The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

Kristina earned both her Master of Architecture and her Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee along with certificates in Sustainable Design and Historic Preservation. A LEED Accredited Professional since 2008, Kristina is also a self-proclaimed credential junkie. She was the fifth person in the world to obtain all five LEED AP specialties as well as being an early adopter in the WELL AP program.   Kristina has a wide array of experience in sustainable design including traditional architectural practice/design, performing official LEED reviews while working at USGBC/GBCI, and acting as a sustainable consultant. Her experience includes work on both new construction projects as well as existing buildings and spans the gamut of the commercial real estate sector including offices, higher education, healthcare, and community buildings. Kristina has successfully led over 100 projects to achieving their LEED certification goals and has also worked on a variety of projects pursuing WELL and LBC certification. Kristina serves as the Chair of the Minnesota Wellness Collaborative, an industry volunteer group aimed at developing market demand and industry capacity for wellness in the built environment.   Kristina Bach serves as Vice President of Innovation with Sustainable Investment Group (SIG). In this role, she provides insights into emerging trends, software and technology within the built environment. Her focus is on developing new resources for SIG’s consultant teams as well as cultivating new opportunities to better support our clients in meeting their sustainability initiatives.   Kristina utilizes her background in the traditional architectural design and construction realm to help clients integrate sustainability practices within their projects. Her pragmatic approach to certification ensures that clients are incorporating the practices that will best serve their organization’s needs and goals. As a former LEED Reviewer for GBCI, Kristina has helped hundreds of projects achieve LEED certification. Additionally, her project management experience extends to guiding projects through various other sustainability systems including WELL, Living Building Challenge and local standards.   Kristina’s wealth of project experience and in-depth knowledge/background in the nuances of sustainability certifications enables her to be a strong resource to project teams and individuals wishing to get more involved with the sustainability movement.  Show Highlights  Pros and cons of being a credential junkie Linking the construction realm for new projects with functional designs Avoid getting pigeonholed by challenges different industries and sectors face  Changes the current pandemic climate is making on the industry  Ways to leverage best practices to benefit the clients Sneak peak into what Kristina’s working on industry Learn valuable tips from LEED reviewer    “Figure out what you can do to move the sustainability needle just a little bit for every client. We help move the industry by pushing on that frontage as opposed to just the jewel projects that get all the resources thrown at them.” -Kristina   Kristina’s Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community!   If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Sally Wilson, LEED Fellow Exclusively representing tenants such as corporations, associations, and professional service firms in developing real estate solutions that fulfill organizational goals. Areas of expertise include portfolio and transaction management, site selection, lease and work letter negotiation, workplace, and carbon accounting.  She was the first Commercial Real Estate (CRE) broker to achieve LEED AP, and is the only broker to be elevated to LEED Fellow. And, fun fact - her husband is a LEED Fellow, also!   Show Highlights  Learn why brokers are also the gatekeepers to sustainability projects Sally’s journey in carving a path during the male dominated years in architecture and real estate  The benefits of organizations like CREW Sally’s tips on educating landlords to negotiate green leases that drive market transformation New market standards to consider on the healthy building side The top priorities for the mature tenant market and forming a transparent partnership with the landlord/owner Pro tips from a pioneer in multiple facets of green building and commercial real estate  “I would say my gift is, I just care. I care so much about the environment, the earth, other people, and the human condition, so that's my gift.” -Sally   Sally’s Show Resources and Information       Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

As a licensed architect and LEED Fellow, Susan Heinking has over a decade of experience designing and managing sustainability programs and initiatives. She currently leads all of Pepper Construction's sustainable projects and is also an active advocate for sustainability in the Chicago and other regional markets. Her many initiatives include Chicago's Energy Benchmarking Ordinance, the AIA2030 Chicago Working Group, co-chairing Chicago's AIA COTE knowledge group, participating in RETROFIT Chicago, and working with the Chicago Biomimicry Group. In addition, she leads over $2.4 billion in high-performance projects. Some of my top accomplishments include designing the first biophilic Walgreens flagship store in Northwestern Hospital, managing the Google Chicago headquarters sustainability efforts, designing the first functional Net Zero construction trailer and currently working to make the world's first net-zero zoo in Cincinnati. Her work at Pepper enables her to put design into action, provide decision-making tools that determine investment paybacks and reduced operating costs, lead Pepper's projects to their sustainability goals, assist clients with their corporate environmental compliance during construction, and put existing buildings on a path to sustainability. Her vision for Pepper includes expanding the high-performance perspective to create greater value through building performance and human performance. This includes enhancing existing efforts with energy modeling, ROI analysis, and local utility incentives as well as building on Pepper's healthy jobsite initiative "Nothing Hits the Floor" program and promoting the use of healthy building materials and construction practices to protect the long-term health of construction workers. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon and is an active presenter at multiple national sustainability conventions.    Show Highlights  Susan shares how a mentor is an important asset in boosting your career Understand the process of how to sell sustainability to clients How to avoid being a line item in a budget and clarify the green benefits  Learn Susan’s Four Solutions strategy to every building and other valuable programs  The benefits of  shifting the conversation from sustainability to high performance and building functionality   “I really look at architecture and building as just another form of art in the community. The fact that buildings impact so many people, people that you're probably never going to meet, I think that you have a personal tie into everything that you touch, that you design, that you build. Then, you can, drive down the road and just point out to your kids, “You know, mom built that or mom was part of that project. There's that pride factor.” -Susan      Susan’s Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the ! Copyright © 2020 GBES

LEED AP BD+C, LEED Project Reviewer, WELL AP: Allison Cunningham Prior to joining Ecoworks Studio, Allison took a leap and moved from her home state of Indiana to Atlanta, GA to pursue her passion for sustainable design as a consultant for a well-established and nationally recognized sustainable consulting firm. There she quickly assumed the role of primary project manager for several significant projects varying in size, location, LEED Rating System, and LEED Certification level. Currently, as a long-time project manager for Ecoworks Studio, Allison brings a wealth of knowledge from past projects and uses a collaborative and practical approach to guide her projects to reach their sustainability and certification goals. Allison is a member of the USGBC Georgia Chapter and is an on-going member of the USGBC Georgia Chapter Atlanta Branch Outreach Committee where she aids in organizing volunteer opportunities and events to promote sustainability and education in the Atlanta and greater Atlanta communities. She also has an Interior Design degree from Purdue University and prior to graduation completed the Industry Cooperative Education Program working for a furniture dealer and interior design firm in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Show Highlights  Learn creative sustainability solutions to integrating concepts that are in the standards. Allison provides valuable tips on intent of credit when working on large scale and unique projects. Allison shares complexities from her various projects for location and building type. Why you need to utilize the USGBC and GCBI to find alternative solutions that fit LEED and WELL standards The Pandemic parallel impact on green building How to pursue a holistic approach to sustainability by forming a bridge between LEED and WELL “...when I was new in my career, the expectation of me (and kind of often) was when you're being graded, when you're going through school, is to be perfect or to try to be perfect, 100% right? I don’t think that's how the real world works and you're going to make mistakes, but sometimes those mistakes often turn out to be the things that you can learn the most from and you result in growing the most. So don't be afraid to make a mistake.” -Allison Cunningham     Allison’s Show Resources and Information   usgbc.org/  (USGBC)  (USGBC Chapter Georgia)     Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Lourdes (“Lu”) Salinas has more than 10 years of experience in Evaluation of Sustainability Strategies. She has developed multidisciplinary knowledge in energy, emissions, water, and environmental quality. Since 2008, she earned the LEED AP BD+C credential and since then has participated in more than 60 LEED projects and eight Green Star certifications. She has been a volunteer for the Mexican Council for Sustainable Building, now SUMe, since 2006 and has organized events in conjunction with the World Green Building Council. Lu developed her experience working in the United States and later in Australia, performing environmental certifications, energy modeling and design of passive systems at WSP Built Ecology, one of the most internationally recognized firms in the Sustainable Building sector. An, for the last 10 years, has led Three Consultoria Medioambiental.    Show Highlights  Healing a tree launched Lu’s passion and enthusiasm for creating resiliency that impacts the world Why the kindest advice from her boss suggested she resign to advance her career  SITES provides tools to protect eco-systems in/around projects The challenges and misconceptions facing green building in Mexico What credentials should you go after in today’s climate? Lu breaks down the difference between sustainability and resiliency Lu hacks the system to keep increasing her purpose    “I think that architecture is one of the best arts that exists in the world because architecture can definitively include...sound and beauty and colors and shadows and light. At the end of the day, what you get is a final result that fills in all your emotions”.  - Lourdes (“Lu”) Salinas   Lourdes’s Show Resources and Information           Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Vessela Valtcheva-McGee, LEED Fellow, LEED AP BD+C AP, BREEAM International Assessor, DGNB auditor and EDGE Auditor.  Vessela has extensive experience with sustainability in both practice and education. With over 10 years of experience in sustainable development, she has both practical hands-on experience with sustainability assessment tools and frameworks in the construction and development sector, and deep theoretical knowledge of business sustainability, policy and education development, and leadership. While working closely with the business sector as a sustainability consultant, Vessela has also been actively involved in changing leadership through the international NGO green building council network. In 2010 Vessela became a founding member on the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Green Building Council where she is currently President. She works on sustainable policy development, voluntary certification initiatives, and represents the council at the World Green Building Council's Europe Regional Network, a coalition of organizations working together to facilitate industry leadership and drive the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy. Since 2008 Vessela has been a Managing Partner in Triple Green Building Group, LLC - a full service sustainability consulting and education company. Triple Green is one of the first companies recognized as Authorized Education Delivery Partners by the United States Green Building Council, providing the company with a license to deliver professional education curriculum to the international market. Triple Green works with a number of major professional education development companies in the US and Europe to create courses on sustainability and provide both live facilitation and web based education programs, as well as train-the-trainer events. Today, after 10 years of collaboration, the company continues to be a trusted Education Partner of the USGBC. At present, Vessela heads the European branch of Triple Green Group which is based in Sofia, Bulgaria.  In her capacity as a green building consultant who has every recognized credential in the branch, Vessela has had the opportunity to work on numerous green building certification projects of national and international significance. She has personally managed the certification of LEED and BREEAM projects in Bulgaria, Russia, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Mexico and the US. Vessela Valtcheva-McGee holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she is an honorary guest lecturer, and a post-graduate diploma in Business Sustainability from Cambridge University. She has delivered guest lectures on sustainability at Harvard, Berkeley and various universities in Eastern Europe. She is a LEED Fellow, LEED AP BD+C AP, BREEAM International Assessor, DGNB auditor and EDGE Auditor. Vessela is part of a recognized group of change leaders of sustainability in Europe working to coordinate a collaborative sustainable development effort with governments and relevant stakeholders across the region. Show Highlights  Learn what is possible when you are motivated to start off in a different direction and don’t follow business as usual.  What rating tools and criteria does Vessela use to sway clients to meet their desired level of certification.  The green movement depends on where you are but why is the US falling behind Europe? What are the challenges and success does location provide?  Why the green building may quickly be in a place where certification is what we use to be the average.  How the pandemic will provide a radical approach and focus on green building Vessela’s journey of firsts   “It's a great movement. Jump into it and do it with passion and pursue whatever angle in green building you most love and are interested in. And don't be afraid that there's a formula that you have to stick to. That's the beauty of this movement. It's wide open. There's a lot of room for experimentation for exploring paradigm shifts that we've been talking about and haven't quite made yet. There is still a lot of room for growth and great fields. Dive right in. No fear.” -Vessela     Vessela’s Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Architect, planner, and activist bringing design leadership, creative group facilitation, expertise and advocacy to organizations working to advance inclusive and equitable sustainable design solutions. Project types include academic and student life facilities for K-12 schools, colleges and universities, workplaces for mission driven organizations, and urban design and planning that advances equity, sustainability and resilience. With 30 years of experience designing high performance buildings, campuses and urban neighborhoods, I am a passionate advocate for the “next” sustainable design agenda, which integrates architecture and planning to find synergies between high performance buildings, infrastructure, and community development strategies that build equity and resilience. Lead author of two editions of “The HOK Guide to Sustainable Design,” one of Wiley’s best-selling sustainable design texts, and with work widely published in print and on the internet, I speak often at universities, conferences and industry events. Current research and writing focuses on the dual challenges of resilience and social equity. Specialties: Architecture, urban design, planning, visioning, programming, community engagement, sustainable design, EcoDistrict planning, resilience planning Show Highlights Why you never share more than 5 ideas or concepts at a time Building pedagogy. Buildings that are performing on multiple levels.  Hear about the various projects from her career in green building  How to redesign our communities now so that we're more resilient and prepared  Downturns in the economy provided a big opportunity in Sandy’s career. How she knew when to make changes. The challenge on the issues of sustainability and systemic inequality Sandy explains why general sustainability and reduction isn’t a big enough impact.  A good designer creates something that solves problems proactively and adds their voice to the solution   “I think we need to look beyond individual buildings; into the patterns of development in the way neighborhoods are built. We have to find the way as architects, to not just work where the most resources are, but to also work where there aren't enough resources. We can unlock a lot of opportunity and a lot of great things through designs.” --Sandy Mendler   Show Resources       Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Laura joined ESG in Minneapolis after working for almost 10 years at a similar-sized firm in Dallas, specializing in mixed-use, multifamily housing and corporate office. Laura uses her various experience on complex projects to create an inspiring atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration. She also uses her leadership skills to develop and grow strong client and consultant relationships. Laura has served as the Chair of the AIA Dallas Committee on the Environment and on the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) North Texas Regional Council. She takes special care to include sustainability initiatives in the projects she works on. “My intention is to always make sure functionality in architecture and engineering come together in a holistic way,” she explains, “to create long-lived projects with efficiency and durability.” Laura’s an avid listener, energetic, and extremely organized. She loves creating working relationships with clients and consultants, to build a team that works well together. “My intention is to work with the same clients over the years, so we come to know each other well, and can elevate our design goals with each new project.” Laura graduated in 2010 with her Masters of Architecture from the University of Kansas and became a licensed architect in June 2013. In the past, she has been an active member in AIA Dallas, The Real Estate Council (TREC), and USGBC Texas. She is a graduate from the 2015 AIA Emerging Leaders Program and TREC’s 2017 Associate Leadership Council (ALC) class. Show Highlights Track Laura’s green journey from Missouri to Texas to Minnesota Laura makes a culture of sustainable building with less top down roles  The best learning tool is having to build the requirements to get LEED and Passive House certifications  Affordable housing is an integral part of urban density projects   Why green builders need to add a level of commitment  on all project requirements to include climate change What shift does GenerationZ , the younger generation want to see all inclusive?  “Your passion can align with what you want to do with your career and there’s always time to learn so much more so you can focus on that one thing.” -Laura Eder Show Resources Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Gary Gene Olp was one of the handpicked students admitted to the University of Cincinnati known for Michael Graves and other prestigious architects. He received a chapter AIA award for his first professional project, a new clubhouse for a century-old revered country club in Ohio. Gary has been designing residential projects since the mid-1980s expressing his in organic shapes, smooth surfaces, and accentuated by the warm tones and textures of the steel struts, beams, and elements allowed to oxidize. His homes are sited to capture the southeasterly breezes and soft east and north light and to shield the harsh west sun.   Show Highlights Learning how to use a hammer (and its symbolism) and scavenging for materials Co-op program at the University of Cincinnati The story of building his first house The story of three all-nighters and a better design that resonates with a structure Passive Solar vs PV Solar power  The first LEED Platinum certification in Texas Designing for zero ecological footprint The importance of preparing from the eyes of the builder “You can’t build with bricks until you understand the brick.” -Louis Kahn   Show Resources     Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Diego Ibarra is Principal and Founder of EA Buildings (formerly ENERGY ARQ), a consulting firm with offices in Boston MA, Santiago, Chile and Bogota, Colombia. EA Buildings specializes in sustainable design, building simulations and LEED® Consulting. Through his firm, Ibarra has been involved in over 80 projects with more than 20,000,000 SF, including commercial office towers, shopping malls, industrial facilities and academic institutions in North America, South America and Europe. Ibarra's expertise involves advanced building performance simulations and their application in an integrated design process. He has taught over 30 Building Performance Simulation and LEED Trainings in the U.S and internationally. He has worked as a Teaching Assistant and Teaching Fellow at Harvard University in over 10 courses, such as Building Energy Performance Simulations; Environmental Technologies in Buildings; Energy Technology and Buildings; Daylighting Buildings; Building Technology, Thermal Performance of Buildings Systems, among others. Diego has also worked as a LEED Reviewer, including review of ASHRAE compliant energy models. He has been a speaker at international conferences, such as, Greenbuild, International Radiance Workshop, and IBPSA's Building Simulation.  Ibarra, a Fulbright Scholar, graduated with his Doctor of Design from Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2014. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Chile Green Building Council, IBPSA Chile, and a member of IBPSA-USA Boston Chapter Technical Committee. He also holds a Master in Design Studies in Environmental Technologies from Harvard University and is a LEED AP & ASHRAE BEMP.   Show Highlights Diego tells you how to implement your knowledge at different levels, in terms of strategy surveying Creating a planning roadmap that assesses specific technologies helps clients navigate the sustainability transformation  Diego talks about his journey to becoming a LEED Fellow The valuable insight you gain from tracking your time.  Diego shares an app to help you allocate your time to maximize growth. Why it’s imperative to find a mentor who has been through the green building journey.   3 big trends Dr. Ibarra says you should be reading up on now If you equip yourself with these key skills it will be easy to find professional opportunities  “I try to dedicate the first half an hour to really plan the day and make a long list. I highlight what of those things to do actually match my priorities. The three big goals for the week. Really the whole point is try to avoid becoming reactive every day or our agendas get packed and we start putting out fires instead of really chasing the things that will push us forward.” -Dr. Diego Ibarra   Full Transcript   Show Resources   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the ! Copyright © 2020 GBES