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Keynote Speakers
Janine Benyus, Opening Keynote
Janine is a natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author of six books, including her latest Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In Biomimicry, she names an emerging discipline that seeks sustainable solutions by emulating nature's designs and processes. Since the book’s 1997 release, Janine has evolved the practice of biomimicry, consulting with sustainable business, academic, and government leaders, serving on the Eco-Dream Team at Interface, Inc., and conducting seminars about what we can learn from the genius that surrounds us.
Janine co-founded an education and innovation practice called Biomimicry Guild with Dr. Dayna Baumeister in 1998, and recently founded the non-profit Biomimicry Institute to help further Biomimicry education and research. She has been awarded numerous distinctions for her work including Time Magazine Environmental Hero of 2007, Rachel Carson Environmental Ethics Award, and the Lud Browman Award for Science Writing.
In addition to her biomimicry work, Janine teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of Montana, and works towards restoring and protecting wild lands. She serves on a number of land use committees in her rural county, and is president of Living Education, a nonprofit dedicated to place-based living and learning. Other books by Janine include Northwoods Wildlife: a Watcher’s Guide to Habitats (1989), The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats, Eastern and Western Editions (1989), and Beastly Behaviors: A Guide to How Animals Act and Why (1992).
Jason F. McLennan, Thursday Morning Keynote
Jason is a nationally recognized leader in the sustainable building industry. He is trained as an architect and has been a principal at BNIM, an architecture firm in Kansas City and an innovative force in green building for the last decade. As a thought leader on sustainable issues, Jason is highly attuned to the challenges and opportunities that exist in this period of rapid transformation in the building and development industry. He brings a desire to create change and recognizes that the Cascadia chapter is in a unique leadership position nationally as USGBC and Canada Green Building Council's most mature chapter. He is personally connected to the Northwest and Lower Mainland as someone born and raised in Canada and who received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon.
S. Richard Fedrizzi, Big Bang Dinner Keynote
Rick Fedrizzi, founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1993, was appointed President & CEO in April 2004. Under his leadership, the Council has tripled its membership, broadened its influence, and cemented its role as a leadership voice in the global sustainability movement.
The evolution and extension of the internationally recognized LEED Green Building Rating System to all building types and expansion of LEED certification and accreditation through the spin off the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), of which Rick is chairman, has helped build in speed and capacity to the organization. Collaboration, through work with the Clinton Global Initiative, the International Codes Council, AIA, ASHRAE, ASID, ASLA, BOMA and IFMA has broadened the base of green building. Expanded outreach and education, advocacy support for public policy initiatives, and a heightened emphasis on green building’s role in social equity progress are part of Rick’s vision for the organization. A founder of the World Green Building Council, Rick is now an active member of its board. He also serves on the board of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative.
Prior to his appointment, Rick was with United Technologies Corporation (UTC), before establishing Green Think, an environmental marketing organization. He serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Indoor Environmental Quality (NYIEQ) Center and The Environmental Project™, as an Advisory Council member for Planet Green, and is an active alumnus of Syracuse University, where he received both his BA and MBA degrees.
Thomas Crum, Friday Morning Keynote
Thomas Crum is an author and presenter in the fields of conflict resolution, peak performance, and stress management. He is known throughout the world for the Thomas Crum Approach, designed to help people become more centered under conflict, more resourceful when facing challenges, and more effective under stress. For over 30 years, Tom has been a teacher of Aikido, a graceful martial art which uses energy rather than force to resolve conflicts, and he includes principles and movements from Aikido, Tai Chi Chuan, Qi gong, and other mind-body arts in his presentations.
Acclaimed as “more than another talking head,” Tom conducts presentations for organizations worldwide for management and employees at all levels in corporations, government and non-profit organizations, and is a popular keynote and plenary presenter at international conferences. His achievements even include co-leading a session in Indonesia with the Dalai Lama.
Thomas Crum books, audio and visual materials and other products have been acclaimed throughout the world. The Magic of Conflict has been honored by placement on the best seller’s list, and Journey To Center has delighted readers with stories that inspire and motivate. Tom’s latest addition to the marketplace is Three Deep Breaths: Finding Power and Purpose In A Stressed Out World (Berrett/Koehler Publishers, June, 2006.)
