SUNY ESF
Green Building Conference 2021 Speakers
Conference Speakers
| Keynote Speakers | |
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Angela Spangler, Director, International WELL Building Institute Angela brings expertise in human factors along with unique insight as a professional ergonomist. As a member of the Commercial Team she supports the global growth and adoption of the WELL Building Standard, an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring the performance of building features that impact occupant health and well-being. Angela is the sector lead for the Education sector spanning both K-12 and Higher Education, as well as the Government sector. Angela received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in Psychology with a minor in Architecture. She then went on to earn her Master’s degree in Human Environment Relations from the Design and Environmental Analysis program at Cornell University. Angela is a WELL Faculty™ and has her Associate Ergonomics Professional accreditation. |
| Conference Speakers (alphabetical) | |
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Anthony Aebi, Builder, ZeroNetNow Anthony has been a builder since 1990 and in 2007 built the first DOE-Rated Net-Zero
Energy Home. Since then, he has built more than 30 additional "Zero Energy" homes
that have been designed and constructed for a life cycle of at least seven generations. |
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Charles Bertuch, Principal, Bergmann Associates Mr. Bertuch has more than 30 years professional experience as a consultant and |
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| Yossi Bronsnick, Senior Engineer, Partner, Taitem Engineering Getting Pumped: An analysis of central heat pump domestic hot water systems |
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Carrie Brown, Senior Technical Consultant, Resource Refocus LLC Dr. Carrie Brown is a Senior Technical Consultant at Resource Refocus LLC where she contributes expertise in the fields of building science, mechanical engineering, optimization methods, building simulation, and energy efficient design. She specializes in zero net energy (ZNE) and zero carbon (ZC) research and consulting; energy efficiency consulting for commercial, residential, and multifamily buildings; building simulation; and state and federal energy policy research. Currently, Dr. Brown works on various ZNE and ZC studies for the California Investor Owned Utilities, California Air Resources Board, and NYSERDA. She is active in the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) professional communities, where she is the Vice President of IBPSA-USA and Chaired of the 2020 ASHRAE/IBPSA-USA Building Performance Analysis/SimBuild Conference. |
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Lisa A. Chase, Research and Communications Principal, Two Willows Consulting, LLC Lisa Chase has researched and written extensively on sustainable design and development for Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard University’s Real Estate Academic Initiative and Harvard Business School, and has researched and authored publications on social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Lisa has presented to academic and industry audiences, including Yale University and Fordham University, on design strategies and financing mechanisms for environmental and social welfare interventions. She has presented to the New York State Parking Association, New York State Green Building Conference and New England Parking Association on resource efficiency strategies for parking and transportation infrastructure. Lisa is researching the effectiveness of EU environmental regulations governing the built environment at King’s College London. She leads Two Willows’ research and communications. |
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Dan Ciarcia, Founder, Two Willows Consulting, LLC Daniel Ciarcia, founded Two Willows Consulting, a sustainability consulting firm focused on creating a more environmentally friendly urban design and mobility infrastructure. He led the development of GE's Electric Vehicle charging product line, Mueller System's Mi.Hub Smart Grid suite, and led the launch of the US Green Building Council's Parksmart Certification. Dan has presented to numerous audiences on sustainable energy, including the Harvard University Energy Symposium, MIT Energy Conference, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, GE EV Experience Tour and the German Trans-Atlantic E-Mobility Conference in Washington DC. |
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Kathy Curtis, Executive Director, Clean & Healthy New York Kathy Curtis, Executive Director, Clean & Healthy New York, has been advancing policy and market changes in New York for 20 years promoting safe chemicals, a sustainable economy, and a healthy world. |
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Jim D’Aloisio, Principal, Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt Jim is a principal with Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt, a structural engineering, landscape architecture, and building envelope services firm in East Syracuse, NY. His 30-plus years’ experience as a consulting structural engineer has involved design of new building structures, additions, and modifications, and analyses, assessments, and investigations of structures and facades. Specialties include detailing to minimize structural thermal bridging, alternative structural systems and design approaches to reduce CO2e emissions of structures and foundations. He also performs special structural inspections and envelope commissioning and has performed over 150 structural forensic investigations. For fun Jim practices hypermiling and enjoys cigars, and gutter cleaning. |
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Joseph DiSanto, Senior Energy Engineer, Ramboll Mr. DiSanto has developed hundreds of energy simulation models to evaluate and optimize the energy performance of various types of buildings including single- and multi-family residences, offices, primary and secondary schools, college and university buildings, hospitals, laboratories, hotels, athletic facilities, and manufacturing facilities. He is experienced with several energy simulation programs including DOE-2.2, eQUEST, EnergyPlus, and OpenStudio. He also developed a parametric analysis tool that post processes energy simulation results so the optimum package of measures can be rapidly identified based on client criteria, such as minimizing life cycle cost, minimizing annual energy costs, or achieving zero net energy. |
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Petra Gruber, Associate Professor, The University of Akron |
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Brendan Hall, Senior Engineer, CHA Consulting Brendan Hall is a Senior Engineer with CHA Consulting in Syracuse, NY. As a professional engineer he has 10 years of experience with building energy modeling and high performance system design. |
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Nicolette Havrish, Architect, Interior Designer, Beardsley Architects + Engineers Nicolette Havrish, AIA, NCARB, NCIDQ, LEED AP BD+C is a Registered Architect and Certified Interior Designer with over 12 years of experience ranging from design to construction period services. She is well-versed in a wide range of facility types and has developed spaces that meet her clients’ needs while also meeting sustainability goals. She has volunteered with many sustainability initiatives, including the Research Task Force of the American Institute of Architect’s National Committee on the Environment. Nicolette is knowledgeable about NYSERDA incentives, NY-CHPS, Enterprise Green Communities, and multiple versions of the LEED® Rating system. She has worked on projects achieving all levels of LEED Certification, including Net Zero Energy projects within New York State. |
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John Hewitt, Mechanical Engineer, Beardsley Architects + Engineers Mr. Hewitt is a mechanical engineer with over 40 years of experience in the design of systems for commercial, industrial, educational, healthcare, governmental, and large residential projects. He offers design solutions categorized by innovation, cost efficiency, soundness of design, constructability, and a commitment to thorough design documentation. He has a comprehensive knowledge of construction processes, Mechanical Systems and their application and utilizes a holistic approach in the resolution of complex problems. |
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Lauren Hildebrand, Sustainability Director, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. With over 13 years of experience in both residential and commercial green building technologies, Lauren provides the know-how in performance testing, contractor training, healthy building materials, energy code compliance, and incentive opportunities. She is an accredited LEED AP BD+C, LEED for Homes Green Rater and WELL Performance Testing Agent, and oversees project certification for residential programs, such as LEED®, ENERGY STAR®, NYSERDA, NJ Clean Energy, and Enterprise Green Communities. She has worked with green building certification programs since 2008 overseeing certification and consulting services for over 15,000 homes and multifamily units. Awards presented to her clients include the 2013, 2018 & 2019 and 2020 USGBC LEED Project of the Year Awards. Through her work and outreach at Steven Winter Associates, Lauren emphasizes the crucial connection between health and social equity, while collaborating with third party clients/vendors to ensure the proper specification of healthy building materials, air quality testing, pest control management, non-smoking guidelines, and active design activities. |
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Thibaut Houette, PhD Student, The University of Akron Thibaut Houette is a French architect with experience in parametric design, sustainability and biomimicry. Captivated by natural designs, his various biomimicry research projects span from studying spider webs for tensile architecture and abstracting natural ecosystems for the organization of temporary events, to translating organisms’ strategies to improve water management in buildings. He is continuing his biomimicry for architecture research path through his Integrated Bioscience PhD in Dr. Gruber’s Biodesign lab at The University of Akron on ways to implement biological growth into architecture. In this regard, he is studying the use of myceliated material for building facades and abstracting root growth principles for building foundations. |
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Gary Klein, President, Gary Klein & Associates, Inc. Gary Klein has been intimately involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy since 1974. 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, with an emphasis on the water-energy-carbon connection. The International Association of Plumber and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) recognized his efforts in 2014 presenting him their Green Professional of the Year award. In 2015 the Department of Energy awarded him the Jeffrey A. Johnson Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Building Energy Codes. |
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Jeff Love, Director, Sustainable Comfort, Inc. Jeff Love is a Director at Sustainable Comfort working as an energy efficiency and green building consultant on various affordable housing projects. Jeff is an Energy Rater, LEED Green Rater, with specialty working with adaptive reuse projects including historic conversions, schools, and other existing structures. He currently works with architects, developers, and owners to design and construct multifamily residential projects for occupant health, safety and comfort. |
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John MacArthur, Engineer V, Beardsley Architects + Engineers Mr. MacArthur brings over 33 years of multi-discipline engineering experience to each project. He has been responsible for project management, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering work for a variety of projects, including governmental, medical, municipal, housing, education, commercial, industrial, and residential work. Mr. MacArthur has designed systems for office buildings, commercial buildings, academic spaces, and parks and recreation facilities. Sustainable Design has been an interest of Johns for his entire career, and a practice for much of that. |
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Sydney Mainster, Vice President of Sustainability & Design Management, The Durst Organization Sydney Mainster, LEED AP, Vice President of Sustainability & Design Management, The Durst Organization, ensures that sustainability goals of ground-up development projects, existing building renovations, and building operations and management are met. |
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Brendan Mangino, Project Engineer, Taitem Engineering After graduating from Alfred University Brendan worked as an HVAC Safety Project Engineer and Engineering Team lead at ETL Intertek, specializing in heat pump technologies. After leaving Intertek, Brendan started work as a Project Engineer at Taitem Engineering specializing in fire protection and green plumbing design. |
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James Moriarty, Vice President, Sustainable Comfort, Inc. James Moriarty has been a practicing Energy Engineer and green building consultant for 9+ years. James consults with architects and developers on energy efficient design strategies and performs verification of energy performance for new construction and renovations for programs such as, Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), Enterprise Green Communities, ENERGY STAR™ and LEED® for Homes. James leads the quality assurance and oversight efforts of all verification programs. He has experience in high performance building design, design facilitation, and building energy modeling for large multifamily residential facilities. |
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Nicholas Rajkovich, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, University at
Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning Nicholas B. Rajkovich, PhD, AIA is an Associate Professor at the University at Buffalo. His research investigates the intersection of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adaptation to climate change in the built environment. Prior to earning a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan, he was a Senior Program Engineer at the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Company Customer Energy Efficiency Department. At PG&E, he was responsible for designing a $25 million Zero Net Energy Pilot Program. He was also chair of the San Francisco American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment. |
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Eric A. Schiff, Interim Executive Director, Syracuse CoE, Syracuse University Eric Schiff is the interim executive director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems at Syracuse University. He is also a physics professor at the university. He has been researching solar cells for most of his career, with support from several companies, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation. He has also served as a program director at ARPA-E, where he initiated the SHIELD research program directed at improving legacy single-pane windows. |
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Andrew Schuster, Principal, Ashley McGraw Architects Andrew’s wide ranging experience in local and international projects, from housing & schools to urban design, brings a fresh perspective to his work. He has extensive experience in sustainability and ecologically-driven architecture, with a particular passion for how natural materials can enhance the quality of life for a building’s occupants while reducing its environmental impact. Andrew is convinced that great design backed up by ground-breaking science has the power to make healthier, happier communities. He was recently featured by Green Building & Design for "Architects to Watch." |
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Peter Skinner, Owner/Principal, Earth Environmental Group, LLC Peter Skinner is a leading solar thermal system educator, author and consultant. Formerly the Chief Scientist of New York’s Attorney General’s Environmental Bureau, he has 42 years of experience as a policy advocate and technical innovator. Peter is an energetic and effective instructor who teaches both introductory and advanced solar thermal courses at colleges, technical schools and professional conferences. As a solar thermal consultant, he has designed and installed dozens of custom solar thermal and heating systems. Peter helped NABCEP prepare its solar thermal installer certification test and created IREC approved curricula for solar courses presented across the country. Peter’s special talent is troubleshooting hydronic system problems. |
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Stacy Smedley, Executive Director, Building Transparency Stacy has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Washington, and over 18 years in the architecture and construction professions. Her resume includes the first LEED for Homes Platinum certified project in Washington State as well as the first project in the world to be certified under Living Building Version 2.0 standards. As Chief Sustainability Officer at Skanska, Stacy has led sustainable initiatives, and is considered a subject matter expert in LEED, Living Building Challenge and carbon emissions associated with buildings and construction. In her role at the newly established nonprofit, Building Transparency, Stacy leads the continued management and development of the free, open-access Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool and works to educate and engage the building industry on actionably reducing embodied carbon emissions of building materials. Stacy has served in various advisory and leadership roles, including: Co-Chair of the Washington Businesses for Climate Action; Advisory Board Member for the University of Washington Carbon Leadership Forum; Construction Taskforce Chair for the Embodied Carbon Network; Advisory Group Member for AIA Materials Working Group; Emerging Professional Regional Chair for USGBC; Membership Chair for the Cascadia Green Building Council. She is a 2020 Grist 50 Fixer, a 2019 ENR Top 25 Newsmaker, and shared a Living Building Challenge Hero award for her work on the Bertschi School Living Science Building. |
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Jodi Smits Anderson, Director of Sustainability Programs, DASNY 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. |
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Lachlan Squair, Chief Facilities Planning & Safety Officer, SUNY Oneonta |
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Pasquale Strocchia, Building Performance Consultant, Integral Building + Design Pasquale has over twenty-five years experience in the housing sector and has been dedicated to High Performance Building since 2004. As a Building Performance Professional and Energy Rater, he has consulted on numerous projects including buildings designed for zero-energy performance. |
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Bill Walsh, Founder and Strategic Advisor, Healthy Building Network Bill Walsh is the Founder & Strategic Advisor of Healthy Building Network, which for 20 years has led efforts in the green building movement to advance transparency and chemical hazard reduction in building materials. |
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Michael L. Wetzel, President and CEO, Air Innovations, Inc. Michael L. Wetzel is President and CEO of Air Innovations, a firm specializing in the design and manufacture of environmental control system. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and is the holder of seven US patents. Since joining the company as president and CEO in 1996, Wetzel has grown Air Innovations from a company focused solely on floral coolers to one that addresses wide variety of refrigeration, air conditioning and filtration needs. During this time, revenue and employment have increased dramatically. Wetzel also serves on the board of directors for MACNY (Manufacturers Association of Central NY), is a member of the District Export Council, and is president of the CNYIBA (Central NY International Business Alliance). |
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Jaimee Wilson, Senior Energy Engineer/Associate, Pathfinder Engineers & Architects Jaimee Wilson, PhD, PE, LEED AP, BEAP, BEMP, is a Senior Energy Engineer and Associate at Pathfinder Engineers & Architects. She is responsible for providing energy modeling, comprehensive energy audits, energy calculations, and developing and implementing energy conservation measures (ECMs) across a variety of client sectors and facility types. She also provides technical analysis for the NYSERDA New Construction Program as a primary energy consultant. Dr. Wilson is a member of ASHRAE and the Association of Energy Engineers. |
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Lauren Zullo, Director of Environmental Impact, Jonathan Rose Companies |