Among the Canals of Amsterdam

Jennivine Kwan
Vice President, International Operations
U.S. Green Building Council

This is the story of how I almost drank a 45 euro shot of Japanese whiskey, why I fell in love with Amsterdam, and the Dutch LEED AP - who, through his friendship and sincere passion for LEED - has touched my heart and validated for me yet again the transformational power that is LEED.

I’ll start with the LEED AP.

Cradle to cradle project in the Netherlands

He was one of my hosts during my recent trip to the Netherlands, and during that time, I felt truly privileged to witness his excitement at being a part of LEED and his aspirations for moving green building forward in his country. What particularly made my time with him stand out was that several months earlier, I had received an e-mail from him letting me know that his company had just fired 30% of its staff...and that his job was spared because he was the "LEED" guy. In his own words, had he not invested the time and energy in LEED several years ago, he would have been out on the street that day.

LEED Professionals: Don't Let Your Credential Expire; Remember to Renew Every Two Years

William Nutt
Associate, Marketing and Communications
U.S. Green Building Council

You know the hard work and dedication of time it took to earn your LEED Professional credential. It’s important to remember that there is also a renewal process every two years. Renewing your LEED credential renews your sense of personal accomplishment as well as your commitment to green building and continued contribution to the sustainability movement.

The Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) was crafted with input from those in the green building industry and is designed to broaden and deepen your scope of knowledge within the field of green building on a continual basis. Maintenance requirements allow for credentials to stay relevant and maintain a professional’s credibility and competitive edge.

In a recent survey, 85% of current LEED credential holders say that having the LEED credential gives them a competitive edge and credibility in their field of work; 92% say it indicates a greater commitment to green building; and 97% say it supports their professional development.

LEED Professional credentials require renewal every two years through this simple three-step process:

1. Complete your specified number of continuing education (CE) hours in a variety of flexible ways. As you earn them, report your CE hours under My Credentials at GBCI.org.
2. Upon reporting enough hours to fulfill CMP requirements, click “Renew My Credential,” a blue button in your my Credentials account.
3. If you are eligible to renew your credential, you will be prompted to pay your $50 renewal fee and your credential will be renewed for two years.

Here are a few simple continuing education activities to help you earn your hours, many of which you likely engage in regularly:

1. Contribute to LEED projects
2. Author articles and/or books about green building
3. Earn related credentials, licenses and/or certificates
4. Attend live presentations
5. Conduct a self-study

LEED Professionals who opt out of CMP will forfeit their credentials. If you ask me, the expansive benefits of renewal are too good to let go.

Use #LEEDPros to join the conversation on Twitter.

Current LEED APs: Add a Specialty to Your LEED Credential at Greenbuild

William Nutt
Associate, Marketing and Communications
U.S. Green Building Council

Are you a LEED AP? If so, there is still time to add a specialty to your LEED credential at the USGBC’s annual Greenbuild conference even if your enrollment deadline has passed. The majority of LEED Professionals have already added a specialty to their LEED credential but the window is closing.

In 2009, GBCI updated the LEED AP with five new specialty credentials:

• LEED AP Building Design + Construction (BD+C)
• LEED AP Interior Design + Construction (ID+C)
• LEED AP Operations + Maintenance (O+M)
• LEED AP Neighborhood Development (ND)
• LEED AP Homes

The specialty credentials can be added to your LEED AP by simply logging onto your GBCI account and clicking enroll or by visiting the LEED Credential booths at Greenbuild located on level 600.

After that, you have two years to maintain your credential by following prescriptive credential maintenance, completing 30 hours of continuing education activities over a two-year period.

Prescriptive credential maintenance is on a one time activity that maps your specialty over to the newest version of the LEED rating system. After the prescriptive maintenance is complete, LEED APs with specialty will maintain their credential in following years through a variety of methods such as taking courses or working on LEED projects.

There is no risk and no fee to enrolling in a specialty through prescriptive credential maintenance. LEED APs can also choose to forgo prescriptive CMP and add a specialty to their credential by taking the specialty portion of the new LEED AP exam, at a cost of $150- $250.

Greenbuild also offers an array of hour-earning opportunities, from education sessions and workshops to speaking events and green building tours. Over 170 courses have been approved for credential maintenance credit—and hours earned at Greenbuild are automatically reported to GBCI, making it easier to track your maintenance.

Why update your credential?
The specialty credentials ensure that LEED Professionals stay current with green building innovation, standards and practices through the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP). CMP, which requires LEED APs with specialty to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, also allows LEED Professionals to grow their knowledge base and show clients and employers that their expertise remains meaningful in a continually transforming marketplace.

Employers and clients are increasingly seeking LEED APs with specialty. This trend will popularize exponentially as LEED 2012, which awards an Innovation point to project teams featuring a LEED AP with specialty, nears release. Additionally, all candidates for the LEED Fellow distinction, honoring the green building industry’s most accomplished practitioners, must hold a LEED AP with specialty credential.

Credential maintenance for LEED APs with specialty is easy; you can earn 10 continuing education hours simply by working on LEED projects—a daily activity for many LEED Professionals¬—and five hours through self-study, including reading the LEED Reference Guides and reference standards. That’s half of your hours every two years, and with the new GBCI Course Catalog and USGBC Webinar Subscription, finding your other 15 hours is a breeze.

With so many advantages to enrollment, why not add a specialty to your LEED AP credential in Toronto? It’s just another way to benefit from Greenbuild’s expansive offerings. See you there!