My Vampire Pad in Frankfurt and the Youngest LEED AP in Germany

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

My time in Frankfurt had a rather interesting start.

For those of you who haven't been there, at first glance, Frankfurt is a very conservative, very straight-laced, finance-focused town. So, it came as quite a pleasant juxtaposition that my home base in Frankfurt was a cool boutique hotel that I can only describe as a trendy vampire pad…with a bird fetish.

Imagine walking in from a bright, cold day to a hotel lobby - in fact, an entire hotel - that is black and shiny. Black floors, black mirrored walls, black gauze curtains. The only spots of color in the hotel were the dark purple touches, and, oh - the headless swan chairs in the lobby. My perception of Frankfurt was changed within 30 minutes of my arrival, and the hotel paved the way for even more unexpected surprises.

Old town Frankfurt: Who would guess it's hiding my all-black hotel?

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 and Life in the City of Lights: Paris

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

My job fascinates me. Obviously because I get to visit interesting places, but more importantly, because of that delicious curl of anticipation that comes with facing large groups of strangers (yes, I actually enjoy this) and the thrill of discovery that comes with getting to know people. Who among them will be that passionate local advocate I'm looking for to unite the LEED community in that country? Is that lady by the window in the green skirt a technical expert with a rare specialization? How has LEED transformed the lives of those I meet? Hmmm, where did she buy those shoes!

I guess I'm just nosy, but to tell truth, I'm not just drawn to green building because of the architecture. I want the juicy stuff - what makes people tick and how does LEED opens doors and empower individuals to transcend cultural and national borders? How does LEED change lives?

No, it's not LEED-certified!

Recently, I had the good fortune to visit Paris and meet some local LEED Professionals. I met a number of wonderful people, but one story sticks in my mind in particular.

Unreasonably BOULD: A Social Enterprise for Affordable Homes and Green Building Education

Shane Gring
Co-Founder + Director of Operations
BOULD

Imagine a world where potential is not governed by what we're told to be, the only fear is not giving enough, and business-as-usual, is a little more...unreasonable.

As a USGBC Emerging Professional, Colorado Chapter member, and young social entrepreneur, this is the world I’m working to create.

After a year serving Flatirons Habitat for Humanity (Boulder, Colorado) as an AmeriCorps VISTA, I approached a fork in the road. Do I confirm my acceptance to graduate school and pursue my Masters of Architecture? Or, do I pursue a slightly less conventional path: one filled with incredible potential, but also substantial uncertainty?

Two years later, after the completion of 17 LEED-registered affordable homes, the training of 115 now-qualified LEED Professional exam candidates, and fundraising of $20,000 for affordable housing builders, you will see that I chose the latter.

In 2010, at age 23, I co-founded a social enterprise, called BOULD, with the ambitious mission to eliminate substandard housing through green building education.

BOULD staff, Brian Brunsing in action at a LEED Platinum seeking Habitat for Humanity home in Boulder, Colorado

Here’s how it works. First, we train local affordable housing builders (AHBs), like Habitat for Humanity, to transform housing projects into structured, green building classrooms for career developing professionals and students. Our program, EverbuildPRO, provides leadership opportunities at all phases of a project: from design development to LEED documentation to on-site construction. Upon program completion, participants have the project experience they need to qualify for LEED accreditation, the world’s preeminent green building credential. Then, in return for the opportunity, professionals pay a tuition fee that is shared between BOULD and the AHB, making “green” affordable and accessible for all.

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!

What does Korean Fried Chicken have to do with the LEED International Program?

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

Not only is it crispy, crunchy, deliciously seasoned, and goes great with beer, but it also proves to be a great tool for convening people and engaging LEED professionals.

In June, I visited South Korea. While there, I had the pleasure of sharing beer and - you guessed it - Korean fried chicken with a small group of LEED Professionals after the official LEED Professionals Meet and Greet in Seoul. The event was a wonderful opportunity to answer questions and get to know so many dedicated green building professionals in one place, but the “after-session” was by far the highlight of my trip to Korea. Not only did I get to know these talented LEED Professionals as individuals, but by the light of the flaming chicken (literally – they poured some type of alcohol over it and sent it up in flames at the table), the LEED Professionals themselves had the chance to start building their community.

My flaming fried chicken, after-event drinks with Korea LEED Professionals, Seoul, Korea, June 16, 2011

It is this type of personal interaction that nurtures the grassroots leadership needed to help us collectively move towards our shared mission for a better and greener world. It didn’t have to be fried chicken, it could have been any little mundane thing that brought people together, but I am glad it was. And as I continue my work with USGBC, I hope to have and cherish many more “Korean Fried Chicken” moments.

Moving from the Era of INPUTS to the Ear of Performance, Korea LEED Professional Meet and Greet, Seoul, Korea, June 16, 2011

Wherever you are located, we encourage you to connect with fellow LEED Professionals in your part of the world and form networking and meet-up groups. The first step is to start communicating: Use the LEED Professional Directory to connect with LEED Professionals in your area, or join the USGBC International LinkedIn group and start chatting.

We’re always interested in hearing from LEED Professionals, so feel free to contact us at international@usgbc.org. If you are forming a meet-up group in your region, we’ll reach out to you on future trips, and may be able to introduce you to others who are starting informal networking groups, as well.

What will be your “Korean Fried Chicken” moment?

Follow us on Twitter at @USGBC and join the international conversation using hashtag #USGBCIntl - and join our USGBC International LinkedIn group.