Features

USGBC's Guiding Principles
USGBC's Board of Directors articulates the ethical framework that guides our decision making.

Making Great Music: An Interview with the Chair and Vice Chair of the LEED Steering Committee
Scot Horst, Chair, and Joel Ann Todd, Vice chair, of USGBC's LEED Steering Committee share their wildest hopes and dreams for LEED and green building.

What is leadership? It's a popular question—a quick search of an online bookseller turned up 3,023 books with the word "leadership" in the title, each and every one with a different definition and copyrighted prescription for achieving it. At USGBC, it's a question we ask every day; our commitment to leadership is at the heart of what we do.

USGBC's core purpose is to transform the way we design, build, and operate buildings and communities. Like you, we aspire to environmental and social responsibility, to health, and to prosperity. In order to achieve our core purpose—in order to lead the transformation of the building industry—we know that how we make our decisions is as important as the decisions themselves. In light of our growth and the growth of the green building movement as a whole, USGBC's Board of Directors has put pen to paper to articulate "guiding principles" that will help us all—members, staff, volunteers, chapters—with the decisions we make every day about USGBC and its programs.  In addition to the principles, the board has also written a "preamble" that provides a connection between these principles and our core purpose, and a set of criteria to explain how the principles may evolve over time. In an industry predicated on innovation, these documents provide us with clarity and continuity, while also giving us the flexibility to grow and respond to a rapidly changing market.

• PROMOTE THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE: USGBC will pursue robust triple bottom line solutions that clarify and strengthen a healthy and dynamic balance between environmental, social and economic prosperity.
• ESTABLISH LEADERSHIP: USGBC will take responsibility for both revolutionary and evolutionary leadership by championing societal models that achieve a more robust triple bottom line.
• RECONCILE HUMANITY WITH NATURE: USGBC will endeavor to create and restore harmony between human activities and natural systems.
• MAINTAIN INTEGRITY: USGBC will be guided by the precautionary principle in utilizing technical and scientific data to protect, preserve, and restore the health of the global environment, ecosystems and species.
• INSURE INCLUSIVENESS: USGBC will insure inclusive, interdisciplinary, democratic decision-making with the objective of building understanding and shared commitments toward a greater common good.
• EXHIBIT TRANSPARENCY: USGBC shall strive for honesty, openness & transparency.

In upcoming issues of the member newsletter, we'll be exploring each of these principles in more depth, and sharing how they are helping the USGBC community achieve the transformation of the built environment. In the meantime, we encourage you to download the full guiding principles and to think about their connection to your own life and work. Please feel free to email us at membership@usgbc.org with your questions, comments, and ideas.

"My wildest dream is that LEED becomes obsolete." That might not be what you expect to hear from the Chair of USGBC's LEED Steering Committee, which oversees the development of LEED. But Scot Horst isn't afraid to wish himself out of a job, because to him, green building is much more than a job--it's an avocation. He envisions a future in which LEED is obsolete because it's just the way things are done, in which green building is the means to creating a better world rather than an end in itself. It's a sentiment shared by the committee's Vice chair, Joel Ann Todd, and you don't have to look far to find the proof of their passion. We're checking in with them six months into a job that, so far, has involved overseeing major refinements to the documentation and certification process; the launch of LEED Online; the ballot for LEED for Core and Shell; the LEED for Homes pilot program; and the ongoing development of application guides for schools, campuses, labs, hospitals, retail establishments and the initiation of LEED Version 3.0. Read the full interview to learn more about Scot and Joel and their visions for the future of green building.

Harvard Business Review Features Green Building
Green is rapidly becoming a necessity as companies as diverse as Bank of America, Genzyme, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and Toyota are now pushing green buildings fully into the mainstream, according to "Building the Green Way" by Charles Lockwood. This article in the June 2006 issue of the Harvard Business Review makes the case for green and cites the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) and its LEED® Green Building Rating SystemT. The article examines the national energy crisis, and raises a looming threat to commercial real estate portfolios. Read the full release.

Harvard Vision 2020 Presentations Now Online
Videos, presentations, and audio from Harvard's recent sustainability conference are available for download. You can watch and listen to keynote speakers including Hunter Lovins, Harvard President Lawrence Summers, Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino, and Robert F Kennedy, Jr., as well as conference panel events.

Spotlight on Dynamic Governance
USGBC's groundbreaking use of dynamic governance was the focus of the lastest issue of ASSOCIATIONS NOW magazine. Click here to read the full article by Kris Prendergast, Vice President at USGBC.

Board Nominations Open July 1
USGBC's board recently voted to make several changes to the USGBC bylaws to ensure that the full range of the Council's constituencies have a hand in steering the organization. In addition to at least one representative from each of twelve membership categories, the Board will be composed of eight new representatives elected from each of the eight chapter regions. The board may also appoint up to three additional directors to bring in particular perspectives or areas of expertise at its discretion. The timeline for the elections cycle has been moved up so that members will be able to meet the new board at Greenbuild. Stay tuned for the call for nomionations, which will be issued on July 1. Download an FAQ on the elections process.

LEED for Schools Consultant
USGBC is seeking a consultant to support the release of the LEED-NC Application Guide for Schools. The guide is based on LEED for New Construction, with changes to meet the needs of the K-12 schools market. The consultant will be responsible for working on the LEED Reference Guide and public comment periods in close coordination with the LEED for Schools committee and staff representatives. Submissions will be accepted until 5pm on July 10th, 2006. Click here for more information.

Apply to Be a LEED Faculty Member
Are you a LEED Accredited Professional who is passionate about green building? Would you like to share that passion with others?

Apply to become a LEED faculty member, and help USGBC transform the market by educating people all across the United States about the benefits of green building and integrating LEED into their practice.

LEED APs who have been affiliated with a USGBC member company for at least two years and who have at least eight years of professional experience in the building industry are eligible to apply. Click here for more information about what it means to be a LEED faculty member, qualifications, and how to apply.

Be the First to Take the New LEED AP Exam
USGBC is developing new exam tracks for facilities and interiors professionals, as well as an updated version of the current exam for new construction. We are currently seeking applicants to take the beta versions of these new exams. Candidates from all backgrounds and regions are encouraged to apply. USGBC will select beta testers based on a number of criteria including professional role, region, and the self-assessment of job related tasks. If you would like to apply to become a beta test candidate, click here to complete the application. If you are selected, you will receive additional instructions on how to register for the exam. There is no charge for beta testers, and those candidates who pass the beta exam will earn the LEED Accredited Professional credential. Visit the LEED Professional Accreditation web page or email exam@usgbc.org to learn more.

Formal Charge to Examine Biobased Materials in LEED
At its May meeting, USGBC's Board of Directors directed the LEED Steering Committee (LSC) to address bio-based materials within LEED via USGBC's fair, open and transparent consensus process.  During the June 26 LSC meeting, the committee issued a formal charge to the Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group (MR TAG) to examine biobased credits within LEED.  For more information about the charge and USGBC's consensus process, please click here.

LEED Online Wins ComputerWorld Honors
For almost two decades, the Computerworld Honors program has acknowledged individuals and organizations who make outstanding use of information technology to benefit society. On June 5, USGBC was recognized with the 21st Century Achievement Award in the Environment, Energy and Agriculture category for the LEED Online program, powered by Adobe LiveCycle™ technology.

Each year, members of Computerworld's Chairmen's Committee, a group of 100 Chairs/CEOs of global technology companies, identify organizations whose use of information technology has been especially noteworthy for the originality of its conception, the breadth of its vision, and the significance of its benefit to society. Adobe® nominated USGBC for the Computerworld Honors program for successfully streamlining the LEED green building rating system application process using Adobe LiveCycle™ technology. Read the full release.

Want to learn more about LEED Online?
Potential project teams can now download PDF versions of all LEED Online credit templates. (LEED-CI, LEED-EB, and LEED-NC 2.1 and 2.2). These PDFs are a great resource to learn about the basic fields and documentation requirments for LEED Online (add link), USGBC's new online workspace for LEED documentataion and certification. (Please note that the PDFs do not have the same functionality as the actual LEED Online credit templates; only registered project team members have access to the fully functioning templates.)

Federal Honors for LEED Buildings
When the White House announced the winners of the 2006 Closing the Circle Awards, it was no surprise that two of the 16 winners are LEED certified. The awards, administered by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE), recognize outstanding environmental stewardship and performance in several categories, including including waste prevention, recycling and green purchasing activities. The LEED Gold-certified Building 850 at the Naval Base of Ventura County in Port Hueneme, Cal., and the National Park Service (NPS) Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Neb., were winners in the green/sustainable buildings awards category. Read the full release.

Is your organization hosting a conference or event about green building that might be of interest to USGBC's members? We can help you spread the word:

• Submit your event for posting on our online events calendar, easily accessible on USGBC's web site. Visit www.usgbc.org/events to learn how.
• Submit your event for possible inclusion in our monthly member newsletter. Email membership@usgbc.org with the details of your event at least two months in advance. (Please note that because of space constraints, only those events most likely to appeal to a broad audience will be included.)
• Share your event with your Member Circle. Visit the Member Circles page to learn more and to join your Member Circle.

Greenbuild
November 15-17, 2006
Greenbuild is the preeminent green building education event in the world. Join us in Denver for more than 80 educational sessions on topics ranging from pioneering LEED project case studies to green marketing strategies to international perspectives to community development. You'll also have your pick of LEED workshops, post conference seminars and a dozen green building tours in and around Denver. Register now! 

Introduction to Dynamic Governance
Friday, November 17, 2006
1-3 PM, Denver, CO
Curious about dynamic governance? Attend this introductory presentation at Greenbuild if you've heard about dynamic governance and want to learn more. Taught by John Buck, Certified Sociocratic Consultant, and Kris Prendergast, Vice-President for Governance and Organization Development at USGBC, the session will include an overview of the four principles of dynamic governance and opportunities to try it out. This event is free for USGBC members. Contact Kris at kprendergast@usgbc.org or 202-828-1133 to learn more or to RSVP.

West Coast Green
San Francisco, CA
September 28-30

West Coast Green is the nation’s premier conference and tradeshow focused exclusively on residential green building design, materials, and sustainable living.

Keynote speakers will include Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and industry leaders Ed Mazria, Sarah Susanka, Sim Van der Ryn, Ray Cole, Peter Yost, Ann Edminster, Tom Paladino, and others. In addition to in-depth educational sessions, highlights include two full days of EEBA “Houses That Work” training and a LEED for Homes pilot workshop.

For more details and to register visit www.westcoastgreen.com.
Early registration discount until 8/15/06.

Exhibit space is 70% sold out! Email exhibit@westcoastgreen.com if you're interested in exhibiting.

Indoor Environmental Quality: Problems, Research and Solutions
July 17-19, 2006
Durham, NC
This international specialty conference, cosponsored by the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA)
and U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development, will offer the most up-to-date information on indoor air quality. The conference will feature general and poster sessions, a professional development course, a tour of U.S. EPA’s “green campus” and research facilities, and an exhibition of related products and services.
Visit the conference Web site to learn more and to register.

Learn About LEED

Register online for one of these upcoming workshops:

Commissioning LEED-NC Projects
7.26.06 – Pittsburgh, PA
LEED for General Contractors/Construction Managers
7.27.06 – Arlington, VA
Using LEED-NC on School Projects
9.26.06 – St. Louis, MO
9.28.06 – Raleigh, NC
LEED-NC Technical Review
7.13.06 – Mays Landing, NJ
7.14.06 – Irwindale, CA
7.20.06 – Chesapeake, VA
7.25.06 – Boston, MA
7.31.06 – Chicago, IL
8.4.06 – San Francisco, CA
8.16.06 – Arlington, VA
8.25.06 – Miami, FL
9.14.06 – Charlotte, NC
9.14.06 – Cleveland, OH
9.15.06 – San Antonio, TX
9.15.06 – Jacksonville, FL
9.21.06 – Milwaukee, WI
10.5.06 – Greenfield, NH
10.9.06 – St. Louis, MO
10.12.06 – Arlington, VA
10.25.06 – Sacramento, CA
LEED-CI Technical Review
8.25.06 – San Francisco, CA
9.13.06 – Pittsburgh, PA
9.15.06 – Miami, FL
9.28.06 – Raleigh, NC
LEED-EB Technical Review
8.17.06 – Baltimore, MD
9.25.06 – Oakland, CA
9.28.06 – Omaha, NB