Presenter:

Yancy Wright, Sustainable Initiatives Manager,
Sellen Construction Company

Karl Ostrom, Founder/Co-Director, Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS)

David Walsh, Designer, Mithun

Darcy Hitchcock, Founder, AXIS Performance Advisors

The objective of a sustainability assessment for the design and construction industry is to look beyond buildings and measure the performance of specific business practices with an easy-to-use metric. It also helps companies establish and organize sustainable initiatives prior to having completed a sustainability plan. The SUSTAINABILITY COMPETENCY & OPPORTUNITY RATING & EVALUATION (SCORE) framework provides a simple, easy-to-use tool that engages top level executives in looking closer at their Strategic, Pre-Construction and Construction Practices they can more easily find meaningful ways to change the culture of their organizations as well as align themselves with an industry wide assessment aimed at getting to a fully integrated “living” status. This session will begin with a panel discussion including Q&A and then move to a break-out session.  Attendees will be guided through the metric and collaborate on self-assessments of their own organizations.

Session Format:  BREAKOUT SESSION

Presenter Bios

Yancy Wright

Wright works internally to develop best management practices that help reduce the companies environmental impact. He collaborates with design teams in preconstruction by analyzing and evaluating options to establish overarching Sustainable goals and supports the LEED® documentation process through construction. Mr. Wright earned his B.A. and M.A. degree in architecture from the University of Idaho and finished with Pennsylvania State University in Rome.

Karl Ostrom

NBIS has a 7-year track record, helping businesses profitably engage the challenges and opportunities of new environmental, social and economic pressures.  Karl and NBIS Co-director, Mary Rose are licensed to facilitate SCORE, the Sustainability Competency Opportunity Rating and Evaluation process, using it as a foundation for assisting companies in setting goals, prioritizing action, and establishing measures of success and ROI. 

David Walsh

David Walsh, Senior Associate and Architect at Mithun, has over 19 years of experience designing and managing a wide variety of housing, civic, senior living and educational projects, including over half a million square feet of multi-family residential. David currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Washington Clean Technology Alliance, an organization dedicated to growing clean technology business sectors including Green Building.  As a volunteer on the Workforce Development Council’s Green Design/Green Building Panel, David is collaborating with the labor, building and design communities to develop a new sustainability curriculum for all Washington State apprentices.  David strives to be an agent for positive change and believes that environmental stewardship and job creation can work hand-in-hand.

Darcy Hitchcock

Darcy Hitchcock is the author of the award-winning book, The Business Guide to Sustainability and more recently The Step by Step Guide to Sustainability Planning. Her company, AXIS Performance Advisors, helps organizations implement sustainable business practices. She also teaches both internal practitioners and consultants how to use their practical assessment and planning tools including the popular SCORE sustainability assessment. She teaches Foundations of Sustainable Business at the prestigious Bainbridge Graduate Institute’s MBA and certificate programs. Darcy is also a co-founder and on the management team of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals.