By Tom Prost, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Growing Green Awards Committee
The Missouri Gateway Chapter of the US Green Building Council invites you to join us for a very special 3rd annual Growing Green Awards presentation on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 6:00 pm at NEO on Locust. This event not only recognizes those in our community transforming the build environment but also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Chapter’s founding.
The Chapter is exceedingly proud to recognize local leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and designers that advocate for high performance buildings, implement sustainably progressive communities, and demonstrate green as good business. Our nominees share a passion for making the region more sustainable – one building at a time.
This year’s categories include:
Innovator: seeking innovative solutions to green building problems whether they are for existing, new, or renovated buildings, systems, or operations.
Residential: working to further sustainable residential buildings including single family or multi-family buildings containing up to 30 units.
Government: working within the governmental sector to produce sustainable built environments in order to provide leadership by example and actions.
Educator: embracing sustainable buildings or to creating an outstanding building, campus, system or innovation.
Corporate: working within the commercial sector, including multi-family buildings with more than 30 units, to further sustainable building practices.
Non-Profit: working in the non-profit sector to provide leadership, consulting, support or encouragement centered on sustainability and the built environment.
Last year’s winners included Home Green Home in the Innovator category. Their business can improve the efficiency of existing homes by 20 –40 %. Through the EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Home Performance with Energy Star program, Home Green Home has improved many homes.
Washington University received the 2010 Educator award for cultivating the next generation of sustainability leaders, researching and developing sustainable technologies and strategies, and engaging and empowering local, regional, national and international partners to find and implement sustainable solutions.
The Corporate award went to Clayco in recognition of their work building the Novus International Headquarters, which was only the 4th project in Missouri to receive the USGBC’s LEED Platinum certification. LEED has become such an ingrained part of the company’s corporate culture that they say they have difficulty doing projects the “old way” even on projects that do not formally pursue LEED certification.
Renew Missouri, a project of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, received the Non-Profit award. The group’s work spurred an increase in the use of renewable energy in Missouri and encouraged a market for residential and commercial solar photovoltaic use for the first time in our state’s history.
Laclede Gas won the Home Builder award because of their successful residential green building verification program, which encourages home builders to implement energy-efficient practices.
We hope you’ll join us on March 30 to celebrate the 2011 Growing Green Award Winners. Tickets include beer, wine, appetizers and a 3-course dinner and are on sale at www.GrowingGreenAwards2011.EventBrite.com. Get your tickets early–previous celebrations have sold out!
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