It would appear that GBI has taken to heart the maxim that spring is a time for renewal. We have exciting news to report on almost every front—from expanded residential programming to the upcoming release of our proposed American National Standard to our new member benefits—and we’re looking forward to a year of significant movement toward our goal of accelerating the adoption of green building practices.
Residential Programming – On the residential side, we’ve expanded the resources GBI offers home builder associations that want to participate in the NAHB National Green Building Program or develop their own local initiatives. We’ve set an aggressive target of 11 additional partnerships by the end of this year—which will bring to 40 the number of locally relevant green building programs we’ve helped to establish nationwide.
Proposed Standard – After almost two years, the GBI Proposed American National Standard will soon be released for public comment. This document represents an incredible commitment of time and effort from close to 100 building science experts nationwide, and I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who served on the technical committee and subcommittees. Thanks to you, the market will soon have its first true consensus-based standard for commercial green building.
Increased Focus on Operational Performance – The Green Globes module for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings has now been officially launched and a third-party assessment has been completed for the first building to undertake the process—the Bristol-Myers Squibb research and development facility in Wallingford, CT. Finally, building owners and managers have a practical and cost-effective tool that allows them to evaluate existing buildings, identify and prioritize improvements and monitor success. With more than 100 million buildings operating in the U.S., the potential for this tool to improve the sustainability of the built environment cannot be understated.
New Member Benefits – The GBI recently completed an expanded 2008 Supporter and Member Benefits package with greater opportunities for marketing, sponsorships and participation. Highlights include, among other things, opportunities to participate on the GBI board of directors and/or research, advisory and education committees, complimentary Green Globes licenses and/or third-party assessment of a building, green building training for employees, and a variety of recognition and sponsorship opportunities.
New Members of the Team – I’m also pleased to welcome two new members to the GBI team. As the new GBI Technical Director, Gary Keclik will help meet the technical needs associated with our residential, commercial and outreach programs. He is a licensed architect in the states of Illinois and Texas with extensive experience in building and site design, construction management, building technology, regulatory compliance and construction products specification. We also have a new product manager, Jose “Joe” Pinelli, whose responsibility will focus on market and software development primarily related to the Green Globes tool.
Information related to the activities above is available on the GBI Web site and is updated regularly to keep design and building professionals abreast of our activities. Please visit us at www.thegbi.org and be sure to check back often as change is in the air!
Sincerely,
Ward Hubbell
