The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

John A. Lanier joined the Ray C. Anderson Foundation as Executive Director in May 2013. Serving in this role has been an immense honor, and he feels privileged to work with his family to advance the legacy of Ray, his grandfather. Lanier's passion for environmental stewardship was sparked by Ray's example and story, and he never tires of sharing this story with others. For those that don’t know, Ray Anderson was the founder and chairman of Interface. He was a pioneer in building product sustainability and proved how sustainability can make good business sense. Prior to joining the Foundation, John Lanier was an associate attorney with Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan, LLP, specializing in U.S. Federal taxation. He represented the interests of various Atlanta-based nonprofits, gaining experience in nonprofit formations, compliance and applications for recognition of tax-exempt status. During that time, the Ray C. Anderson Foundation was one of his clients. Lanier currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Southface, the southeast's nonprofit leader in the promotion of sustainable homes, workplaces and communities through education, research, advocacy and technical assistance. Lanier was a member of the 2014 class of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL). Lanier earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law, and he holds Bachelor of Arts Degrees in History and Economics from the University of Virginia. He is an Atlanta native who simply enjoys life. Lanier is blessed to be married to Chantel, a truly wonderful woman, and the two of them have two children, Joseph Ray (J.R.) and Cecilia.   Show Highlights Learn Interface’s journey as they climbed mount sustainability  John shares his grandfather’s insights on how a company could be profitable and responsible to the planet How business can be a force for good in the world.  John lets you know if the current economic system that has generated more quality of life than any other is sustainable  John explains how Atlanta’s soccer club, Atlanta United represents the sustainability movement  Why John says we need a systems level approach to sustainability, a redesign of our economic system   “We need as many people understanding the intricacies, the nuances of what it takes to solve sustainability challenges as possible, and that requires people being willing to read and listen to podcasts like this and go deep on these issues. Becoming experts in as many different areas within sustainability as possible. It's hard work. It takes time, but it's a rewarding journey.”  -John Lanier   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

Michelle L. DeLora, AIA, LEED AP, is an Associate Principal at SchenkelShultz Architecture in Orlando, FL. A registered architect in Florida with more than 20 years of experience, DeLora joined SchenkelShultz in 2012 and is part of the firm’s Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) general consultant team. She is certified as a LEED accredited professional and is a past U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) central Florida chapter chair. DeLora holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Oregon and is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).   Show Highlights Michelle shares how to look for your passion and put roots into a lasting career  Learn what technologies there are and how to leverage that technology to make a better build environment Consider what you're doing, where you should be, and what's the next thing to help pass your LEED exams Michelle makes sense of how to pursue a project, what strategies to look for in the beginning, and how to discuss your LEED boundary What is floating solar? Michelle predicts a move towards app based products because sustainability and technology go hand in hand  Why WELL resonates with the clients today    “Be agile. When I was younger I was a little bit more sedentary and a little more afraid, but just really think about being agile, evolving with the times and thinking about what you could do. Always search for the next what's next.”   -Michelle DeLora   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

Mandy Mahoney has served as president of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) since March 2013. Prior to that, she served as the organization’s Vice President of Policy and Operations. Prior to joining SEEA in 2011, Mandy served as Director of Sustainability for the City of Atlanta under Mayors Reed and Franklin. She holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University and earned a law degree and a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies from Emory University. Selected to Georgia Trend’s 2016 “40 under 40” list and the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2014 “40 under 40” list, Mandy is also a graduate of LEAD Atlanta 2010; the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership 2010; and the 2011 American Council of Germany’s Young Leaders Program. She serves on the boards of the Piedmont Park Conservancy, the Turner Environmental Law Clinic, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Southeast Wind Coalition, and the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance (MELA). She and her husband Sean are the proud parents of Paul.   Show Highlights Learn why some current laws aren’t good enough in clean energy and climate change Mandy shares her green project highlights, as the first Director of Sustainability in Atlanta, that impacted the culture and policy Why you need to be risk seeking in terms of finding new opportunities to address sustainability Mandy explains what information to provide departments to empower, understand, and address climate change  How Mandy upgrades existing infrastructure to have a resilient economic base and healthier population Essential resources that go beyond base level energy codes and predictions with net zero buildings and storm hardening Mandy cautions listeners that your success will be short lived if you don’t bring together these two sides for durable gains   “It's okay to want to be happy. Like it's okay to want to follow something that really gives you joy. Working in this field can be a slog and you need to follow something that sparks your interest every day that you want to learn about when you're tired, an event you want to go to just because it's fun and I think that that can serve you very well in this field.” -Mandy Mahoney   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

Lindsey Perez is one of DLR Group's sustainable design experts and serves as a national resource on LEED, Green Globes, and Architecture 2030 project planning and certification processes. A passionate advocate for integrated design, she works with project teams to incorporate sustainable strategies in every project. Lindsey is highly proficient with communicating and maintaining open lines of communication between all parties, with personal attention to every detail. Lindsey has been involved with more than 500,000 SF of renovation projects for educational clients and is intimately familiar with the management and coordination of these K-12 and Higher Education projects. Show Highlights Moving towards environmental justice is an essential shift in green building. Lindsey explains how to be mindful of unintended consequences and global impact.  Use your passion as a bridge between sustainability, personal and architecture built environments Lindsey describes sustainable project planning and management beyond a design perspective  Lindsey describes how she applies pilot credits Listen to Lindsey’s pro tips on minimizing the green building industry stressers Learn essential questions Lindsey’s construction materials and methods curriculum focuses on Lindsey explains the significance of not becoming a lone wolf but look for allies and mentors   “I am very passionate about education, sustainability, the built environment,and how they all come together. But, I'm extremely passionate about being a mom and how am I raising my kids to be more thoughtful of the environment in which we live, in the communities in which we are living, working, and learning.” -Lindsey Perez   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

Andrew's primary areas of expertise are in low carbon buildings and renewable energy, both large and small scale. His professional and academic experience ranges from consultancy, programme management, technical and non-technical articles and publications, lecture and workshop delivery, and primary research. Andrew's main goal is to help organizations adopt and deliver low carbon solutions, particularly energy efficiency measures. Specialties: Passivhaus, low carbon construction, energy efficiency, low carbon technologies, PV, wind, sustainability lectures and workshops, study tours, programme management, certification, technology assessment methodologies, helpline management, thermal modelling, c programming, technical research.    Show Highlights Andrew’s commitment to the work carved his own path in the industry and created a company and energy standards.  Unpacking the misconceptions and how Passive House can fundamentally be applied to any building type.  Andrew shares what's realistically happening with projects pursuing both Passive House and LEED programs Are they complementary?  When would you apply Passive House instead of LEED?  Learn Andrew’s unique way of tackling the cost question by steering the budget discussion differently Impactful targets to consider for industry transformation and the future of sustainability and green building.  How partnering in the industry ensures a great project and out of the box thinking  Andrew explains how routine meditation helps reshape your thinking to support creativity and why he doesn’t take work that doesn't align with his mission or vision.  “Get a vision for your life and your career. Like what really motivates you, what you are passionate about, and take action towards that despite what others may say. Carve your own path. There's always some level of realism, but do what you're passionate about. It's really about what do I want to be doing on a day to day basis. I've always had interesting projects that keep me engaged. I'm always learning. So always, always find opportunities to learn and grow.”   -Andrew Peel   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

Avneet has led the sustainability process for a portfolio of 18 Million+ square feet/ $8 Billion+ budget, projects certified at high performance thresholds. A passionate advocate with over 20 years experience, recognized for the delivery of sustainable resilient communities, both public and private. Driven to provide performance based holistic solutions targeting the triple bottom line, Avneet's international experience shows focus on critical regionalism. She draws from vernacular architecture across the globe, responsive to its climatic, social and economic fabric. Designing to maintain the balance of a fragile ecological system for the 2400 acre Indian Naval Academy Ehzimala Kerala, engendered her passionate commitment to sustainability. Show Highlights How Avneet’s journey brings community and project work together to impact market change.  The gamut of green building from pre design through construction of green systems.  Avneet shares best practices and key routines to merge professional goals into a personal lifestyle.  Entrenching in sustainability  Taking risks and making leap of faith are essential Avneet’s inspirational projects for sustainability that go above and beyond.  How LEED and Carnegie Mellon propels her to be experimental and to push the envelope. “There is a line where you have to be really passionate to not just survive, but to actually begin to move the needle…communicate deep, passionate, get into it and really communicate that fire that you feel within you. I do.” -Avneet Gujral   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

Noreen is a Principal Architect, LEED Fellow, and LEED AP BD+C with Verdacity, LLC. She has extensive experience in coordinating and integrating building systems, regulatory and programmatic requirements, and other criteria to support performance, efficiency, and health. Her expertise in green building project management, green criteria for rating systems, energy analysis, and developing strategies for meeting high-performance benchmarks provides a solid foundation for working with clients to achieve their goals. Additionally, Noreen was a facilitator in the implementation of State of New Mexico Executive Green Building Executive Order and served as faculty at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning developing and teaching sustainability curriculum.    Show Highlights Noreen’s journey from New York to New Mexico How Noreen’s work as an artist influenced her career in green building Driving professors crazy and sticking to your path The one assignment that had a profound impact on Noreen People experimenting with green building in New Mexico   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

Emre is from Istanbul, Turkey. After graduating from Bogazici University Civil Engineering Department, Emre completed Master of Science program in Engineering Management at University of New Orleans in He also has M.A. degrees in Financial Economics and Statistics. He is currently working on his Ph.D. Dissertation and he is a part-time faculty in Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture-Construction Sciences program. Emre has 14 years of experience working in several sectors, including Construction, Real Estate, Transportation and Sustainability Services as an engineer, project manager and consultant. Through his professional life, he has been involved in many projects located in different countries including Turkey, Hungary, Jordan, Mozambique, Djibouti, Uganda, UAE, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhistan and USA.   In 2008, he founded Altensis, the leading company in Turkey, specialized in Sustainability Management and Engineering services. Since then, Altensis has been providing consultancy and project management services for Green Building Certification, Sustainable Urban Regeneration, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy applications in the built environment. By the end of 2019, Emre and his team completed more than 200 Green Building Projects in several countries. As managing partner of Altensis , he received the leading solution provider award in GreenBuild Europe 2018. Mr. Ilicali is a LEED Fellow, LEED AP, LEED for Homes Green Rater, BREEAM International Assessor, and IFC Edge Auditor. He is also an accredited Real Estate Appraiser. He is the Education Coordinator of Altensis, developing Green Building and Energy Efficiency Expert Training programs for interested parties.   Show Highlights Leading the green building movement in Turkey The value of LEED certification Differences in LEED and BREEAM projects Why office buildings and high rise residential properties are going LEED The pros and cons of green building projects in developing countries   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

Jeremy is a designer with a deep passion for sustainable building, social equity, and service-learning. As a Project Manager with BNIM, he completed the Bancroft School Apartments, a Kansas City development of 50 LEED Platinum affordable apartment units with a large community-center, built based on a public interest design process with the local Neighborhood Association. He has built on the lessons from this and other projects to transform the architecture industry through developing a network and standards of practice for Public Interest Design, a system which prioritizes community vision. Through his volunteer leadership with Historic Green and the US Green Building Council, he has helped residents throughout Kansas City and New Orleans to improve the efficiency of their homes while training hundreds of professional and student volunteers in hands-on preservation and sustainability techniques. Specialties: LEED certification system, Public Interest Design, LEED Online, Revit, Sketchup, Microsoft Suite (Word, Xcel, Powerpoint, etc), Photoshop, Acrobat, and many other programs.    Show Highlights Living abroad and learning about sustainability The importance of finding your passions in the industry No matter where you are around the world, we are experiencing similar problems Jeremy’s green building journey and starting a recycling program within his company What Jeremy learned working in the lower 9th ward of New Orleans   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

Today’s episode features Sarah Talkington of Austin Energy. Sarah is a Texas native and has been a part of Austin Energy for over 13 years. She is a green building and energy expert and a recently minted LEED Fellow! Austin Energy offers year-round rebates and incentives to help offset the cost of making energy-efficiency improvements to homes or businesses in the Austin, TX area. Sarah Talkington manages the Commercial Austin Energy Green Building team. In this position, Sarah coordinates with local developers, owners, design teams and other building professionals to find best practice, sustainable design & construction solutions for Austin.  She is responsible for the development and adoption of the Commercial Energy Code for the City of Austin. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the United States Green Building Council’s Technical Committee.   3 Reasons to Listen Moments that reminded Sarah she was on the right path Her experience working on the Dell Children’s Hospital project A new way to think about energy management: the Power Partner Thermostat Program Full Transcript (available on website)   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