President

Since helping to establish the Green Building Initiative in 2004, Hubbell has guided its evolution into a national organization promoting green building approaches in dozens of major U.S. markets across the country. Under his leadership, the GBI became the first green building organization to be certified as a standards developer by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and is in the process of establishing its proprietary tool, the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system for commercial buildings, as an official ANSI standard.

For nearly two decades, Ward Hubbell has been a leading communicator and strategic adviser in the natural resources field, serving in a range of capacities in the public and private sectors. Hubbell also spent ten years as a communications executive in Washington, DC, working primarily in the areas of natural resources, environmental energy, transportation and health and safety policy. A native of Mississippi, Hubbell and his family reside in the Portland area, where he is very involved in the Oregon business community. Recently, he has served on the boards of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, Oregon Business Association and SOLV, one of the nation's largest volunteer networks devoted to environmental restoration and community building. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University and Wake Forest University.

Notable Speaking Engagements

United States Senate, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, “Green Buildings: Benefits to Health, the Environment and the Bottom Line,” May 15, 2007, Washington D.C.

West Coast Green Conference, June 21, 2007, San Francisco, CA

International Builders’ Show, January 12, 2006, Orlando, FL

National Green Building Conference, March 12, 2006, Albuquerque, NM

Associated General Contractors of America Annual Convention, March 21, 2006, Palm Springs, CA

2006 Executive Officer Conference Seminar, August 2, 2006, Uncasville, CT

Contact ward@thegbi.org

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Vice President Commercial Programs

Vicki Worden serves as Commercial Programs Consultant for the Green Building Initiative.  Worden works with GBI’s technical committee on the continuous improvement of the Green Globes protocol, which includes overseeing GBI’s efforts to develop an American National Standard for assessing green commercial buildings.  Worden also works to increase the adoption of green building practices by introducing owners, practitioners, and facility managers to the Green Globes system.  She develops training and maintains a pool of third-party assessors. 

Worden has 18 years of planning and business development experience, which includes the advancement of environmental, health, safety, education, and training programs for non-profit organizations and corporations.  She earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives and is the former Executive Vice President of a Washington, DC, based trade association in the building materials sector.  She holds an MBA from Loyola University in Maryland and a BA from West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

Notable Speaking Engagements

"Practical Strategies for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings," Building Owners & Managers Assn., Int'l, Denver, CO, Jun. 2008

"Green Certification Strategies to Drive Brand Value," American Hotel & Lodging Assn., Summer Conference, Oklahoma City, Jun. 2008

"Green Building Opportunities," Business Roundtable, February 2008

"Green Building Rating Systems:  Bridging the Gap Between Design and Operational Performance," American Institute of Architects, San Antonio, TX, May 2007

"Meeting the 2030 Building Challenge," U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2nd Annual Summit on Energy and Environment, Atlanta, GA, Oct. 2006

Contact vicki@thegbi.org

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Vice President of Federal Outreach

Erin Shaffer is a consultant to the Green Building Initiative serving as the key contact in charge of outreach to Federal Agencies, Capitol Hill, and the business community. Erin educates diverse stakeholders and lawmakers to the benefits of Green Globes™.

Ms. Shaffer has more than 20 years of experience managing complex environmental issues in several capacities. She was responsible for directing public affairs operations for a Fortune 30 company and representing the company before Congress, the Administration and the broader Washington community. In this capacity she developed all company environment-related public policy positions and directed all related corporate strategic advocacy work. Ms. Shaffer served as the Director of State Programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Toxic Substances, where she focused on multi-pathway exposure to pollutants. Ms. Shaffer also served as Staff to Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senator Henry Jackson (D-WA) and is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut.

Contact erin@thegbi.org

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VP Marketing/Membership

As VP of marketing-membership for the Green Building Initiative, Sharene is responsible for external activities that educate and inform potential members, partners and the public about ways to play a significant role in the green building movement. Her role includes the development of partnerships, webseminar training, trade show visibility and public recognition of the GBI as a green building leader.

Before the GBI, Sharene was the Nonprofit Channel Director for EthicsPoint, Inc. a for-profit company that sold technology based solutions for the monitoring of fraud, misuse and abuse in the higher education and nonprofit arena. Sharene’s distinguished resume includes over 15 years managing nonprofit organizations. She served as the Executive Director of the Better Business Bureau of Oregon and Western Washington, where she worked with the offices of the Attorneys General in both states on fraud and regulatory issues. She also managed the business education program for the Associated General Contractors of America in Washington DC. Sharene is a seasoned speaker and published writer on the topic of ethics and governance best practices in higher education and nonprofits.

Contact sharene@thegbi.org

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VP, Operations

Mark will be named VP, Operations for the GBI. His primary responsibilities will be to manage the operations of the GBI, Marketing and public relations for the GBI organization and for the Green Globes commercial building rating system, and government affairs. Rossolo is responsible for building strategic alliances within the green building community. He is also responsible for outreach and educating lawmakers and government agencies as to the benefits of the Green Globes rating system.

In addition to experience in political and legislative areas, Rossolo served several years as the principal media contact for a large private retailer in the state and continues to have strong ties to the state business and political media.

Notable Speaking Engagements

Department of the Interior BLM Greening Workshop, March 20, 2007, Washington, D.C.

National Wood Flooring Association, April 11, 2007, Denver, CO

International Council of Shopping Centers, May 22, 2007, Las Vegas, NV

2007 CABA Intelligent Buildings Leadership Forum, June 18, 2007, Anaheim, California

Austin City Hall Introductory Workshop to Green Globes, July 15, 2007, Austin, TX

The Seminar Group: Green and High Performance Buildings, September 28, 2007, Portland, OR

Construction Solutions Conference, October 25, 2007, Portland, Oregon

Contact mark@thegbi.org

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Customer Service Manager, Green Globes

Kristi Martin is responsible for customer support, user account administration and the coordination of product and service delivery relating to Green Globes® building and personnel certifications. She assists customers as they proceed from registration through the third-party assessment process to obtain a Green Globes® rating and certification. Kristi is also involved in the implementation of e-commerce solutions and streamlining GBI’s business processes.

Kristi has a strong background in business operations with experience in business development, sales support, and project coordination. Kristi joined the GBI team in 2009 and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management from Marylhurst University.

Contact Kristi@thegbi.org

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Director, Residential Programs

Kelly O'Brien directs the Green Building Initiative's residential programs with local Home Builder Associations (HBA’s) across the country. She provides counsel to HBA partners, manages the GBI's marketing and grass roots consultants, administers the Web site and helps coordinate educational events.

Before joining the GBI, O'Brien worked on several communications and grass roots projects, including a 2004 "Get out the Vote" campaign in Oregon. O'Brien graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where she developed a strong background in communications and public policy, having worked as a research assistant and program coordinator for multiple academic departments, as well as the Women's Studies Program. She has also devoted her time to local non-profits, including the Raphael House which specializes in outreach for victims of domestic abuse.

Notable Speaking Engagements

NAHB Executive Officer Conference Seminar, August 2, 2006, Uncasville, CT

International Builders’ Show, January 12, 2007, Orlando, FL

National Green Building Conference, March 27, 2007, St. Louis, MO

Contact kelly@thegbi.org

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Commercial Programs Consultant

Kevin Stover is a Commercial Programs Consultant with the Green Building Initiative. Stover works with the Green Globes™ rating system and offers support for design, construction and operation of commercial buildings. Stover is responsible for tracking registered projects, interfacing with members and users; addressing technical issues; and reaching out to prospective users, organizations and public entities. He is also responsible for outreach and coordination with the education and healthcare sectors as to the benefits of the Green Globes rating system.

Contact kevin@thegbi.org

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Vice President and General Manager, Green Globes™

Joe Pinelli is responsible for the development, sales, and management of the Green Globes™ online software tools, website e-commerce systems, certification and rating programs, as well as management of the Green Globes™ products and services business in the US. His work supports broader market adoption and will allow the GBI to implement a robust business model.

Before GBI, Joe was a Product Marketing Manager with Tektronix, where he developed, launched, and marketed software solutions for video test and measurement. Prior to that, he worked for Philips Electronics, Corning Inc, and Cummins Engine Company in roles spanning engineering, manufacturing, and management. His education includes a Master’s Degree in Management from the Sloan School of Management (MIT) and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

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Training Program Manager

Sam is responsible for the development, maintenance, and launch of purchased training, technical support materials, and personnel certification programs at GBI, including training of Green Globes ® Professionals and Green Globes Third-Party Assessors. Sam is dedicated to supporting GBI and the broader Green Globes community with professional training, testing, and credentialing programs.

Prior to GBI, Sam worked for Hewlett Packard Company in high-tech marketing, sales and customer training. He also worked in the window industry where he dealt with “green” issues such as the Energy Star ® Standard. He has a BS from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Santa Clara.

Contact sam@thegbi.org

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Account Manager - Marketing/Membership

Patrick Gogola educates green building professionals, engineers, architects and facility owners about the advantages of the Green Globes tools and seeks individuals and organizations prepared to promote green building and management techniques by their use of the Green Globes rating system. Patrick has been evangelizing the benefits of the Green Globes personnel certification programs since their launch in mid 2009. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas, Constantin School of Liberal Arts, in biology and most recently spent 7 years in charge of sales and marketing to the western U.S. for Metropolitan Press.

Contact patrick@thegbi.org

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