Glenn Acomb is an Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Design , Construction & Planning at the University of Florida in Gainesville . His experience and research interest involve sustainable community design and water conservation through land planning as well as specific site design. He has been a practicing planner and registered landscape architect for over 20 years in Florida before joining the faculty of the University of Florida . His practice involved the design of new towns and new communities from their inception to the detailed design of specific sites. Glenn currently serves as consultant to the St. Johns River Water Management District for the design of water conservation demonstration projects. His interest in green development includes land planning strategies to maximize the integration of resource conservation with livable community form. Contact Glenn at: Acomb@ufl.edu

Jon Barrick serves as an architectural and construction project manager for The Maddox Group. Mr. Barrick graduated from the University of Florida with a Master of Architecture and a Master of Building Construction and is a candidate for architectural licensure in the state of Florida . Jon's interest in sustainability and green construction was nurtured while working at the Powell Center for Construction and Environment (CCE) at UF. He provided research assistance for publications, developed initial CCE website, assisted in coordinating various community projects, and worked as a laborer on deconstruction projects. His professional experience includes an understanding of all aspects of project implementation from design to construction for commercial, educational, religious, and residential building types. Mr. Barrick manages The Maddox Group's (TMG) environmental services that include design, construction, and certification of residential and commercial projects including TMG's latest residential development, Granada Park that has applied for FGBC's Green Development Designation.

Tom Becker is an Environmentalist Horticulturist and outreach/training coordinator in the Florida Yards and Neighborhood (FYN) program at the University of Florida , Gainesville . He assists builders and developers create and promote landscapes that reduce water use and pollutants in stormwater runoff. By adopting "better site design" and the nine FYN principles for environmentally friendly home landscaping in Florida , builders and developers become land stewards for preserving Florida 's natural habitats and curtailing pollution in the bays. Tom holds two degrees from Penn State University , a B.S degree in Soil and Crop Science, and a M.Ed. Degree in Training & Development. Contact Tom at: Tbecker@ifas.ufl.edu

Elmer Burger is Vice President/Principal of Commercial Architecture at Astorino and is responsible for leading the firm's award-winning green or sustainable design and LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects. Under his supervision, the firm's portfolio includes more than three million square feet of sustainable design projects – one million of which are Gold or Silver Certified. Considered one of the nation's foremost experts in sustainable design, Mr. Burger was instrumental in helping to expand the national certification criteria for LEED. A pioneer in the sustainable design arena, his 25 years of experience in architecture, project management, planning, design, construction documents and supervision, has made him a sought-after authority and speaker on green issues in government, peer and commercial venues. Mr. Burger's background is extensive and includes urban design, mixed-use developments, office buildings, hotels, sports facilities, schools and public housing. He began his academic studies at Carnegie Mellon University and went on to earn two Bachelor's Degrees, one in Fine Arts and the other in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. His professional affiliations include: Board of Directors, AIA, Pennsylvania Chapter; Board of Directors, AIA, Pittsburgh Chapter; Member, Urban Land Institute; Member, NAIOP; Member, BOMA; Guest Critic, Rhode Island School of Design, Carnegie Mellon University; and Design Studio Instructor, Boston Architectural Center.

Karen Childress is the Environmental Stewardship Manager for WCI. In this position she is responsible for facilitating implementation of WCI's sustainable practices throughout the company. She does this by setting up and participating in green building training seminars, writing and disseminating information on about correct environmental practices and leading the company's Environmental Stewardship Committee. She is constantly seeking ways for the company and its employees to demonstrate good environmental stewardship. She is an active Board member for the Council for Sustainable Florida and for the Florida Green Building Coalition and serves on that organization's committee for Sustainable Developments. She also serves on the advisory committee for the FGCU Green Building Project to be named the WCI Green Building Learning and Demonstration Center . She is a member of the NAHB committee to develop national standards for green building.

Pattie Glenn , President/CEO of Green $mart ®, Inc. is a national speaker, trainer and pioneering expert in award-winning green building, marketing, sales, eco-land development and enviro-lending. Glenn holds a registered Federal Trademark for the development of green educational materials and motivational speaking and training at conferences, seminars and workshops. Glenn also holds a registered Service Mark as a author and trainer of effective closing techniques for Mastering the Green Sale , including green personality selling techniques using psychographics for green target audiences. Having served as a National Judge for NAHB's Research Center 's EVHA & Green Building Awards, Glenn brings a national scope through a multi-faceted and riveting approach to realizing the profitability of GREEN. Contact information: pattie.glenn@greensmart.net

Mark Hostetler is an Assistant Professor, Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida .  With over ten years of experience in urban wildlife issues and management, he conducts research on how urban landscape design, from small to large scales, affects wildlife distributions.  He has extensive experience in working with homeowners, developers, and policymakers on ways to manage and design residential developments for wildlife.  In particular, he is developing educational programs that will help homeowners manage their yards and neighborhoods for wildlife.  He has published in Landscape and Urban Planning, Urban Ecosystems, and has several book chapters on urban design and its effect on wildlife.  Currently, Mark and his graduate students are working with several developers to establish wildlife management strategies in communities that are billed as "green" developments.  Mark has used a variety of media to connect people with their environment.  He wrote a humorous, yet scientifically sound book titled That Gunk on Your Car: A Unique Guide to Insects of North America (Ten Speed Press), which won an Ig Nobel award and landed him a spot on the Tonight Show.  He has appeared in TV and Radio programs (e.g., Ripley's Believe It or Not) and has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers articles (e.g., Wall Street Journal). Contact Information: hostetlerm@wec.ufl.edu

Charles J. Kibert Ph.D., P.E. is Holland Professor and immediate past Director of the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction. He founded and is Director of the Powell Center for Construction and Environment at the University of Florida . He founded Task Group 16 (Sustainable Construction) and co-founded Task Group 39 (Deconstruction) of CIB. He is co-founder and President of the Cross Creek Initiative, a non-profit industry/university joint venture seeking to implement sustainability principles into construction. He is co-chair of the Curriculum and Accreditation Committee of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and helped create the first ever student chapter of the USGBC for which he serves as faculty advisor. He is the process of assisting in organizing professional chapters of the USGBC in Orlando , Tampa , and Jacksonville , Florida . His research interests include sustainable development and construction, deconstruction, environmental impacts of construction, construction and demolition (C&D) debris recycling, and construction ecology and metabolism. He is a member of the editorial board of the Building Research Information Journal (U.K.). He organized and teaches the graduate track in Sustainable Construction at the University of Florida , the first in the world and only one in the U.S. , as well as continuing education courses to industry on the subject. He organized the 1st International Conference on Sustainable Construction held in Tampa , Florida (1994) and Green Building Materials ‘96 held in Gainesville , Florida (1996) and international conferences on deconstruction held in the U.K. (1998) and U.S. (1999). He organized the Workshop on Construction Ecology held at the University of Florida (1999) to deepen the understanding of ecological principles in construction. He has been the keynote speaker and lectured on sustainable construction in the U.K. , Australia , New Zealand , Germany , Ireland , South Africa , Lithuania , Finland , Italy , Canada , and the U.S. He is a visiting professor of sustainable construction at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia (2000-present) and was a Visiting Fellow at Curtin University of Technology in Perth , Australia (2003). He has lectured at Oxford University , Krakow Technical University ( Poland ), Dublin Institute of Technology, Queensland University of Technology ( Brisbane , Australia ), and Trinity University ( Dublin ). He assists in organizing and teaching a 3 week summer course, “Challenges of Sustainable Development in Poland ” to students and faculty from several Polish universities (1998-2003). He developed a widely used green building continuing education program for Florida contractors and subcontractors, Build Green and Profit, which has been delivered to overt 5,000 builders and subcontractors. He is the author of over 100 articles, papers, and other publications on sustainable development and related issues. He was the lead author of the first edition of the highly successful publication “Greening Federal Facilities” available on the website of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ( www.eren.doe.gov ). He was the editor of Reshaping the Built Environment (Island Press, 1999) and lead editor of Construction Ecology (Spon Press, 2002). He holds a B.S. (General Engineering) from the U.S. Military Academy, a M.S. (Nuclear Engineering) from Carnegie-Mellon University , and a Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of South Florida . He is a registered professional engineer in Florida and holds mechanical and electrical contracting licenses in Florida . He has served as a consultant for numerous green building projects and recently represented the owner for Rinker Hall, the first LEED certified building in the Florida state university system. He also is a co-founder and chair of Greening the University of Florida , a grassroots organization whose goal is to increase the environmental literacy of university graduates and reduce the environmental impacts of university operations and facilities. He also serves as co-chair of the University of Florida Sustainability Task Force (STF) which was charged with making the University a world leader in sustainable development.

Jennifer L. Languell, Ph. D. is the founder and President of Trifecta Construction Solutions, a professional services company offering consulting and ancillary services that focus on helping the real estate, design, and construction industries realize the benefits of green building and sustainability development. Trifecta Construction Solutions provides full service green building consulting services. Dr. Languell is also the co-founder and Vice President of ConstructGreen and the Director of Planning for the Florida Gulf Coast University 's WCI Green Building Demonstration and Learning Center . She holds a Bachelors of Science in Materials Science and Engineering, a Masters in Engineering in Civil Engineering specializing in Construction Management, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, specializing in Sustainable Construction. She specializes in the implementation of sustainable construction techniques, programs, and materials in the construction industry. She is an award winning author and has developed a guide for green residential construction in Florida, co-authored the life cycle cost guidelines for materials and building systems for Florida's public education facilities, and published numerous articles on green building and life cycle costing. She has been faculty and invited to speak at several domestic and international green building conferences. She has lead teams in the creation of implementation plans for sustainable programs such as advanced construction waste management, the Florida Green Building Coalition Green Homes Designation Standards, the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards, and the Florida Green Building Coalitions Green Development Standard. Dr. Languell is currently co-authoring a book for the ASCE based on an executive level education course taught through the University of Florida 's Rinker Executive Program on Sustainable Construction. She retains appointments with the University of Florida 's Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Florida , M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction Center for Construction and Environment, and the International College BSM program. Contact Jennifer at: Jennifer@trifectaconstruction.com

Edward Maietta, Executive Director of the Abacoa Partnership for Community, joined the FAU Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (formerly the FAU/FIU Joint Center) as an Associate in Research for the Abacoa Project in October 2000. As a Community Stewardship Organization, the Abacoa Project works to promote active involvement of residents in the shaping of Abacoa, through opening the community to diversity, caring for the environment, and continually learning about and from the place in which they live. The project also documents the development of Abacoa, providing an opportunity for others to learn from its envisioning, design, and growth. Ed has expertise in corporate and non-profit management, educational program design and implementation, and career and professional development and counseling. He earned his Master of Arts in English Literature from Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus. Currently, he serves on the Advisory Board of Roger Dean Stadium and the non-profit community service organization Corn Maya and chairs the Abacoa Greenway Committee. Natives of New York City and Ding-Bian, China, Ed and his family reside in the new urban community of Abacoa, where they pursue the arts of writing, photography, and growing up in an increasingly fascinating world.

Eric Martin is a Research Engineer in the Buildings Research Division at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), where he has worked since 1995. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering, both from the Florida Institute of Technology. He currently is a member of the Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, where he conducts research and provides technical assistance to the home building industry to improve the environmental performance of homes. Before joining the Buildings group, Mr. Martin conducted research at FSEC in the areas of photocatalytic pollutant detoxification and hydrogen energy. Mr. Martin serves as secretary of the Board of Directors for the Florida Green Building Coalition, and acts as the Coalition's Home Standard Committee Chair. He has been active in the creation of green building guides and standards for residential buildings, commercial buildings, and municipalities

Dr. Kathleen C. Ruppert, Assistant Extension Scientist with the University of Florida, Florida Energy Extension Service (FEES), writes and edits continuing education materials on various energy, water and landscape related topics for construction professionals and homebuyers throughout the state. She is author or co-author of several publications including Fannie Mae's Guide to Buying and Maintaining a Green Home , a national training publication for the Home Performance Power Mortgage, Termites in Florida: A Guide for Homeowners and Building Professionals and Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida in addition to numerous individual training modules. You can contact Kathleen at: Kathleen@energy.ufl.edu .

Nader G.M. Salour Born in London, England, and now a South Florida resident for over 17 years is the President of Abacoa Development Company, Jupiter, Florida. He is responsible for the planning and development of Abacoa, one of the largest New Urbanist communities in the United States . He manages the processes of design coordination, interface with municipal, regional and state regulatory agencies, economic analysis and other aspects of the development process. Mr. Salour has supervised the planning and development of large residential and commercial construction projects on three continents. He specializes in master planned communities with a developed expertise in taking a project from the initial zoning process through to final completion. His is also responsible to oversee the completion of a mixed use 4,000 acre project called Julington Creek Plantation in St. Johns County , Florida . Mr. Salour is a member of the Board of Directors of the Abacoa Partnership for Community. Salour studied at the University of Westminster , earning a bachelor degree of science in building technology. Formerly, Mr. Salour was the Senior Vice President at BallenIsles County Club in Palm Beach Gardens , Florida .

Susan Scott joined Sarasota County Government in August 2003. As deputy county administrator, she is responsible for focusing the county's efforts on it's strategic initiatives: Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement , Growth Management , Water Resources Management , Sustainability , Mobility , Economic Development , and Human Services . And for supporting the mission of Sarasota County Government: to provide and enhance quality programs, services, and facilities that reflect the goals of the community while always promoting health, safety, public welfare and quality of life for citizens. Susan came to this position after five years in higher education as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the Ringling School of Art and Design. Prior to that she spent twenty-six years in banking, most recently as Area President for First Union National Bank, Sarasota/Manatee Counties. Community involvement and civic activity have been an important part of her work as well as a personal interest. She currently serves on the board of Plymouth Harbor , a CCRC, as chairperson; on the board of SCOPE, Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence; and on the board of 2-1-1 , the local region's information and referral service. She is past-chair of the Sarasota Committee for Economic Development and the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the boards of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, Argus Foundation, United Way of Sarasota County , United Way of Manatee County , Florida West Coast Symphony, and the Manatee County YMCA. Susan received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisville in 1980, received a program degree from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking in 1987, and completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Institute for Educational Management Program in 2001.

Bernadette V. Upton, a Florida licensed interior designer, lecturer and consultant has specialized in environmental interior design since 1982. She is a professional member of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and President for the Florida South Chapter, as well as a member of the national ASID Sustainable Design Council. She is certified with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), a member of the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional, a program instituted by the U.S. Green Building Council, and organization that sets standards for the sustainable building and design industry, of which she is a member and liaison for ASID. Ms. Upton has been a featured speaker for numerous conferences and seminars, as well as the host of ‘Airtime', a radio talk show addressing indoor air quality issues. Ms. Upton established Bernadette V. Upton Interior Design, in New York, in 1969 and has maintained her business in Florida since she moved here in 1973. Her sincere belief is that the design signature of a home should reflect the personality of the owner, and the role of the interior designer is to navigate and manifest that reality. Her committed advocacy to ‘green' design is that “interiors need to be beautiful, breathable and earth-friendly,” and that is well established in all her design projects. An authority on environmental and ecological design, she has designed interiors for organizations such as the Florida Conservation Lodge Foundation, and the American Lung Association's Health House Program. Serving on the ALA Southeast Florida Board for nearly a decade, she has also co-authored “A Baby's Breath” program, which educates expectant parents to the importance of creating a healthy nursery and home. Emphatic about ‘green' design and creating awareness among the design community, as well as her peers, her continuing education courses (CEU's) are offered throughout the U.S. and are approved by the Interior Design Continuing Educational Council (IDCEC) for both licensed interior designers and architects.

Robin Vieira has over 20 years of experience in hot, humid climate research. He has been the principal investigator for over 2 million dollars of contracts and grants from industry, foundations and state and federal agencies. He has led research efforts in residential auditing and field evaluation work, survey and statistical work, and computer simulation and analysis work. Rob has presented over 40 workshops and seminars on sustainable development and energy-efficient construction to developers, builders, designers and others in the energy & environmental & development fields. Mr. Vieira organized and ran three two-day seminars entitled "Visions of Quality Developments" loaded with the best national experts and case studies. He toured the state presenting his sustainable checklist presentation in the early 1990s. He has written papers for diverse audiences, e.g., Transportation Quarterly, Florida Planning, and ASHRAE Transactions, and was the primary author of one book, Energy-Efficient Florida Home Buildings. Rob helps support builders through assistance with utility programs, Energy Star Homes, Building America, Zero Energy Homes and Florida Green Home Designation. He has directed the work on the cost-benefit optimization, improvement analysis and system sizing features of the State of Florida 's residential code and rating software (EnergyGauge). He was the chairman of the organizing committee of the Florida Green Building Coalition, and serves on the FGBC board. He served on the FGBC committee that produced the Florida Green Development Standard. He also served on the City of Titusville Environmental Commission for six years. Mr. Vieira has a B.A. in Physics, an M.S. in Applied Solar Energy and an MBA. Speaker contact: robin@fsec.ucf.edu

Alex Wilson - Executive Editor of Environmental Building News & President of BuildingGreen, Inc. For more than 20 years Alex has written about energy-efficient and environmentally responsible design and construction. Prior to starting his own company in 1985 (now BuildingGreen, Inc.), he was executive director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association for five years; before that he taught workshops on the construction of solar greenhouses in New Mexico in the late '70s. Alex is coauthor of the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings (ACEEE, 7th edition,1999) and the Rocky Mountain Institute's comprehensive textbook Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate (John Wiley & Sons, 1998). He has also written hundreds of articles for other publications, including Fine Homebuilding, Architectural Record, the Construction Specifier, Landscape Architecture, and Popular Science. Along with writing about design and construction, Alex has written several guidebooks on quiet-water paddling published by the Appalachian Mountain Club--covering all of New England and New York State . Alex serves of the boards of directors of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council. He lives in West Dummerston , Vermont with his wife and two daughters. Speaker contact: alex@buildingGreen.com