologies used by CoStar's research staff to gather and report real estate information across all its markets. These definitions and methodologies have subsequently evolved into industry-wide standards for reporting on commercial real estate.
- Designing CoStar’s Analytic product, including the software and historical analytic database used by CoStar subscribers for reporting commercial real estate statistics.
- Creating the 275 quarterly Office, Industrial and Retail market reports available to CoStar subscribers today.
Mr. Spivey also consults with CoStar’s national institutional clients, including Merrill Lynch, CSFB, JP Morgan and Citigroup, to create custom Analytic solutions to their commercial real estate analysis and reporting needs.
During his career, Mr. Spivey has written about and studied commercial real estate extensively. In 2008, Spivey co-authored the first comprehensive analysis of leasing and sales activity in energy-efficient office buildings in the United States. The study, which was published in the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, was selected by the American Real Estate Society (ARES) as the Best Paper published in the prestigious academic real estate journal in 2008. The groundbreaking study was also cited as a critical factor in CoStar Group’s selection as the only commercial real estate-related company to win an ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009.
Prior to joining CoStar, Mr. Spivey was a Vice President with Jamison Research, a commercial real estate research company based in Atlanta that merged with CoStar Group. At Jamison Research, he oversaw all research operations for the company.
Mr. Spivey graduated from Georgia Tech where he earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Management Science.
Jerry Yudelson
PE, MS. MBA, LEED AP
Professional Engineer, Sustainability Consultant
Jerry Yudelson is widely recognized as one of the leading green building experts in the United States. He is a professional engineer and a sustainability consultant for leading real estate development companies. On behalf of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), he chaired the Steering Committee for Greenbuild 2004 through 2008, and he has trained nearly 3,500 people in the LEED rating system. Jerry has authored nine leading-edge green building books, along with numerous articles and research papers. In 2007, the International Council of Shopping Centers named Jerry as its first Research Scholar for Real Estate Sustainability.
Jim Young
Realcomm
Co-Founder & CEO
Jim is the Co-Founder and CEO of Realcomm, the world’s leading conference on technology, business solutions, the internet and building automation for the Commercial Real Estate Industry. With over 13 years experience in Real Estate and technology Jim has been involved in some of the most important projects in the industry. He has spoken to over 100,000 professionals on the topic and has authored more than 150 articles on the subject of technology, the internet, business solutions and building automation for Commercial Real Estate.
Kent Jeffreys
Office of Global Public Policy
International Council of Shopping Centers
Staff Vice President
Kent Jeffreys is the Staff Vice President for the Office of Global Public Policy of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. Jeffreys participates in the development of ICSC’s policy positions and communicates those positions to members of Congress, federal agencies and state and local officials. He has primary responsibility for the direction and administration of ICSC’s federal legislative and regulatory activities on environmental, energy, and land-use policy issues. Mr. Jeffreys received his law degree from the University of Mississippi.
L. Hunter Lovins
Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS)
President and Founder
L. Hunter Lovins is the President and founder of the Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS). NCS educate senior decision-makers in business, government and civil society to restore and enhance the natural and human capital while increasing prosperity and quality of life. In partnership with leading thinkers and Implementers, NCS creates innovative, practical tools and strategies to enable companies, communities and countries to become more sustainable.
Trained as a sociologist and lawyer (JD), Lovins cofounded the California Conservation Project (Tree People), and Rocky Mountain Institute, which she led for 20 years. Lovins has consulted for scores of industries and governments worldwide. She has consulted with large and small companies including the International Finance Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell, Interface, Cliff Bar and Wal-Mart. Governmental clients include the Pentagon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and other agencies, numerous cities, and the governments of Jamaica, Australia, and the U.S. She also serves an advisor to the Energy Minister of the Government of Afghanistan.
Recipient of such honors as the Right Livelihood Award, Lindbergh Award and Leadership in Business, she was named Time Magazine 2000 Hero of the Planet. She has co-authored nine books and hundreds of papers, including the 1999 book, Natural Capitalism and 2006 Climate Protection Manual for Cities. She has served on the boards of governments, non- and for profit companies. Hunter’s areas of expertise include Natural Capitalism, sustainable development, globalization, energy and resource policy, economic development, climate change, land management, and fire rescue and emergency medicine. She developed the Economic Renewal Project and helped write many of its manuals on sustainable community economic development. She is currently a founding Professor of Business at Presidio School of Management, one of the first accredited programs offering an MBA in Sustainable Management.
Leanne Tobias
Malachite LLC
Principal
Leanne Tobias is founder and principal of Malachite LLC, an advisory firm that specializes in the development, leasing, management and financing of sustainable or green real estate on a global basis. She brings over 20 years of institutional real estate investment and management experience to the sustainable real estate field, and is one of the few real estate investment experts who has been designated as a LEED Accredited Professional by the U.S. Green Building Council. Ms. Tobias is the author of the Urban Land Institute’s forthcoming book on sustainable office renovation for the Urban Land Institute and is a sought-after international speaker, who has lectured on sustainable real estate investment for the United Nations; Harvard, Wharton and Columbia Business Schools; Investment and Pensions Europe, the U.S. Green Building Council and others. Ms. Tobias is also an advisor to the Green Building Finance Consortium.
Ms. Tobias was previously Managing Director of the Multi-Employer Property Trust, a multi-billion dollar commercial real estate equity fund; headed the real estate operations of the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust; and directed programs for capital markets and institutional lenders at the Mortgage Bankers Association. She holds an MBA from Wharton Business School and an MPA degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.
Lydia Jacobs-Horton
Procter & Gamble
Director, Global Facilities & Real Estate
Lydia Jacobs-Horton is Director of Procter & Gamble’s Global Facilities & Real Estate (F&RE) Organization, within Global Business Services. F&RE leads corporate real estate strategy, operations and outsourcing relationship management for P&G’s global portfolio.
Lydia has a Bachelor of Science in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and a Master’s of Business Administration in Finance and Real Estate from UC.
Lydia was recently accepted as a member of the Counselors of Real Estate. She is a five-year board member of the Downtown Cincinnati Improvement District and a ten-year member of the UC Real Estate Executive Advisory Board. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two daughters.
Marc A. Louargand
Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers
Managing Director, Investment Strategy, Research & Securities
Dr. Louargand's responsibilities for Cornerstone include macro and micro economic research, investment strategy, and public market investments. Dr. Louargand has been with Cornerstone since its founding. Prior to that, he was a professor of real estate finance at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also served as a consultant to institutional portfolios, industrial, financial corporations, and domestic and foreign governments. In addition to his academic and consulting activities, he has been active in real estate development and asset management.
Dr. Louargand's research, teaching, and publications over his twenty year academic career were directed at the integration of real estate investment markets and mainstream financial theory. He has published books and articles on finance, real estate, and market efficiency. Dr. Louargand is
Co-Editor of the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, Associate Editor of the Journal of
Real Estate Literature, and a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Briefings in Real Estate Finance, and the Journal of Real Estate Research.
Dr. Louargand received his BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara, his MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the founding director of the Pension Real Estate Association Institute for senior managers in the institutional real estate investment community. He is a Director and Fellow of the American Real Estate Society and a Fellow of the Homer Hoyt Institute. He has served as Chairman of the Portfolio Strategy Committee of the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries. He also is active in the Pension Real Estate Association, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers, and the Counselors of Real Estate.
Mark Alan Robinson
MBA, LEED AP, GA-C
Momentum Bay Associates LP
Partner
Mark Robinson is a partner at Momentum Bay Associates LP, a comprehensive green management consulting firm. Momentum Bay equips midsized organizations and individuals with current, relevant information and tools to drive sustainable long-term growth by going green profitably. Robinson has a broad and deep understanding of and passion for sustainability, creation care and construction. Robinson began his career as a turnaround management & strategic growth consultant for home décor, flooring & wood products manufacturers; design-build firms; building supply distributors & retailers; and others across the construction industry.
In 2002, the focus of his client work & personal life shifted rapidly to sustainability & related "green" industries: green building, renewable energy, natural/organic food, and even his own green courtship & wedding (articles featured in The Houston Chronicle & Today's Groom Magazine). Robinson's inspiration to “go green” is rooted in solid business principles & the values learned from some of his heroes -- his grandpa, parents & former youth pastors. Robinson’s broad & deep understanding of & personal passion for creation care, sustainability & construction uniquely equip him to help companies & individuals “go green.”
Robinson earned a Masters in Business Administration from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, the nation's top ranked Entrepreneurship MBA program. He earned a bachelors degree at Trinity University, with majors in business administration & psychology, as well as a minor in French.
Ray Anderson
Interface Global
Founder and Chairman
The story is now legend: the “spear in the chest” epiphany Ray Anderson experienced when he first read Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, seeking inspiration for a speech to an Interface task force on the company’s environmental vision. Fourteen years and a sea change later, Interface, Inc., is nearly 50 percent towards the vision of “Mission Zero,” the journey no one would have imagined for the company or the petroleum-intensive industry of carpet manufacturing which has been forever changed by Anderson’s vision. Mission Zero is the company’s promise to eliminate any negative impact it may have on the environment, by the year 2020, through the redesign of processes and products, the pioneering of new technologies, and efforts to reduce or eliminate waste and harmful emissions while increasing the use of renewable materials and sources of energy.
An honors graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, Ray learned the carpet trade through 14-plus years at various positions at Deering-Milliken and Callaway Mills, and in 1973, set about founding a company to produce the first free-lay carpet tiles in America. Today, he chairs the world’s largest producer of commercial floorcoverings. Interface has diversified and globalized its businesses, with sales in 110 countries and manufacturing facilities on four continents.
In 1997, Ray described his vision for his company, then nearly a quarter-century old, that stands true today: “If we’re successful, we’ll spend the rest of our days harvesting yester-year’s carpets and other petrochemically derived products, and recycling them into new materials; and converting sunlight into energy; with zero scrap going to the landfill and zero emissions into the ecosystem. And we’ll be doing well … very well … by doing good. That’s the vision.”
The once captain of industry has eschewed a luxury car for a Prius and built an off-the-grid home, authored a book chronicling his journey, Mid-Course Correction, and become an unlikely screen hero in the 2004 Canadian documentary, “The Corporation” and in the 2007 film by Leonardo DiCaprio, “The 11th Hour.” He was a master commentator on the Sundance Channel’s series, “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” and was named one of TIME magazine’s Heroes of the Environment in 2007, with a similar honor from Elle Magazine
that year. He’s a sought after speaker and advisor on all issues eco, including a stint as co-chair of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development during President Clinton’s administration.
Anderson has been lauded by government, environmental, and business groups alike. In 2007, Ray was honored as a recipient of the Purpose Prize from Civic Ventures, a think tank and an incubator, generating ideas and inventing programs to help society achieve the greatest return on experience, and by Auburn University with its International Quality of Life Award.
In 1996, he received the Inaugural Millennium Award from Global Green, presented by Mikhail Gorbachev, and won recognition from Forbes Magazine and Ernst & Young, which named him Entrepreneur of the Year. In January, 2001, he received the George and Cynthia Mitchell International Prize for Sustainable Development. He also has been honored by the Georgia Conservancy, Southface Energy Institute, SAM-SPG (Switzerland), the U.S. Green Building Council, the National Wildlife Federation, the Design Futures Council, the Children’s Health and Environmental Coalition, the Harvard Business School Alumni (Atlanta Chapter), the International Interior Design Association, the Southern Institute for Business & Professional Ethics, the Possible Woman Foundation International, the World Business Academy, LaGrange College, and the Council of Scientific Society Presidents. Interface has been named to CRO magazine’s (formerly Business Ethics magazine) 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for three years. In 2006, Sustainablebusiness.com named Interface to their SB20 list of Companies Changing the World, and in 2006 GlobeScan listed Interface #1 in the world for corporate sustainability.
Ray is former Board Chair for The Georgia Conservancy; and serves on the boards of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation; Rocky Mountain Institute; the David Suzuki Foundation, LaGrange College, Emory University Board of Visitors, the ASID Foundation, Worldwatch Institute and Melaver, Inc. He is on the Advisory Boards of the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment and the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. He holds eight honorary doctorates from Northland College (public service), LaGrange College (business), N.C. State University (humane letters), University of Southern Maine (humane letters), The University of the South (civil law), and Colby College (law), Kendall College (art), and Emory University (science).
Richard Epstein
AIA, LEED AP
RNL Design
Senior Architect and Urban Designer
Richard Epstein, AIA, LEED AP, is an award-winning architect and educator with an extensive background in sustainable design for diverse project types. These include leading-edge projects such large public recycling centers in Boulder and Phoenix, and innovative mixed-use, civic and housing projects across the western U.S. Epstein is currently working on several large-scale master planning projects in the United Arab Emirates, as well as domestic architecture and urban design projects, all of which are creatively integrating sustainable solutions at all scales.
He is the recipient of numerous awards for his projects including the Colorado Renewable Energy Society and design awards from the American Institute of Architects. Epstein is on the Executive Committee of the Colorado Council of the Urban Land Institute. He co-chairs the Colorado Tomorrow Alliance, a regional alliance of diverse members promoting smart growth in the Denver Metropolitan region. He has served as a board member on the Boulder Energy Conservation Center for more than 10 years. Epstein attained his Master in Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has taught at the University of Colorado School of Architecture and Planning.
Dr. Richard Reed
Deakin University
Professor of Property and Real Estate
Richard Reed has focused his research directly on the links between sustainability and the built environment, more specifically being the (property) business case for sustainability. He is the visiting Environmental Professor at the IRE/BS University in Regensburg, Germany. In 2007 he authored the “Business Case for Sustainability” chapter for Your Building (www.yourbuilding.org) and is a member of both the API and RICS sustainability committees. Richard is a member of the Australian Property Institute (API) and recently edited “The Valuation of Real Estate” (2007) text for the API, as well as being co-editor of “The Australian and New Zealand Property Journal”. In 2008 he published “A Greener House” (an investor’s guide to sustainability) and “Property Development” (including a new chapter on sustainability), both with Sara Wilkinson as co-author. In addition he is editor of ‘The International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis’ published in the UK and has presented at many Australian and international conferences. He also presents regularly at industry events and is widely published in the area. Currently he is Professor of Property and Real Estate at Deakin University (Melbourne) and lectures to students about property and sustainability.
Sally R. Wilson
AIA, LEED AP
CBRE
Global Director of Environmental Strategy/Senior Vice President
Sally Wilson has more than 20 years of experience in the design of commercial interiors and base building renovations. Previously a partner in a top Washington, DC architecture and interior design firm, her diverse background provides a unique dimension to the platform of services provided by CB Richard Ellis.
Ms. Wilson's extensive portfolio includes work with corporations, technology companies, associations, professional service firms and government agencies. Her areas of expertise have included sustainability, programming, strategic planning, building due diligence, budgeting, scheduling, team development and lease negotiation.
Ms. Wilson is also CBRE's representative to the U.S. Green Building Council and was the first licensed broker designated as LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional). She served three years on the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Core and Shell steering committee. The committee was responsible for developing the rating system utilized by designers, builders, new developers and building owners who address sustainable design for base building elements such as the sites, structure, envelop and building systems. Ms. Wilson's experience on the committee has allowed her to have a detailed understanding of the rating system as well as a balanced perspective from the tenant and landlord's view. She has used this experience in recent transactions for Toyota’s Washington, DC government affairs office, Thompson & Knight, LLP in Dallas, Ballard Spahr, LLP in Las Vegas, CBRE’s Washington, DC office, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s headquarters in Washington, DC. She is currently advising Perkins Coie, LLP in its Seattle headquarters.
Ms. Wilson has participated in the Carnegie Mellon Consortiums BID program, a research program that analyzes the benefits of green building systems and their effects on return on investment cost, productivity, absenteeism and turnover. In addition to Brokerage, Ms. Wilson expanded the scope of her company responsibilities even further in 2007, taking on the newly-created role of CBRE's Global Director of Environmental Strategy. In this position, Ms. Wilson manages the strategy, implementation and communications related to CBRE's global environmental initiatives. She also serves as the company's primary spokesperson, is the liaison with CBRE's environmental partners, and leads the development of the firm's Environmental Sustainability practice group.
Ms. Wilson's recent “green” speaking engagements include the 2008 Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference, and the Urban Land Institute's 2008 Green Building Summit. She has also contributed to publications in Interior Design Magazine, Small Business Magazine and Sustainable Building Interiors by Penny Bonda and Katie Sosnowchik.
Scott Anders
University of San Diego
School of Law
EPIC’s Inaugural Director
Mr. Anders joined USD School of Law in October 2005 as EPIC’s inaugural director. In this position, he executes EPIC’s work plan and research agenda, and manages the day- to-day activities of the Center. Prior to joining the Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC), Mr. Anders was director for policy and planning at the San Diego Regional Energy Office (SDREO).
In this capacity he managed regulatory and legislative issue research and analysis, directed communications with regulatory agencies, including writing position papers and comments before California’s regulatory agencies, directed technical and policy support for the SANDAG’s Energy Working Group, and directed solar energy activities, including technical and policy research.
Mr. Anders has authored or co-authored a number of papers and reports related to energy policy. Most recently he was a lead author on the report entitled, Potential for Renewable Energy in the San Diego Region. Mr. Anders also contributed to the San Diego Regional Energy Infrastructure Study, a technical and policy survey of the regional energy market in San Diego, and Energy 2030: The San Diego Regional Energy Strategy, which serves as the region’s roadmap for energy planning.
Prior to joining SDREO in 1999, Mr. Anders was a policy researcher for the Washington D.C. think tank Center for a Sustainable Economy, now part of Redefining Progress, where he researched market-based mechanisms as a policy tool for the energy sector. Mr. Anders was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. Scott Anders holds a B.A. in international politics from Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA) and an M.A. in public policy, with a concentration in environmental policy, from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.
Scott Muldavin
CRE, FRICS
The Muldavin Company, Inc.
President
Scott Muldavin, President of The Muldavin Company, Inc., has been an advisor for over 25 years to many of the nation’s leading real estate companies including CalPERS, UBS, RREEF, and Bank of America. Mr. Muldavin has been a lead real estate partner at Deloitte & Touché, co-founded $4+ billion Guggenheim Real Estate, and served on the Advisory Board of GRA, an advisor on nearly $2 billion of REIT and CMBS funds. In 2006, Mr. Muldavin became Executive Director of the Green Building Finance Consortium, a group he formed to enable an assessment of sustainable property investment from a fiduciary/financial perspective. The Consortium is supported by the real estate industry independent of green building product or trade groups. Members and collaborators include the MBA, BOMA, PREA, ULI, NAR, the Appraisal Institute, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and CoreNet Global.
Stephen L. Kapp
CEM, CDSM, LEED-AP
California Center for Sustainable Energy
Technology Resources Manager
Stephen Kapp is Technology Resources Manager at the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) and serves as the organization’s technical expert and liaison in matters relating to energy management, conservation, renewables, green building design and sustainable development. He provides technical support and design assistance in the development and implementation of regional energy programs, including energy efficiency projects and self-generation projects. He also coordinates special projects and energy efficiency and demand response assessments of various facilities. Stephen previously ran CCSE's San Diego Energy Resource Center Program and Green Building Program.
With over 21 years experience in the energy and technologies industry, Steve has performed over 150 energy audits and over 300 energy design reviews, building energy simulations, analyses and feasibility studies. He has provided consulting assistance on over 40 green building projects. He also invented and brought to market a building products database program entitled FenSpec™. A frequent contributor to CCSE's Energy Connection e-newsletter, he was editor and publisher of a national award-winning energy newsletter, managing editor of a statewide energy association (CABEC) newsletter and was published in Architectural Specifier magazine.
He has also been a technical reviewer of state standards, such California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards, NonResidential Design Manuals and the new California Green Building Standards Code. He has planned, conducted, and/or moderated hundreds of seminars and workshops on software applications, energy topics, building systems, and sustainable development, as well as planning and implementing several conferences.
Stuart Brodsky
GE Real Estate
Sustainability Leader
Stuart Brodsky joined GE Real Estate as a Sustainability Leader in April 2008. He works with GE Real Estate’s Global Sustainability Group to embed sustainability practices into all functional areas of the real estate investment cycle. These efforts target demonstrable increases in financial value through practices that contribute to superior environmental performance of GE RE’s equity assets.
From 1999 to 2008, Mr. Brodsky was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Program Manager for ENERGY STAR in its outreach to commercial property markets. In that role, he led the government’s cornerstone program in the development and adoption of tools and resources that support commercial property operators’ pursuits of the financial and environmental value of energy efficiency and climate stewardship. These efforts are estimated to have resulted in avoided emissions of 24 million metric tons (carbon equivalent) between 2003 and 2008, which is the equivalent of taking 7 million cars off of U.S. roads; and net saving of $7.5 billion dollars on energy bills for commercial property operators.
Mr. Brodsky broke ground in leading the federal government’s outreach and coordination with leading industry associations and working groups, including the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), the Real Estate Roundtable (RER), the Socially Responsible Real Estate Investment Forum, the Green Building Finance Consortium, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He designed NAREIT’s energy efficiency award program, “Leaders in the Light,” the AH&LA’s Good Earthkeeping program, and BOMA’s Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP). For his leadership and innovation, in 2008 Mr. Brodsky was the first federal employee, and the first non-BOMA member, to receive the BOMA Chairman’s Award in the 100 year history of BOMA.
Mr. Brodsky received a Master of Environmental Design degree from Yale University School of Architecture, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Hobart College.