The Public Building Commission Welcomes Greenbuild 2010 Chicago

The Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) welcomes the U.S. Green Building Council’s Annual Greenbuild Conference & Expo to be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place West, on November 17-19, 2010.

Greenbuild is the world’s largest green building conference, representing all sectors of the green building movement and offering nearly 2000 exhibit booths. The conference offers three days of extensive educational programming, workshops, networking events and an exhibition floor. For more information about the Greenbuild 2010 conference, please visit www.greenbuildexpo.org for more information.

“As one of the first cities to adopt LEED for public buildings and the city that is home to more LEED-certified buildings than any other, Greenbuild recognizes that Chicago is truly committed to leadership as a “next-generation” city – the perfect place to celebrate being part of Generation Green,” said Kimberly Lewis, VP, Conferences and Events, U.S. Green Building Council.

Mayor Richard M. Daley will be honored at the Opening Ceremony and will receive the first ever Mayor Richard M. Daley Legacy Award for Global Leadership in Creating Sustainable Cities established in his honor. This award is in recognition of the Mayor’s visionary efforts in making Chicago one of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the nation, and will carry his name in perpetuity.

The City of Chicago leads the nation in municipally-owned LEED certified buildings. By year end 2010, the City will celebrate its 40th municipally-owned certified building.

“I am proud to announce that, due to the dedication of the PBC and its clients to innovative environmental design and building practices, the PBC recently achieved a new benchmark of 31 LEED certified buildings”, said Executive Director Erin Lavin Cabonargi. “Please stay tuned to our website at www.pbcchicago.com for our featured video highlighting the PBC’s sustainabililty strategies that result in LEED-certification for municipally-owned buildings.”

Erin Lavin Cabonargi, the Executive Director of the PBC, will be a featured panelist at the Green Jobs Summit. The Green Jobs Summit will be held in conjunction with the Greenbuild Conference & Expo on November 16, 2010 and features eight break-out sessions. Erin Lavin Cabonargi will speak at the session entitled Powering the Economy: How Federal, State and Local Green Polices are Driving Green Jobs. For more detailed information visit www.greenbuildexpo.org/JobsSummit.

PBC projects will be showcased in off-site educational sessions that connect Greenbuild participants to the City of Chicago sustainability initiatives:

• The PBC is hosting Implementing LEED in Chicago K-12 Schools on November 17, 2010 at 2-4:30 p.m. at two recently completed Chicago Public Schools – the LEED Gold Irene C. Hernandez Middle School and Eric Solorio Academy High School, which is expecting LEED Silver.
• The LEED Platinum Chicago Center for Green Technology will be the setting for Spreading the Word: Green Educational Programming, on November 18 at 2-4:30 PM.

Please visit http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/education/Off-Site-Educational-Sessions.aspx to learn more about these sessions and other educational opportunities.

PBC projects will also be showcased in eco-tours:

• Chicago Center for Green Technology is featured as part of LEED Platinum: Rewind and Review, a revisit to Chicago’s iconic Platinum certified buildings that were included in the Greenbuild 2007 tours program. This tour is scheduled for Friday, November 19, 2010, from 1-6 p.m.
• The 9th District Police Station, Engine Company 18 Fire House, and the Chicago Park District Taylor-Lauridsen Field House are the focus of Municipal Facilities: Methods and Means, which demonstrates how City buildings are redefining Chicago’s future. This tour is scheduled for November 20, 2010, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
• K-12 Schools: Next Generation Green will feature Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School, a LEED Gold school developed by the PBC. This tour is scheduled for November 20, 2010, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Please visit http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/Tours/green-building-tours.aspx to learn more about these and other tours

The Public Building Commission of Chicago manages construction and renovation projects for the City of Chicago and its sister agencies. Mayor Richard M. Daley serves as the PBC’s chairman. Erin Lavin Cabonargi serves as the Executive Director of the PBC. Additional information about the PBC and its projects can be found at www.pbcchicago.com.