3/11/2008
The Public Building Commissions Board of Commissioners today confirmed Erin Lavin Cabonargi as the new Executive Director of the Public Building Commission of Chicago.
Lavin Cabonargi was appointed the PBCs new Executive Director by Mayor Richard M. Daley on Feb. 25, and with todays vote by the board will assume leadership of the 52-year-old agency.
Erins experience in both the public and private sector will continue to be a great asset to the City, said Mayor Daley, who also serves as the Chairman of the Public Building Commission Board of Commissioners. She has a thorough understanding of project management and her expertise in green building practices leaves me certain that the PBC will develop environmentally friendly public facilities.
Lavin Cabonargi, 36, has been with the Public Building Commission since 2006, serving as its Director of Planning and Design. In that role, she was responsible for the development and execution of procedures pertaining to project development for public facilities, including sustainable design and construction practices. The PBC currently has nearly 70 projects in either the planning, design or construction phase, and each will be completed under sustainable construction guidelines.
The schools, libraries, police stations and other public facilities built by the PBC are state-of-the-art, environmentally conscious and critical to the quality of life in our communities, Mayor Daley said.
Nearly 40 PBC projects are registered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which is administered by the United States Green Building Council. Several of the projects have already received LEED certification, including the Chicago Center for Green Technology, the 22nd District Police Station and seven Chicago Public Library buildings.
Prior to joining the PBC, Lavin Cabonargi worked for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where she led the development of a capital program to construct 24 new school facilities. She also helped to develop sustainable design strategies for implementation on various design and construction projects for the CPS.
In the private sector, Lavin Cabonargi worked as an architectural designer, project manager and project director, handling both CPS and suburban school projects as well projects for retail, commercial and financial institutions.
Lavin Cabonargi received her bachelors degree in environmental design from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, whose program is accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board and provides a focus in sustainable design. She received a masters degree in architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
Lavin Cabonargi was awarded the Edward C. Earl Prize for her graduate design thesis and received a scholarship to study at the Technische Universität München, which is renowned for its focus on sustainable design. She is a LEED-accredited professional (LEED AP) as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and has received training through the Registered Energy Professional program as administered by the City of Chicago Department of Construction and Permits.
The Public Building Commission of Chicago oversees construction and renovation projects for the City of Chicago and its sister agencies, including the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Public Schools and the City Colleges of Chicago.