Staff

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 & Product Development

Vicki Worden oversees the Green Building Initiative's commercial programs, specifically the continued development and distribution of the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system. Worden works to increase the adoption of green building practices by introducing architects, developers, engineers, and others to the Green Globes system. Worden works with the technical team on the continuous improvement of the Green Globes protocol, and develops and implements training, manages local market activities and maintains a pool of third-party verifiers.

Worden has 15 years of experience in planning and business development, which includes the advancement of environmental, health, safety, education, and training programs for Washington, DC-based non-profit organizations, a Virginia environmental consulting company, and various small businesses. Most recently, she served as executive vice president of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA), where she represented over 8,000 building material suppliers involved in residential construction. She is a certified association executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives and a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management. Worden earned an MBA from Loyola College in Maryland in 2005 and a BA in political science and international relations from West Chester University.

Notable Speaking Engagements

Mid-West Energy Efficiency Alliance, Chicago, IL, Sep. 2006

U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2nd Annual Summit on Energy and Environment, Atlanta, GA, Oct. 2006

EcoBuild Federal, Washington DC, Dec. 2006

American Institute of Architects, San Antonio, TX, May 2007

North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, (speaking October 2007)

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. Shaffer educates diverse stakeholders and lawmakers to the benefits of the Green Globes environmental rating system for commercial buildings.

Ms. Shaffer has more than 20 years of experience managing complex environmental issues in several capacities. Shaffer was responsible for directing public affairs operations for International Paper Corporation, a Fortune 30 forest products 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 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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Director of Development

Lori Hardwick manages the Green Building Initiative's development activities, coordinating communication with a number of stakeholder corporations and organizations across the country

Lori has been active in public affairs and outreach in the Pacific Northwest since 1992. She was named by Willamette Week newspaper as one of “Portland’s 50 Most Influential Women” in December of 2004. She was also featured in Oregon Business Magazine as one of eight women across the state who are “great thinkers, achievers, and leaders” (May 2003). One of Lori’s most notable achievements is having been named the “good will ambassador” for several Presidential candidates, acting Presidents and members of Congress. A native to Oregon, she holds a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Oregon State University.

Contact lori@thegbi.org

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Director, State and Local Outreach

Mark Rossolo is the Outreach Director with the Green Building Initiative™ (GBI). Rossolo works with the Green Globes™ rating system and offers support on commercial projects. 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 Engagments

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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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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Manager, Administration and Logistics

Amanda serves as the Manager of Administration and Logistics for the Green Building Initiative, a non-profit organization managed by Hubbell Communications. In this capacity, Amanda manages the logistics of multiple tradeshows, handles an array of event planning, and serves as the liaison to Board of Directors and GBI members.

Amanda graduated from Murray State University with a degree in Public Relations and American Humanics. Prior to joining the GBI, Amanda held a variety of positions within the non-profit sector.

Contact amanda@thegbi.org

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Technical Advisor
AA Dip., OAA

Jiri Skopek is responsible for the continued development and management of the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system for the United States.

An architect, community planner and environmental consultant, Skopek founded ECD Energy and Environment Canada, which is known for the development of environmental assessment tools. Over the last decade, he has directed the creation and evolution of what is now the Green Globes system, which began in 1996 with the development of BREEAM Canada in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association.

Prior to his work at ECD, Skopek contributed to landmark Canadian architecture in his role as senior designer with Bregman and Hamann Architects, including the BCE complex in downtown Toronto. He has also run the Paris office of Santiago Calatrava, was a planning consultant to the governments of Oman and Qatar, and was the chief urban designer for the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was a founding participant in solar research and development at Milton Keynes Development Corporation in the United Kingdom and designed the UK's first active solar house.

Skopek currently serves as a representative of the Canadian committee to the ISO TC59/SC3 on sustainable building construction and is a founding member of Sustainable Buildings Canada. He and his family currently reside in Toronto, Ontario.

Contact jiri@thegbi.org

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