Ann Edminster, M.Arch., is an international expert on sustainable residential construction and zero net energy. A principal developer of LEED for Homes, Ann authored Energy Free: Homes for a Small Planet, the award-winning guide to designing and building zero-energy homes. She consults on zero-energy initiatives throughout North America, served as a 2015 US DOE Solar Decathlon juror, and is a board member and the project director for the Net Zero Energy Coalition. She collaborates with building professionals, utilities, non-profits, supply chain clients, investors, public agencies, and homeowners to create leading-edge projects and advocate for zero-energy and low-carbon building solutions at all scales.
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Bruce King
Bruce King has been a structural engineer for 35 years, designing buildings of every size and type around the world, from Port-au-Prince to Palo Alto. He is the author of “Buildings of Earth and Straw”, “Making Better Concrete”, “Design of Straw Bale Buildings”, and “The New Carbon Architecture / Building to Cool the Climate”.
Mr. King is also the Founder and Director of the Ecological Building Network (EBNet), a non-profit information resource that puts on the BuildWell conferences and is developing the online library of low-carbon construction, the BuildWell Source. www.ecobuildnetwork.org www.bruce-king.com
Ted M. Tiffany
Ted is the leader of Guttmann & Blaevoet’s building performance modeling group and Director of Sustainability for the firm. He has 17 years of experience with extensive knowledge in various energy analysis software packages predicting energy use and developing energy conservation strategies. A specialist in his field, Ted has provided energy analysis for a wide range of occupancies such as office, retail, healthcare, laboratory, and industrial facilities. He has been a part-time lecturer at Sonoma State University teaching classes “Computer aided applications in Energy Management & Design”, and “Energy Forum.” With a diverse background in construction, project management, energy efficiency applications, and sustainability, Ted understands key success factors to integrated building design. Ted has been working with the California Energy Commission, Investor Owned Utilities from the Compliance Improvement Advisory Group for the last three years and serves on the LEED Energy & Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group for the US Green Building Council. He leads a passionate team committed to help his clients make informed decisions about energy efficiency options, Zero Net Energy design, and carbon reduction strategies.
Oren Wool
In his role as the Executive Director of the Sustainable North Bay Oren Wool coordinates programs and funding for conferences and educational community events. He works with local community leaders to provide a program that emphasizes sustainable opportunities for prosperity and resilience in the North Bay. Oren is one of the founders of the Sustainable Enterprise Conference and is gratified for the growing awareness of sustainability and support for the conference.
Sarah Weller King
Sarah King is a co-founder of the Ecological Building Network, and has a background in public relations, marketing communications, and website development. Her duties with EBNet include financial management and reporting, event and conference management, and website development.
Tor Allen
Executive Director and Founder of The Rahus Institute, a non-profit, educational organization with a focus on renewable energy.
A graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Tor has more than 20 years experience in the renewable energy field including: design, research, marketing, program and policy development, installation work, and teaching. Current project includes Solar Schoolhouse, a k12 solar energy education program.
Alima Silverman
Alima Silverman, is an architect with dual licenses in California and Colorado. She has extensive experience in green building and energy-efficient building design and construction. Alima has been a designer, project manager and project architect for over 30 years on various building types including schools, offices, retail, fitness centers, multi-family and single family housing. She has conducted field investigations, inspections, and data collection of energy efficiency measures as part of utility’s DSM program evaluation projects.
Alima’s current project work includes codes and standards reviews, building assessments, cost studies, and emerging technology research. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Colorado, Denver. She is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and a Master Green Building Professional (MGBP).
Julia Donoho, AIA, Esq., RIBA
Julia Donoho is an award winning Architect and Attorney, and LEED accredited professional, combining 30 years in architecture, planning, and project management, with 8 years of legal experience, to focus on complex issues related to development, construction, and sustainability. She has enjoyed a robust career in architecture, working for world renowned architects, running her own architectural practice, and serving for a decade in public sector capital project management, where she led the Comprehensive Energy Project, prior to opening her legal practice. Now she focuses on helping owners, contractors, and professionals to build with integrity, innovatively, and without discord, for a more resilient and peaceful planet.
Steven Sheldon, LEED AP
Steven Sheldon, LEED AP, has been making a green impact in Sonoma County for the last 30 years. The core principles from which he evolves his sustainable and environmentally sound designs include energy efficiency and conservation of resources, economy of space while creating a sense of spaciousness, utilization of natural light and the seamless integration of buildings with their surrounding landscape. These principles have been applied to projects including schools, office buildings, mixed-use developments and single-family residences. Steven believes that well-designed spaces have the power to inspire our better selves.