Ben Adams leads program design for MaGrann Associates, a residential energy engineering and consulting company based in the New Jersey.  Over more than 25 years, his program development experience has ranged from comprehensive energy education and retrofit initiatives to the design and implementation of residential new construction programs for numerous states and utilities.  Since 2003, Ben has been a Board Director of RESNET, as well as Chair of its Quality Assurance Committee and a participant in numerous working groups (most recently for development of multifamily rating guidelines).  He also sat on the Board of Directors of Affordable Comfort (ACI) from 1996 to 2008, and again from 2011-2013.  He is a frequent participant in regional and national strategy sessions addressing residential energy issues, particularly related to whole-building approaches.  He began his career in energy efficiency program development at the New Zealand Ministry of Energy in 1982.  He has an MBA from Drexel University and a B.S. from the University of Canterbury.

Sandra K Adomatis is a real estate appraiser, instructor, author, and appraisal course developer.  She authored “Residential Green Valuation Tools” published April 2014, by the Appraisal Institute.  Sandra spearheaded the development of the Appraisal Institute Residential and Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendums.

Sandra’s valuation and green building knowledge is sought by many for consulting in the area of valuing energy efficiency and green building technology.  Consulting clients include builders, governmental agencies, utility companies, and energy organizations. She is a national speaker on the valuation of green features at events such as GreenBuild, IBS, EEBA, ACI, The White House Conference Center, National Association of Realtors, National Association of Home Builders, and Appraisal Institute Conferences. 

She worked with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on the study, “Selling into the Sun: Price Premium Analysis of a Multi-State Dataset of Solar Homes” and “Appraising into the Sun: A Six-state Solar Home Paired Sales Analysis” in 2015.  Sandra authored the recent study “What is Green Worth? Unveiling High Performance Premiums in Washington, D.C.”

Brian Andrews is the Education Director for Arizona Going Green, which is a BPI certified contractor for APS and SRP and performs energy audits to residential properties.

Brian is part of panel of speakers that teach an accredited course on energy efficiency to the real estate associations throughout the valley. His expertise is in teaching how the construction of a home can determine its energy efficiencies, how testing is done using BPI standards which will determine the efficiency of that particular property and how repairs can be done which will increase the homes efficiencies and lower its energy consumption, eliminate hot and cold rooms and improve indoor air quality. Will explain how a HERS rater establishes HERS index score for a residential property. using RESNET software will establishes the properties energy efficiency rating.

Sean Armstrong, with his partner Michael Winkler, has led the design of more Zero Net Energy (ZNE) housing than any other designer in North America, starting with America's first 50% ZNE apartments (2006), then the first 100% ZNE apartments (2012), and among 2015's projects is the largest ZNE subdivision yet built (fall 2015). Sean started ZNE design early, teaching as a 19 year old the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, where pedal powered laptops, a natural refrigerator and parabolic solar cookers work alongside one of America's first grid-tied solar arrays (2001). Sean got into the ZNE business as part of his 12,000+ hours as Project Manager with the affordable housing developer Danco Communities, and then the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Arcata. It was at Danco that Sean worked to implement the California Utility Allowance Calculator (CUAC), which is the strongest financial tool for creating enough financing for ZNE construction. Sean grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, and his wife farms in Arcata--should you call for professional reasons, you may hear baby livestock being cared for next to his home office.

Jacob Atalla is Vice President of Sustainability at KB Home, where he leads KB’s initiatives to make every home it builds more environmentally friendly.

Educated as an architect, Jacob has over 25 years’ experience with technology and green building.  He draws on this deep expertise to create innovative solutions for building energy- and water-efficient homes.

Jacob worked on the development of KB Home’s Energy Performance Guide (EPG), which for the first time provides homeowners with HERS Index Score and estimated gas and electricity costs for every KB home.

Recent projects include the introduction of KB Home’s line of net-zero energy homes; building over 3,500 homes with solar from coast to coast; building the most WaterSense labeled homes in the nation; and building over 100 LEED certified homes.

Jacob also prepares the annual sustainability reports released by KB Home, the only national homebuilder to do so since 2008. 

KB Home received the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, one of the highest honors a homebuilder can receive from EPA, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.  KB Home also received the U.S. Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation awards (Zero Energy Ready) in 2011, 2012 2013, and 2014, and WaterSense Partner of the Year awards in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Jacob serves on the board of directors for Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), and the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA).  He also serves on the technical committee for Leading Builders of America, and the advisory boards of Orange County’s Urban Land Institute, and TecHome Builder.

Assistant Director for Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH), Jessie is in charge of all Consultation Project activities that includes the Cooperative Agreement section.  Outreach training and visits completed by his consultants and trainers provide an avenue for small businesses and employers throughout the State of Arizona to understand their requirement per the OSHA standards.  

Whether it be a partnership program like SHARP or VPP, his department strives to ensure workplaces go above and beyond the OSHA standards and thus recognized for their effort.  Alliances are continuously formed by Jessie to assure that ADOSH and Associations are up to date with the most current OSHA standards and approaches to safety.  Additionally Jessie oversees the Tucson office where a staff of seven CSHO’s and one Supervisor make-up the Compliance section.   

Prior to this appointment, Jessie started with ADOSH over nine years ago where he was hired as a Safety Compliance Officer.  During his time as a CSHO, he visited many General Industry and Construction type settings ensuring that employers were adhering to the minimum ADOSH/OSHA standards set forth by the State of Arizona. Over the years Jessie has built lasting impressions with various employers for his enthusiasm and fairness during his onsite inspections.  That enthusiasm has been beneficial to the ADOSH program as many new and existing employers call upon him for ways to improve their Safety and Health Management System. 

CONTACT INFO and INFO:
Jessie Atencio
Assistant Director/VPP Coordinator
Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health
(602) 921-9778
(520) 320-4222
jessie.atencio@azdosh.gov

Bob Axelrad is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Indoor Environments Division at EPA and currently managing EPA’s Indoor airPLUS label for new homes. Indoor airPLUS is a companion label available to builders of new homes that first earn the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes label and meet additional specifications designed to improve indoor air quality in new construction.

Since Bob joined EPA in 1980, he has held a number of positions focused on hazardous waste, indoor air quality, and children's health issues. As the first director of EPA's Indoor Air Division from 1988-1995, Bob was responsible for the development of much of EPA's original policy and guidance on indoor air quality, including the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools guidance and EPA's work on secondhand tobacco smoke, which led to publication in 1992 of its landmark risk assessment classifying secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen.

From 1998 to 2001, Bob served as co-chair of the Asthma Workgroup of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children and co-authored Asthma and the Environment, A Strategy to Protect Children.  From 2002 to 2009, Bob lead an EPA-wide effort to integrate EPA’s programs for K-12 schools, including chairing the EPA-wide workgroup that developed voluntary guidelines for the siting of new school facilities, issued in 2011.

Steve Baden has worked in the residential energy efficiency field for over twenty five years, including eighteen years with home energy ratings and energy mortgages on both the state and national levels, and ten years administering a state energy office. Mr. Baden initiated the "Warm Homes for Alaskans Initiative" which received the "1993 National Award for the Most Outstanding State Housing Program" from the National Council of State Housing Agencies. Steve was also awarded "Lifetime Achievement Awards" from the U.S. Department of Energy and RESNET.

Mike Barcik is a Senior Engineer for Technical Services at Southface.  With B.S and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech, Mike is the author of numerous technical resources and has developed and lead thousands of trainings for RESNET, BPI, LEED, DOE, EPA and other programs. He's active in energy code development and often leads workshops on the latest code changes. Since 1999, Mike has trained over 1,400 individuals in RESNET's Home Energy Rating System (HERS) program and in 2010, helped create the Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier program to certify over a thousand individuals for blower door and duct leakage testing, as required by the 2009 IECC.  Mike served as LEED Faculty for BD+C, EB O&M, and Homes as well as helped develop and teach the EarthCraft family of sustainable programs. He recently helped author Decatur Georgia's High Performance Building Ordinance which requires 3rd party certification for new single-family, multi-family, and commercial projects.

David has been with Masco Home Services for over 12 years, and is currently the VP of Building Science for Masco Home Services and the Environments For Living Program. The Environments For Living program is a building science based program which promotes a systems approach to home construction. The program focuses on the envelope and HVAC system to provide for homes that are durable, safe, comfortable, and energy efficient. To date the program has over 175,000 homes enrolled with the great majority also being Energy Star Homes. During David’s time as the VP of Building Science Masco Home Services has grown its performance testing footprint to become one of the largest HERS rater networks in the United States, conducting testing for code, HERS index, Energy Star and the EFL program.   Prior to coming to Masco he was the VP – National Builder Program for EIC Corporation, managing the Certainteed High Performance Home Program. He also spent 20 years with Pennsylvania Power and Light in various positions in their residential Marketing & Energy Services Department. David is a member of the RESNET Board and also a member of the EEBA Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

A native of Pennsylvania, Dave attended King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA graduating with a degree in Marketing. In addition he has an Associates Degrees in Plumbing and Heating technology.

Ms. Blissard holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in architecture from the University of Illinois and has built a successful 25-year+ practice in the design and construction of buildings, homes, and interiors. She is also a licensed architect in Illinois & Wisconsin as well as having received approval for reciprocal licensure in every state except California via NCARB certification (Certificate #62455). Other accreditations & certifications include RESnet Energy Rater, LEED AP BD+C, LEED AP HOMES & Green Rater, and USGBC LEED® Faculty™ as well as City of Chicago Self-Certification Architect and City of Chicago Registered Energy Professional (REP). In her role as the technical director, Laureen provides technical advice and specifications in the construction of green homes and buildings with an emphasis on the efficiency of the thermal envelope.

Additionally, Laureen is the principal of an architecture and energy consulting firm called LTLB Envirotecture that specializes in sustainable commercial work, new certified green homes, residential additions, existing home retrofits for aging in place clients, and providing rater services for a multitude of green building programs including Energy Star Multi-Family High Rise.

Senior Policy Analyst – Manager Codes & Standards Initiative
Licensed Architect in Arizona and California, RESNET Rater
ICC Certified Building Official and Commercial Energy Inspector
SRP’s voting representative to the ICC code development process

Ms. Bonesteel has over 30 years of experience in the Construction Industry; including directing operations at her architectural firm, providing expert witness on building code issues, as well as jurisdictional code enforcement. She brings this experience to the utility industry; facilitating the adoption of energy efficient building codes and providing education on codes and energy efficient construction methods to the customers served by the Salt River Project.

Eric Bowler is a senior engineer, specializing in residential energy and water systems, at Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He is the program lead of the ReNEWW (Retrofitted Net-zero Energy, Water & Waste) House a living laboratory/sustainable living showcase collaboration between Purdue University and Whirlpool Corporation. Mr. Bowler’s team finished runner-up in the 2012 Hult Prize, the world’s largest student competition for social good, with a business case for micro financed solar lanterns for the African market. Eric holds a dual MS in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (KTH) and the Polytechnic University in Turin (PoliTo). His master’s thesis was titled Residential Resource Management and focused on staged deep energy retrofits in various markets of the United States. Eric has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. He is passionate about improving the standard of living for people everywhere, while ensuring a transition to a sustainable energy and water infrastructure.

Martha Brook is a licensed mechanical engineer in the state of California. She has worked at the California Energy Commission for 24 years, where she has gained experience in long-term energy demand forecasting, building energy efficiency standards, and research and development of energy efficient technologies for residential and commercial buildings. Martha most recently led the efforts to update the residential and nonresidential compliance software for the 2013 Standards. Martha’s professional experience outside the Commission includes mechanical engineering design and software development for energy management systems.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the California State University at Humboldt in Environmental Resources Engineering.

Pamela Brookstein is the Market Transformation Specialist for Elevate Energy. She began in January 2014, working to make the value of high performance homes visible in real estate transactions.  She coordinates a national group of efficiency experts who are making groundbreaking accomplishments in the realm of visible value, and works closely with the local real estate community to increase usage and understanding of “green MLS”.  Pamela has spent much of her career building relationships with municipal leaders, community organizations, and local residents to improve the public health in Chicagoland. She has used her grassroots organizing skills to promote bicycling as a viable transportation option as well as to help hundreds of homeowners make their homes more energy efficient.

Rod Buchalter is the Vice President of Sales and Market Development for Renewability Energy Inc. He is also the President of the Brantford Home Builders' Association in Ontario, Canada. Rod spent 20 years with Union Gas, a large natural gas utility in Southwestern Ontario, in various Account Management roles working with builders, retailers and HVACS promoting Drain Water Heat Recovery ( DWHR). Currently he develops residential and commercial DWHR programs in partnership with utilities and large production builders like KB Home. Rod graduated from the Business program at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in 1989 with a major in Marketing.

Bob Burns is Co-Founder and President of Pivotal Energy Solutions, LLC, a Phoenix-based technology solutions company established in 2011.  Pivotal's Axis platform serves as a data hub for the collection, storage, and sharing of residential energy efficiency data by streamlining the energy rating process and energy efficiency program participation, quality control, and administration, and enabling stakeholders to enhance the value and demand for energy efficient homes.  Prior to starting Pivotal, Bob was Director of Engineering at a global semiconductor company where he and his Pivotal business partner, Steven Klass, developed design, workflow automation, and infrastructure software solutions.  Bob received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University.

Ryan Burrell is currently an account manager with ICF International who supports the development and implementation of energy efficiency program strategies for utility clients. As an account manager Ryan serves as a liaison between ICF administered energy efficiency programs and trade allies, including contractors, builders, distributors, manufacturers, and local trade organizations. Ryan has worked directly with a wide range of residential energy efficiency programs for multiple utilities across the Southeast, including implementing ENERGY STAR New Homes and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR utility programs. Ryan holds certifications as a BPI Building Analyst, Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier, Level I Thermography and is a BPI Building Analyst proctor. Ryan has also had extensive training in ACCA Manual J8 Load Calculation and ACCA Manual D Duct Design.  Ryan holds a B.B.A in Management from the University of Georgia.

Laura Capps is the Program Manager for Southface’s Advanced Commercial Buildings Initiative (ACBI) program. ACBI leverages existing local and regional commercial energy efficiency programs and DOE resources to create research-driven solutions to overcome hurdles to broad adoption of deep energy packages for commercial buildings under 50,000 square feet.  Prior to joining the commercial team, Laura directed the Residential Sustainability Services team at Southface for 7 years overseeing various residential green building programs. Laura is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional for Homes, LEED for Homes Green Rater, LEED for Homes QAD, EarthCraft Technical Advisor, RESNET Green Rater, HERS Rater QAD, HERS Rater, Lead RRP contractor, National Green Building Standard Accredited Verifier, NAHB Certified Green Professional, BPI Building Analyst Professional and Certified Energy Manager.  Laura serves as faculty for US Green Building Council, RESNET and NeighborWorks America.  She holds an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University and a graduate degree in Building Construction and Facility Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Carl is a principal at Winning Strategies Washington (WSW), a mid-sized, bi-partisan lobbying firm.  Carl has over two decades of political experience working on Federal campaigns at the Senate and Presidential levels.  Prior to joining WSW , Carl was a partner in a small government affairs firm for 5 years.

Carl served as Finance Director at the Democratic National Committee from 2006-2009.  His tenure at the DNC allowed him daily interaction with senior members of the Obama campaign team, many of whom have gone on to hold important policy positions in the White House and Executive branch agencies.

Prior to his work at the DNC, Carl served as a senior campaign aide to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.  He has also worked on Senate campaigns in Missouri, Georgia and Washington State.  Carl also had the opportunity to work for Secretary of State John Kerry’s 2004 campaign for President.

He is a former staffer of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and maintains strong ties with many Senate Chiefs of Staff.

Carl and his family live in northern Virginia.  He is a member of the Foundation Board of Directors for Westminster Presbyterian Church of Alexandria.  Carl served as an enlisted infantry solder in the Army National Guard of New York and Maryland, receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1996.  He attended Syracuse University receiving a bachelor of arts in American Studies in 1991.

Thomas Cochran first became involved with Sustainability in design, operations, and construction when he joined Energy Inspectors Corporation, the largest home energy rating company in the nation.  He began his career with the Energy Inspectors Corporation in 2009 as an energy efficiency consultant. He is now the Vice President of the Arizona Division and has excelled in projects involving Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, Green Building, Strategic Planning, Business Development, and Energy Conservation related to homes, multifamily and commercial projects. 

He served as the Chair of Residential Green Building Committee from January 2013 through July 2015 and has had a focused effort on improving the valuation of green and energy efficient features by appraisers along with other accomplishments. The committee’s purpose has been to support professionals in the Arizona housing industry to design, build, renovate, and sell environmentally sustainable homes. In 2015 he was elected to the board of directors for the USGBC Arizona Chapter for the 2015-2017 term.

He holds certifications for HERS Rater (RESNET), LEED for Green Homes Rater (USGBC) and Sustainable Building Advisor (Sustainable Building Advisor Institute).

David Cohan is the Building Energy Codes Program Manager for the US Department of Energy.  He has worked in energy efficiency for over 20 years in a variety of capacities including evaluation, program design and, for the past ten years, the development and implementation of building energy codes which mandate minimum efficiency levels for all new buildings constructed in the United States. David is particularly focused on ways to increase compliance with the codes so that the potential energy savings are actually realized. David has worked at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance since 2000 and is currently on special assignment to US DOE where he was brought in to reinvigorate their energy codes program. He holds an MS in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Literature from the University of California, San Diego. In his spare time David enjoys playing ultimate Frisbee.

Mr. Cottrell is the Vice President of Technical Services for the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, the association that represents the fiber glass, rock and slag wool manufacturers. Its role is to promote energy efficiency and environmental preservation through the use of fiber glass, rock wool and slag wool insulation as well as encourage safe production and use of these materials.    Charles’ primary responsibility is to represent the insulation industry’s interests in the energy, building and mechanical codes and standards arena.  Prior to joining NAIMA in 1998, Mr. Cottrell worked for the National Association of Home Builders in their building codes division and a mechanical contracting firm where he designed and oversaw the installation of commercial HVAC systems.  He has owned a construction company whose primary business was residential construction and commercial building maintenance.  After graduating from Virginia Tech where he received his B.S. in mechanical engineering, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a helicopter pilot for eight years.

M. Lance Coyle, MAI, SRA, of Dallas, is the 2015 president of the Appraisal Institute. He will serve as immediate past president in 2016. He serves this year as chair of the organization’s Executive Committee and chairs its policy-setting Board of Directors.

Coyle served as president of the North Texas Chapter of the Appraisal Institute (2000) and was a member of the Region VIII Committee for multiple years. He was a member of the national Board of Directors (2003-05) and served as chair of Region VIII (2005). Coyle served as chair of the Appraisal Institute’s Education Committee (2009-10) and until his election as vice president was chair of AI’s Strategic Planning Committee.

He was a reviewer of two Appraisal Institute books – “Market Analysis for Real Estate” and “Real Estate Damages” — and was part of the development team for the Advanced Concepts course. He received the Appraisal Institute’s regional “Volunteer of Distinction” monthly honor in 2010.

Coyle has been involved in the real estate appraisal profession for 30 years. He is principal of Coyle Realty Advisors, a Dallas-based real estate services firm engaged in fee-based investment property valuation, analysis, research, expert witness testimony and counseling. He currently concentrates on providing support in real estate litigation cases, and has been a guest lecturer and author for several eminent domain conferences.

Coyle graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Emelie has leveraged her background in physics to become an expert building scientist. Her foundation in field-based activities has honed her skills in building analysis and software modeling. She conducted a two-year long research project on cooling systems in Massachusetts that included a comprehensive inspection of 80 homes with data monitoring.

Emelie is President of the Northeast Home Energy Rating Systems Alliance, a RESNET certified Rater, Trainer and Quality Assurance Designer, NAHB green verifier, EPA universal refrigerant handler, and holds two BPI certifications. 

She manages the HERS Provider division of Performance Systems Development and oversees quality assurance for more than 70 raters.

Emelie is currently project manager for developing a local home energy rating and disclosure program incorporating the HERS Index in Tompkins County, New York.

William D’Arrigo serves as a program account manager for the Multi-Family High Rise Residential New Construction Program in Massachusetts, his primary role is to recruit, train and assist participants throughout the process. Along with the New Construction Program, he performs quality assurance/ quality control (QA/QC) for the Multi-Family New Construction Program as well. William has extensive building experience; for over a decade he has performed HERS Ratings in thousands of units. He is a Quality Assurance Designee for RESNET and will conduct Rater Trainings. He has also worked in various weatherization programs using his BPI Building Analyst certification. Most recently, William was a QAD in the LEED for Homes program. He also has his Massachusetts Construction Supervisors License and keeps up with current building code.

Alec Danaher is an energy efficiency consultant for ICF International, working primarily as a technical consultant for the Massachusetts Residential New Construction Program. Prior to working at ICF International, he was an active duty Air Force Civil Engineer Officer, working in facility construction and maintenance, asset management, and energy efficiency. Alec is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in California, a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), and a Certified Energy Manager (CEM). He has experience in residential and commercial energy efficiency as well as facility operations and maintenance.

Stephen Davis has worked in and around the insulation and construction industry for 30 years. A recovering HERS Rater, Stephen is the CEO of Sustainable Consulting Group, LLC. Sustainable Consulting Group is a small firm concentrating on building science consulting as well as integrating emerging technologies into the built world.  Prior to Sustainable Consulting Group, Stephen was the Director of Engineering for Demilec spray foam. While at Demilec he was responsible for product development and support, building science support, and technical assistance as well as fielding calls from raters, architects, engineers, code officials, contractors and homeowners. Previous to Demilec he was with MASCO Corporation’s Environments For Living program as a Regional Program Manager. While with EFL, Stephen liaised with raters and builders all over the US working on energy efficiency programs such as EFL, ENERGY STAR, Building America and others. In his various roles, Stephen has worked or consulted on projects throughout the US, Canada, and more than 15 countries on 5 continents. Outside of the building performance arena, Stephen is also the Founder and Principal of Davis|Jones Design Group which is a specialty firm concentrating on creating stunning presentations for businesses of all sizes and types.

Brett founded Dillon Consulting (now IBS Advisors) because his purpose, his reason for existence on this planet, is to help other people succeed in becoming the best person to fill the role that their own purpose demands.

He saw a parallel need for business to do that as well-to become the best at what they were designed for.

Brett’s background is as varied as the services IBS Advisors provides.

Raised in a home building industry, Brett kept trying to run away from his vocation. For over a decade, he worked in law enforcement, as a private investigator specializing in surveillance, a security consultant in Central America, a professional submission fighter, and a pro-wrestler.

No matter how hard he tried, he always kept coming back to building and renovating homes.

Passionate about social justice, Brett finished his homebuilding career working as the Construction Director for the Habitat of Humanity affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee. But it was at a conference in Jacksonville, Florida, that he was confronted with a new paradigm that shifted him away from doing things the way they’ve always been done.

Thanks to Janet McIlvaine and Graham Davis, he transformed the way the affiliate built their homes. This saved money while improving comfort, durability, indoor air quality, and performance.

Brett went on to work for Southface in their local green building program EarthCraft House. He was the first Regional Program Manager, taking that program out of Atlanta to deployment state-wide in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee. Brett was also one of their lead trainers for energy code workshops, HERS Rater training, and Building America workshops.

Brett left Southface to work with Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, a non-profit that specialized in urban redevelopment and revitalization. As the Development Program Manager, he was responsible for quality control. While there, he developed construction specifications for high performance homes.

After Brett left CNE, Dillon Consulting (now IBS Advisors), was formed.

Brett is a member of the RESNET Board of Directors, where he serves as the secretary on the Executive Committee and as the Chair of the Technical Committee and the RESNET ANSI Standards Development Committee. He also serves on the RESNET ANSI Standards Management Board. Brett is a RESNET-credentialed Quality Assurance Designee and a Rater Trainer, as well a a USGBC LEED for Home faculty member.

All of these experiences prepared Brett for achieving his life purpose: improve the lives of others.

Doug is the CEO and Co-Founder of Interplay Learning, the leader in 3-D simulation training and testing products in the professional trades industry.  Currently more than 15,000 students and professionals are using Interplay products to advance their technical skills. Doug’s background includes launching two software companies and Echo Mountain, a Colorado ski area. A proud Wahoo, he holds a BA from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Scott Doyle is the Director of Field Services Division for EnergyLogic Inc., a Colorado based energy services organization primarily serving the residential efficiency sector. The Field Services Division houses four distinct but related business units: New Residential, Commercial, Multifamily/LEED, and Existing Homes. Scott joined the industry as a HERS Rater in 2003 after an early career in commercial and  industrial recycling. Since that time, he has performed inspections for code compliance, Energy Star compliance, and third party quality assurance on well over a thousand new and existing homes across a variety of construction types and climate zones. In 2007 he became a Residential Energy Services Network certified Quality Assurance Designee and Trainer. In 2008, he became a BPI Building Analyst, trainer, and field proctor. In 2013, he became one of only a handful of individuals to obtain the new Quality Control Inspector Advanced Certification from Building Performance Institute.  Scott has trained and mentored hundreds of energy professionals across the United States. He has served as a volunteer Subject Matter Expert assisting with multiple industry certification exam revisions.  Scott currently serves on the RESNET Training and Education Committee, Chair of the National Rater Exam Working Group, and is a nationally-recognized lecturer for the rating industry.

Rick is currently Technical Director for the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance.  Prior to joining SPFA, he was the Senior Marketing Manager for Honeywell’s Spray Foam Insulation business from 2006 to 2008. From 1997 to 2006, he was the Global Program Director for CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain Insulation’s New Materials and Applications Portfolio.   From 1989 to 1997 he was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Bucknell University.  He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics from The Pennsylvania State University, MSME from Bucknell and a BSME from the University of Maryland.  Rick is a Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and is a certified BPI Building Analyst.

Steve Easley is an internationally recognized construction consultant specializing in solving building science related problems and educating building industry professionals and their trade partners.  His work focuses on increasing quality of construction, sustainability, performance, and reducing costly mistakes that lead to construction defects and call backs.

Steve’s mission is helping industry professionals build & remodel structures that are durable, energy efficient, healthy and comfortable to live and work in.  He has more than 30 years of industry experience, performing thousands of jobsite quality surveys and presenting building science seminars around the world with an annual audience of 8-10,000 industry professionals.

Laurel Elam has been RESNET’s Conference Coordinator since 2010 and Quality Assurance Manager since 2013.  Before joining RESNET Laurel was a project manager with the Appalachian State University Energy Center. She graduated from Appalachian State University, with a degree in Appropriate Technology and a minor in Sustainable Development. The main focus of her work at the Energy Center was specific to promotion of residential energy efficiency and ENERGY STAR Homes. She is the co-author and designer for the Affordable Passive Solar Planbook for North Carolina and was the coordinator of the annual NC ENERGY STAR Conference.

Steve’s passion for energy efficiency began in 1977, when as an eager 12 year old he built his first “above code” dog house (an A-frame with R-11 vaults).  After a few short stints in the construction and education sectors, Steve has been actively working in the areas of energy/energy efficiency/sustainability since 1996. His past credentials include being a RESNET qualified HERS Rater/QA Designee, as well as a BPI Building Analyst Professional.  Now, as a Senior Manager with ICF International, Steve is currently involved with various residential and commercial DSM programs in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri and South Carolina, where he is continuously helping his utility clients navigate through the ever changing DSM landscape.

Having received three degrees from the University of Texas, Steve is an avid Longhorn who bleeds burnt orange through & through.  In his “down” time, Steve and his wife can usually be found at volleyball tournaments or track meets cheering on all five of their children in their athletic pursuits.

Mr. Elnecave has spent 15 years as both an engineer and energy policy analyst. Currently, Mr. Elnecave is the Senior Policy Manager at the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) with responsibilities that focus on the building energy codes program. Prior to arriving at MEEA, Mr. Elnecave managed the appliance efficiency standards and building energy codes programs at the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships where he was responsible for promoting the adoption and effective implementation of both these policies through the development and dissemination of technical and policy related information. He was actively involved in the recently adopted stretch code in Massachusetts where he worked closely with the Executive Office of Energy and Environment to develop the stretch commercial code. Before this, Mr. Elnecave worked as a policy advocate for the Michigan Environmental Council where he promoted policies and reviewed permits with the aim of cleaning up the dirty coal fired powered plants that dot the region. The first half of his career was spent as a civil engineer focusing on the structural retrofitting of older buildings to help them withstand earthquakes.

Richard Faesy is a principal and co-founder of Energy Futures Group in Hinesburg, Vermont.   As a Certified Energy Rater and LEED Accredited Professional, he specializes in residential buildings, technologies and markets, with a focus on residential new construction and retrofits, energy rating and labeling, ENERGY STAR Homes, building codes, energy efficiency financing, green building and effective energy efficiency policy, program design and implementation.  He currently works with clients in California, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  He as a founding RESNET Board member and served from 2000 through 2010, including a term as president.  Prior to founding EFG, Richard worked at the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation for 21 years and was a builder before then.

 Philip Fairey has been a member of the RESNET Board of Directors since 1998 and has served as President of RESNET twice, once from 2004-2006 and once from 2008-2010. Philip is currently a member of RESNET’s ANSI-accredited Standards Development Committee 300 and is Chairman of RESNET’s Standards Management Board.

Philip has more than 30 years of experience in building science research at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) where he has served as Deputy Director of FSEC since 1990. He has had primary responsibility for more than 30 major building science research contracts totaling more than $14 million. Philip has extensive expertise in combined heat and moisture transfer in buildings; heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems; building energy efficiency; humidity and moisture control; indoor air quality (IAQ); energy codes and standards; computer simulation and modeling; and building energy-efficiency rating systems. He is the author of more than 40 peer-reviewed technical papers and more than 100 technical reports.

Philip is also an active member of ASHRAE where he currently serves as a voting member of SSPC 62.2 on Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings and as chairman of SSPC 90.2 on Energy Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings.  He also serves on the International Standards Organization’s TC163 WG4 on Energy Performance of Buildings.

Over 35 years in Washington DC, William Fay has led seven broad-based national issue campaigns that coordinate lobbying, media, communications, and grassroots advocacy, both independently and as Sr. Vice President for America’s largest public relations firm.  Since 2007, he has led the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC), which has united a broad base of supporters from government, manufacturers, regional energy efficiency networks, environmental and consumer groups, utilities, labor, and businesses to advance the development and adoption of building energy codes that put America on a glide-path of dynamic efficiency gains.  EECC’s campaigns have helped boost the efficiency of the International Energy Conservation Code by at least 38% and have worked with local and state jurisdictions and elected officials in support of the adoption of those codes.

Fay has a strong background in energy, environment, tax, transportation, & natural resource policy/regulation and served as legislative director for US Senators and Representatives who served on Senate Appropriations, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment & Public Works, and Finance Committees and the House Energy & Commerce, Transportation & Infrastructure, Resources and Agriculture Committees.  In addition, he has testified before 11 congressional committees, has worked for the Idaho Legislature, has degrees in accounting and political science, and successfully completed the Uniform Certified Public Accountants examination.

Tom is a QA and LEED for Homes specialist at EnergyLogic. He got his start in the construction industry swinging a hammer for his uncle’s home remodeling company. Tom has been rating new homes under the LEED for Homes and EnergyStar rating systems since 2010, and has experience working with all construction types – from custom single family to mid-rise multifamily. With his background in the construction world, Tom’s specialty is working with and training trade contractors onsite to ensure there is full buy-in across the spectrum with the requirements of the LEED process.

Relevant Experience
• A certified HERS Rater since November, 2011 and has performed ratings on over 300 new homes. This includes modeling each of these homes with REM/Rate.
• Has worked on over 100 LEED homes, including International projects, in consulting and field verification.

Anthony Floyd is a licensed architect and fellow of the American Institute of Architect. Since 1997, he has served as the Green Building Program Manager for the City of Scottsdale and was the city building official from 1988 -1995. He helped to establish Arizona’s first Green Building Program in 1998 and is responsible for education, outreach, project qualification, and maintaining Scottsdale’s regionally based green building program criteria. He was instrumental in Scottsdale’s adoption of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and LEED Gold mandate for newly constructed and renovated city facilities.

Rich is a registered architect in California and Arizona, US Green Building Council LEED accredited professional and a LEED for Homes Green Rater.   He has over 15 years experience with green building.  He is the Green Building Program Manager for Pima County Development Services and oversees the LEED for Homes Program and developed the Net-Zero Energy Building Standard.  He is also responsible for energy code adoption and education.

Dean is the technical manager for EPA’s ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program, which he has helped support, define, and implement for over a decade. With over 1.5 million homes certified, ENERGY STAR is the nation’s largest voluntary residential market transformation program, delivering cost-effective energy-efficient homes while improving their durability, comfort, and quality.

Todd Gamboa, President of Building Trust LLC, has been in the building industry for almost 30 years, managing private and public homebuilding companies. As a building science consultant and public speaker, he has trained thousands of builders, architects, contractors, code officials, appraisers, and REALTORS® across the country. He has launched and managed energy efficiency programs for state and federal governmental agencies and utility providers. His interactive and effective sales trainings are offered by utility companies, builder and Realtor associations, “Green” businesses, and NFP organizations throughout the US. He has created energy saving programs for the US Government – Dept of Defense/US Army and is managing a High Performance Homes program for the Colorado Energy Office. Mr. Gamboa is also an inductee into the Built Green Hall of Fame and recipient of several US Government Sustainability Awards.

When not working, Mr. Gamboa is also the proud father of four, carpenter, musician and lifelong athlete. He volunteers helping people with special needs and enjoys coaching high school football.

Aaron Gary is the Director of Delivery and Quality Assurance for US-EcoLogic | TexEnergy Solutions.  US-EcoLogic | TexEnergy Solutions was founded in 2002 to provide the knowledge and guidance needed for implementing the sustainable and green building strategies that best meets our clients' needs.

Aaron is a RESNET-credentialed Quality Assurance Designee and a Rater Trainer, as well as an ICC Commercial and Residential Energy Code Inspector and Plans Examiner.  He is also certified as a LEED Accredited Professional for Homes and BD&C, LEED for Homes Green Rater, LEED for Homes QAD, National Green Building Standard Verifier and a Green Globes Professional.  He holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a graduate degree in Architecture from Virginia Tech.

A native of London, England; Paul has been with TexEnergy/ US Eco logic since 2008.  Currently based out of the firms Charlotte NC Office, he is the Quality Assurance Manager for the nation wide Multi Family Division. Having “been in the Building Game one way or another” for over 30 years, Paul embraces the challenge of helping the Multi Family Team and their clients turn the Green Dream into a practical reality.

Paul is a RESNET QAD/Trainer. He is also a LEED AP, Green Rater and QAD, is Residential/Commercial IECC certified, is a NGBS 2008/2012 Green Verifier and was certified as a FSEC Class 1 Rater. His time with TexEnergy also included Single Family/Multi family Field inspections and Home Energy Audits.

Rick Gazica is a Manager at ICF International with more than 10 years of experience in residential new construction.  During his time with ICF International, he has launched 5 separate new homes programs on behalf of utilities in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania.  In addition to his work with utilities, he also supports the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program nationally.  He is the corporate account manager for the top 20 production builders and is also the technical training lead for the program as well as a subject matter expert for the client.  Prior to working with ICF, he worked at NVR as a project and costing manager in Virginia and Pennsylvania.  He received his Bachelors degree in Economics from Washington and Lee University in 2004.

This workshop is presented by nationally known ICF International instructor, Rob George.  Rob has been in the HVAC and building Industry for over 52 years. He has taught HVAC technical courses for the last nineteen years for both ICF and a major HVAC manufacturer and is ACCA EPIC certified in residential and commercial load calculations and duct design.  Rob is also NATE certified in five specialty areas and is a certified BPI instructor and field test proctor.  Rob has conducted over 500 classes and taught over 4000 students. Rob is well known for his ‘edutainment’ style of presenting very technical information in an enjoyable and easy to understand manner.  Rob works on numerous utility energy efficiency programs around the country and is ICF’s resident HVAC ‘guru’.

Jeffrey Gephart is president of Vermontwise Energy Services, Inc., an energy services company in Rochester, Vermont, founded in 1997.  He has over 20 years of experience providing residential new construction energy efficiency program design, marketing, and implementation for utilities and, since 2000, for Efficiency Vermont. Jeff works with architects and builders building ENERGY STAR® Homes, LEED for Homes, National Green Building Standard, and Passive House projects. As chief cat herd of the Vermont Green Home Alliance (VGHA), Jeff leads this volunteer alliance of construction and real estate trade associations and businesses working to dramatically increase building and energy efficiency education and information sharing with appraisers, home inspectors, mortgage lenders, Realtors®, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, and the regional MLS. The VGHA seeks to transform the real estate market so that buyers and sellers can identify and accurately value energy efficiency benefits.

John Gillett has worked for 14 years at Energy Inspectors helping to build the companies operational capacities across 5 western states. Over that time period the company has provided 3rd party inspection services for over 200,000 production homes.

With a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable consulting, the company now works with 18 of the top 20 homebuilders in one or more of their markets throughout the United States.
Currently employing over 120 personnel, Energy Inspectors has grown to become one of the preeminent building science consulting firms in the nation under Mr. Gillett’s stewardship.

Mo Glancy is the Acting Assistant Planning & Development Director for the City of Phoenix.  He manages the Development Division, responsible for plan review, permit issuance and inspections of all residential, commercial and associated infrastructure construction in Phoenix.  He is a graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Civil Engineering and is licensed as a civil and structural engineer.

John Godden has over 30 years of experience as a home and heating system designer and a hands-on builder with projects that include the “Clearsphere”, a CHBA EnviroHome. A graduate of the Bachelor of Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo, John is a leading energy-rater and consultant for Better than Code, ENERGY STAR, EnerGuide and LEED for Homes programs. John co-designed ENERGY STAR workshops for builders and advisors in Ontario and regularly delivers seminars on air-tightness, better building practices, and green sales and marketing.  John is the President of the Canadian Residential Energy Service Network (CRESNET) and the founder of the Sustainable Housing Foundation. He was a member of the national technical committee that developed the LEED Canada for Homes program.

David B. Goldstein has worked on energy efficiency and energy policy since the early 1970s.  He currently co-directs NRDC's Energy Program. 

Dr. Goldstein has been instrumental in the development of energy efficiency standards for new buildings and appliances that are currently in effect at the regional and national level in the United States, Russia, Kazakhstan, and China. He was a founding director of the Institute for Market Transformation, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the New Buildings Institute.

David B. Goldstein received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the recipient of its Leo Szilard Award for Physics in the Public Interest. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 and is the recipient of the California Alumni Association’s 2003 Award for Excellence in Achievement. He is also the author of “Saving Energy Growing Jobs” and “Invisible Energy.”

Andrew Gordon is an energy specialist for the WSU Extension Energy Program, a RESNET rating and BOP provider in Washington State. Andrew has over two decades of experience in program management, implementation and technical assistance to the public and industry. Andrew is Washington’s lead for the Energy Star Homes Northwest program. He has worked on numerous residential energy efficiency programs, including the Northwest Energy Efficient manufactured housing program, energy code support and Building America. Andrew has authored and co-authored numerous technical publications, articles and reports on residential energy efficiency. He serves as chairman of RESNET’s Training and Education Committee.

Holding both EcoBroker and NAR GREEN® designations enables Jan to view homes differently than most realtors. Understanding the building science involved in energy efficiency and which steps to take to achieve better results for the least cost and best ROI are a priority with more housing and tech savvy consumers.  

Home seller clients receive value added service and gain more dollars at the point of sale recognizing and defining energy efficient, sustainable and special upgrades.   Providing communication to the lender to ensure qualified and competent appraisers are used for homes with green and sustainable features helps to provide higher sale prices for these homes.  Knowing where to find those appraisers that are trained in energy efficiency is key as most lenders are not aware that the need exists, let alone that the education is in place for appraisers to properly value homes with solar, energy efficient and sustainable features.

Buyers feel they are using a trusted advisor in the search for their next home as we discuss potential energy bills, energy audits, and energy reducing measures that might help them in their new home.    When energy usage is considered during the purchase process for home buyers, more data is collected and brought to the attention for the buyers so that they can make a more educated home purchase.

Projects with USGBC have included hosting appraiser courses, green home tours, education classes for realtors, and greening the Arizona Regional MLS. 

RE/MAX Excalibur, 21803 N Scottsdale Rd., Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Volunteer, Residential Green Building Committee, US Green Building Council, Arizona Chapter (2009)
Advisory Board Member, Efficiency First Arizona (2014)
Instructor, Arizona School of Real Estate & Business (2014)
Speaker Panelist at Title Companies, Real Estate Associations, EEBA Conferences & Scottsdale Green Building Lecture Series

jan@gotgreen.info

As a RESNET Quality Assurance Designee (QAD), Jenna manages the Southface Energy Rated Homes (SERH) providership and serves as a mentor and technical advisor for new and existing independent HERS raters. She oversees the ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPLUS and WaterSense programs and provides training support for a variety of Southface trainings such as HERS and ENERGY STAR.  She has previously aided in implementing building science research for Building America, LBNL, and NREL.  Additionally, she’s serving as a volunteer for the RESNET QA Training Committee as well as the American Tiny House Association.  Jenna is certified as a RESNET Trainer, HERS Rater, WaterSense QAD, LEED for Homes Green Rater, EarthCraft Technical Advisor, and BPI Building Analyst Professional.  She holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Georgia, and is currently an Engineer-in-Training.

Charlie Haack is a consultant with ICF International, where he works on residential energy efficiency policy development, energy code development , and utility energy efficiency program implementation. Charlie has provided technical programmatic support for the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program since 2010. Prior to joining ICF International, Charlie served as ASHRAE’s public policy intern in Washington, DC. Charlie is a BPI certified Building Analyst and LEED accredited professional.

A Certified Green Professional, HERS Rater, National Green Building Standards Verifier, LEED H AP, LEED Green Rater, LEED Provider QAD, Passive House Rater and National Green Building Standards Partner of the Year, Jamie has her head wrapped around the residential green building certification industry.  She has been excited to be part of the Team that continues to keep NC in the top 5 states in the country for certified green homes.  As the Green Building Programs Manager at Southern Energy Management, she enjoys engaging builders and developers on and off site to help them identify cost saving, healthy, market focused strategies to improve the durability and energy performance of their homes and communities.  Wrapping up her 12th year in the construction industry, Jamie is excited about housing's future in sustainable energy solutions.

Is an experienced contractor, building scientist, and technical trainer with over 35 years of experience in the construction industry.  Working at Washington State University as a Building Systems and Energy Specialist, he is experienced in the design, construction, and performance evaluation of energy efficient healthy buildings and currently provides technical support for the Energy Star Homes Northwest Program, Building America, and utility based programs in the Pacific Northwest.  He is an ASHRAE member and has a degree in Physics from the University of Chicago.

C.R. Herro is Vice President of Environmental Affairs for Meritage Homes, a large-volume national home builder. CR leads their Energy and Innovation Program, which combines design, energy efficiency, water management, sustainability, and new technologies to establish a new standard in home building that provides better comfort and healthier air as well as less cost to own and operate.  In the last three years, Meritage has received numerous awards, including the EnergyValue Housing Award, Best Green Building Program Award, NAHB Builder of the Year and the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year–Sustained Excellence Award, recognizing ongoing industry leadership.

C.R. earned a Bachelors of Science at Arizona State University in Physical and Life Science, a Masters in Environmental Science from Governors State, and a Doctorate in Environmental Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. CR serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance, the RESNet Standards Development Committee, the Board of Directors for the Green Chamber of Commerce, the Technical Committee for the Leading Builders of America, and the Ibacos Best Practice Research Alliance. 

CR is a dynamic public speaker, who is convinced building higher-performance homes can win market share and improve profit performance. He has appeared before numerous groups nationally as an advocate to advance the industry, encourage rational regulations and bring associated stakeholders together toward adopting credible improvements to the function, performance, and long term value of new homes.

Based out of Southface’s Southeastern Weatherization and Energy Efficiency (SWEET) Center, Steve has over ten years of experience as a professional and educator in the building science industry. Focused towards home performance through residential new construction and renovation/retrofit work, he has experience with several cycles of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), as well as numerous “beyond code” programs. He is a certified Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Master Trainer and develops and instructs a variety of Southface trainings, including the Georgia Energy Code Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier training. Steve instructs courses and proctors examinations for an assortment of professional certifications, including the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and the Building Performance Institute (BPI). He enjoys learning, teaching, and working with construction professionals to find ways to deliver quality products by making cost-effective choices based upon building science.

Clinton has over 11 years of experience with home energy ratings, energy rating quality assurance, voluntary building programs, national energy rating and program standards, and related technology. Clinton served as the national quality assurance manager of RESNET, where in addition to providing approval and compliance reviews for rating providers, he contributed to RESNET standards and policy including working to align with other national and regional oversight bodies and contributing to the roll out of the first RESNET national buildings registry. Clinton’s current role with Pivotal Energy Solutions includes strategic planning, training, project management, software specification and testing, and user support. He wants to help meld building science, business compliance, and information technology to make the building performance industry more efficient.

Steven Hilton was co-chairman and co-chief executive officer of Meritage Homes Corporation from 1997 to May 2006. In May 2006, Mr. Hilton was named the Company's chairman and chief executive officer. In 1985, Mr. Hilton cofounded Arizona-based Monterey Homes, the predecessor company to Meritage Homes Corporation. Under Mr. Hilton's leadership, Monterey became publicly traded in 1996. Mr. Hilton received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Arizona and is a director of Western Alliance Bancorporation, a leading bank holding company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Hilton has almost 30 years of real estate experience and is considered an expert and innovator in the homebuilding industry. He is a frequent participant in panels and interviews regarding the industry. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Western Alliance Bancorporation and volunteers on boards for Banner Alzheimer's Institute; TGEN National Pancreatic Cancer Advisory Council and is a FoundationTrustee for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Michael Hobbs is the President of PahRoo Appraisal & Consultancy, a Chicago-based multi-disciplinary real estate appraisal and consulting firm.  PahRoo Appraisal & Consultancy is the only Midwest appraisal firm staffed with multiple certified appraisers possessing significant experience in the high-performance, sustainable, and energy efficient segments.  For more than 20 years, Michael has utilized his real estate investment, management, development and appraisal experience to guide clients through their real estate projects to achieve success.   Michael is an Illinois state-certified real estate appraiser who completed the Valuation of Sustainable Buildings curriculum by the Appraisal Institute.  He regularly performs court testimony as an expert witness in various local, state and federal courts.  Michael has been active in guiding the profession on “green valuation” issues and challenges while providing education and research on green policies and appraisal practices in the Midwest. His focus is on green, energy efficient, and net-zero residential and commercial properties.  He holds the SRA designation from the Appraisal Institute, the LEED Green Associate, an accreditation of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and the RAA designation from the National Association of Realtors.  In addition to real estate appraising, Michael is an instructor, columnist, author, and national speaker addressing the topics of real estate investing, real estate appraisal and sustainable and energy efficiency's impact on property appraisal values.  He is a guest lecturer at Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, DePaul University and  Harold Washington University.  When Michael is not speaking and writing on real estate and green building, he focuses on investing and entrepreneurship.  He is a board member of The Entrepreneur Organization (EO) Chicago Chapter, a global network of more than 10,000 business owners in 60 countries.

Roy Honican has been the Residential Services coordinator at Blue Grass Energy in Nicholasville since January 2002, after a long career in the electrical and HVAC industries. In his present position, Roy is responsible for residential energy efficiency, including Energy Smart Builder and Touchstone Energy Living programs. Other industry-related actives include, Midwest Residential Energy Conference Chair, RESNET Board of Directors and Touchstone Energy Residential Energy committee. Roy holds certifications as a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst, a HERS Rater, a RESNET Green Rater and has a Green Advantage Residential Certification. He was named the HBAL Associate of the Year in 2010. Roy’s personal mission in life is to help people and his passion is energy efficiency.

Nick Hurst supports the EPA's Indoor airPLUS Program and WaterSense New Homes Program with partner engagement, training, and technical support.  Nick holds a Master of Science in Technology concentrating in Building Science and is also a BPI Building Analyst and LEED GA.  As a former home builder, remodeler, and educator, he coordinates a team of consulting contractors at ICF International that assist industry professionals in building and verifying high performance homes.

Business Development Manager, James Jackson has over 15 years of experience in the field of energy efficiency and electric distribution. He is a certified BPI Building Analyst-Envelop Professional, RESNET HERS Rater, Level 1 Thermographer, and has completed the ACCA EPIC instructor training for HVAC design. James has also worked in the HVAC industry as a designer/installer and has experience working in the new home construction industry. Over 12+ years working for an electric utility, James worked on multiple energy efficiency projects to include agricultural/industrial demand side management, HVAC demand side management, home energy audits and new construction consulting. James is a seasoned trainer, presenting at conferences such as RESNET and ACI, providing a real world perspective on the materials covered. He also conducts residential HVAC design classes for utility programs.

Mark A. Johnson brings 30 years of management experience to his position as Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development for the International Code Council.  Mark is responsible for the management and oversight of product and business development, marketing, publications, sales, training and education, certification and testing, customer service and order fulfillment.  Additional duties include serving as the Council’s business liaison with organizations including ASTM International, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA), McGraw-Hill and Underwriters Laboratories Inc.  Previously, Mark served as President of ICC Evaluation Service, LLC, a subsidiary of the Code Council. Mark holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Bachelor of Science in engineering, both from California State University, Fullerton, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Ron Judkoff currently holds the position of Chief Architectural Engineer in the Buildings Research Program at NREL. Previously, he held the positions of Director of the NREL Buildings and Thermal Systems Center and Principal Program Manager for the NREL Buildings Research Program. He has published more than 100 papers in the peer-reviewed and popular literature. He led an International Energy Agency multinational task on developing validation methods for building energy simulation software and is the author of the section in the 2005 and 2013 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals on Model Validation and Testing.  Judkoff also has the following relevant experience:
• Energy-design of ultra-efficient and zero-energy award winning buildings. Contributed to the NREL RSF (a 350,000 ft2 zero energy building), the NREL SERF, the NREL Visitors Center, the NREL TTF, and the Zion National Park Visitors Center, among others (see Awards).
• Past chair of ANSI/ASHRAE SSPC-140 Committee on validation of building energy software.
• Developed a validation methodology (BESTEST) that is the basis of the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs.
• Developed a method for testing model calibration techniques (see BESTEST-EX reports).

Employment
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, 1978 to present: Chief Engineer, May 2013 to present; Principal Program Manager, Building Energy Program, Nov. 2008 to May 2013; Director of the NREL Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems, Feb. 1996 to Nov. 2008; Senior Architectural Engineer, Building Energy Research, March 1978 to Feb. 1996.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, Architectural Engineer, 1977 to 1978.
• Steele Point Development Co., Tortola, BVI, Construction Manager, 1976.
• US Peace Corps, W. Africa, Construction Manager, 1971 to 1973.

Education
Masters in Architecture, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Planning, 1977; Bachelors, Tufts University, 1969.
Publications Highlights
Over 100 technical papers, reports, and articles published by NREL, refereed journals, professional societies, and popular science magazines (available for free download at www.nrel.gov).

Awards and Recognitions
• R&D 100 Award 2013 for Development of DEVAP: Desiccant-Enhanced Evaporative Cooling
• R&D 100 Award 2005 for Development of the TREAT with SUNREL energy audit software in collaboration with New York State ERDA
• AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Building Award 2001 for energy design of the Zion National Park Visitors Center
• ASHRAE Technology Award 1st place 1999 for energy design of the NREL TTF lab building,
• 1991 Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for developing a method to rapidly evaluate the thermal performance of manufactured buildings resulting in a large increase in the cost effectiveness of retrofits for the National Low Income Weatherization Program
• Patent for a new kind of air conditioner that works on water and a salt solution
• Patent for a device to protect buildings from bio and chemical aerosol attacks
• Copyright for the SUNREL building energy simulation software         
• Federal Energy Saver Showcase Award 2002 for energy design of the Thermal Test Facility
• Federal Energy and Water Management Award 2001 for energy design of the Zion National Park Visitors Center

Rick Karg was trained as an economist, was a building contractor for ten years, and is now the president of Residential Energy Dynamics, LLC, a firm providing energy-related and building diagnostics web applications for energy analysts. He is also the owner R.J. Karg Associates, a consulting firm working with weatherization programs and utilities since 1980. Mr. Karg has been a member of the ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation committee since 2007, was a charter member of the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code board, managed the Maine Home Performance Program for three years, and is an editorial advisor for Home Energy magazine.

Cy Kilbourn is co-founder and Director of Engineering at Ekotrope, a software company that helps building designers make smart energy decisions and reduce construction costs.  He spent time at Brown University and M.I.T. developing the patented optimization algorithms behind Ekotrope software and lead the development effort to establish Ekotrope as a RESNET accredited HERS rating software.  Since then, he has worked with some of the largest builders in the country to help improve their energy design strategies.

Gary Klein, President of Gary Klein & Associates has been intimately involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy since 1974. One fifth of his career was spent in the Kingdom of Lesotho, the rest in the United States. Mr. Klein has a passion for hot water: getting into it, getting out of it and efficiently delivering it to meet customer's needs. After serving 19 years with the California Energy Commission, he has provided consulting on sustainability since 2008. Mr. 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.

Justin Koscher serves as Director at the American Chemistry Council’s Center for the Polyurethanes Industry. Justin provides support to CPI’s Sustainability Committee, which represents the U.S. polyurethanes industry on issues including fire safety, building codes and standards, blowing agents and other environmental issues.  He also serves as the lead staff for CPI’s Spray Foam Coalition, which is a coalition of spray polyurethane foam systems houses, raw material suppliers and equipment manufacturers. Justin provides legislative and regulatory analysis for both groups.

Justin obtained his bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and his law degree from DePaul University College of Law. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in the Washington, D.C., area.

Abe Kruger honed his expertise in sustainable construction over the last 10 years as a contractor, educator, and consultant in the residential construction industry. He trains construction industry professionals across the country on sustainable building practices. He has designed, implemented, and evaluated energy efficiency programs for over thirty electric and gas utilities, including ENERGY STAR new homes, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, low-income weatherization, and HVAC tune-up programs. He has numerous industry accreditations, including Certified Energy Manager (CEM), LEED AP HOMES, LEED AP Neighborhood Development, LEED Green Rater, BPI Building Analyst and Envelope Professional, and Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Trainer and Rater.

Abe is the cofounder of SK Collaborative, which provides consulting, design reviews and charrettes, training, and building certification under LEED for Homes, EarthCraft House, ENERGY STAR, the National Green Building Standard, and Enterprise Green Communities. He is also the coauthor of the first residential green building textbook, Green Building: Principles and Practices in Residential Construction (Delmar/Cengage Learning).

Preston has worked for over 5 years in the efficiency sector as a HERS Rater, BPI Tech, LEED Green Rater and now serves as Energy Services Director with Performance Insulation.  Preston’s experience in sales, Rating/Verification, HVAC design have helped him to develop and support exciting new packages for Performance Insulation, helping to make Performance one of the top contractor service companies in Oregon in both New Construction and existing homes.

Jason La Fleur founded Eco Achievers in 2007 to help owners, builders, architects and developers realize that incorporating green building practices is not only achievable but also rewarding. Jason oversees client services helping project teams develop design and construction strategies to build better-performing buildings. Additionally, he directs education programs and helps project teams throughout the upper Midwest build third-party verified green homes that meet LEED and ENERGY STAR standards.

Active locally, Jason is active in the community,  helping found and direct the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Illinois chapter’s annual GreenBuilt Home Tour. He is a national speaker on topics related to residential green building, building science, and healthy construction practices, receiving USGBC Illinois chapter’s “Green Speak” and Chapter Leader Awards. He is also an active member of the Passive House Alliance of Chicago.

As an experience speaker and educator, Jason LaFleur instructs on the Appraisal Institute’s green building courses, LEED, GreenStar, Building Science topics. As a practitioner he works with multifamily clients that want durable Class A buildings with minimal operating expenses, and single family clients pursuing zero energy. He is credentialed LEED for Homes Green Rater, NGBS Green Verifier, RESNET rater, PHIUS+ rater, and Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC).

Roger Lange, Vice President for Bonded Builders Warranty Group is responsible for product design, development, compliance and operations for this national provider of third party backed warranties for new home builders.   Roger has extensive experience in product development for several financial service products, most recently building innovative warranty programs and systems for builders, lenders and homeowners. Roger has implemented many automated processes to build efficient customer focused services.  The most recent innovation for Bonded Builders has been development of the revolutionary Residential Energy Guarantee product providing builders with a whole home energy use guarantee to put behind their energy efficient construction.

Mr. Langley has been a professional mortgage banker for the past 30+ years. With a career focused on new construction & renovation financing, Mr. Langley has personally negotiated over $1.3 Bill in residential mortgage loans. Over the years, Mr. Langley has held various positions in the loan production side of the business, ranging from Sales Manager to Sustainable Lending Manager.

While working in a sponsorship role with the sustainable building professionals at the “EarthCraft House” / SouthFace Institute in Atlanta (2008), Mr. Langley was challenged to develop a financial solution to help give the EarthCraft Builders a marketing advantage to help them sell the certified energy efficient homes that they were building. After completing numerous certification trainings with the EarthCraft staff and their builders, Mr. Langley discovered what would become the focus of his life’s work. Borrowing the concept of “whole house” used in High Performance Building, Mr. Langley developed a software program that he refers to as “High Performance Lending ®”. High Performance Lending ®, also referred to as HPL, analyses each and every financial variable associated with purchasing and owning a home.  It takes these variables and develops comparison modeling which estimates the Total Cost of Owning each type of home. Armed with the HPL software program, in the fall of 2009, Mr. Langley introduced the program to the few builders that were still building to the EarthCraft standards in the southeastern US. In early 2010, Mr. Langley’s team started working with one of the few remaining EarthCraft builders, a company located in Charleston, SC. Over the following next eighteen months, Mr. Langley and his team closed 118 of the 119 homes that this builder built and sold ($35-$40 mill in closings)

In the years since the initial rollout of the HPL program, the functionality of the HPL software has been enhanced to include analysis of homes ranging from new to existing homes, from conventionally powered homes to homes with renewable energy systems, and from homes with pre-renovation HERS ratings of 181, to homes which score a True Net Zero. Today Mr. Langley is building a dual track national pilot program with his employer, PrimeLending; one focused on opportunities in the new construction market , and the second which is focused on partnering with the residential real estate community to share the incredible financial benefits associated with transforming existing homes to High Performance / Sustainable Homes. In both pilots, as well as Mr. Langley’s residential origination business, the concept of Total Cost of Ownership (aka TCO™) is the highlight of the conversation.

Since it’s inception, Mr. Langley has originated approx. $100 mil in residential loans using the High Performance Lending ® program.

On a personal note, Mr. Langley and his wife of 32 years live in Atlanta, Ga with their two Golden Retrievers (Moses & Gracie). The Langley’s have two married adult children and two grandchildren. When not working, Mr. Langley enjoys Power-walking, cooking BBQ on his Big Green Egg’s, Fly Fishing and an occasional round of Golf.

Mr. Leslie manages the residential and commercial program area at GTI that includes building energy efficiency analysis, carbon management, space conditioning, water heating, commercial food service, indoor environmental quality, combined heat and power systems, and emerging technology programs in support of industry energy efficiency programs.  In addition to his management duties, Mr. Leslie is the program manager and principal investigator for GTI’s Carbon Management Information Center, which provides an online information resource, source energy and emissions analysis tools, and technical input to voluntary standards and regulatory initiatives developed and promulgated by other stakeholders.   He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago.  He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Illinois and an ASHRAE member.  He is also a member of the RESNET Calculations Subcommittee.

Teresa Lopez, founder of Green Energy Money, has executed leading-edge financial and mortgage product development, market growth strategies and economic solutions for the high-performance built environment space during her 25 year career in the financial industry. The patented financial mechanisms, loan products and valuation methods have met the evolving demand for “green” mortgage financing in communities across the country.
Her expertise in innovative financing for green construction projects affords developers, builders, realtors and their customers innovative, cost efficient and incentivized funding.  Teresa is a recognized authority in the sustainable financing arena and built environment and has successfully funded numerous high-performance, net-zero projects and real estate transactions during her career. 

Ms. Lopez is a certified LEED Associate and a nationally licensed mortgage banker; holds two US Patents (four iterative patents pending) for green valuation, mortgage and financial instruments. She has developed national training curriculums for the real estate, finance and appraisal industry.  Ms. Lopez serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Appraisal Foundation and consults with Green Initiative Fannie Mae and HUD leaders. She is a published author and promotes a green building, finance national blog (Green Energy Money).

Core Competencies & Objectives

• Developed quantified  methods for property valuations and applying green premiums for high-performance new construction, property resale, and deep retrofits for existing property renovations;
• Developed a national web portal, www.greenenergy-money.com  (iterative rollouts in process) coalescing green economic tools; links to “Leading-Edge” green developments, builders, contractors, green projects, qualified mortgage companies, innovative products and vendors- driving demand in real estate, consumer markets;
• Demonstrate value recognition & green premium valuations- utilizing Smart Technology, renewable energy and innovative building products;
• Provide development strategies for launching green initiative lending programs -incentivized financing for built environments;
• Initiated High-Performance Pilot Programs for greening up existing neighborhoods and massing data for green property listings – translating transparent building owner cost benefits;
• Provide tools and training for builders, developers, appraisers, mortgage lenders and sales teams supporting Market differentiation; advancing marketing campaigns for massing high-performance project developments in US markets.

Michael Lubliner has worked in the energy conservation and renewable energy field for over 35 years, starting his career as the Pacific Northwest regional distributor for Grumman, Bio-Energy Systems and other renewable energy products. In 1983, Lubliner began working for the Washington State Energy Office and then the WSU Energy Program, where he helped develop, implement, evaluate and refine the Northwest Power Planning Council’s Model Conservation Standards, state energy codes, and Super Good Cents site-built and manufactured housing programs. He works in support of Washington State and national energy conservation programs, including Building America and ENERGY STAR.

Jamie Lyons is a mechanical and environmental engineer with two decades of experience in high performance buildings and energy efficient technologies.  His areas of focus include technical support for high performance building programs; R&D on emerging technologies; training of industry groups; strategic planning; and codes/standards development.  Jamie routinely works with different industry groups including federal agencies (US DOE; US HUD); utilities, builders, energy raters, manufacturers, code officials, and housing non-profits on energy-related projects.  For the U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program, Jamie manages the technical specs, trains builders and raters, and supports partnerships with states and utilities.  Jamie is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Maryland, a member of ASHRAE, and holds a BS from the University of Virginia (Mechanical Engineering) and an MS from Johns Hopkins University (Environmental Engineering).

Ethan MacCormick has been with Performance Systems Development since 2003 as an Energy Rater/Building Analyst, software developer, Home Performance Contractor/Manager, and extensively as a Building Science trainer. He is a BPI field super-proctor, a RESNET trainer, and has presented on home performance, software, and training at several conferences. Ethan is the chief technical lead for PSD’s Efficiency Programs deployment team. Prior to joining PSD, he built homes professionally since the early 1980s.

Eric Makela’s building energy codes expertise spans 25 years, numerous states, and several foreign countries. Makela served on the ICC IECC Code Development Committee for four cycles.  He now represents the Northwest Energy Codes Group in developing IECC code change proposals.  In addition he represented DOE on a team that developed a commercial code change proposal for the IECC that resulted in a 20% increase in efficiency over earlier codes.   Makela served as a senior member of the U.S. DOE Building Energy Codes Program where his focus was on outreach and education to states and national stakeholders including the International Code Council, Building Code Assistance Project and the Regional Energy Efficiency Organizations.  He also was a principal contributor to the 90% Compliance tools development effort which included field training for data collectors.  Makela also oversaw their IECC Code Development effort for both commercial and residential buildings.   Over his career Makela  has trained in over 20 states, including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, to the building, design and enforcement industry in a variety of venues; he has provided technical assistance nationally on energy code related issues to the building, design and enforcement industry for both residential and commercial projects.  He has also participated in, or managed training program development for training programs, tools and documents supporting the IECC including the development of MECcheck and COMcheck tools, IECC Inspection videos, training programs and curriculum development for Utah, Nevada, California, Idaho and Colorado.  Makela also served as the Technical Director for the California Building Codes Institute where he was responsible for training over 500 jurisdictions on enforcement of California’s Title 24 energy code.  He was a recipient of the 2009 Jeffrey A. Johnson Award and was the 2008 Canyon County Habitat for Humanity Volunteer of the Year. Eric has a B.A. in environmental studies from Sonoma State University and an M.A. in education from California State University, Sacramento.

Lenka started her real estate career as a designer and remodeler, assisting buyers, sellers as well as investors seeking to improve their home design, appeal, function, and property values. Over time she realized that she can bring a greater level of expertise to real estate transaction and be a resource to people looking to build a new home. She became a Realtor and Eco-Broker, broadening her knowledge in the field of energy efficiency and green home building. When opportunity presented itself, she joined Covington Homes as their Real Estate Broker and Sales Manager, helping homebuyers realizing their dreams and assisting Covington Homes team in creating great communities. Lenka is actively involved in the construction and real estate industry. She is a member of Sales and Marketing Council at Colorado Springs HBA and various other real estate associations and groups.

Bruce Mast, Deputy Executive Director, brings over 24 years of experience in the green building and energy efficiency industry, leading efforts to articulate a green vision for the organization, translate that vision into practical program designs, and obtain political and financial support from government and utilities. Most recently, Bruce led Build It Green's program development for existing homes: providing workforce development and multifamily program implementation for local governments, devising strategies to target real estate and remodeling opportunities, and leading program design and launch of PG&E's Home Upgrade Program under Energy Upgrade California.

Mr. McCleery is a licensed engineer, Certified Energy Manager and recovering HERS Rater with over 25 years of residential energy experience.  He leads engineering, consulting, training and quality assurance activities at MaGrann Associates. He designs HVAC systems for high performing single- and multi-family buildings, and engineers cost effective energy improvements in existing buildings.  He currently serves on the NJBA Codes Committee and the board of the Northeast HERS Alliance.  When he’s not busy, he plays tennis and referees youth soccer games.

Keith Allen McCourt is a 41 year old HERS Rater and Building Analyst Professional from North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Mr. McCourt has worked in the public utility sector (water and electric) since 1996 and helped his current employer, North Little Rock Electric, establish their successful Energy Evaluation Program in 2006.  He is currently involved in the production of NLRED’s print/digital marketing materials and internal/external websites. He is married with two boys and has a Yorkshire Terrier name Lilly.

Maci McDaniel is a Senior Manager of Demand Side Management (DSM) Programs at ICF. She has more than 25 years of experience working on energy efficiency initiatives in both commercial and residential construction. Maci spent over 13 years in the Architecture/Engineering industry as Marketing and Business Development Director. Since 2001, she held leadership positions with two of the largest HERS Rating Providers in the country and was actively involved in promoting and building the HERS Rating industry as a former RESNET and Texas HERO Board member.

While working in the HERS Rating industry, Maci worked with builders across the country to deliver more than 50,000 ENERGY STAR certified homes and served on several state and municipal task forces for energy code implementation. She has also managed several existing home retrofit programs for weatherization, home energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades in public housing, and chaired Green Building Subcommittees developing and implementing green building programs in multiple cities across Texas. She is well versed in building science, green building construction practices and the whole house approach to energy efficiency, energy policy and program analytics.

Since joining ICF in 2012, Maci manages four award winning New Constructions Programs for Entergy Texas, AEP Texas, CenterPoint Energy and Texas New Mexico Power. She is also responsible for the Entergy Texas and CenterPoint Energy Mid-Stream HVAC Distributor Programs and a Low-Rise Multi-Family New Construction and Direct Install Program for CenterPoint Energy.

Jamie McKenzie is a Field Services Manager with ICF International where he leads the Field Services Team supporting Residential Demand Side Management programs with QAQC, Contractor Support, and Account Management support. He is a LEED GA, BPI Building Analyst, Quality Control Inspector and HERS Rater.  Jamie is currently the statewide technical advisor for approximately 100 residential program trade allies, and has delivered multiple industry certification trainings around the country.

Chris McTaggart of Building Efficiency Resources (BER) is the QA/QC manager in support of the PHIUS+ Rater program. BER is a national third-party RESNET QA Provider working with independent rating companies throughout the United States. He recently completed the PHIUS Certified Passive House Consultant training program.

His experience in research, analysis and logic developed both through his professional experience and formal education at Michigan State University. His areas of interest are in energy modeling, energy efficiency programs, and Net-Zero energy building projects. Throughout his career as a HERS Rater, BPI Building Analyst, QAD and Trainer, Chris has served as QAD for three RESNET Rating Providers, performed over 300 HERS ratings, 100+ home performance assessments, and has mentored over 50 Provisional HERS Raters. Additionally, Chris has written a variety of technical articles.

He provides practical “universal” training and communication skills to professionals like yourself. He is a Comfort Consultant Trainer, providing solutions on home performance applications.

He developed energy management curriculum for Technical College System of Georgia, and was the Energy Manager at University of Georgia, Tifton campus.

His certifications include:  BPI Proctor - Building Analyst & Envelope Professional, Infiltration & Duct Leakage, ICC- Commercial & Residential Energy Inspector / Plans Examiner and Residential Building Inspector, NABCEP PV Certified, Inactive HERS Rater and IAQ Professional.

Vrushali Mendon is a research engineer with PNNL’s Building Energy Codes Program. Since joining PNNL in 2010, she has been a core member of the Residential and Commercial Building Energy Codes R&D team and PNNL’s Building Energy Simulation Team. In building energy codes, her primary area of focus is residential buildings and the IECC. She has also conducted large scale simulation analyses for the Army and the Masonry Alliance. More recently, she has been working on the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration project and on exploring the peak demand reduction potential of building energy codes with utilities in Nebraska.

Jim Meyers is Senior Associate, Director of Buildings Efficiency Program for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), where he works on building energy code advancements. Jim is responsible for conducting analysis, preparing case studies, evaluating new and emerging technologies for buildings and supporting the adoption of state-of-the-art building energy codes through education.

Jim has worked in multiple sectors of the energy field by starting his working career in the generation of power via fuel cells and more recently through energy efficiency of the built environment and new construction. Jim has also worked as a regional manager in the insulation industry, the technical director of an energy rating provider, program manager for a RESNET software, and in the software and defense industries.

Meyers is a CGP, a LEED Green Associate and former certified Energy Rater-Trainer-QA Designee. He has provided energy code technical trainings, compliance software training, building science trainings, and HERS Energy Rater trainings. Jim actively participates in International Code Council (ICC) committees and is active with local ICC, USGBC, AIA and other association chapters.

Travis Michalke, PE, has 18 years of experience that includes building design and energy efficiency. Travis is a Senior Manager with ICF International and responsible for managing the engineering and analytics team for the Commercial Energy Division. Mr. Michalke supports utility, municipal, and federal customers; providing practical and analytical based solutions for facility and portfolio level energy management programs. He has applied experience leading the analysis, development, and design of energy projects and development of enterprise energy management policies. Travis has hands on experience performing building energy and operations and maintenance assessments; including conducting interviews with building operations and maintenance staff and performing diagnostic testing, data collection, and benchmarking.

Jackson Moll currently serves as the Vice President of Municipal Affairs for the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona.  The Association, an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders, represents over 500 home builders, suppliers, subcontractors and service professionals involved in the home building industry.  As the Vice President of Municipal Affairs, Jackson works with municipalities on a wide variety of issues related to construction and development.  In addition, Jackson has represented the Arizona home building industry on a number of local, state, and national boards, commissions and committees, including the City of Phoenix’s Development Advisory Board, the Arizona Housing Commission, and the National Association of Home Builders Fall Protection Task Force.  Jackson received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, CA in 2008 and is admitted to practice law in Arizona.

A dedicated husband and father of two wonderful, beautiful, talented, musical young daughters, Rob is a former high school teacher and green builder. Rob is a RESNET HERS Rater, trainer and Quality Assurance Designee, chair of the RESNET Standards Development Committee 200 (Training and Education), LEED AP Homes, International LEED for homes Green Rater, and a former U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Faculty™ and LEED Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group member. He is the creator and co-owner of RESNET JobWerks™, a cost effective, easy to use mobile mentoring, performance assessment tool and dynamic hands-on learning platform. Rob has consulted for the William J Clinton Foundation Clinton Climate Initiative, YouthBuild USA during the DOE Weatherization Innovation Pilot Program, the U.S. Green Building Council and Mathis Consulting. He has authored articles for Green Building Advisor, Fine Homebuilding, Newsweek and the New York Times. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Rob is a humble student of photography and saxophone.

Organic Think is a building science consulting, education and cloud software development firm. Organic Think leadership has equal experience wearing a tool belt, delivering effective education and the development of cutting edge - not bleeding edge - digital solutions. As a software creator, Organic Think focuses on thinking differently about the home performance industry. We work with non-profits, educational institutions, manufacturers and other organizations to provide practical strategies for improving the built environment. Organic Think emphasizes practicality and pragmatism to facilitate the market shift to more sustainable building practices. Feasibility and affordability are intrinsic values that we bring to every project. Our educational philosophy, optimistic attitude plus a healthy dose of pragmatism give our projects the best opportunity for viability and success.

Richard Morgan is the Energy Codes Manager for the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource, the Regional Energy Efficiency Organization for Texas and Oklahoma. In that role Richard is responsible for increasing local energy code adoption and compliance in Texas and Oklahoma. Richard works mostly in the climate zone 2 areas of Texas and is the SPEER lead on the DOE Energy Codes Field Study for Texas. Prior to joining SPEER Richard was the Green Building and Sustainability Manager for Austin Energy, the municipal electric utility for the City of Austin, TX. Richard has participated in many regional and national green building and energy code working groups and committees including acting as Chair of the Energy Working Group of the ICC Sustainable Building Technology Committee for the development of the first version of the International Green Construction Code.

Paul Morin had 15 years as a carpenter framing new homes before becoming a weatherization auditor in the early 90’s.  Paul worked for over 12 years for the Center for Energy and Environment diagnosing building shell, combustion spillage, and moisture problems in single family and multifamily buildings.  He has worked for The Energy Conservatory since 2009 providing technical support and has developed dozens of presentations and webinars and is currently on the board of the Minnesota Building Performance Association.

Prior to joining The Snell Group as an Instructor & Consultant, Wyatt spent 10 years at Applied Research Associates, Inc (ARA). He performed a wide range of training and instruction duties while at ARA, including conducting training courses for unmanned vehicles and sensor systems for the US Dept. of Defense and numerous law enforcement agencies, field testing of manuals for robotic equipment, and troubleshooting real-world problems. He also fulfilled a variety of marketing duties; directing marketing campaigns and conducting product demonstrations and testing.

As an unmanned vehicle systems instructor, Wyatt traveled extensively. He is well versed in creating course materials and conducting training courses for highly complex robotic systems as well as writing and publishing manuals for these systems.

Wyatt holds a BS in Communication from Florida State University and an AA in Communication from Tallahassee Community College. He currently teaches Level I Thermographic Applications and performs IR surveys for The Snell Group.

Gary Nelson is president of The Energy Conservatory, which he co-founded in 1983, and which is known worldwide as a leader in the design, manufacture, and sales of building performance testing equipment, including the Minneapolis Blower Door and Duct Blaster®. Many of the standard procedures used by building performance technicians to diagnose and measure house and duct leakage were developed by Gary and first published in the operating manuals for Energy Conservatory products. Gary is frequently involved in designing measurement techniques for special situations and has made measurements and diagnosed problems in hundreds of buildings. 

Brian Oman has been with BASF since 2007 and is currently a Senior Application Specialist with BASF’s polyurethane spray foam (SPF) business.  While having worked in several groups within BASF including sales and marketing, his current role focuses on the application and development of SPF systems for the residential and commercial markets as well as managing BASF Technical Training Center (TTC).  Brian holds a B.S. from the University of Minnesota’s Housing Program emphasizing in Housing Technology and worked in residential construction as a project manager prior to coming to BASF. 

Brian’s education and hands on experience aids him with his daily responsibilities which include providing technical support and professional training on spray foam products, and application guidance for both residential and commercial construction.  Brian is LEED AP and a SPFA certified Field Examiner under their Professional Certification Program.

Ed Osann is a Senior Policy Analyst with NRDC’s Water Program.  He oversees an 8-member team working to advance regional, state, and national policies and technologies that improve the efficiency of water use.  He served as Director of Policy and External Affairs for the Bureau of Reclamation from 1993 to 1996, and has extensive experience in state energy and water policy development as well, having contributed to legislation on energy efficiency, renewable energy, air quality, water conservation, and green buildings in the states of Maryland and California and in the District of Columbia.  In 1996, he established Potomac Resources, a consulting practice specializing in state and federal policies that promote energy and water efficiency.  He served as coordinator for the Steering Committee for Water Efficient Products, a coalition of manufacturers, water utilities, and environmental organizations successfully advocating for the creation of EPA’s WaterSense program.  Previously, Ed was director of the Water Resources Program of the National Wildlife Federation, where he worked to reform federal water resources projects and to develop new policies for urban and agricultural water conservation, including national efficiency standards for plumbing products.  He holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from George Washington University and a BS in International Relations from Georgetown University.  In 2010, Ed received the Mike Moynihan Excellence Award for statewide innovation in water conservation from the California Urban Water Conservation Council.  In 2013, Ed was appointed to the 7-member Independent Technical Panel on Urban Conservation established by statute by the California Department of Water Resources.

Glenn Pease is the Manager of Quality Assurance for EnergyLogic and serves as a trainer and mentor for HERS Raters across the country. He has a hand in teaching a variety of courses for RESNET HERS Raters that includes ENERGY STAR V3, SketchUp for Raters, Multifamily HERS Ratings, Tips and Tricks of REM Rate, and Tips and Tricks on the New Home Builder Tax Credit. Glenn began his career at Southface Institute in 2007, where he worked as a HERS Rater in the EarthCraft House program.  He expanded his roles to include providing technical support for homeowners and contractors in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program, and assisted with various training roles during BPI and RESNET Trainings.  At EnergyLogic, Glenn has expanded his training repertoire and worked with rating companies across the country to assure compliance with the RESNET Standard and provide technical assistance along the way. Glenn applies his strong background in technical support and experience in the industry to help mentor and guide energy raters, utility program administrators, and independent RESNET QA Providers. Glenn now resides in Berthoud, CO where he enjoys hiking, camping, watching football and basketball and especially spending time with his 2 year old son.

“One of the many perks of working with EnergyLogic is the company culture of being on the cutting edge. Having a company culture that embraces new and improved ways of doing things keeps it fresh and exciting. It is especially important that we add this value to our clients who share a common goal of putting efficiency on the forefront of our everyday lives. Anything we can do to make efficiency more tangible, marketable, and visually appealing strengthens our energy future.”

Jim is the VP, Research and Development for Lennar Ventures. Key responsibilities developing new technologies for residential construction and residential solar, energy code development, and building science.

For the previous 12 years Jim managed the R&D process to improve the quality, cost, and durability of PulteGroup’s homes. He also managed PulteGroup’s energy efficiency efforts, worked with partners to develop new products and processes, and managed the issue resolution process. As a Mechanical Engineer with 33 years of experience in the design and development of engineered components and systems Jim has a unique background for the homebuilding industry.

Jim serves as President of the RESNET Board of Directors.

I currently work as a Senior Associate at ICF International in support of the Mass Save Residential New Construction Program. We promote the benefits of residential high performance construction and renovation projects with a goal to increase energy efficiency. People involved with the Program bring passion, innovation and foresight as we work collectively towards greening our built environment and ensuring future infrastructure incorporates green building, energy efficiency and resiliency. Prior to ICF, I spent eight years working at Conservation Services Group (CSG). During my time at CSG, I held various leadership positions, maintained BPI Building Analyst credentials and managed a team of 15 Energy Specialist performing extensive home energy assessments on behalf of Mass Save. Over the past two years I have been active with the USGBC MA Chapter. I am currently the Co-chair of the Residential Green Building Committee.

M.S. Engineering Mechanics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Ben joined NREL in 2009. He specializes in the development, validation, and application of energy analysis approaches for individual buildings and collections of buildings. He has developed and applied software testing approaches for residential audit tools and associated utility bill calibration methods, methods for calculating life-cycle-cost-optimal retrofit packages, and approaches for analyzing measured energy consumption to estimate retrofit energy savings and improve software prediction accuracy. Ben's current research interests also include net zero buildings and neighborhoods, urban energy design and optimization, inverse design of buildings systems and materials, and smart grid-enabling building technologies (e.g., building energy storage).

In addition to his work at NREL, Ben serves on the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Data & Modeling Standards Technical Committee (STC) and several industry working groups for BPI and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).

Jill Ponder is the Energy Services and Communication Manager for the North Little Rock Electric Department where she manages the development and implementation of energy efficiency, demand side management and other customer-focused programs.

As Chief Architect for the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, Sam’s primary role is leading deployment of proven innovations for new and existing high-performance homes. This includes helping lead DOE’s world-class research program, Building America and overseeing the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home voluntary labeling program for leading edge builders. In his prior position, he managed ENERGY STAR for Homes since its start in 1996.  Under his leadership, ENERGY STAR for Homes grew exponentially to more than 8,500 builder partners, over one million labeled homes, and over 25 percent market penetration nationwide. Mr. Rashkin was most recently recognized for his contributions to sustainable housing with the 2012 Hanley Award. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University; completed Masters of Urban Planning studies at New York University; and is a registered architect in California and New York.  During his 20-plus years as a licensed architect, he specialized in energy efficient design and completed over 100 residential projects.  He has served on the national Steering Committees for USGBC’s LEED for Homes, NAHB’s Green Builder Guidelines, and EPA’s Water Sense label, and on the development team for EPA’s Indoor airPLUS label. Sam has authored a new book titled “Retooling the U.S. Housing Industry: How It Got Here, Why It’s Broken, and How to Fix It” that presents a comprehensive strategy for transforming the homeownership experience. Sam has also prepared hundreds of articles, technical papers, reports, and seminars; and contributed to other books on energy efficient and green construction.

M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Colorado
B.S. Environmental Resources Engineering, Humboldt State University

David joined NREL in 2008. David is the Residential Buildings Research Group Manager. He currently supports DOE research activities including the Building America program. David has been working in the area of energy efficiency in buildings since 1989 and is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado. He has expertise in building science, building energy simulation, and software development.
Prior to joining NREL, David worked for Architectural Energy Corporation where he led energy simulation and software development projects and served as product manager for the REM/Rate™ home energy rating software.

Contact Information: david.roberts@nrel.gov, 303-384-7496

Scott Robinson, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, of Salisbury, N.C., is the 2016 president of the Appraisal Institute. He will serve as immediate past president in 2017. He serves this year as chair of the organization’s Executive Committee and chairs its policy-setting Board of Directors.

Robinson has been active in real property appraisal and consulting since 1987, when he joined Robinson Associates, a Salisbury firm his father started in the mid-1960s. Robinson has been actively involved with the Appraisal Institute since joining as a candidate for the SRA designation in 1987, including a four-year term on the national Board of Directors and serving as chair of Region V. He has served in all offices for the North Carolina Chapter and has been active at the regional and national levels since 1991. Robinson served as national president-elect and vice president on the Executive Committee and as chair of the national Finance Committee in 2014.

Since 2014, Robinson has served as vice president for World Association of Valuation Organizations. He has been a trustee for the International Property Management Standards Coalition since 2014, and serves on the organization’s Executive Committee.

He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Robinson and his wife, Kim, of 27 years reside in Salisbury.  He has two children; a daughter, Molly, who is a graduate student at East Carolina University and son, Miles, who is a high school senior.

Anthony Roy is the Director, Policy & Partnerships at Earth Advantage. Anthony oversees the organization’s research, education, and policy portfolios. He works with key collaborators on transformational projects at the intersection of the energy efficiency and real estate industries. Prior to joining Earth Advantage, he was a senior consultant with YRG sustainability consultants in New York City and Seattle. While at YRG, he was the primary sustainability consultant on several large-scale international community development projects. Anthony began his career at the City of Portland before moving to Ecos Consulting (now Ecova) where he was a senior manager. He received a BA degree from Northwestern University and a degree in International Environmental Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland (UK).

Robert Salcido is the Principal with Salcido Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in software design, building science, energy modeling and building energy analysis. Mr. Salcido started Salcido Solutions in 2015 after departing NORESCO.   He worked at AEC/NORESCO for 16 years with the last 8 years as REM/Rate Program Manager and has been working in the area of energy efficiency in buildings since 1992. He has a Bachelors degree in Environmental Resources Engineering from Humboldt State University in California as well as a Masters in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado.

Jonah Schein is the Technical Coordinator for Homes & Buildings at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense® Program. He has overseen the technical development and implementation of the WaterSense New Homes specification and certification system since their inception. He is also responsible for efforts to expand the WaterSesne program's reach in the multi-family and commercial sectors. Prior to joining EPA in 2008, Mr. Schein served as the Director of Outreach for Earth Day Network (EDN) where he was responsible for a number of initiatives to promote water efficiency through green building strategies in the United States and Middle East. Mr. Schein holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from Indiana University as well as a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the Johns Hopkins University.

Robby Schwarz is a principle with EnergyLogic, Inc. a Colorado based energy services organization primarily serving the residential construction industry.  For the last 20+ years he has worked in the building performance, applied building science and system thinking field helping Builders, Code jurisdictions, and Homeowners understand how their houses perform. Currently Robby is Director of Builder Relations for EnergyLogic; the largest energy rating and building consulting firm of its kind in Colorado.

Zak Shadid is the Partner Operations Manager for the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program. He has worked in a variety of roles for the program over the past 8 years.  His background is Environmental Science and Policy and he holds a bachelors degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to working with the ENERGY STAR program, Zak owned his own business in the Chicago area.

Kirsten Shaw is a RESENT HERS Provider and QAD, LEED for Homes Green Rater, BPI Building Analyst, Multifamily Building Analyst and a residential and commercial General Contractor. She started her career in building science as a Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant. She earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Arizona State University. She has taught HERS Rater classes at Learning Edge.

Alan C. Shedd, P.E., CEM is the director of residential and commercial energy programs for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives – the national brand of America’s electric cooperatives.  He holds a degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics with an Energy Engineering Certificate from Georgia Institute of Technology.  He is a registered professional Mechanical Engineer and Certified Energy Manager.  His professional experience includes commercial and institutional energy management, energy analysis, and HVAC system design in the U.S. and Europe.  Experience includes air-, water- and geothermal-heat pumps, unitary and central chiller systems, and waste heat recovery.  Mr. Shedd also conducts professional education programs and evaluations of energy utilization, HVAC, service water heating and environmental technology issues. 

He works with local and state student groups to develop electric vehicles and bring EVs into the classroom.  Working with Green Power EMC’s R&D committee, he helped start the Georgia Sun Power for Schools program that helps students learn about solar photovoltaic systems.  Over three dozen small grid interactive PV systems with internet-based data collection systems have been installed at schools around the state.

He is co-author of several publications and technical papers on water heating, end-use technologies, energy conservation, and analysis.  He contributed materials used in design manuals prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute, US Army and Navy, the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, and the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).  Mr. Shedd co-developed microcomputer based commercial water heating simulation tools.  He serves on the Cooperative Research Network’s Energy Innovation and Renewables and Distributed Energy Advisory Groups.  He converted his Toyota Prius to a plug-in hybrid and has driven over 150,000 miles with great gas mileage.

When he’s not doing engineering stuff, he likes to race sailboats.

Troy is a serial entrepreneur, product developer and the Director of Marketing and Product Management at Evolve Technologies.  As a company co-founder, he’s spent the past 10 years immersed in the issue of Behavioral Waste while developing technologies to simply and cost effectively mitigate it without requiring behavior changes on behalf of the user.  Troy has authored multiple white papers, conducted primary and secondary research and has been invited to present insights and perspectives to key water and energy efficiency constituencies including the DOE, RESNET, Build It Green, ACEEE, AESP and ACI. As a result of his work, he has become and expert on Behavioral Waste and associated topics including, but not limited to bathing habits and efficient showerhead design. Evolve Technology's products are currently used as measures in the largest energy efficiency and weatherization programs throughout the United States.

Kristen Simmons is a consultant with ICF, where she develops and manages a Massachusetts multifamily energy efficiency incentive program. Ms. Simmons is an architect from Boston, Massachusetts and is one the founders of Passive House New England. Since receiving her Master of Architecture from the University of Florida, Ms Simmons has focused on residential and institutional projects which include adaptive re-use, historic preservation, and sustainable design components. Ms. Simmons is also the principal of her own firm, Kristen Simmons Architects; selected projects include the Catbird House Deep Energy Retrofit (to be completed in 2012) and Trinity Church in the City of Boston Restoration and Renovation, while at Goody Clancy, (2002-2006). She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED AP BC+C.

Frank Spevak is the marketing and sales manager at the Energy Conservatory.

The Energy Conservatory (TEC) manufactures precision diagnostic equipment used to solve comfort, energy use, durability and air quality problems in buildings.

He is responsible for all aspects of sales, both direct and through distribution. Also responsible for all aspects of marketing including web development and management, advertising both print and online and brand management.

Kathy Spigarelli has been with RESNET since 1998. She first served as the RESNET Education Coordinator and is now the RESNET Deputy Director.  Kathy was previously the Director of Adult Education for the Fayetteville, Arkansas School District.

Bill has designed, marketed and sold a wide array of test and measurement products in the last twenty-five years. Bill was design-engineering manager at Bacharach, Inc. for 10 years and HVAC Product Marketing Manager at Testo, Inc. for 10 years. Since 2009, he has managed and is now President, CEO and majority owner of TruTech Tools, LTD.

He regularly presents technically complex topics to a wide range of audiences on the applications of testing and measurement instrumentation in building science, weatherization, and HVACR. 

He has worked on BPI, RESNET, GAMA, AHRI, OMA, RSES, NATE, and ACCA Technical Committees, and holds three US patents in instrumentation design. He also consults in instrumentation design, development and application along with expert witness work on HVAC equipment, heat exchanger, carbon monoxide and related issues.

Bill is majority owner of www.TruTechTools.com, co-owner of www.FieryChill.com and runs a consulting business, William P. Spohn, LLC, which engages in HVACR Expert Witness work, technical education and e-commerce consulting.

Nancy St. Hilaire is the co-owner, Operations Manager and Quality Assurance Designee for the Home Energy Group, LLC based out of Charleston, SC.  Home Energy Group started as a HERS Rating company and has expanded into being  a HERS Provider, HERS Training organization, and a LEED for Homes Provider.  Nancy started off as a HERS rater and, as the business expanded, became the Quality Assurance Designee for both the RESENT providership and the LEED for Homes providership as well as a HERS Rater trainer.

Major Patrick Sullivan is currently serving as an assistant professor at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. His highly distinguished military career as an engineer officer since 2003 consists of two year-long deployments (Iraq & Afghanistan) and multiple accolades and awards.  Since 2013 at West Point, he has taught classes in Energy Efficient Buildings, Probability & Statistics, Mathematical Modeling, and has supervised multiple senior capstone and independent studies.  As a researcher, Patrick created and implemented a utility billing program at West Point that fairly incentivized the reduction of energy in homes where the resident is not charged for their usage. This system has been accepted by the Army and is currently being implemented at additional Army installations.  With his research in the areas of residential and commercial buildings as well as sustainable design, Patrick has presented his work at six conferences over the past two years and to numerous high ranking military and DOD civilians across the Army. 

Patrick has a BS in Civil Engineering from USMA, a MS in Engineering Management from Missouri Science and Technology, a MS in Structural Engineering from Stanford University, and a Degree of Engineer in Sustainable Design & Construction from Stanford University.  His credentials include: Licensed Professional Engineer, RESNET Rater, and Project Management Professional.  He is originally from Hibbing, Minnesota.

Ken Summers is a senior partner of the Comfort Institute, an international home performance research, training and consumer protection organization. For the past 21 years he has used his role at CI to help progressive HVAC contractors adopt a “whole house” approach to home performance with particular emphasis on teaching ways to avoid common errors associates with load calculating, duct design, duct leakage, thermal envelope failures and mold mitigation. Ken has written numerous articles published in industry press and has spoken at ACCA, PHCC, RSES and EPA-sponsored events.

Heather Szymanski worked as an energy auditor before helping to found Efficiency First Arizona (EFAZ), now serving as the executive director. Prior to EFAZ, she was a Marketing Director process engineering & technology companies. Heather is a BPI Building Analyst and Envelope Professional, NABCEP trained, and has a Permaculture Design and Smartscape Certificate.

John Taylor is the Deputy Director at Consortium for Energy Efficiency. CEE is the US and Canadian consortium of gas and electric efficiency program administrators, who work together to accelerate the development and availability of energy efficient products and services for lasting public benefit.  John oversees Residential and Strategic Programs at CEE and is the Liaison to the ENERGY STAR Program.  He has a Master's degrees in Environmental Management and Public Policy from Duke University, and a Bachelors degree in Economics from Kalamazoo College.

Layla Thomas, LEED AP, is currently  the  Building Science Manager Technical Manager for Top Build Home Services, home of the Environments fo Living Program. Prior to working for Masco she was the program manager for Everblue Training Institute providing  BPI and RESNET training, holding several BPI certifications. She is a HERS/RESNET Certified Home Energy Rater and Quality Assurance Designee whose 15+ years of experience in the building industry has been split between two states. In Florida, Thomas managed quality assurance for a major home builder, performing home assessments and building diagnostics and overseeing large remedial projects. A state-certified residential contractor, she owned and operated her own building diagnostics company helping homeowners and building owners to achieve energy efficiency, durability and comfort. In 2011, Thomas returned to North Carolina, where she had previously earned the state general contracting license and won awards for her work with a high-ranking independent custom home builder.

Matthew’s career the mortgage industry spans 16 years, with 6 years in wholesale lending and 10 years as a Loan Officer. He has enjoyed a great deal of success during that time. He was named among the Top 10 national producers for Freedom Home Mortgage in 2006-2008, his production team was in the Top 5 in the country in 2009, and he received sales production awards in 2003 and 2004 for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. His previous career as a professional Chef taught him the value of team work and helping those around you to perform at the best service levels as possible. His 3 most prominent personal strengths are providing outstanding customer service, his problem solving skills and his leadership skills. Matthew believes that when a team establishes a unified goal of customer satisfaction, it always produces smoother results. Matthew’s philosophy is simple: “It’s about the integrity. Say what you are going to do and do what you say. You must treat your clients with respect and consideration.” He makes it a point to treat everyone the way he would want to be treated in a business transaction and identifies timely communication, accurate updates about the current status, and being told the truth about any issues that may likely arise, as essential ingredients to all transactions. To this end, Matthew takes the time to set proper expectations with the customer and explain the process and when things will happen in a real time manner. He believes that trying to make things happen faster than they can is not in the client’s best interest. Matthew is firmly committed to making a difference in people’s lives. “This is something that we can do on a daily basis from helping a client buy their first home, helping a referring partner establish their business and giving back to the community for which we work and live in.”

Clayton Traylor joined the LBA staff following five years with Centex Homes where he served as Director of Government & Industry Relations and Sustainability Officer.  In this capacity, Clayton was responsible for the companies’ political, legislative and regulatory activity at the federal, state and local level.  Clayton also spearheaded Centex’s energy efficiency initiatives.

Before joining Centex, Clayton was a Senior Staff Vice President at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) responsible for construction codes, land use and state and local government relations.

Peter Troast leads the Energy Circle team and is a passionate advocate for the home performance industry. He drives innovation for the Energy Circle suite of web and marketing tools built exclusively for companies in the home performance, HVAC, insulation, energy rating and low energy building sector. He contributes to the popular Energy Circle blog for home performance professionals nationally and is a frequent presenter at national conferences on topics of energy efficiency marketing and communications, use of social media and energy monitoring.

Mike is the principal investigator for the Pennsylvania portion of the US DOE’s Residential Energy Code Field Study, a project to determine whether an investment in building energy code education, training, and outreach can produce a significant change in residential building energy savings.  Mike also manages implementation of the FirstEnergy's residential new construction program in Pennsylvania, and QA/QC and benchmarking for PECO Smart Multifamily Solutions. In addition, Mike led a commercial energy code compliance study in Pennsylvania supported by the DOE State Energy Program. Previously, he was the Associate Director of the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center (PHRC) at Penn State Universit

Dr. Iain Walker  is a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and leads the Residential Building Systems group.  He has more than 20 years of experience as a building scientist and his current work focuses on Indoor Air Quality, retrofits, Zero/Low Energy Homes and HVAC systems in residential buildings.  He is an ASHRAE fellow and serves on several ASHRAE Standards committees. He is Executive Editor of Home Energy magazine.  He is the task group leader for ASTM standards committees on range hood performance, building and duct system air leakage and sealant longevity and serves on Building Performance Institute, RESNET and ACCA Technical Committees, and provides leadership and technical input to many local, state, national and international bodies.

Cindy is the Manager of Green Building Programs at Home Innovation Research Labs, an accredited test laboratory and certification agency that is uniquely focused on the home building industry. In her role, Cindy manages all day-to-day aspects of the NGBS Green Certification program—the leading green building certification program for residential construction—including marketing, business development, sales, advocacy, training/oversight of independent verifiers, and general program administration. Before joining Home Innovation, Cindy supported the Green Government Initiative at the National Association of Counties (NACo), a public-private partnership that introduced cutting-edge technologies and best practices to county elected officials and staff engaged in sustainability work. In 2008, Cindy served as an AmeriCorps VISTA within the City of Montpelier’s (VT) Planning Department.

Cindy graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University with a B.S. in U.S. Environmental Policy. She is currently pursuing a specialized MBA in Sustainability from Bard College. She is a LEED Green Associate.

Daran Wastchak is the President of D.R. Wastchak, LLC, a firm based in Tempe, Arizona that specializes in residential energy efficiency and building science consulting.   He has been a key implementer of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR for Homes program in the Phoenix market since 1996, also providing LEED for Homes, IECC and Low Income Housing Tax Credit services for single and multi-family projects.  Daran has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University as well as a Master’s degree and PhD in Public Administration from ASU.  He is a member of the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) Board of Directors, including serving as RESNET Board Secretary and Vice President as well as Chairman of the Quality Assurance Committee.

Eric Werling has been the national director of the U.S. DOE’s Building America program since 2011. Prior to DOE, Eric launched the U.S. EPA’s Indoor airPLUS home labeling program, helped develop and implement the successful ENERGY STAR for New Homes program, and led development of popular IAQ and Moisture Control guides for EPA and ASHRAE. He holds a MS in Architectural Engineering and a MBA from Penn State, and a BS from the U.S. Naval Academy. Eric is also an amateur musician and plays for 2 bands, including the Building Science Boogie Band.

J. West the Principal at High Performance Human Habitats Training & Consulting in Chicago.
J has earned a strong national reputation for bringing together high-tech training tools and effective training skills to deliver training that sticks for students in classroom, lab, and field venues.  Since the beginning of 2009 he has trained hundreds of instructors, energy auditors, quality control inspectors and crew members from around North America. He has been involved at Federal, state, and local levels delivering building performance training, developing curriculum, performing building research, facilitating working groups and implementing process improvement strategies.

J is the creator, writer, director and producer of Carlito’s New Adventures in Weatherization, the acclaimed bi-lingual weatherization training series. He presents for industry and governmental organizations, including Affordable Comfort Institute, US Department of Energy, State of North Dakota, State of Illinois, National Trainers’ Consortium, habitatX, Energy Center of Wisconsin, the Energy Action Network, The Building Performance Center and CalCERTS.

J is a passive House Tradesmen and holds two Bachelors of Science from Illinois State University.

Lauren Westmoreland is the Energy Codes Manager for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), one of six regional energy efficiency organizations (REEOs). At SEEA, Lauren assists with the development of new energy code adoption, implementation or compliance programs to meet a state’s specific needs and delivers technical assistance. She also engages a wide range of technical stakeholders to better understand barriers of energy code compliance. In addition, Lauren collaborates with national, regional and local groups to share resources and lessons learned. Lauren is a licensed North Carolina Architect, a HERS Rater and a LEED AP BD+C. Previously, she trained the construction industry on energy code and above-code program requirements, tested 200+ homes for energy efficiency programs, and managed the development of educational and training materials for a variety of local, state and national energy efficiency programs.

Dr. Weston leads building science and construction technology research. She has developed and
introduced to market many new products and is an inventor of four U.S. patents.
She participates extensively in industry research programs and in standards and codes development. Dr. Weston is on the Board of Directors of the Building Environment and Thermal Envelope Council of the National Institute of Building Science, and has served on the Board of Directors of both the Energy and Environmental Building Association (EEBA) and the Cold Climate Housing Research Council (CCHRC).She is also active in publishing technical papers and presenting at construction industry and building science conferences.

Dr. Weston is actively involved with many professional organizations and chairs technical and standard development committees. She is a member of the executive committee of the ASTM Committee on the Performance of Buildings and chairs the sub-committee on Air Leakage and Ventilation. She also is a member of the ASTM Sustainability Committee. At ASHRAE, she is currently committee Vice-Chair for the Standard for Energy Efficient Design of New Low-Rise Residential Buildings and a past chair of the Technical Committee on Building Materials and Building Envelope Performance.

Born in Montebello, Calif., and raised in the Hollywood Hills, Dr. Weston earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology. She has worked for DuPont for over 25 years.

Frank Wickstead is a Senior Manager with ICF International where he leads residential and commercial demand side management energy efficiency programs. He is a LEEDapBD+C, a Building Performance Institute Subject Matter Expert, and a Georgia General Contractor Licensing Agent. Frank was awarded Georgia Institute of Technology's Environmental Leadership Award and was named one of the Top 50 Industry Leaders in the country by Remodeler Magazine.

As the Building Science Manager for CLEAResult, Dan has completely immersed in the discussion of what is required to create High Performance Buildings. Dan has over 20 years of experience working directly for a contractor; performing energy audits and Ratings, weatherization repairs, consulting and analysis for private clients in both New Construction and the existing buildings market. Dan currently provides Building Science consultation, training and presentation services for a variety of programs and clients across the country.

He works in the Building Technologies Office overseeing projects related to building energy codes, including DOE activities surrounding the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1.  He is a LEED A.P. and member of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Committee.  His educational background includes an M.S. degree in Construction Management from Michigan State University (MSU), and a B.S. in Business and Education.

Prior to joining DOE, he was a Senior Research Assistant at the MSU Center for Construction Project Performance, Assessment and Improvement (c2p2ai), with a research focus on energy code compliance.  He also coordinated the Michigan Energy Code Training and Implementation Program—a joint effort between the State of Michigan and MSU.  He is also a former high school science instructor, teaching courses in chemistry & physics.

Barb Yankie is the Founder and President of Green Building Consulting. Barb has been a significant voice in the Energy Efficiency and Green industry throughout the Midwest and beyond.  As a member of the RESNET National Board of Directors (since 2006), member of Building Performance Industry (BPI) Technical Committee, and a multi-year National Home Builders Association (NAHB) judge for the Energy Value Housing Award and Builder of the Year Award, among other positions, Barb has contributed her knowledge and expertise to many areas of this community. She has been recognized “for her contributions to greening homes around the country …. and countless other advocacy efforts” by being named 2014 Green Person of the Year by the USGBC Cincinnati Regional Chapter.

With over 20 years experience in construction, real estate, energy efficiency, and sustainability as well as over 35 years experience in training, Barb is a frequent consultant, trainer and presenter for multiple types of clients and organizations.  She has served on the RESNET Infrared Scanning Standard Task Force, the RESNET Strategic Positioning Task Force, the RESNET Infrared Standard Drafting Committee, and the RESNET Green Rater Certification Task Force. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the USGBC Cincinnati Regional Chapter and as a contributing member of the Residential Green Building Sub-Committee of the chapter.

Barb is currently a HERS Rater, RESNET Green Rater, LEED Green Rater, LEED AP Homes, LEED for Homes Green Rater Mentor, USGBC Faculty Member, LEED for Homes Quality Assurance Designee (QAD), and LEVEL II Infrared Thermographer (ASNT Compliant).  Some additional current and past affiliations include Energy Star Partner, Habitat for Humanity Partner, ACI Core Conference Committee Member, Home Builders Association member and a Licensed Realtor.

Because of her commitment to this industry, and with the help of others (including her son Paul), Barb has been able to grow her company to the position it now holds as a RESNET QA/Rating Provider, LEED for Homes Provider, Enterprise TA (Technical Assistance) Provider, PHIUS+ Rater and Consultant and, most importantly, one of the most trusted green building advisory firms in the world.

Jim Young is a Managing Consultant in the Energy Practice of Navigant Consulting, Inc.  His expertise focuses on energy-related issues for building systems, including evaluation of emerging technologies, market assessments, and program support for government agencies, utilities, manufacturers, investors, and other clients. Prior to Navigant, Jim spent many summers working alongside HVAC technicians on residential and commercial projects. He holds a M.S. in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University, and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

With over 30 years of experience in the residential buildings sector, Larry has managed the national expansion of BPI’s standards, credentialing and quality assurance programs as BPI's CEO since 2006. Under his leadership BPI’s active certifications have increased from 1,000 to more than 22,000 nationwide. He has led the expansion of BPI’s network of independent testing organizations that deliver BPI exams in the marketplace. The network has grown from 40 organizations in 2008 to more than 150 organizations today. In 2010, Larry directed BPI’s successful effort to become an ANSI accredited standards development organization, and in 2012 BPI achieved ANSI accreditation as a certifying body. Prior to his work with BPI, he served as Vice President of Marketing with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center, where he worked for 20 years.