New Executive Director, Janet Milkman, Connects Smart Growth, Green Buildings

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CONNECTS SMART GROWTH, GREEN BUILDINGS

Philadelphia, October 13, 2009 - Delaware Valley Green Building Council Chair Dan Garafalo announces the hiring of Janet Milkman as the new Executive Director of the bi-state organization.

“This is a time of enormous opportunity for green building in the region. Janet brings the management and policy experience to help DVGBC raise the profile of the green building issues and bring them into the mainstream in industry and policy,” said Dan Garafalo, Chair of the Council.

“Our job is to help Mayor Nutter and all local leaders make our cities and towns the greenest in the nation,” said Janet Milkman. “Green building affects all aspects of our life in the region – building and operating expenses for business and homeowners, climate change, transportation, storm water management, even flooding. We’ll demonstrate how green building can help revitalize our older communities and boost the regional economy.”

“Janet’s experience in advocacy will help DVGBC make the case for green building for industry, government and homeowners.” said Mark Purcell, DVGBC’s President.

Janet Milkman joins DVGBC with over 20 years experience managing non-profits in energy and environment fields, most recently with ERTHNXT and 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. As President of ERTHNXT, Janet led the start-up non-profit to develop programs to connect children with nature, including partnerships with Girl Scouts of the USA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and schools and conservation organizations around the country. At 10,000 Friends, Janet led the smart growth movement in Pennsylvania toward revitalization of older communities, resulting in new funding for smart transportation initiatives and redevelopment in Pennsylvania’s large and small cities. She recently served on the Boards of the Philadelphia Building and Industry Association and ULI Philadelphia.
Area’s Largest Green Conference will Bring Together Policy Makers, Practitioners and Academics to Promote Sustainable Growth & Innovation

Philadelphia, October XX – The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) today announced Governor Edward G. Rendell will open BuildGreen 2009, set for Oct. 14-15. Other keynote addresses will be delivered by Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Allegheny Conference on Community Development CEO, Dennis Yablonsky, Senior VP of Global Law & Policy Roger Platt from the U.S. Green Building Council, and biomimicry expert Dr. Dayna Baumeister. They will join Governor Rendell in promoting sustainable design and building practices and environmental solutions for a greener future across the state.

The Governor, the Mayor, and DVGBC believe environmental sustainability and economic growth are powerfully linked together. They will discuss opportunities to form innovative partnerships with local and international manufacturers at the conference, and discuss ways to attract businesses that positively contribute to the region.

“BuildGreen 2009 brings together all key stakeholders interested in developing our communities and the economy through sustainable practices. Hence our theme: research, reinvest, rebuild,” said DVGBC Acting Executive Director, Heather Shayne Blakeslee. “Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter are valued proponents of fostering ties between the business community, the government, and private sector to position the City of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania for full financial recovery and green economic leadership in the 21st century. We are thrilled they are participating.”

The 2009 BuildGreen Conference is coordinated by the state’s U.S. Green Building Chapters, the Pennsylvania Green Growth Partnership, and funded through the Ben Franklin Technology Center and the PA Department of Commerce and Economic Development. Keynote speakers and experts will explore the ways investment in research for new green building materials and green building policy pay off in terms of job retention – and how they lead to creation of new design and construction jobs, as well as local green building products manufacturing jobs.

BuildGreen 2009/
Page Two

“Philadelphia’s movement to become the greenest city in America by 2015 starts at BuildGreen,” added Blakeslee. “Now is the time to bolster the city’s commitment and remind leaders of the tremendous long-term benefits Pennsylvanians stand to reap in terms of energy savings, environmental preservation, and local and regional green job creation when we view green building advocacy through an economic lens.”

The conference, to be held downtown at the Sheraton City Center Hotel, will connect green stakeholders including product researchers, manufacturers, and investors from throughout the region. The conference will culminate with DVGBC’s Annual Green Building Celebration at the Penn Museum for Archaeology & Anthropology and honor winners of the prestigious DVGBC Leadership Awards.

The event will cover leading-edge environmentally-friendly building materials and methods. It will also link companies and investors interested in creating sustainable products with universities throughout the state. Regionally and nationally recognized thought leaders in the field will present thought-provoking educational sessions including:

•Policy: Impacts for the Building and Manufacturing Sector
•Research: Product Development
•Case Studies: Going to Market with Green Building Products
•Economic Development: Green Jobs Through Green Building

In addition to DVGBC and the PaGGP, organizers of BuildGreen 2009 include the Green Building Association of Central Pennsylvania, the Green Building Alliance and Philadelphia University.

To learn more about conference programming, sponsorship opportunities, or to register to attend BuildGreen 2009 go to http://www.buildgreenconf.org/index.htm.

# # #

About DVGBC
The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to transform the Delaware Valley through sustainable and environmentally responsible planning, design, construction and operation of the region’s buildings, landscapes, cities and communities, mindful of the legacy left for future generations.

Formed in 2001, DVGBC is a chapter of the United States Green Building Council, the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. DVGBC is the primary point of contact for users, agencies, and companies interested in sustainable communities and is a leader in fostering cooperation and collaboration among organizations dedicated to environmentally responsible practices in the building industry. The objective of implementing green building practices is to improve site planning; to safeguard water and ensure its efficient use; to maximize energy efficiency, conserve materials and resources and ensure indoor environmental quality. The goal is to significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on their occupants and on our environment.