A Busy Time for Thumbprint Endeavors Team Members

This has been a very busy time for Thumbprint Endeavors Team Members.

Thumbprint Endeavors Associate, Barret Ramey, LEED AP recently attended the USGBC Conference in Denver on May 7^th and 8^th. In addition to attending several sessions on Green Building topics, Barret volunteered to help out with the conference. He is always more than willing to lend a hand and to meet new people. And that he did – Barret met numerous Green Building professionals, networking and continuing to expand his circle of contacts in the industry. Barret’s interests include a broad spectrum of Green Building aspects including energy and water conservation measures, more efficient building practices and sustainable design.

Linda has been busy as well. She attended a Green Building Professional Forum in Columbus, hosted by the Ohio EPA on April 30^th. In addition to touring the Grange Columbus Audubon Center, currently under construction on a former brownfields site on the Whittier Peninsula. Other tour stops include the Lazarus Government Center (LEED Silver) Green Roof in a renovated 1930’s department store and office building, the new 4-H center on the Ohio State University campus, and a LEED home pilot project near downtown Columbus. There was also a Round Table Discussion on “Overcoming Barriers to Green Building”, facilitated by Carolyn Watkins, Chief, Office of Environmental Education, Ohio EPA. Much wisdom was presented by: Elaine Barnes, Ohio School Facilities Commission; Jeff Bates, Columbus State Community College;

David Brehm, DesignGroup and Columbus Mayor’s Green Team; Paul Freedman, City of Columbus, Building Services & Code Development; Gail Hesse, Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water; Heather Starck, Grange Columbus Audubon Center; Meera Parthasarathy, Columbus Green Building Forum, Columbus Mayor’s Green Team; and Craig Weise, AIA, CCM, PMP State Architect of Ohio

Linda received a very positive and encouraging reception to her presentation of her recent research on the importance of connecting adult’s outdoor childhood experiences with the need to get today’s children out in to the natural world at the Environmental Education Council of Ohio Conference May 1 – 3, 2009.

And to connect our Dayton and Denver TE locations, Linda attended the talk by Justin Wilson, Building Performance Solutions, Inc., Boulder, CO. Justin presented at the Dayton Home Builders Association meeting on “Building Energy Efficient Homes Through Integration and Implementation” on May 7^th, 2009. It was very interesting to hear about projects in or near downtown Denver that are great examples of re-use of sites with existing “footprints” including the sustainable design of the site of a former airport that will be tied to all of the transportation and utilities, etc. of Denver.

So, the Thumbprint Endeavors Environmental Consulting Team continues to be actively involved and learning as well as educating others on Green Building and Sustainability.

We look forward to seeing you out there as well.