Member Spotlight: Neil Angus

You may know Neil Angus, one of our Board member from various Chapter events. He helps man the Education Committee. Neil hosts Wednesday afternoon Webinars. This week we get to know a little more about Neil.

1. What is your current job and how does it differ from past jobs in regards to Sustainability?
I am an Environmental Planner with the Devens Enterprise Commission to oversee the development of a former military base outside of Boston in Devens. I act as a Town Planner but in a unique position since the Commission I serve is a regional and joint board that oversees planning, zoning, historic, local health and conservation-all under one roof! Devens is also redeveloping as an eco-industrial park (one firm's waste becoming another firm's raw material resource-maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste). I assist with the operations of the Devens Eco Efficiency Center as well. This is a unique non profit organization that provides education and technical assistance to businesses and organizations in Devens and the surrounding region to help them incorporate more sustainable business practices in their day to day operations.

2. When did you first become interested in Sustainability?
In my undergraduate program at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I majored in Geography and environmental studies and was always interested and fascinated in natural systems and how they function. I also have a creative side that was interested in architecture and design. Once I graduated I enrolled in a professional design degree program in Environmental Planning at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.There I learned to combine my knowledge of natural systems thinking with human development patterns and sharpened my skills as a land use planner. My first job was in Connecticut as an environmental planner where I wrote the Town's first plan for Conservation and Open Space. From there I new I found my niche incorporating more sustainable approaches to traditional land use, planning, methodologies and practices.

3. Why are you a member of the MA chapter and how did you get there?
I wanted to learn more about the green building movement as it was directly in my line of work. I joined the education committee of the Mass. Membership Forum at the Nexus Green Building Resource Center in Boston. From there I began to learn about LEED and the planning, design, operations and maintenance that goes into sustainable building design. I earned my LEED BD&C credential. As the Green Roundtable evolved into the Chapter, I decided to take a more active role as a Board Member and represent the Planning community. I have been workign to bring together the planning and building disciplines, since I joined. The launch of LEED for Neighborhood Development has also helped bridge the gap between planning and the development community.

4. How are you an Environmental Steward?
I still drive a little too much but I try to practice what I preach. I have minimized my own carbon footprint and in my own family through energy efficiency, recycling and re-use measures in my home, office, in my wife's offices and at my parents' home. I am always looking to minimize waste and maximize the life of the products I use. Some may call that frugal but I think we have become a disposable society that has greatly contributed to the situation we are in today with climate change and poor air quality in lots of regions. This coupled with my day to to day work as an environmental planner contribute to my environmental stewardship.

5. How do you help raise Environmental Awareness?
As a member of the Education Committee, I help organzie green building and LEED ND events that help educate others. I also try to share my knowledge and experiences when I can present to my colleagues and the general public on more sustainable approaches to land use planning and development.

6. If I needed to find you on a Saturday afternoon, where would you be?
Depending on the time of year...in the summer you will find me surfing in Rhode Island, in the Spring and Fall you might find me mountain biking up north and in the Winter, you would find me on the ski slopes searching for my own fresh powder. Needless to say, I love the outdoors. I think that helps me feel even better about what I do-knowing that my day to day activities ultimately help to preserve the natural environment and some of the places I love spending time in or at!

EPMA Soiree! Good times with the Emerging Professionals

By Adam Kreitman, EPMA

The 2014 EPMA Soiree (held at the Baseball Tavern on 12/20/14) was a great success, thanks in part to our incredible attendees and Lee Kennedy Co., Inc. for sponsoring! 

The night was full of networking, trivia and our first ever "EPMA Baggo Madness Tourney." Even though the event was rescheduled, due to the never ending weather curve balls, we were able to meet many new faces and draw in several new members!

The night concluded with a giveaway of multiple raffle prizes such as gift cards to Starbucks, Evoo, Henrietta's Table and the Fireplace. Our winners of the "Baggo" Tournament were Scott Balboni (Chapman Construction) and Tyler Murphy (Suffolk Construction). We saw a lot of good moves on the floor during Baggo.

As is usual at our EPMA networking events, we had free appetizers (from the Tavern) and drinks were underwritten by Lee Kennedy. Though there were a lot of "regulars," about half the crew were fresh faces and we made a lot of new contacts. In fact, LinkedIn reported a significant jump in connections the next day due, in part, to our event. 

But seriously, one of the reasons these EPMA events are so cool is that people are coming from a lot of different companies - we have construction, architecture, engineering, retrofits, schools, and many more backgrounds. If you go to your standard industry thing, you are just surrounded by your (friendly) competitors. At the USGBC and EPMA events, you connect across the industry.

Thank you all who made this night so enjoyable! 

[Editor's Note: special thanks to the EPMA leadership team - Stephanie MacNeil (HMFH), Javier Burgos (Navigant), Kristin Malyak (Gensler), Jenna Dancewicz (Suffolk Construction) and especially to Adam Kreitman for organizing this event and securing the sponsorship from...Lee Kennedy.]

USGBC Member Spotlight-Interview with Bill Holland

Bill Holland heads up our Residential Green Building Committee. I sat down with him for a few minutes to chat about work, life and sustainability.

Bill, what is your current job? How does it differ from past jobs in regards to Sustainability?

In my current position as the Mass Dept. of Housing and Community Development, I support local housing authorities in developing capital improvement plans for preserving state-assisted low income housing. Sometimes this work is simply re-roofing buildings to prevent building damage. Other times it may involve adding insulation, upgrading windows, replacing toilets with low flow models or installing high efficiency heating systems. In rare situations that involve projects with new construction we design to high performance standards. Although I have handled LEED certification on commercial projects in the past, this work is the first time that preservation and improved building performance have been the center of my team's efforts.

When did you become interested in Sustainability?

Back in the 1960s and early 70's there was a lot of interest amoung young designers and the counter-culture in designing with Nature rather than disregarding it. The technology was not so developed then as it is now but the ideas developed at the time provided much of the underpinning of today's green technologies. I was attending architect school at MIT at the time and became quite interested in the possibilities highlighted in such publications as The Whole Earth Catalog.

Why are you a member of the Mass. Chapter and how did you get there?

I am a member of the Mass. Chapter  because I believe that making buildings better is an essential part of achieving a sustainable culture. I also believe the consensus model and inclusion of all stakeholders are important elements for the transformation of our environment. Before there was a Chapter I joined a group of other design professionals working with the Green Roundtable (GRT) in Boston to create a Massachusetts Membership Forum which was the precursor to the Chapter. With support form the GRT we incorporated, set up our first Board of Directors and became the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter. I was Vice Chair of the Board in our first year. More recently I took up the Chairmanship of the newly formed Residential Green Building Committee which is in its third year.

How are you an Environmental Steward?

I try to live lightly, minimizing waste, eating meat only rarely, recycling whatever I can, composting, walking, bicycling, using public transportation and installing a high efficiency boiler in my house. I recently added photovoltaic panels on the roof of my house, with the expectation that they will be able to generate an amount of electricity equal to that my wife Meg and I consume.

How do you help raise Environmental Awareness?
I use Facebook and emails to highlight environmental issues with friends and family members scattered throughout the country. I also participate in the environmental discussions among the members of the First Unitarian Society of Newton, which has a Green Sanctuary committee to promote environmental issues.

On a Saturday afternoon, where would we find you?

I might be taking a walk or doing house projects with Meg, chopping vegetables for one of my super salads or taking a nap. However two weeks ago, I was visiting my son in Amherst MA and helping with his car. Last week, I was in Raleigh NC "rallying" for a more equitable world. This week, by contrast Meg and I are on a vacation relaxing in Florida!

Congratulations to USGBC MA New Officers

On Thursday, 2/20/14, the Board of Directors of the USGBC MA Board of Directors elected, through the consensus-based process of Dynamic Governance, a new slate of officers. 

• New Chair of the Board: Jim Newman (Linnean Solutions)

• Continuing Vice Chair: Neil Angus (Devens Enterprise Commission)

• Continuing Secretary: Sandy Brock (Nitsch Engineering)

• New Treasurer: Carolyn Day (DBA-W Architects)

• and new representative to the Upper Northeast Regional Council: Conor McGuire (Columbia Construction)

• Greg Sampson (Robinson & Cole) will remain on the Executive Committee as Past Chair

Thank you to the departing officers: Phoebe Beierle who is stepping down as Past Chair to take on the Green Apple Day of Service subcommittee of the Green Schools Committee, and Emily Greenstein, who is leaving us to pursue other interests beyond green buildings, after having served us as an amazing Treasurer for the past 6 years. Thank you Phoebe and thank you especially to Emily for your major contribution in time and effort to get this organization off the ground and into an established 501c3. You've done a truly outstanding job for the USGBC MA!

Some of the new officers shared their thoughts about the new group, which will form the Executive Committee of the Board for 2014.

From Carolyn Day: "I believe in the organizational mission so I decided to get involved at the early stages. The Chapter is the organization bringing people together for cross-pollination of knowledge and ideas in order to elevate the level of sustainable design happening in the commonwealth and beyond. This year I look forward to greater engagement from a more diverse membership, and extending our reach."

From Conor McGuire: “I’m looking forward to learning from our USGBC Chapter Members, so I can best represent our Massachusetts values and progress to the Upper Northeast Regional Committee and USGBC National.  See you all at our Networking & Educational events, and Award Ceremonies!”
Congratulations, thank you, and I look forward to working with you all. Chapter Members: feel free to reach out and send them your best wishes. Thank you.