We are excited to welcome keynote speaker Roger Ballentine, President of Green Strategies Inc., where he provides management consulting services to corporate and financial sector clients on sustainability strategy; decarbonization; investment and transaction evaluation; clean energy procurement strategies; and the integration of energy and environmental policy considerations into business strategy.
Previously, Roger has served as a senior member of the White House staff, advising on Environmental Initiatives, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Law teaching energy and climate law, and has filled various board roles focusing on sustainability and renewable energy.
Over the years, Roger has helped some of the world’s leading companies and institutions increase competitiveness and manage market and regulatory risk through cutting edge energy and sustainability strategies. Using his expertise and deep relationships, Roger has helped clients develop better business strategies, make better investment decisions, negotiate new business partnerships, build critical alliances with stakeholders, and develop and implement clean energy and other sustainability measures that achieve corporate buy-in and yield bottom-line value.
David is a Senior Planner at the City of Kirkland. He is the architect and is responsible for implementing the City’s first Sustainability Master Plan. David helped create and implement the City’s High Performing Building Standards and program. He graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Community and Environmental Planning, is a Certified Sustainability Building Advisor (C.S.B.A.) and a LEED accredited professional. David serves on the Executive Boards for BuiltGreen of King/Snohomish County, is staff co-chair of the King County Cities Climate Collaborative (K4C) and works with the Regional Code Collaboration (RCC).
Liepa Braciulyte is a Project Analyst on the Codes & Policy team at New Buildings Institute (NBI). Liepa conducts technical research on low-embodied carbon materials and supports the development of model and jurisdictional energy and building codes that help curb greenhouse gas emissions. Before NBI, Liepa worked on building decarbonization policy and research at Shift Zero, Northwest Energy Coalition (NWEC), and the City of Issaquah. Liepa earned a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Environmental Policy from the University of Washington.
Sadie has a background in architecture and sustainability consulting, working on a broad range of work spanning, urban planning, state policy advocacy, benchmarking, and corporate strategy. Sadie specializes in LCA modeling and material science with a holistic approach that targets economic strategy, climate/energy policy, resilience, and social equity. Green Canopy NODE leverages vertical integration, industry partners, and cutting-edge technology to crack the code on sustainable, prefabricated, CLT housing. As a Building Scientist, Sadie manages research and analysis on circularity, embodied carbon, and high-performance design.
In his role as the Chief Advocacy Officer for Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties, Ryan Donohue is a tireless fighter for affordable housing and homeownership opportunities. He is particularly focused on eliminating exclusionary zoning and breaking down the barriers that have long plagued the Black community when it comes to home ownership. You can learn more about him and the work that Habitat does when it comes to advocating for affordable homeownership opportunities by going to www.habitatskc.org.
Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon was elected to represent the 34th Legislative District in 2010. In 2022, he was elected House Majority Leader.
Joe chaired the House Environment & Energy Committee from 2014 to 2022, where he helped to pass an ambitious suite of legislation to fight climate change, including the Clean Fuel Standard, the Climate Commitment Act, and the Clean Energy Transformation Act. He currently serves on the Appropriations and Rules Committees, and on the Select Committee for Pension Policy. Prior to his election, Joe was a legislative staffer and member of the Burien Planning Commission.
His legislative priorities include addressing climate change, protecting Washington’s clean air and water, standing up for working families and communities that have historically faced barriers to opportunity, promoting smart growth that supports affordable housing and access to transit, and preparing budgets that invest in long-term solutions for challenges faced by Washingtonians.
Scott is a Senior Planner with the City of Kirkland and has worked at the City since 2006. He helped pioneer the City’s first high performing building program in 2008, and has since help develop several programs, policies, and regulations supporting a more sustainable built future for Kirkland. He currently works on housing policy and updating the City’s comprehensive plan. Scott graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Community and Environmental Planning and is a LEED accredited professional and an American Institute Certified Planner.
Jess Harris is the Green Building Program Manager with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. Jess is responsible for implementing, marketing, and managing SDCI’s green building incentive programs. Jess directed the creation of one of the region's first expedited permit incentives--Priority Green and has accepted two awards from Built Green for public sector advocacy. Jess works with many project teams to guide them through Seattle’s Living Building Pilot program. Jess has over 30 years industry experience, has been with the City of Seattle for over 20 years and is the green building expert at SDCI. Previously, Jess was a Senior Land Use Planner and worked on many private and public development projects including libraries, fire stations, schools, and Rainier Vista.
Jessica Martinez is a sustainability specialist at DCI Engineers and serves to educate her peers and project teams on sustainable solutions for structural design. Since joining DCI in 2017, she has elevated her technical expertise as a structural engineer by becoming the go-to resource for embodied carbon reduction and low carbon concrete. She also leads the research of DCI’s life cycle assessment capabilities and has performed several integral studies that set the basis for the education of all staff. Aside from her internal efforts at DCI, she’s a dedicated advocate for the decarbonization of the building industry as a member of the CLF Seattle Hub Steering Committee, SE 2050 Committee and NCSEA Sustainable Design Committee.
Jozanne is currently a Senior Plans Examiner for the City of Kirkland’s Building department. She has brought her 17 years of building department experience to help update the City’s High Performing Building Standards program implementation. With an understanding of the process from permitting, plan review and inspections she has been able to bring insight on how the permitting process of a High Performing Building permit can move through the system and still meet the requirements of the City’s High performing Building program. Jozanne graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor's in environmental policy and planning.
Brenda Nunes, MBA, LEED AP, is Nunes Group’s managing broker. As a Global Property Specialist, Brenda facilitates international real estate transactions and global marketing. Brenda brings a diverse background in the areas of real estate, business development, and geotechnical industries. A natural idea generator, Brenda is a “big picture” thinker who loves to provide options for each opportunity and challenge.
Brenda has always placed a high value on long-term client relationships versus fast business transactions. Brenda stays actively involved in leadership roles within the community. Her convictions and practices in sustainability, real estate, and development practices lend support to local businesses, community, and municipalities. Brenda is a nationally recognized educator, advocate, and mentor for a sustainable real estate, and is a member of the Built Green community.
David Osaki works on middle housing and racially disparate impact issues with the Washington State Department of Commerce Growth Management Services. He has served as Community Development Director for several Central Puget Sound cities including Fife, Monroe and Mukilteo. David has a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University and Bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of Washington and has served on planning commissions and on a housing authority board in the Puget Sound region. He has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 1986.
Mason Rolph is the President of Olympia Community Solar, a non-profit organization working to expand access to clean energy. He and his team have developed community and multifamily housing solar installations in Thurston County. Olympia Community Solar is currently enrolling the Thurgood Marshall Community Solar project located on an Olympia middle school. Mason serves as a board member for the Washington Solar Energy Industry Association.
Alex is Head of Residential Innovations at Earth Advantage and applies his 30 years of experience in sustainable design and construction to research and training, helping to make the benefits of high-performance building available to everyone. Alex has deep knowledge of building science and its real-world applications and is an expert in low-carbon building assemblies and systems. Since 2006 Alex has worked and consulted on some of the first LEED for Home, Passive House, and Zero Energy projects in the Pacific Northwest, including the first commercial Living Building in Oregon and the largest ZE multifamily projects in the PNW.
Andi Burnham is an Associate Principal and Director of Energy Services at Rushing. Andi is passionate about real world building performance. In her role she participates in an integrated design process, working with architects, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers, lighting designers, sustainability consultant, and commissioning agents to find pragmatic and optimized solutions for each project’s goals. She has experience building energy models of existing facilities calibrated to utility bills, giving her a fascinating window into the (sometimes wide) gap between design modeling and actual building operation which helps inform her practical approach to consulting. Andi volunteers to support development of the state of Washington and City of Seattle’s amendments to the energy code, and the development of state legislation for energy performance requirements for existing buildings. She also regularly provides energy support for projects utilizing development incentive programs, such as the Green Building Standard and Living Building Pilot Program, and energy support for the new affordable housing Exemplary Buildings program. Her involvement with new programs and policies, as well as incentive procurement at the city and state level bring a forward-looking approach to projects.
Graduated from the University of Puget Sound and lives in the Seattle Washington area. 2007-2013 worked Clearesult in the Northwest Washington region on a Joint Utility ENERGY STAR Lighting program that targeted the single and multi-family residential markets. In early 2014 joined Clearesult and worked on a NEEA High Performance Home Specification pilot program. This program was designed to help builders embrace net zero ready building practices. In 2015 went to Asia with his partner who was teaching on a Fulbright post in Tokyo. In Nepal when the 2015 earthquake happened. Stayed in Nepal to do volunteer service work. In 2016 joined the Performance Construction Team at Mitsubishi Electric. The Mitsubishi Performance Construction Team helps promote energy efficient heat pump solutions to the residential new construction market. Greg works with high performance builders and the HVAC industry across the Pacific Northwest.
In 2018, Greg joined TRC to work with builders, architects, and raters in new construction efficiency offerings. In 2019 and again in 2021 Greg managed code studies for the states of Oregon and Washington. Both studies have been published by Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and shed light on the code development process, industry adjustment, and builder’s reactions to code. Other clients of Greg’s include Energy Trust of Oregon and Bonneville Power Administration. Prior to his work with TRC, Greg has worked in and out of the public sector for 25 years and ran an efficiency retrofit company and acted as a building analyst in the existing home market.
Teresa Wang is a Sustainability Consultant at Rushing. She focuses on consulting and coordination for 3rd party certification programs (e.g. LEED, Built Green, Fitwel, Green Globes). She also works on the procurement process for energy-efficiency incentive programs through local utility providers (e.g. SCL, PSE). She has experience working on multifamily, mixed use, commercial interior, and civic center projects from pre-design through construction completion and works closely with various disciplines the whole way through. Teresa holds a Master of Science in civil engineering and Bachelor of Science in environmental science, both from University of Washington. She is a Seattle native.
Jonathan Davis is a co-founder of Davis Studio Architecture + Design. The firm is driven by modern principles and infuses a human and personal approach to modern architecture, balanced with a concern for the environment and sustainability. Their certified projects have achieved One Planet, Built Green 5-Star, and LEED Platinum certifications.
Additionally, Jonathan worked at Frank Gehry and Associates contributing to such projects as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the German Utility Building, near Hanover, one of the first green buildings in Europe.
Vulpine Electric is a Latino and minority owned firm, in business since 2020. Daniel provides premium knowledgeable electrical services for commercial and public works projects.
Monica Guevara is the Economic Inclusion Program Manager for Emerald Cities Collaborative. In this role she oversees the delivery of the signature E-Contractor Academy and manages contractor development programming. She is an economic development professional with over 14 years’ experience assisting underserved communities in achieving their small business dreams. Monica’s experience includes implementing and developing educational programs for entrepreneurs as well as underwriting and overseeing small business lending for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). She is bilingual in English and Spanish with an embarrassingly small amount of Portuguese ability. Her interests include dancing ballet, folklórico and salsa, eating baked goods regardless of whether or not she baked them, and exploring her new home in the Pacific Northwest.
Gary Klein, President of Gary Klein & Associates, Inc. has been intimately involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy since 1974. One sixth of his career was spent in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the rest in the United States. Since the early 1990s he has led the effort to incorporate “hot water as a system” into the core principles of building science. After serving 19 years with the California Energy Commission, he has provided consulting on sustainability since 2008, with an emphasis on the water-energy-carbon-health connection. The benefits of right-sizing premise plumbing and water heating systems are currently at the top of his list. Klein received a BA from Cornell University in 1975 with an Independent Major in Technology and Society with an emphasis on energy conservation and renewable energy.
The International Association of Plumber and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) recognized his efforts in 2014 presenting him their Green Professional of the Year award. In 2015 the Department of Energy awarded him the Jeffrey A. Johnson Award for Excellence in in the Advancement of Building Energy Codes.
James guides ECC’s to ensure the financial, environmental, and health benefits of a clean energy economy are fully realized in BIPOC, underserved, and frontline communities. He brings over 11 years of experience working in energy efficiency and has earned several industry-recognized credentials including BPI, PTCS, SHP, Home Energy Score, HERS Rater, and LEED Green Rater. Metoyer helped develop and deliver the Green Building Trainee Accreditation at Earth Advantage to youth training/pre-apprenticeship programs across Oregon, that serve historically underserved and under-represented populations in the construction industry. His passions are teaching students about energy efficiency, bridging the gap between the medical industry and the built environment to create healthy outcomes, and working to ensure that historically underserved populations have equitable access to healthy, safe, durable, sustainable and energy efficient housing. James is a son of the Cane River Créole community of Isle of Brevelle.
Eliot is the Lead Mechanical Engineer at Green Canopy NODE with over ten years of experience in engineering design and manufacturing. His background is a combination of aerospace automation and construction technologies. He has a passion for affordable housing and finding the balance between form and function.
While studying Environmental Science in college, I realized my passion for green buildings. After gaining hands on construction experience working for Habitat for Humanity, I started working with BEE Consulting. It was while working there that I gained all the green building credentials I currently hold. My goal as a green building verifier with BEE is to try and demystify and simplify green construction for the builders and developers that we work with.
CYC Mechanical is a black and minority owned firm, in business since 2017. Chris provides high quality HVAC services for your home, office or small commercial building.
Nathan Coons is a remodeling contractor out of Lynnwood Washington. His career consist of working as a remodeling carpenter, attending trade schools, supervision of new construction, and building a remodeling company.
Talia Dreicer is a BIM Specialist and Design Project Manager for TC Legend Homes. She is passionate about all things building science and embodied carbon with an interested in having a meaningful impact on the world through green building design. Talia graduated from Western Washington University where she earned a BS in Energy Science and Technology and a BA in Economics.
Daniel J. Glenn, AIA, NCARB, is a nationally recognized Native American architect specializing in culturally responsive architecture and sustainable design that reflect his Crow Tribal heritage. Mr. Glenn’s work focusses on the integration of culture, art and architecture including collaboration with elders and local artists. He is featured with six other Indigenous architects in the documentary film, From Earth to Sky and is a regularly invited speaker at national and international conferences. His work was exhibited in Unceded: Voices of the Land, an exhibition of First Nations and Native American architects at the 2018 Venice Biennale and in many publications on contemporary Indigenous architecture.
With more than seventeen years experience building homes in the greater Seattle area, Anthony is an advocate for sustainable design and Net Zero Energy construction. He continues to push the envelope in the built green community with innovative construction methods that have positively influenced city building practices. As a result of this commitment and effort, Anthony and Dwell have won numerous National, Regional and Local Sustainable and Design Awards. As a lifelong Seattleite, Anthony has a deep commitment to creating communities that bring together like-minded individuals who value sustainability and a modern reclaimed design.
Anthony has served as the Chair on the Board of the MBA’s Built Green Residential Building Program for the last five years. He serves on the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Sustainability & Green Building Subcommittee. He is a key member of the Columbia City Business Association and Georgetown Communities, and is sought after as a thought leader in the national and local sustainable communities to promote and share Dwell Development’s green agenda.
Principal + Design Project Manager at Dwell Development, Abbey is not only focused on selecting home finishes, but more importantly, seeking out rare, reclaimed materials that make each home one-of-a-kind. Abbey runs all aspects of design for Dwell in addition to her project management roll. She enjoys collaborating with local suppliers to incorporate high end products and sustainable materials into every home to reflect a unique design personality. Recently, Abbey received international recognition for efforts in green design. Prior to Dwell Development, Abbey worked in the building trades for over 20 years before joining forces with her husband Anthony in 2013. Abbey’s design is most inspired by travel. She appreciates the historical architecture found around the world and looks for ways to incorporate these elements into every home they build or renovate.
Joshua Salinger is founder and principal of Birdsmouth Design-Build in Portland, OR. Birdsmouth is a residential Design-Build firm focused on addressing climate change through the built environment through zero energy new homes and deep energy retrofits. He is an instructor for both Earth Advantage’s Sustainable Homes Professional program and PHIUS’ Certified Passive House Builder training program. He sits on the board of Passive House Northwest and also sits on the technical committee of Zero Energy Ready Oregon. Additionally, he is an EEBA Zero Energy Home Professional, an ‘Expert Member’ on Green Building Advisor and contributes content to Fine Homebuilding magazine.
While studying Environmental Science in college, I realized my passion for green buildings. After gaining hands on construction experience working for Habitat for Humanity, I started working with BEE Consulting. It was while working there that I gained all the green building credentials I currently hold. My goal as a green building verifier with BEE is to try and demystify and simplify green construction for the builders and developers that we work with.