Speaker

Scott Johnson studied urban planning and economics at Sonoma State University and worked for a decade as an environmental analyst on large-scale planning and housing projects across California. In 2016 he began working with Urban Community Partnership, a housing advocacy nonprofit dedicated to developing healthy, sustainable, resilient cities. The fires of 2017 and the subsequent changes in land use and zoning laws inspired him to put those ideas to work at home in Santa Rosa. He co-founded 8th Wave, a public-benefit corporation that designs and builds and builds stronger communities through innovative housing solutions. Among other projects, 8th Wave is working with Homes for Sonoma to create affordable housing for fire survivors in Sonoma County.

Founder of New Avenue.

We’ve been licensed general contractors in California since 1971. We have continuously built, remodeled, or renovated homes since our inception in the San Francisco -Oakland Bay Area. We have completed a wide variety of remodeling and renovation work and have developed a diverse client base in the last 45 years. Our crews and sub-contractors are proud of the custom work they do, including full kitchen and bath remodels and makeovers. We build homes encompassing a wide range of architectural styles and periods. We like to maintain on-going contact with our clients after their project is complete -which gives us the opportunity to assess the performance of our work over a longer term and understand our client’s future needs.
In 2009 Mason Construction expanded into an exciting new line of business -Home Energy Performance. We now provide an additional menu of services which complements our existing construction expertise by providing our clients with advanced solutions to their home’s energy needs like Energy Audits, Green Building Consulting, & Sustainable Home Construction. Our company now leads the Bay Area in home performance construction & retrofits and is one of the only fully integrated builder and energy performance specialists in the Bay Area. In January of 2018 we incorporated and changed our name from Mason Construction to Mason BPP, Inc..

Cate has focused on green architecture and green building materials since she began her graduate studies at UC Berkeley in 1991. She worked for William McDonough and Sim Van Der Ryn, pioneers in sustainable design, prior to joining her husband in their own firm in 1996. Their work has won several awards, including the national AIA Top Ten Green Buildings award, and been featured in many books, magazines, television stories, and newspapers for its explorations and innovations in green design.

As the Energy and Sustainability Program Manager, Jane oversees various community programs in order to accomplish the Division’s goal to promote and deliver solutions necessary to mitigate environmental impacts and address climate change. Through these resources and programs, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and local job generation is achieved. Jane works closely with a number of partner agencies, governments, non-profits, contractors and other private entities to accomplish the Division’s goal.

The central functions of the Division include tracking and reporting County operations’ internal utility services, facilitating reduction of internal greenhouse gas emissions, participating in regional coordination efforts, leveraging best practice and policy development efforts, educating the public about the benefits of upgrades, and offering workforce development opportunities.

Jane holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego. She has been involved in energy efficiency, building science, green building and renewable energy for nearly 20 years and holds certifications in each of these sectors.

Ben Kaun manages the Energy Storage research program at EPRI, a public benefit research organization. He has over 10 years of experience related to battery and energy storage technology. His responsibilities cover the evaluation of new technology, techno-economic modeling, and the integration of energy storage projects into planning and operations. He served 2 terms as board member of the Energy Storage Association, the national energy storage industry trade association, from 2013-2017. Prior to EPRI, Ben worked with multiple early stage companies to engineer and commercialize Li-ion battery technology, with focus on vehicle electrification. Ben earned a BS in Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University.

A retired general contractor with a 50 year career in the building industry, Barry Hirsch’s family residence of 32 years was destroyed by the Tubbs fire. He chose to build an advanced energy home using the guidelines of the Sonoma Clean Power Advanced Energy Incentive program. The new all electric home was completed in October, 2018.

Katie Bachner has her MA in Contemporary Art History from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and is a LEED GA and WELL AP. Her professional and educational background is a combination between art and science. Both of which have helped her understand the affect of sensory stimuli on our living and working environments.

Katie is cofounder of the The Green Materialist – a green materials consultancy that works in concert with interior design practice, Synthesis Interiors and Color. Katie helps project teams optimize indoor air quality by sourcing materials that are free from hazardous chemicals. Her vetting ranges from structural to interior materials. Always keeping an eye towards aesthetics Katie chooses materials that are beautiful from the inside out.

Arthur Beeken, Owner of Hybrid Home Performance, provides Best Practice Building Performance Contractor training, analysis, design, consultation, retrofits, speaking, coaching, and proctoring. His credentials include: Mendocino College Sustainable Technologies Adjunct Instructor, OSHA 10/30 Trainer, Energy Upgrade California Contractor, BPI Analyst, Envelope & Multi-Family, Super Proctor, CalGreen State Special Inspector, HERS Whole House Rater, Quality Assurance & Rebate Verifier and Build It Green Certified Builder.

Arthur has over 45 years in the green construction and remodeling field. Licensed in 1984, he continued a successful sustainable remodeling and repair business employing a number of crews, and many dedicated subs.

He has decades in the field both performing & directing all phases of the construction or remodeling process, “from dirt to doorbell”, as well as running the business operations. His projects spanned both residential and commercial. Arthur has also provided over 3,000 live wild honey bee hive removals and relocations, along with the restoration of the resulting impact.

As a part of his business, he trained, coached, mentored and evaluated employees who as a result have earned their own contractors licenses and gone on to operate as successful subs or prime contractors. He launched Hybrid Home Performance to more formally focus on his commitment to doing work that is best practice, sustainable, and environmentally sound. Arthur continues to provide exam development consultation to both the Contractors (CSLB) and Architects Licensing Boards for the state of California and has provided similar service to the Building Performance Institute (BPI) in Malta NY.

Holding a BA degree in Broadcast Communications, Arthur has continued his education with classes and certification trainings through credentialed industry affiliates. Arthur is active in his community, speaking and contributing to programs that motivate people to embrace the idea of putting energy efficiency first and best practice in building and retrofits and further stimulate them to action.

Arthur has provided curriculum development with a number of affiliates. Training at many levels, both nationally and throughout California with additional contribution to the Chitwood/Harriman, CEC Report 500-08-051, now released under the name Measured Home Performance. He has also been an invited guest speaker at the American Comfort Institute national convention (http://www.slideshare.net/petertroast/bugs-bats-bees-and-beasts-by-arthur-beeken) Daily Acts 350 Challenge, Redwood Empire Remodelers Association and elsewhere. Following two terms as Chair, currently he serves as Vice Chair for the north San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Efficiency First California.

Arthur and his wife Nancy live in Healdsburg in a home they built together using recovered, repurposed, recycled or local components, and utilizing green, sustainable, energy efficient, design-practices, employing local both residents and sub-contractors.

Andrew Dickson is founder and CEO of Acre Designs, a startup creating Zero-Energy smart homes with a unique approach to homes and building. Acre’s path differed early on as we launched through Y-Combinator, the world’s leading startup accelerator. Our backgrounds combined with the spirit of Silicon Valley innovation let’s us bridge the gap between the Apple’s and Tesla’s of the world and the much outdated building industry.

An interior architect and industrial designer, Andrew is expert at solving design challenges. His career started in Chicago at The Environments Group (now part of Perkins & Will), the leading corporate interior firm in the city, and later at several boutique product design firms. He led projects for UBS/PaineWebber, AON, Loreal, Rubbermaid, Embraer, Piaggio, Aerion, and many more. This broad-ranging experience creating products from supersonic jet interiors to precision medical devices has allowed him to explore how design-centric processes influence manufacturing and lean production principles. Andrew previously founded Acronym, which produced high end sustainable furniture and sold throughout North America. All of this experience defines his approach to home construction. Andrew lives in Redwood City, CA with his wife and co-founder, Jennifer, and two young daughters.

Dan Smith is the principal of dsa architects in Berkeley, CA, and has several decades of sustainable design experience. The projects of his award-winning firm include net-zero energy homes, LEED Platinum and AIA sustainability award designs. Dan is a founding member of the California Strawbuilding Association and has completed over 40 projects of this low-carbon building system. He has also been at the forefront of other innovative building systems, such as living roofs and gray water systems. Dan was the architect for a trailblazing net-zero prefab prototype for Zeta-Communities that brought modular construction to net-zero energy levels. His architecture generally seeks a simple elegant form based on an appreciation for the craft of construction and a deep understanding of structure. While most of Dan’s work is custom design, affordability is a key consideration in many projects. With small projects like accessory dwelling units it is paramount to be able to balance environmental goals with budget constraints and achieve an architecturally integrated solution.

Kevin Casey founded New Avenue in 2009 and currently lives in Berkeley, CA with his wife and two sons. He grew up in a Sears Catalog home outside of Buffalo, NY., and moved to California in 1999 and realized that something big was happening in San Francisco. He comes from five generations of engineers and builders. Casey studied economic and community development at Fordham University, International Affairs at The Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, obtained an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and studied small business development in Southeast Asia as a Fulbright Scholar. Casey founded New Avenue as a project management, architecture, and construction platform with the goal of creating a new system for sustainable, connected, flexible homes. Over 20,000 owners and 1,500 architects and builders have managed over $100 million in custom residential projects on the New Avenue platform.

Christine Condon, CEA, HERS Rater, BPI Building Analyst, LEED AP BD+C, CALGreen, QWEL, EPA WaterSense, is an Energy & Sustainability Analyst in the County of Sonoma, General Services Department, Energy and Sustainability Division.
The Energy and Sustainability Division (ESD) provides support for internal County of Sonoma projects and for Sonoma County residents’ residential and nonresidential projects.

ESD operates out of an accessible storefront at the County of Sonoma campus that offers incentive and financing support for energy and water efficiency projects, free energy efficiency and PV consulting, education, training and outreach, and a free tool lending library.

Prior to joining the Sonoma County ESD team, she worked for a decade as a green building and energy project manager working on commercial, single family and multifamily residential projects for a private consulting firm.

She is a 2016 Nonresidential and Residential Certified Energy Analyst with extensive experience in computer energy modeling for Title 24 energy code compliance and identifying energy upgrade recommendations for new and existing nonresidential and residential projects. She is also a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst and Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater and has experience performing energy, combustion safety and water audits and providing energy and water efficiency upgrade recommendations and documentation for a variety of programs throughout the state, including several California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) Low Income Multifamily Upgrade projects each year.

Christine is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional specializing in Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C) with experience managing successful US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED and Living Building Challenge projects, including two recent winery projects that achieved LEED Gold and Platinum certification. She also has experience providing green building consulting services for single and multifamily projects participating in the LEED for Homes and Green Point Rated programs. She is a CALGreen Special Inspector and has been working with clients to achieve CALGreen compliance for both nonresidential and residential projects.

Jennifer Love is a Sustainability Engineer at Beyond Efficiency and holds a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering. Jen manages green certification for residential and non-residential projects and especially loves working on projects that apply her passions for water conservation and passive design. Jen is proud to be a member of Beyond Efficiency’s expert staff that work to empower people to create enduring human-centered buildings. Our technical consulting services include energy modeling, envelope and mechanical systems optimization, building enclosure durability analyses, zero energy design guidance, low-water plumbing design, and certification support for green programs.

Rachel Ginis is a LEED-accredited residential designer and general contractor. She is the Executive Director of Lilypad Homes, a nonprofit organization that has developed an innovative model for flexible infill housing that offers a more affordable option for renting and owning a home in California.

Steve joined the IBHS Research Center team in 2011. Steve assists with research using his expertise on building performance with regard to wildfire and moisture exposures. Prior to joining IBHS, he worked for the University of California as a cooperative extension advisor where he addressed durability and in-service performance issues of wood-framed buildings, particularly those subjected to wildfires. During 2007 and 2008, Steve worked part-time for the California Office of the State Fire Marshal where he developed, coordinated and served as an instructor for the educational program related to the Wildland Urban Interface (wildfire) Building Code and Standards (Chapter 7A in the California Building Code).

John Proctor has recently retired from over 37 years as a contractor, building scientist, consultant, trainer, researcher and not retired from being a sculptor. He has written sections of the California Title 24 Residential Standards for over ten years. He was on the residential ventilation standards committee since its inception.
John is a 1965 graduate from MIT with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since founding Proctor Engineering Group he has consulted for utilities, individuals, states, and countries, including Saudi Arabia.
John’s interest is in implementing efficient effective housing in the most streamlined way. To do this we need to change from some of our old traditional methods and adopt effective new methods — but only those that have proven effective in actual practice.

Anni Tilt, AIA is a principal with Arkin Tilt Architects, a Berkeley-based firm founded on the tenets of sustainable design. Winner of the Acterra Business Award for the Sustainable Built Environment in 2002, the 2011 Cool California Small Business Award, 2 COTE/AIA Top Ten Green Project Awards, and Fine Homebuilding “Home of the Year” award in 2012, their work has been published nationally and internationally for excellence in design and sustainability. Anni is one of the founding members of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA), and was previously on the board of the Ecological Building Network.

Charles Cormany – EFCA, Executive Director
Charles Cormany is the Executive Director of Efficiency First California. He has over a decade of experience in the Home Performance industry as a contractor and currently represents the voice of the contractor in policy discussions. His experience includes, project management, HVAC system design, sales, marketing and business development. Having been involved in hundreds of residential energy efficiency retrofit projects, he provides a “boots on the ground” perspective to policy and program design efforts. His hands-on style and real-world experience bring a pragmatic approach to problem solving and project management. Mr. Cormany enjoys the role of educator, and regularly shares information via blog posts and informational meetings with contractors.

As Programs Manager, Rachel Kuykendall is responsible for program design and implementation in the areas of distributed renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand response, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and other related areas that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support affordable energy for customers.

Previously, Rachel served as an energy efficiency program manager for the Energy Upgrade California: Bay Area Multifamily Building Enhancement Program, and has assisted in providing technical assistance and energy efficiency rebates to over 30,000 multifamily units. Her specialties include energy efficiency program management, energy analysis and modeling, and the creation/retrofit of zero net energy buildings.

Rachel graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a B.A. in Architecture and Japanese language. She is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), LEED Accredited Processional, and Certified Passive House Consultant.

David Arkin, AIA, LEED AP, is one of the founders and current Director of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA). He is past-President of Architects, Designers, and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) and served for twelve years as a board member of the Solar Living Institute (SLI). David is a native of Wisconsin and earned his B. Arch. from the University of Minnesota; he has taught and lectured on the subject of sustainable design for over twenty years. David and his wife Anni Tilt are the Principals of the award-winning ecological design firm Arkin Tilt Architects.

Raised on the Monterey Peninsula, Larry has been self-employed most of his working life. He got his general contractor’s license in 1982. Hot water has been an interest in its many forms so Larry has been a member of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) and The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

In 1992, he and his wife completed the Water Heater Workbook. He has written articles on water heating and energy for various trade journals and has taught about these topics for PG&E, California State Parks, Affordable Comfort and others. More recently he has helped create DVD’s on these and related topics.

Larry finished building an off-grid home in 2006 which was designed to be very efficient, comfortable and inexpensive. It was the 13th home to meet the ‘1000 Home Challenge’, a competition for creating super-efficient homes.

With over 50 years of dealing with man-made things and their makers, he has come to believe that self-sufficiency is an important goal to work towards. And he’s glad to share what he’s learned.