Presenters:

Andrea Simmons, Green Building Services and Legislative Affairs Manager, State of Oregon, Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division, Salem, OR

Debbie Cleek, Green Building Specialist, City of Portland, Bureau of Development Services, Portland, OR

Marian Lahav, AICP, Senior Planner, City of Vancouver, Vancouver, WA

David Cohan, Codes and Standards Manager, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Session sponsored by Perkins Coie

Building codes and regulations have become a major focus in the green building industry as innovative systems and construction practices continue to push the envelope on sustainability. The need for education and awareness around the interface between codes and alternative, non-conventional technologies exists both for project design teams as well as regulatory agencies responsible for ensuring public health and safety. Numerous regional initiatives are underway targeting the need to address and remove obstacles that stand in the way of true sustainability in the built environment.

In this session, participants will hear about successful code initiatives in the state of Oregon, the cities of Portland and Vancouver, WA, and Clark County, WA. Key learning objectives will include: identifying code and regulatory hurdles that exist for projects seeking to achieve the highest levels of sustainability; learning about innovative ways state and local governments have successfully identified and removed these hurdles; and working in small groups to create a roadmap for removing regulatory barriers within your community.

Presenter Bios 

Andrea Simmons

As the Legislative and Sustainability Manager, Andrea focuses on green building legislation, policies, rules, and codes. She has 11 years of experience with the division in policy making, construction related legislation, and rule and code development. She works with stakeholders and boards to develop flexible tools that promote cost savings through energy efficiency and conservation of water.

Debbie Cleek

Debbie works for the City of Portland, helping green projects through the regulatory review process. She is also involved with developing new programs to help encourage more sustainable development on a city-wide scale. This includes an effort that is underway to add local green building requirements to the state building code. Debbie’s background is in Planning and she holds a degree from the University of Arizona in Urban Planning and Architecture. She is a Sustainable Building Advisor and LEED AP.

Marian Lahav

Marian manages the City of Vancouver and Clark County’s joint effort to identify code barriers to sustainable, affordable, residential development. She has more than 15 years experience in comprehensive planning and expertise in environmental planning. Marian holds an MS in Natural Resource Policy & Management from the University of Michigan.