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USGBC-SC Chapter - 2010 Leadership Awards

Submitted by: Dan Gerst on May 19, 2010 at 8:04 pm Tagged with: green building, USGBC-SC Chapter Source: USGBC-SC Chapter

The USGBC, SC Chapter announced the recipients of its Fourth Annual Leadership Awards. The Leadership Awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that have shown vision, leadership and commitment to the advancement of green building in South Carolina. Leadership Awards are in four categories: Individual, Education, Private Sector and Public Sector. The Keith Sanders Award was also presented at the ceremony.

Recipient of the Public Sector Award - Charleston business leader James Meadors, Chair of the Charleston Green Committee, an advisory committee established by Mayor Joe Riley in 2007. The committee consists of 22 voting members, 800 members from the community representing both the public and private sector, and the City of Charleston Staff Green Team.

The Private Sector Award was presented to Tony Bakker, CEO of the Charleston Battery, a professional soccer team whose home stadium (Blackbaud) has a large, sixty panel solar array generating 11kW of power - offsetting about 12 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The team's website monitors the power generated in real time. The Buccaneer, owned by Bakker was the first restaurant in South Carolina to be endorsed by The Green Restaurant Association.

Furman professor Frank Powell, Ph.D. was the recipient of the Education award. Before sustainability was popular, Dr. Powell was at the forefront of Furman's environmental efforts. He shepherded many projects over the years, including recycling, energy conservation, the student Environmental Action Group, Earth Day celebrations, the creation of the EcoCottage (the first environmentally focused residential facility on campus). He pushed for LEED certification on all buildings on campus, and was especially involved in planning Cliffs Cottage (LEED gold certified) and Hipp Hall (the first LEED gold certified building in SC.

Finally, Beezer Molten, owner of Halfmoon Outfitters, received the Individual Award. Molten and his staff turned an old transmissions shop, into an office and warehouse that received LEED Platinum certification. Beezer worked with Nathan Gauthier, a green building consultant and Assistant Director at the Harvard Green Campus Initiative in Cambridge, Mass., to oversee all aspects of LEED compliance and documentation during the renovation for the Half-Moon facility. Molten and his team continue to collect and track building performance data to increase their understanding of high performance buildings.
Senator Phil Leventis, of Sumter, was the Keynote speaker for this event.

The Leadership Awards were held at the American Theater in downtown Charleston on Thursday, May 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.