LOS ANGELES (September 9, 2020) The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) has selected its Board of Directors for 2020-21, expanding to a total of 24, including increased representation from landscape design, general contracting and academia. The 24-person Board of Directors represents the AEC community along with representation from public sector, private sector, utility, and non-profit leaders from across Southern California. The Board Chair remains Holly Hill, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Southern California Edison, with Seth Strongin, Associate, Sustainability and Energy for Arup, serving as Vice Chair.
“We are excited to welcome a diverse and experienced group of sustainability leaders to the Board. The selection committee did some self-reflection and selected candidates to best represent our membership and mission of creating a healthy, resilient and just built environment,” states Hill.
The 2020 – 2023 Board of Directors are:
Cassy Aoyagi, President and Co-Founder, FormLA Landscaping (EC)
Steve Baule, Director of Sustainable Projects, L.A. Department of Water and Power
Denise Braun, Principal, All About Waste LLC
Jessie Buckmaster, Sustainability Manager, Hathaway Dinwiddie *
Shara Castillo, Principal, ZGF Architects, LLP
Stuart Cooley, Professor, Renewable Energies, Santa Monica College
Katherine (Kate) Diamond, Civic Design Director/Design Principal, HDR, Inc.
Robyn Eason, Senior Sustainability Planner, City of West Hollywood, CA
Christine Harada, President, i(x) investments
Sara Hickman, Sustainability Director, Studio One Eleven / RDC
Holly Hill, Senior Sustainability Advisor, Southern California Edison (EC)
Dave Intner, Engineering Manager, Southern California Edison
Gary Lai, Principal, Director of Regenerative Design, Ahbe|MIG *
Todd Lynch, Principal Project Planner, Lecturer, Green Building Specialist, UCLA Capital Programs, UCLA Architecture and Urban Design
Mark Fuller, Executive Vice President, Howard Building Corporation *
Edmund Novy, Treasurer / Project Manager, Fondation Enfant Jesus (EC)
Marcela Oliva, Architecture Professor, Los Angeles Trade Tech College *
Seth Strongin, Associate, Sustainability and Energy, Arup (EC)
Melissa Sullivan, VP Sustainability & Wellness, Cushman & Wakefield
Ryan Tinus, Senior Director, Engineering and Environmental Sustainability, Hudson Pacific Properties
Jenny Whitson, Sustainability Project Manager, Vanir Construction Management, Inc.
Emerging Professional Seats 2019-2022:
Ariel Fan, Founder, CEO, GreenWealth Energy Solutions
Kathleen Hetrick, Sustainability Engineer, BuroHappold Engineers
Laura Mask, Regional Transactional Counsel, Lennar Homes
(* denotes new, (EC) denotes Executive Committee)
Under the leadership of Executive Director Ben Stapleton and the Board, USGBC-LA just hosted (virtually) its 19th Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo with over 1,200 attendees. MGBCE represented the prior year’s growth in focus toward innovative and equitable and community-directed approaches to increase the sustainability of buildings, landscaping and communities throughout the region and beyond. It also demonstrated the group’s powerful pivot to online programming. USGBC-LA has launched several initiatives that will continue to grow under this incoming Board including the recent Net Zero Accelerator, a quarterly Thought Leadership series, and the regional Talent Portal. Other programs with particular relevance right now are the Firewise Education and Tours, Green Schools Initiative, and the Healthy Building Alliance, which looks to make healthy buildings more accessible for all.
“With a limited number of board seats available and an incredible pool of applicants this year, we had some difficult choices to make,” notes Stapleton. “Though we have more work to do, I’m pleased that we continue to diversify the personal and professional perspectives of our Board and look forward to working together during this challenging time which has further highlighted the importance of our work around resilience, occupant health, and developing future talent.”
The recently termed-out Board members include John Egan of Egan | Simon Architecture, Richard Ludt of Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., Paul McGunnigle of Howard Building Corp. (ex-EC), and Sara Neff of Kilroy Realty Corp. (ex-Chair). Ludt and Neff remain Advisors to the Board.
For more information about the USGBC-LA chapter, please contact Ben Stapleton, ben@usgbc-la.org, or 213-689-9707.
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About U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles
USGBC-LA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to creating a prosperous and sustainable future within one generation. Our mission promotes sustainability in LA County’s built environment by delivering access to knowledge, resources, recognition and networking. (www.usgbc-la.org)
