Blogs

Welcome, 2024!

As we kick off another exciting year, we wanted to take a moment to extend a big warm welcome to all our amazing USGBC-LA members! Your dedication and commitment is what keeps us going. We're excited to dive into 2024 together and make the most of every opportunity to connect, collaborate, and make a real impact. 

Join us for the first member mixer of the year and let's celebrate together as we kick off another exciting year!

Celebrate your USGBC-LA membership with us on Wednesday, February 21st from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at CalEdison! Starting at 5:00 PM, members can take an exclusive tour to explore areas not open to the public. CalEdison DTLA boasts an impressive Energy Star score of 98, achieved through various energy-saving methods like LED retrofits and multi-level lighting controls.

Join us for refreshments, light bites, and music as we offer an exclusive preview of the 2023 Impact Report, available only to members and their guests. Let's come together as a community, share experiences, and discuss our sustainability goals for 2024. Escape the cold, connect with fellow members, and delve into our shared commitment to sustainability!

Register here!

Community Hub

If you're not already in the loop about the latest buzz in our community, allow us to fill you in: We're gearing up to launch an exciting new membership portal exclusively for active USGBC-LA members! This dynamic platform will serve as our main Community Hub, offering a range of features such as profile creation, committee enrollment, event RSVPs, discussion board participation, and member discovery. We're thrilled to unveil this significant update to our community and can't wait to see it in action. Keep an eye out for your login instructions to transition seamlessly to the new platform. As we embark on this journey together to strengthen our community presence, we value your feedback in our efforts to elevate the membership experience.

Robyn Mancell has been self-employed for over 30 years and is very much a serial entrepreneur. She left corporate America after many years of working in the telecommunications industry. With very little experience in the financial industry, she became insurance series 6 & 63 licensed and took the plunge into the world of self-employment. After going back to school for Environmental Studies, Robyn became active in spreading the word about solar and renewable energy.

“Leaving corporate America several decades ago and becoming an entrepreneur gave me the freedom and time to pursue the world of sustainability. This decision was inspired by the birth of my first granddaughter. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that I wanted to make a positive impact and help create a safer, more sustainable world for future generations. I was looking for an opportunity to make a real difference. 

I first began selling solar with my business partner, Angela Morrow, and primarily focused on the Inland Empire. As a USGBC-LA member and an active member of the Women In Green Committee, it was clear that this was the organization for me. We are up for the challenge and making sure everyone has the opportunity to join our community and make a difference. Everything I do is about the future. The future of financial literacy and the future of our environment. We can’t have one without the other if we want longevity and legacy for our next generation.”  - Robyn Mancell, Chair of the Inland Empire Committee

In 2023 she founded GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS TEAM and has been working with companies in California and across the USA who are interested in finding sustainable solutions in both solar and EV charging. As Chair of the USGBC-LA Inland Empire Committee, she is on a mission to bring awareness to the many opportunities available to support our communities.

We are excited to invite you to be the first to register for our annual Conference, held this year on May 23rd at the Beehive in South LA. Use code CONF_MEMBER for major savings - registrations before March 1st will receive $199 in savings!

Register here!

2024 California Green Building Advocacy Day

Wednesday April 17, 2024  | 10:00am-5:00pm

Our annual California Green Building Advocacy Day is taking place this year on April 17, 2024 in Sacramento. California Green Building Advocacy Day is a day for our green building community members and other mission-aligned partner organizations to advocate for the top legislative bills, influence state-level policymaking, and nurture relationships with State Representatives. Similar to our California Green Building Conference this year, we aim to “build, connect, & unify” around shared industry priorities including: 

• Building Decarbonization

• Climate Resilience

• Workforce Development

• Embodied Carbon

• Environmental Justice
   

If interested in supporting us, please consider the following ways to get involved: 

• Consider supporting us remotely with our virtual “Contact your State Representative” Campaign in March 2024

• Let us know if you are interested in joining our coalition in Sacramento (please note space is very limited, but we welcome all expressions of interest).

• Join us virtually:

• Advocacy + Policy Virtual Information Session - March 20, 2024 at 10:00am

• Post-Advocacy Day Virtual Recap & Next Steps - May 8, 2024 at 1:00pm

Reach out directly to the USGBC-LA Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@usgbc-la.org for more information.

Learn more about Advocacy and Policy at USGBC-LA

Green Building Corps Internship Mentoring Opportunity
 

We'd like to invite you to participate in the USGBC-LA Mentorship Program! One of the benefits of our unique community is the opportunity to become a mentor through curated matchmaking and activities as part of the USGBC-LA initiatives.

Objective of the Mentorship Program: The USGBC-LA Mentorship Program is designed to connect established professionals with students, recently graduated and/or emerging professionals to increase knowledge of the green building industry, aid mentees in achieving their professional goals and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across the industry.

• Duration and Commitment: The mentoring relationship will last for no less than six (6) months. Mentors will commit to at least one (1) hour per month as an advisor for the selected mentee(s). However, it is recommended that Mentors commit to 2 sessions a month.

• Format of Meetings: The first meeting will be held at the Mentor Meet & Greet Session (date TBD). Subsequent ‘catch-ups’ can be via phone, video calls, or coffee dates when possible, but should be in a mutually agreeable location and format.

• Progress Reporting: Throughout the year, USGBC-LA staff will send surveys to program participants to determine if the relationship is mutually beneficial if it’s working well, and if there is anything that needs to be changed or addressed. 

If you are interested in becoming a mentor please fill out this form or email elizabeth@usgbc-la.org for more information. 

Exclusive USGBC-LA Member Benefits

from Partner Organizations

We’ve been busy over here working with our friends to offer some special items to our members!

Intuit Tour 

Stay tuned for an exclusive, members-only tour of Intuit Dome on March 29th, 2024. 

In addition to achieving LEED Platinum certification, Intuit Dome will be 100% carbon free from the day it opens to the public. That’s in part thanks to the structure being fully electric, equipped with 2 MW of rooftop solar panels that feed 11 MW of battery storage.

We look forward to receiving a behind-the-scenes tour of this incredible space! As members, you will be the first to receive an invitation to attend this exclusive tour. 

Verdani Webinar 

Our friends at Verdani have offered a member discount on two popular bundles: Climate Hero and the Sustainability Course. Use code ‘usgbcla25’ for 25% off until December 31, 2024. Learn more and sign up here! 

Please reach out with any questions to Han Le, our Community Coordinator, who is leading our Membership and Volunteer communities and is reachable at han@usgbc-la.org. 

We are thrilled to share an exciting new update exclusively for our members. Stay tuned in the new year for an invitation to join our members-only online community, where you will be able to join committees, RSVP to events, and connect with other members. 

We can’t wait to share more! 

Member Mixer invitation 

Come celebrate your USGBC-LA membership on Wednesday, February 21st from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at CalEdison! At 5:00 PM, members are invited to join a tour to see the areas that are closed to the public. The CalEdison DTLA has earned an impressive Energy Star score of 98 through the implementation of various energy-saving techniques, including LED retrofits and the installation of multi-level lighting controls.

Join your fellow members over some sips, small bites, and music as we share a preview of the 2023 Impact Report, exclusively for members and their guests. We are excited to bring our community together and continue having a great time! So get out of the cold,  mingle with your fellow community, and learn about everyone’s 2024 sustainability goals!

Community Hub 

If you haven’t heard about this exciting news buzzing around our community, then we hope it reaches you here: We will be launching a brand new membership portal where all active USGBC-LA members will have access to a dynamic new platform! It will serve as the main Community Hub for members to create their profile, join a committee, view events, post on discussion boards, and find other active members. We are thrilled we can now to share this major update with our community. Be on the lookout this month for your log-in instructions to switch over to the new platform. As we build our community presence on the platform together, we appreciate your feedback as we work to enhance the membership experience for you. 

Here is a sneak peek of the Community Hub platform for you here: 

Priscilla Steele to add screen record of the Hub

MEMBER Spotlight

Robyn Mancell 

Robyn Mancell has been self-employed for over 30 years and is very much a serial entrepreneur. She left corporate America after many years of working in the telecommunications industry. With very little experience in the financial industry, she became insurance series 6 & 63 licensed and took the plunge into the world of self employment. After going back to school for Environmental Studies, Robyn became active in spreading the word about solar and renewable energy.

“Leaving corporate America several decades ago and becoming an entrepreneur gave me the freedom and time to pursue the world of sustainability.This decision was inspired by the birth of my first granddaughter. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that I wanted to make a positive impact and help create a safer, more sustainable world for our future generations. I was looking for an opportunity to make a real difference. 

I first began selling solar with my business partner, Angela Morrow and primarily focused on the Inland Empire. As a USGBC-LA member and an active member of the Women In Green Committee, it was clear that this was the organization for me. We are up for the challenge and making sure everyone has the opportunity to join our community and make a difference. Everything I do is about the future. The future of financial literacy and the future of our environment. We can’t have one without the other if we

want longevity and legacy for our next generation.” - Robyn Mancell, Chair of the Inland Empire Committee

In 2023 she founded GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS TEAM,and has been working with companies in California and across the USA who are interested in finding sustainable solutions in both solar and EV charging. As Chair for the USGBC-LA Inland Empire Committee, she is on a mission to bring awareness to the many opportunities available to support our communities.

CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE - REGISTER NOW! 

We are excited to invite you to be the first to register for our annual Conference, held this year on May 23rd at the Beehive in South LA. Use code CONF_MEMBER for major savings - registrations before March 1st will receive $199 in savings!  *Add visual 

2024 California Green Building Advocacy Day

Wednesday April 17, 2024

10:00am-5:00pm

Our annual California Green Building Advocacy Day is taking place this year on April 17, 2024 in Sacramento. California Green Building Advocacy Day is a day for our green building community members and other mission-aligned partner organizations to advocate for the top legislative bills, influence state-level policymaking, and nurture relationships with State Representatives. Similar to our California Green Building Conference this year, we aim to “build, connect, & unify” around shared industry priorities including: 

• Building Decarbonization

• Climate Resilience

• Workforce Development

• Embodied Carbon

• Environmental Justice
  

If interested in supporting us, please consider the following ways to get involved: 

• Consider supporting us remotely with our virtual “Contact your State Representative” Campaign in March 2024

• Let us know if you are interested in joining our coalition in Sacramento (please note space is very limited, but we welcome all expressions of interest).

• Join us virtually:

• Advocacy + Policy Virtual Information Session - March 20, 2024 at 10:00am

• Post-Advocacy Day Virtual Recap & Next Steps - May 8, 2024 at 1:00pm

Reach out directly to the USGBC-LA Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@usgbc-la.org and for more information on all of the above.

Green Building Corps Internship Mentoring Opportunity

We'd like to invite you to participate in the USGBC-LA Mentorship Program! One of the benefits of our unique community is the opportunity to become a mentor through curated matchmaking and activities as part of the USGBC-LA initiatives.

Objective of the Mentorship Program: The USGBC-LA Mentorship Program is designed to connect established professionals with students, recently graduated and/or emerging professionals to increase knowledge of the green building industry, aid mentees in achieving their professional goals and promote diversity, equity and inclusion across the industry.

• Duration and Commitment: The mentoring relationship will last for no less than six (6) months. Mentors will commit to at least one (1) hour per month as an advisor for the selected mentee(s). However, it is recommended that Mentors commit 2 sessions a month.

• Format of Meetings: The first meeting will be held at the Mentor Meet & Greet Session (date TBD). Subsequent ‘catch ups’ can be via phone, video calls, or coffee date when possible, but should be in a mutually agreeable location and format.

• Progress Reporting: Throughout the year, USGBC-LA staff will send surveys to program participants to determine if the relationship is mutually beneficial, if it’s working well, and if there is anything that needs to be changed or addressed. 

If you are interested in becoming a mentor please fill out this form or email elizabeth@usgbc-la.org for more information. 

Help celebrate California as a 2023 LEED Top 10 State!!

The annual LEED Top 10 States campaign celebrates the states who added the most LEED-certified gross square footage in the preceding calendar year, highlighting the remarkable progress of the public and private sectors toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, health impacts, and operating costs in buildings across their states. In 2023, the Top 10 States for LEED were New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, Georgia, Virginia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, and Maryland.

Help us amplify this achievement to your elected officials and ensure they continue to prioritize green buildings via this one-click campaign: https://usgbc.quorum.us/campaign/55667/

If you are unable to see the content in the one-click campaign or would like to send a congratulatory note to officials in a different state, make sure to update your address in the link to be in one of the top ten states. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the USGBC-LA Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@usgbc-la.org if you have any questions about using our one-click tool Quorum or this campaign in general. This campaign ends Friday, February 23, 2024.

Exclusive USGBC-LA Member Benefits

from Partner Organizations

Intuit Tour 

Stay tuned for an exclusive, members-only tour of Intuit Dome on March 29th, 2024. 

In addition to achieving LEED Platinum certification, Intuit Dome will be 100% carbon free from the day it opens to the public. That’s in part thanks to the structure being fully electric, equipped with 2 MW of rooftop solar panels that feed 11 MW of battery storage.

We look forward to receiving a behind-the-scenes tour of this incredible space! As members, you will be the first to receive an invitation to attend this exclusive tour. 

Verdani Webinar 

Our friends at Verdani have offered a member discount on two popular bundles: Climate Hero and the Sustainability Course. Use code ‘usgbcla25’ for 25% off until December 31, 2024. Learn more and sign up here!

We are thrilled to share an exciting new update exclusively for our members. Stay tuned in the new year for an invitation to join our members-only online community, where you will be able to join committees, RSVP to events, and connect with other members. 

We can’t wait to share more! 

It’s always important to take a moment and celebrate LIFE and that of our friends and colleagues. 

So in that spirit…Happy Birthday!  We celebrate you all:

1. January & February  Birthdays

2. Louis Avila

3. Emily Yichia Chu

4. Carla Contreras Cabrera

5. Evan Davis

6. Hasmig Derderian

7. Julia DeSantis

8. Julie Du Brow

9. Jennifer Guenther

10. Carrie Hester 

11. Zee Oluwaremi

12. Natasha Patel

13. Alex Sassoon

14. Cassandra Savel

15. Eric Sun

16. Erik Yarosh