LEED AP

Dale is the manager of planning and sustainability for the UniverCity Project at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby Mountain campus. The UniverCity community is being developed around “Four Cornerstones of Sustainability”, including Environment, Equity, Education, and Economy. Mikkelsen and the Trust’s team are making significant and innovative contributions toward the creation of independent and universal green building standards to ensure a high level of urban design and environmental performance. Mikkelsen is charged with raising the bar of sustainable community planning to ensure UniverCity remains on the leading edge of energy efficiency, material conservation, healthy environments and community building. Prior to working with SFU Community Trust, Mikkelsen was the lead project planner for the City of Vancouver’s 2010 Athlete’s Village. He also acted as the City’s Green Building Planner. He serves as an out-going board member for the Cascadia Chapter of the Canadian and US Green Building Council, and represents Cascadia as a region through a seat on the USGBC Pacific Regional Council and represents BC interests as a part of the Vancouver Branch of the CAGBC. Mikkelsen has made presentations at a number of conferences including the first Living Future Conference 2007, CAGBC/USGBC Campus Summit 2006 – Afternoon Master Presentation; Policy and the Environment Conference, Province of BC 2006 – High Density Eco-Responsible Communities; National Forum on Sustainable Buildings 2006 – Vancouver’s Green Building Strategy; National Green Building Symposium 2005 and 2006 – Southeast False Creek and the 2010 Athlete’s Village, Building LEED Communities; and at Sustainable Cascadia Seattle 2005 – Implementing Sustainable Policy. Mikkelsen has a graduate degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of British Columbia. Dale is a father of 2 wonderful little kids, and tries to live an active and sustainable lifestyle as a model for his children.

In January of 2008, Dale was able to bring forward one of the first mandatory green building bylaw's in Canada for the UniverCity community in the city of Burnaby. This green building bylaw will ensure that all future development at UniverCity will meet stringent green building standards, and will be done so under the auspices of municipal authority and regulation. This model is being watched closely and will likely be carried over to neighbouring communities and municipalities, bringing green building legislation a more prevalent form in British Columbia. Mikkelsen has also pioneered a green building bonus within the municipal framework, that will award additional density to developers going beyond traditional green practices, with additional density being awarded for substantial stormwater management measures, use of 50% renewable energy sources for energy demands, and exceptional energy performance up to 50% better than code. Working at the City of Vancouver, Dale was the Green Building Planner and Project Planner for the 2010 Athlete's village and was successful in working with staff and the development community to ensure LEED Gold as the minimum standard for the Athlete's village, with community facilities LEED Platinum. This standard is currently being supported by the developer. Dale also started a process of developing a green building code for all zoning areas in the city of Vancouver. This work has carried on past his time at the City, and a new code will likely be approved in 2008, being the first city in Canada with a civic green building code. For the past 4 years, Dale has been an acting Board Member of the Cascadia Chapter of the US and CAGBC. His experience with the Board and with bringing cross-border thinking to the USGBC has resulted in a more dynamic dialogue beyond traditional green building boundaries.

As stated in the previous two sections, Dale is an out-going Board Member of the Cascadia Chapter and am seeking re-election to carry on my activities in this exciting organisation. While on the Board, he has been responsible for developing the White Paper on Branch Linkage ensuring that all Branches in Cascadia have the tools to work well with the Cascadia Chapter and that the channels of dialogue are clear and productive. Dale also works with other key Board members to ensure that levity remains a vital part of the green building movement. Dale also acts as the current representative of Cascadia to the Pacific Regional Council and represents Cascadia's views on policy making and direction at the USGBC National Level. Dale has acted as the point person and leader on the Pacific Regions commentary and review of the USGBC Chapter Charter and is a key stakeholder in reviewing the USGBC Membership Policy on behalf of Cascadia and the PRC. Dale is concurrently involved with the Vancouver Branch of the Cascadia Chapter and represents the Board as well as an independent member of the Branch. This is a useful dual role, as Dale has the ability to represent views as an active green building professional in British Columbia, while understanding the greater Cascadia issues. In the past, Dale has sat on the BC Green Building Round Table, the group that helped to lead to the formation of the CAGBC and the adoption of LEED as a tool in Canada. The Round Table also supported and helped review the first version of LEED in Canada, the LEED BC Application Guide. Dale has worked closely over the years with the UDI and other development interests to spread the word about green building and green building standards.

Dale Mikkelsen is currently working directly in and with the green building development community. As the Manager, Planning & Sustainability for the SFU Community Trust, Dale's daily activities are specifically value added to his role as a Board member. Dale is currently responsible for the review and development of green municipal policy; is responsible for the letting of RFP's and award of contracts for building developments that exemplify green building; is actively working as the project manager for SFU CT's interests in a LEED Silver Development Project; has worked as the SFU CT liaison for developers at UniverCity seeking LEED status; and, is experienced in the review and application for LEED ND. Dale is also rather vocal and noted as a speaker in the Cascadia community and enjoys teaching about green building and green building practices and policy implementation. Dale travels within the region to present on green building, Cascadia, and LEED. He is noted as a popular speaker, and able to dialogue on a variety of levels. As a trained landscape architect, Dale is also aware of the site and environment issues related to green building and can look at green building within the context of a larger picture. This is vital as we extend from green building to green neighbourhoods to green cities. Finally, Dale is well versed in spelling in both "Canadian" and "American", and can therefore easily communicate in the Cascadia region. To bolster this, he also carries a valid passport at all times for easy border crossings.

Dale has been a Board Member of Cascadia for one full term and one partial term. He has thoroughly enjoyed his time as a Board Member and feels that he has been a vital part of the decision making that has made Cascadia such a successful Chapter and international facilitator of green practices. Dale would like to carry on this opportunity for another term, and hopes those voting will agree with his assets and his values. Dale and the SFU Community Trust are also supporters and 100 Friends of Cascadia sponsors, and believes this link of being both Board Member and sponsor creates a true accountability to the Board position -- this is an accountability that can be relied upon by those voting for Dale. With his recent and dedicated work at the Pacific Regional Council (PRC) level, Dale notes that there would be an uncomfortable break in the relationships established at this National level. The PRC is an important level of representation and his role on the Council is difficult to fill in short order, due to the relationship-making that is critical at this level of National dialogue. Dale hopes to be able to continue this role as exciting changes are forthcoming to the PRC structure and the USGBC National policy work.