Speakers:

Arnold M. Kee, Continuing Education Manager, Credentialing, Green Building Certification Institute

Barbra Batshalom, LEED AP, Executive Director, Green Roundtable/NEXUS

Jacob Knowles, LEED AP, Senior Project Manager, Green Roundtable/NEXUS

Jennifer L. Cronan, P.E., LEED AP, Construction Manager & LEED Coordinator, Jones Lang LaSalle Construction

The discussion will focus on how Boston area and nation-wide firms can protect their investments and maintain the credentials of their LEED APs without a major time and financial commitment. An overly simplified summary of the requirements is that each LEED AP must obtain 30 hours of continuing education credits every two years. A quick ‘back of the napkin’ calculation brings to light the substantial expense that could be incurred if creative solutions are not investigated.

Arnold Kee, the Continuing Education Manager for the GBCI, will discuss the intricacies of the CMP which will include descriptions, suggestions and examples of the various ways LEED APs can pursue continuing education hours. Jacob Knowles and Barbra Batshalom, green building educators from the local Green Roundtable/NEXUS Center, will provide insight on reasons why credentialing maintenance is important for your firm and they will explore opportunities for LEED APs in the Boston area. Jennifer Cronan, the LEED Coordinator for Jones Lang LaSalle in Boston, will discuss the approach that JLL has taken to simplify the process for their 550+ LEED APs nation-wide.

Arnold Kee is the continuing education manager for credentialing at the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Mr. Kee has over 15 years of experience working with non-profit organizations to study the intersection of employment, education and opportunity in emerging job markets. Prior to GBCI, Mr. Kee worked with the American Association of Community Colleges to assess the pathways diverse students take from workforce training and associate degrees to the marketplace. At the Institute for Higher Education Policy, he addressed programs and policies impacting student success at the four-year university level. He has also studied the relationship between graduate educational programs and employment at Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Kee holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Tufts University.

The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), established in January 2008, provides third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice. GBCI administers project certification for commercial and institutional buildings and tenant spaces under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating Systems™ addressing new construction and ongoing operations. GBCI also manages the professional credentialing programs based upon the LEED Rating Systems including the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP credentials.

Barbra Batshalom, LEED AP, is the founder and Executive Director of The Green Roundtable/NEXUS. With a background in social psychology, architecture and exhibit design, she has practiced in traditional firm settings and as a green design consultant for over 16 years. She has provided technical assistance, integrated design team facilitation and rating system implementation on a wide variety of planning projects and building types, within local governments and institutions. Barbra also consults on policy formation and conducts a range of education and training courses.

Jacob Knowles, LEED AP, is experienced in championing sustainable projects ranging from super-insulated homes to large-scale commercial, multi-use, and industrial LEED-certified projects. With a background in architectural design, cost-estimating, and construction, Jacob has forwarded the sustainability agenda from a variety of perspectives. Prior to joining NEXUS, Jacob also founded an architectural design firm, specializing in sustainable and energy-efficient design. His current role at NEXUS involves integrated-design facilitation, LEED project management, sustainable strategy guidance, technical review of project documents, carbon footprint analysis, lifecycle cost and lifecycle assessment. Jacob has also co-developed and presented a variety of green building and energy-efficiency trainings.

The Green Roundtable / NEXUS is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to mainstream green, healthy, efficient, and intentional building and development. We promote and support this mission through education, policy advocacy, strategic outreach and technical assistance, while recognizing that all of our constituents are fellow agents of change. NEXUS’ goal is to advance the state of the art until all infrastructure, buildings and communities are designed, constructed and managed sustainably. Our ultimate vision is to completely transform the standard paradigm of development, planning and architectural design.

Jennifer Cronan, P. E., LEED AP joined Jones Lang LaSalle Construction in 2005 and currently serves as a Construction Manager and LEED Coordinator for the firm. Jennifer has over ten years of experience within the construction industry. Ms. Cronan’s project diversity includes extensive expertise with tenant improvements and ground up construction of residential and laboratory buildings. Jennifer also serves as the Boston office’s liaison for up-to-date LEED information and training, and provides management assistance for all LEED projects. She is currently heading up a task force to assist the firm’s 550+ LEED APs in simplifying the credentialing maintenance program.

Jones Lang LaSalle’s Construction Group of 125 professionals in Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C., provides full-service general contracting for tenant improvement, base building, building renovation and capital improvement projects. JLL completes an average of 450 projects a year for biotech, higher education, government and high-tech clientele; $162 million was constructed in 2009. Jones Lang LaSalle is a leader in green building, with access to the expertise of over 550 LEED APs nation-wide. The JLL Construction Boston team is currently completing two LEED projects: the 130,000 sf EMD Serono Laboratory Expansion Project in Billerica (LEED Gold) and the 97,000 sf, 6 floor fit-out project for KPMG’s new offices in Boston (LEED Silver).