NYS Green Building Conference
Mass Timber Symposium

Jodi is the Director of Sustainability Programs at DASNY, a lifetime member of NESEA, past regional and national U.S. Green Building Council committee member, wife, mom, hiker, kayaker, knitter, and storyteller. She is the 2018 recipient of the NYSGBC Green Building Advocate award.

While studying engineering and architecture in college, Paul spent a summer working as timber framer and developed a strong interest in the strength and structural performance of timber buildings. His Ph.D. research developed a non-destructive method for assessing the structural characteristics of timber joinery. Before coming to ESF Paul taught at the University of Puerto Rico and Morrisville State College. Paul currently helps deliver coursework in sustainable construction and construction management and is leading a team of researchers at the college in mass timber.

Jim's Managing Principal of Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt, with 30+ years' experience as a consulting structural engineer. He has experience in Insulated Concrete Forms, Structural Insulated Panels, and Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations. Jodi's Director of Sustainability Programs at DASNY. Previously she was a practicing architect at various firms. She is a contributing author to The Drawdown Project. She was awarded 2018 Green Building Advocate of the Year at last year's Conference. Jim and Jodi have both served on the USGBC NY Upstate Chapter as board members, chairs, and various other positions. Both have written several articles on sustainability.

Kathryn (Katie) Fernholz is a dynamic and compelling expert on environmental concerns and sustainability. She brings a unique combination of both a broad understanding of the complex interconnection between society and the environment, and the experience of her own personal journey from a family organic farm to being a leader and international expert on the responsible management of forests. Kathryn is a forester by training with 23 years of experience in the forest sector. Her career has focused on sustainability concerns, including leadership on projects addressing small-holder and family forestry, community-based decision making, supply-chain assurances, and standard setting. She is an experienced lead auditor for forest certification assessments having served on audit teams for industrial, Tribal, public, and family forest lands. Kathryn is currently Chair for the board of trustees for the American Forest Foundation.

Structural engineer, over 10 years’ experience. Cross laminated timber (CLT) expert. Modular construction (DFMA). Application of digitalisation technologies. International speaker.

Persis C. Rickes, Ph.D. has 35 years of experience in higher education planning. In 1991, she founded Rickes Associates, which focuses on college and university master planning, space optimization, instructional space utilization, space programming, and strategic program alignment. Planning is not just about ensuring that there is enough space, but about having the right kind of space to achieve strategic goals. Dr. Rickes is a long-time member of the Society for College and University Planning and has held a number of regional and national posts in the Association. Dr. Rickes has also written and spoken on generational students and how they are influencing higher education space needs. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, University of Connecticut.

Evan Reidel is part of the Building Innovations group at Sidewalk Labs. After having spent several years building thousands of excruciatingly similar units in Toronto it became clear that the current construction practices were unsustainable and inefficient. Modular construction became an obvious and attractive alternative. In order to contribute to the future of this new construction methodology Evan pursued a Dual MBA and Master of Structural Engineering at the University of Western Ontario, and completed a thesis for Sidewalk Labs on a strategy for modularization of structural and building Systems within cores of tall wood buildings. His continued work at Sidewalk Labs is focused on the constructability of its modular building strategy.

When Evan is not dreaming of large wooden buildings, he can be found planning his next remote adventure, most recently road tripping across Bulgaria, exploring the Chinese mega cities and hiking the Andes in Peru.

Marc Rivard, Regional Director, Woodworks – Wood Products Council

Marc is a licensed Structural and Professional Engineer in the State of California, and received his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Prior to joining WoodWorks, he was a Senior Structural Engineer in California with 13 years of experience primarily involving seismic design and analysis of new and existing buildings. Marc has experience providing structural calculations, plans, specifications and construction administration services for a wide variety of projects including public schools and libraries, churches, state park facilities, multi-family and single family custom homes, universities, commercial and retail buildings, NASA operational facilities, and military housing and operational facilities.