USGBC Orange County Nominations Now Closed for the 2017 Eco-Awards “Greenest in the County”. Judges Determining Winners Throughout November.

Seeking the “Greenest in the County”, the Eco Awards judges for the U.S. Green Building Council in Orange County will be reviewing applications to honor organizations and people within the county for sustainable programs and green practices throughout November. The December 7th event will honor organizations and individuals that deserve the respect and spotlight of the green building community in Orange County. The awards will be announced on the evening of December 7, 2017 at the Eco-awards event to be held at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach.

Awards are being considered in the following ten categories:

1. Eco-City Award (This will be the 3rd Eco-city award announced in O.C. history)
2. Most Sustainable Company in Orange County>50 employees
3. Most Sustainable Company in Orange County<50 4. Most Sustainable land plan, landscape design, or open space in Orange County 5. Most Sustainable NGO 6. Healthiest Hotel, multi-family or overnight accommodation (includes dorm rooms or student housing, and multi-family housing) 7. Most Sustainable Restaurant/Retail 8. Most Sustainable Home (single family) 9. Most Sustainable or Healthiest School 10. Eco-Leader (most Sustainable professional, educator or elected official) As a part of this competition, eight highly qualified judges with extensive environmental and sustainability experience, have been selected to review nominations. Judges include: Vicky Betancourt, Founder, Coneybeare Cleantech, Creator of La Luisa in Columbia, South America. Former Executive Board Director, Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce. Ann Cutner, Landscape Architect, Legacy LEED AP, Former Principal, IMA Design Richard Demerjan, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Environmental Planning and Sustainability, UCI, Landscape Architect Nancy Gardner, Board Member, Orange Coast River Park and Natural Communities Coalition. Former President of the Board of Surfrider Foundation and Former City of Newport Beach Council Member and Mayor Meg Heisinger, Permaculture Designer and Educator, The Ecology Center Chandra Slaven, Project Manager - Forward Planning for California with Blue Heron, and former Environmental Programs Director, City of Irvine Shaheen Sadeghi, President and CEO, Lab Holdings, LLC, Former President, Quicksilver, Developer of the LAB, the CAMP and the Packard Building Kevin Thornton, P.E., Project Manager, Director of Sustainability, PSOMAS To register for the December 7, 2017 Eco-Awards event, visit: https://www.usgbc.org/event/usgbc-orange-county-2017-eco-awards Sponsors include VCA Green and Byline7. Organizations wishing to attend or sponsor the event may contact Ray Dapp, Project Manager for OCGBC Orange County at rdapp@usgbc.org or by telephone at 949-933-9707. The USGBC Orange County's mission is to engage all green building stakeholders to be the conduit of change for a more sustainable Orange County through innovative communication, education, resources and advocacy. The Market Leaders Advisory Board Members for the USGBC Orange County Community includes: Robyn Vettraino, LEED AP Homes, LEED AP BD+C, SITES AP, Verde Properties; Barb Eljenholm, AICP, LEED AP BD+C, SITES AP, Byline7; Aga Napiatek, LEED AP BD+C, ENV SP, Psomas; Bret Hanson, Licensed Landscape Architect, LEED AP, LPA; Bo Glover, ENC; Moe Fakih, LEED AP(Rater, O+M) CCP, GPR, BPI, WELL AP, VCA Green; Scott Kitcher, Sustain OC; Catherine Cunningham, Eikosphere; Joseph Marfi, Turner Construction and Chris Christie, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, Christie Development Services. The USGBC Orange County Project Manager is Ray Dapp, CCIM, CSM, LEED Green Associate, and the Regional Director for the Pacific for USGBC is Brenden McEneaney, LEED AP BD+C. For more information visit: https://www.usgbc.org/usgbc-orange-county