2021 Summit Sessions | Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative

Plenaries and Special Events

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Opening Plenary featuring Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Goal Achiever Recognition

A Conversation with Green Lease Leaders

Closing Plenary: Partners' Perspectives

Opening Plenary
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm delivered the opening keynote, unveiled the 2021 Better Buildings & Better Plants Progress Report, and recognized members of the new Low Carbon Pilot. DOE leadership recognized the 2021 Goal Achievers and recent partner accomplishments.

Accelerating Building Decarbonization: A White House Roundtable with Government and Industry
Core members of the Biden Administration convened industry stakeholders in dialogue on equitable decarbonization of America's buildings, associated opportunities for jobs, and new programs for efficient electrified buildings. This session was moderated by Mark Chambers, White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Speakers: Gina McCarthy, National Climate Advisor, White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy; Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy; Michael Regan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator; Katy Kale, U.S. General Services Administration Acting Administrator

Virtual Building Tours
Take a virtual tour with partners Ford Motor Company, Iron Mountain Data Centers, and the State of Maryland to learn about their unique energy-saving features, then watch a Q&A as they share details about their energy efficiency efforts.

Speakers: Michelle Croal, Ford Motor Company; Jim Henry, Iron Mountain Data Centers; David St. Jean, State of Maryland

A Conversation with Green Lease Leaders
Watch the 2021 Green Lease Leaders explore how green leasing offers a competitive advantage for multiple sectors, helping buildings be more flexible, save money, and reduce climate and health risks.

Speakers: Audi Banny, Institute for Market Transformation (IMT); Sam Stockdale, Link Industrial Properties; Carla Walker, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Closing Plenary: Partners' Perspectives
Watch Better Buildings & Better Plants leaders from the industrial, local government, multifamily, and retail sectors discuss the issues, trends, and challenges impacting their work and the market at large. This discussion was moderated by Kelly Speakes-Backman, Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.

Speakers: David Hughes, Walgreens; Sushma Masemore, State of North Carolina; Jonathan Rose, Jonathan Rose Companies; Steve Skarda, Procter & Gamble

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Sector Meet-Ups

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Commercial
Industrial
K-12 Schools
Local Government
Multifamily

Commercial Sector Meet-up
Watch DOE and partners in the commercial building sector, including commercial real estate, hospitality, healthcare, higher education, retail, food service, and grocery have a panel discussion. We addressed\ key trends in the sectors, new resources and best practices from Better Buildings & Better Plants, and a closer look at the impacts of the pandemic, such as evolving building needs and space types.

Speakers: Alysson Vogt Blackwelder, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); Kirby Brendsel, Welltower; Kara Brooks, American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE); Dean Stanberry, International Facility Management Association (IFMA); Mary Evers Statz, UW Health

Industrial Sector Meet-up
The industrial sector meet-up was an opportunity for Better Buildings & Better Plants partners and stakeholders to come together virtually and discuss challenges and solutions. Program manager Eli Levine provided an update on new tools and resources and highlighted partner achievements, followed by a fireside chat on the industrial decarbonization challenge.

Speakers: Diane Bauer, U.S. Department of Energy; Jane Flegal, White House Council on Environmental Quality

K-12 Schools Sector Meet-up
The K-12 Schools meet-up was an opportunity for attendees to connect and exchange best practices with peers and share accomplishments and challenges in a candid, interactive format.

Speakers: Katy Hatcher, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Anisa Heming, USGBC Center for Green Schools; John Lord, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Local Government Sector Meet-up
The Local Government meet-up was an opportunity for attendees to connect and exchange best practices with peers, as well as share accomplishments and challenges in a candid, interactive format.

Speakers: Katie Bergfeld, Washington, D.C.; Fernando Berjano, City of El Paso, TX; Adam Guzzo, U.S. Department of Energy; Brendan Hall, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Dominic McGraw, City of Philadelphia, PA; Amy Royden-Bloom, U.S. Department of Energy

Multifamily Sector Meet-up
Multifamily housing peers connected at the Multifamily Meet-up and shared challenges and successes in reaching energy efficiency goals. We heard from HUD’s new leadership on implementing the Biden Administration’s climate and clean energy agenda in affordable housing. An interactive discussion explored how partners can build upon successes in energy efficiency to set and achieve low-carbon goals.

Speakers: Caitlin Rood, Mercy Housing; Rebecca Schaaf, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future

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Beyond Energy

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Accelerating Technological Innovation in the Water Space

Greatest Hits from the DOE Waste Reduction Pilot

When Progress Flows: Water Reduction, Reuse, and Creative Solutions

Health, Efficiency, and Building Operations: Insights from the Pandemic and a Look Ahead

Accelerating Technological Innovation in the Water Space
Industrial wastewater treatment facilities can be a proving ground for new technologies later adopted by municipal facilities. This session discussed the intersection between industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, specifically highlighting some industrial facilities that are providing municipal water/wastewater treatment services to help identify technology development and deployment needs for enabling synergistic operations.

Speakers: Rishabh Bahel, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.; Christobel Ferguson, The Water Research Foundation; Al Hildreth, General Motors; Erin Partlan, The Water Research Foundation; Prakash Rao, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Kiran Thirumaran, Oak Ridge National Lab

Greatest Hits from the DOE Waste Reduction Pilot
Watch this session for a look at the highlights from the first year of DOE's Waste Reduction Pilot. DOE spotlighted the Pilot's "greatest hits," including new solutions and findings from multiple working groups. There was also a panel discussion covering several waste reduction and diversion topics, including data and measurement, engagement and outreach, and external support and frameworks.

Speakers: Elizabeth Cole, City of Beaverton, OR; Clare Lumkong, Bristol-Myers Squibb; Brett Marczewski, General Motors; Jason McIntyre, USAA Real Estate

When Progress Flows: Water Reduction, Reuse, and Creative Solutions
Water reduction solutions come from a variety of building and manufacturing operations, including greywater systems, technology and fixture upgrades, optimization, and behavioral changes. In this session, Better Buildings & Better Plants partners shared diverse, creative solutions for water reductions across multiple sectors.

Speakers: Jaime Gonzalez Brana, Owens Corning; Joan Kowal, Emory University; Ken Rosenfeld, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)

Health, Efficiency, and Building Operations: Insights from the Pandemic and a Look Ahead
Multiple building sectors are considering occupant health, wellness, and productivity alongside efficiency and operations. This session explored how partners have realized the co-benefits of health, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency. Partners shared their insights on building operations, looked back through the pandemic and ahead for more healthy, resilient buildings. From green leasing practices to curtailment, explore tools and practices at the health-energy nexus.

Speakers: Jonathan Bauer, The Tower Companies; Sara Neff, Kilroy Realty; Rishi Shah, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

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Driving Toward Zero

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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Collaborating to Implement Carbon Reduction Goals

The Role of Architects, Engineers, and Contractors in Zero-Carbon Buildings

Renewables and Advanced Controls: Why Now is the Time

Easy as ABC: How Advanced Building Construction Creates Efficient, Affordable, and Appealing Solutions for Low-Carbon Buildings

Pathways to Zero: Designing Impactful Carbon Reduction Targets

Accelerating Building Decarbonization: A White House Roundtable with Government and Industry
Core members of the Biden Administration convened industry stakeholders in dialogue on equitable decarbonization of America's buildings, associated opportunities for jobs, and new programs for efficient electrified buildings. This session was moderated by Mark Chambers, White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Speakers: Gina McCarthy, National Climate Advisor, White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy; Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy; Michael Regan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator; Katy Kale, U.S. General Services Administration Acting Administrator

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Collaborating to Implement Carbon Reduction Goals
Realizing progress toward ambitious goals is best achieved by an integrated team. Hear from leading Better Buildings & Better Plants partners about structuring stakeholder engagement toward carbon reduction goals across building portfolios. This session focused on team implementation – specifically who, when, and how – for collaborating across institutions, local governments, and national portfolios.

Speakers: Ian Lahiff, City of Orlando, FL; Andrea Trimble, University of Virginia; Jon Utech, Cleveland Clinic

The Role of Architects, Engineers, and Contractors in Zero-Carbon Buildings
Architects, engineers, and contractors (A/E/C) are critical partners in working with building owners to create buildings that deliver top value for their clients. This collaborative discussion highlighted real-world strategies from leading A/E/C firms on how they are helping their clients deliver zero-carbon and other high-performance buildings. It was also a chance to learn about the Better Buildings & Better Plants Design and Construction Allies program and how you can get involved.

Speakers: Sammy Houssainy and Paul Torcellini, National Renewable Energy Lab; Ryan Jang, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects; Ryan Poole, DPR Construction; Stet Sanborn, SmithGroup

Renewables and Advanced Controls: Why Now is the Time
Behind-the-meter energy resources are now more affordable than ever. A more dynamic electric grid with variable generation provides even more opportunities for building owners to leverage their facilities as tools for deeper cost savings. Hear how storage, on-site renewables, and advanced controls can all help you save money and increase demand flexibility.

Speakers: Dana Schneider, Empire State Realty Trust; Tim Wilson, Gundersen Health System; Luba Zhaurova, City of Worcester, MA

Easy as ABC: How Advanced Building Construction Creates Efficient, Affordable, and Appealing Solutions for Low-Carbon Buildings
We live in an era of high-tech innovation, so why are most of our homes and buildings still using inefficient technologies and construction practices that have hardly changed in over a century? DOE’s Advanced Building Construction (ABC) Initiative is disrupting the building industry by catalyzing the union of superior energy efficiency and low-carbon solutions with modernized approaches to construction. ABC makes it easier and more affordable to achieve superior quality retrofits and new buildings while re-energizing our manufacturing industry and workforce. Watch this session and learn how DOE and its partners are working with private- and public-sector stakeholders across the buildings and construction sectors to transform the buildings market with ABC solutions.

Speakers: Tim Kohut, National Core; Christina McPike, WinnCompanies; Lucas Toffoli, RMI

Pathways to Zero: Designing Impactful Carbon Reduction Targets
More than 25% of Fortune 500 companies have committed to dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions through Science-Based Targets, RE100, or a carbon neutrality pledge. However, not all targets are equal, and emissions reduction programs for commercial buildings and plants vary widely in both timeframe and approach. Drawing from the newly launched Low Carbon Pilot, this session addressed common questions, considerations, and pitfalls for setting carbon targets and designing programs to meet them.

Speakers: Matt Donath, City of Milwaukee, WI; Jim Landau, MetLife Investment Management; Mark Puchalski, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation

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Emerging Technologies and Opportunities

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Emerging Trends and Technologies with DOE's National Labs

Collecting and Managing Your Building Energy Data

Driving Adoption of High-Impact Envelope and Integrated Lighting Strategies

Beyond the Low-Hanging Fruit for Energy Efficiency

Emerging Trends and Technologies from DOE's National Labs
Watch leaders from DOE’s National Labs as they share their insights into the future of energy efficiency and highlight the newest trends and emerging technologies. Kathleen Hogan, Acting Under Secretary for Science and Energy at DOE, moderated the discussion.

Speakers: Angela Becker-Dippmann, Pacific Northwest National Lab; Martin Keller, National Renewable Energy Lab; Tom Kurfess, Oak Ridge National Lab

Collecting and Managing Your Building Energy Data
Learn how to save time while getting more from your data using DOE’s building energy tools. Whether you’re an expert or just getting started, this hands-on walkthrough of the Asset Score, Audit Template, SEED Platform, and Unique Building ID applications has something for everyone. Interested participants test drove the tools during an expert-led “BYOData!” session, and shared their thoughts with other attendees as the group worked through each tool. Finally, we discussed an exciting new policy tool for state and local governments – the building performance standard – and how the tools featured in this workshop can help implement one in your jurisdiction.

Speakers: Fernando Berjano, El Paso, TX; Andrew Held, Washington, D.C.; Kevin Keene, Pacific Northwest National Lab; Nicholas Long, National Renewable Energy Lab; Marta Marello, Miami-Dade County, FL; Robin Mitchell, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Sarah Newman, Pacific Northwest National Lab; Chris Sanchez, Miami-Dade County, FL

Driving Adoption of High-Impact Envelope and Integrated Lighting Strategies
Part 1: High-Impact Envelope Strategies – A high-performing building envelope is crucial to reducing the overall energy demand of a building. Watch to learn about a metric that measures your building envelope performance and can aid in design decisions, and hear success stories from the first year of DOE's Building Envelope Campaign.

Part 2: Integrated Lighting Strategies – Integrating your lighting system with other building systems can enable deeper whole-building energy savings and non-energy benefits with significant value-add. Watch and learn what the research shows, get pointers on making a lighting integration project successful, and find out what building owners are doing to save energy and operate their buildings smarter from DOE's Integrated Lighting Campaign first-year entries for recognition.

Speakers: Jay Amundson, University of Minnesota; Chris Chmiel, Athens County, OH; Scott Hackel, Slipstream; Ginger Scoggins, Engineered Designs Inc.

Beyond the Low-Hanging Fruit for Energy Efficiency
You've rolled out your LEDs and Building Automation Systems across your portfolio, now what? In this session, you'll learn about strategies to get even more energy savings from your buildings through the utilization of integrated technology packages, smart energy analytics, and more!

Speakers: Wendell Brase, University of California, Irvine; Peter Isabell, Life Time Fitness; Becca Rushin, Jamestown

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Financing

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Five Key Trends in Energy Finance

Commercial PACE Toolkit: New Resources to Propel Your CPACE Program

The Anatomy of EaaS: How Efficiency-as-a-Service is Changing the Finance Game

Five Key Trends in Energy Finance
The energy efficiency and renewable energy finance space is constantly adapting to new market developments and financing innovations. During this session, several market experts weighed in on recent trends in several key financial products, including:

How self-managed green revolving funds can help institutions recover and finance their energy efficiency/renewable energy retrofits after the pandemic;
Expansion of efficiency-as-a-service into municipal, university, school, and hospital (MUSH) markets;
Expansion of energy savings performance contracts (ESPC) into the commercial space;
Green bond deployment trends; and
Retroactive commercial PACE (CPACE) financing unlocking capital for businesses during the pandemic.
Speakers: Donnel Baird, BlocPower; Devesh Nirmul, Counterpointe SRE; Mark Orlowski, Sustainable Endowments Institute; Brenna Walraven, Corporate Sustainability Strategies

Commercial PACE Toolkit: New Resources to Propel Your CPACE Program
The Commercial PACE (CPACE) Toolkit for States and Local Governments is a compilation of resources intended to address persistent barriers facing the adoption and implementation of CPACE financing programs. Watch this session to learn how you can put these resources to work in your jurisdiction.

Speakers: Sam Cramer, National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO); Greg Leventis, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Maryrose Myrtetus, City of Philadelphia, PA

The Anatomy of EaaS: How Efficiency-as-a-Service is Changing the Finance Game
Efficiency-as-a-service (EaaS) is a pay-for-performance financing structure that enables building owners to implement energy and water projects by integrating with a service provider. Along with the growth of this financing model, there has been a proliferation of contract terms and structures. Watch this session to learn about the key differences in service definitions directly from organizations providing EaaS.

Speakers: Julia Berg, Redaptive; Aaron Block, Allumia

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Industrial

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Industrial Sector Meet-up

Best of the Betters: 2021 Better Project Presentations

Best of the Betters: 2021 Better Practice Presentations

Industrial Sector Meet-up
The industrial sector meet-up was an opportunity for Better Buildings & Better Plants partners and stakeholders to come together virtually and discuss challenges and solutions. Program manager Eli Levine provided an update on new tools and resources and highlighted partner achievements, followed by a fireside chat on the industrial decarbonization challenge.

Speakers: Diane Bauer, U.S. Department of Energy; Jane Flegal, White House Council on Environmental Quality

Best of the Betters: 2021 Better Project Presentations
Through the Better Project award, DOE recognizes partners annually for outstanding accomplishments in implementing industrial energy, water, and waste projects at individual facilities. Learn more from several exceptional 2021 applicants and award winners.

Speakers: Alex Floyd, Tyson Foods; Todd Jackson, SugarCreek Packing Co.; Balaji Jayaseelan, Graham Packaging; Margaret Ann Marsh, Flowers Foods, Inc.; Brian Mohr, 3M; Brett Rasmussen, Nissan North America; Don Scarsella, Owens Corning; Michael Stein, Lockheed Martin; Prasath Vinayagamoorthy, 3M

Best of the Betters: 2021 Better Practice Presentations
The Better Practice award is presented annually to companies for innovative and industry-leading accomplishments in implementing and promoting practices, principles, and procedures of energy management. Learn more from several exceptional 2021 applicants and award winners.

Speakers: Casey Dupuie, Steelcase, Inc.; Al Hildreth, General Motors; Luis Quinones, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems; David Reid, Celanese Corporation; Blair Sturm, Saint-Gobain Corporation; Jash Vora, Lineage Logistics

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Multifamily

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Multifamily Sector Meet-up

Unleashing the Power of Community Solar in Multifamily Buildings

A New Frontier: Electrification in Multifamily Housing

Balancing the Benefits of Community Solar in Multifamily Housing

Multifamily Sector Meet-up
Multifamily housing peers connected at the Multifamily Meet-up and shared challenges and successes in reaching energy efficiency goals. We heard from HUD’s new leadership on implementing the Biden Administration’s climate and clean energy agenda in affordable housing. An interactive discussion explored how partners can build upon successes in energy efficiency to set and achieve low-carbon goals.

Speakers: Caitlin Rood, Mercy Housing; Rebecca Schaaf, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future

Unleashing the Power of Community Solar in Multifamily Buildings
This session surveyed the current regulatory landscape for community solar in multifamily housing and explored promising strategies to overcome barriers. Multifamily partners presented their experiences partnering with local organizations to deliver community solar projects that resulted in utility savings to low-income residents and brought workforce and economic development opportunities to the community.

Speakers: Darien Crimmin, WinnCompanies; Jenny Heeter, National Renewable Energy Lab; Christopher Jedd, Denver Housing Authority

A New Frontier: Electrification in Multifamily Housing
There is a growing trend toward all-electrification of new and existing buildings in multifamily housing as a means to achieve significant cost savings, reduce carbon pollution, and improve indoor air quality and public safety. This session addressed programmatic and technological approaches to going all-electric in multifamily housing, explored current challenges in domestic hot water, technologies for space heating using heat pumps, and more.

Speakers: Rory Christian, New York City Housing Authority; Jordan Dentz, The Levy Partnership; Andrew McNamara, Bright Power; Edwin Mendez, New York City Housing Authority; Julie Klump, Preservation of Affordable Housing

Balancing the Benefits of Community Solar in Multifamily Housing
Multifamily housing providers and tenants can both benefit from the deployment of community solar projects. These projects can create direct electricity bill savings as well as indirect community or workforce benefits. Watch DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and Better Buildings & Better Plants partners for a discussion about balancing the financial viability of solar projects with meaningful direct and/or indirect benefits to tenants. Multifamily housing providers explored implementation pathways for various approaches and lessons learned from the field. The panel was followed by a facilitated workshop where attendees will consider different approaches for balancing building owner and tenant benefits when designing community solar projects.

Speakers: Jeffrey Cook, National Renewable Energy Lab; Ian Fischer, Urban Ingenuity; Kranti Malik, BRIDGE Housing Corporation; Andrew Martin, National Housing Trust; Nicole Steele, U.S. Department of Energy; Christopher White, New York City Housing Authority

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Resilience

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Planning for Power: Tools and Resources for Energy Resilience

Innovative Strategies for Resilience at Critical Facilities

Pathways to Community-wide Energy Resilience

Planning for Power: Tools and Resources for Energy Resilience
Building managers, community planners, and policymakers are turning to distributed generation and storage technologies to help critical facilities remain operational when they are needed most. In this “hands-on” workshop, experts guided participants through publicly available online tools for energy resilience planning, such as REopt Lite and DER-CAM, that can assist in site-specific optimization of onsite generation and backup power. Attendees also learned about available funding resources to help resilience projects come to fruition. Watch to learn how to apply these resources to your own projects, engage with experts in real-time, and hear about opportunities to stay connected.

Speakers: Nicholas DeForest, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Emma Elgqvist, National Renewable Energy Lab

Innovative Strategies for Resilience at Critical Facilities
This session featured innovations in energy planning for resilience at critical facilities, including wastewater treatment plants, correctional facilities, data centers, and labs.

Speakers: Jason Grant, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department; Chris Halpin, Energy Efficiency Services, LLC; James Henry, Iron Mountain Data Centers

Pathways to Community-wide Energy Resilience
Communities nationwide are increasingly preparing for impacts from a range of natural disasters. From prioritizing upgrades at critical facilities to leveraging innovative funding opportunities, this session showcased collaborative partnerships and planning pathways to creating more resilient communities, highlighting the role energy efficiency can play in the planning process. It also highlighted timely DOE resilience tools to aid in planning and funding.

Speakers: Chris Castro, City of Orlando, FL; Rob Cox, Energy Production & Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte; Cherylyn Kelley, State of Missouri; Beth Schrader, New Hanover County, NC

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Strategies for Success

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Communications

Workshop Your Voice: Successful External Communications

Making the Case for Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficient-SHE

Workforce Development

Workforce Accelerator Meet-up

Addressing Energy Burden and Workforce Development in Low-Income Communities

Leading the Way to a Diverse and Qualified Workforce

COMMUNICATIONS

Workshop Your Voice: Successful External Communications
From crafting a compelling narrative to sharing data-driven results, how you talk about your efficiency work matters. Hear from the Better Buildings & Better Plants communications team to learn best practices for external communications – like writing for your audience and finding a media hook – and even workshop some common but tricky scenarios yourselves. Watch this session to strengthen your PR chops and get your projects the recognition they deserve.

Speaker: Bryan Cohen, C+C

Making the Case for Energy Efficiency
The benefits of conducting energy efficiency (EE) upgrades in buildings and manufacturing plants may seem obvious to some; however, this is not the case for many who are unaware of the non-energy benefits, including enhanced building performance and productivity, that result from such improvements. This session focused on the most effective ways to sell and communicate EE-related projects internally. It also explored how active partners identify the multiple benefits of EE upgrades and train energy consultants in conducting energy assessments.

Speakers: Andrew Hejnar, 3M; Erin Hiatt, Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA); Scott Moline, Energy Strategist

Energy Efficient-SHE
Women leaders in the energy and sustainability industries shared their perspectives on workplace diversity, mentorship, and the challenges and opportunities in being a woman in the buildings space.

Speakers: Paula Glover, Alliance to Save Energy; Alexandra Harry, Catholic University of America; Sara Neff, Kilroy Realty; Susan Rochford, Legrand North America

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Workforce Accelerator Meet-up
Better Buildings & Better Plants Workforce Accelerator partners shared best practices for developing the energy efficiency workforce through three key areas: Building Interest, Streamlining Career Pathways, and Improving Skills.

Speakers: Adele Ferranti, NYSERDA; Frank Mruk, Roxbury Community College; Mary Ellen Sprenkel, The Corps Network

Addressing Energy Burden and Workforce Development in Low-Income Communities
Low-income households face a disproportionately higher energy burden, three times higher than for non-low-income households. Watch this session to learn from organizations within the Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative and beyond that have successfully targeted low- and moderate-income energy initiatives through innovative methods, including using DOE’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool and offering workforce development opportunities to low-income residents.

Speakers: Tonya Gayle, Green City Force; Vlada Kenniff, New York City Housing Authority; Kenya Stump, Commonwealth of Kentucky; Yasmin Yacoby, State of Rhode Island

Leading the Way to a Diverse and Qualified Workforce
In this session, Better Buildings & Better Plants Workforce Accelerator leaders shared their best practices for developing a diverse and qualified building efficiency workforce that enables high-performance buildings. Learn how these leaders are developing new workforce programs, engaging underrepresented communities, and creating new resources such as curricula, trainings, websites, and education modules.

Speakers: Aneysha Bhat, Perennial Culture; Roger Ebbage, Lane Community College; Teresa Piazza, Association of Energy Engineers (AEE); Erick Shambarger, City of Milwaukee, WI

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