Green Building Association of Central Pennsylvania

History

1997

• Initial organizational meeting organized by Alan Barak, Penn Energy Project in December.

1998

• First Steering Committee meeting held in February. A total of nine Steering Committee meetings held.
• Developed mission statement, elected officers, and established nonprofit status.
• Article in Central Penn Business Journal in April and the Harrisburg Patriot News in November.
• Dinner with Pliny Fisk prior to his AIA presentation in May. Published and distributed two newsletters.
• Maned a display at the May opening of the PA Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Regional Office Building.
• Organized two seminars on the PA Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Regional Office Building in October and the Wildwood Nature Center in November.
• Presented at Energy 2000 conference in Harrisburg in November.

1999

• Nine steering committee networking meetings held. Published two newsletters.
• Presentation to local ASHRAE chapter in February. Article in Central Penn Business Journal in March.
• Presented at workshop, Local Techniques to Prevent Pollution and Promote Sustainability, in Lewisburg in March.
• Established a green building discussion group via email.
• Sponsored a seminar on the Shippensburg University Project in December.
• Co-sponsored a local IFMA green building seminar in October in Harrisburg.
• Co-sponsored a Green Development in Pennsylvania Workshop in May in Harrisburg.
  Sixty-three in attendance.

2000

• Ten steering committee networking meetings held.
• Published four newsletters and distributed 2,000 copies of each issue.
• Organized and sponsored six lunch-time seminars on the following topics: Olewine Nature Center Project, Green Materials, LEED Green Building Rating System, Armstrong World Industries Project, PA DEP Cambria Project, Computerized Energy Modeling.
• Sponsored and organized one of the first LEED Training Workshop in Harrisburg with 75 attendees.
• Pledged a contribution from US Green Building Council for our efforts on the LEED Training Workshop.
• Received grant funding from the Heinz Endowments through the Penn Energy Project.
• Established membership categories and received the first 25 individual and organizational memberships.
• Developed a website (sponsored by Penn Energy Project). Site became operational in the fall.
• Presentations to local Habitat for Humanity chapter in March and local AIA Chapter in May.
• Organized a "Green Buildings Night" for the local chapter of ASHRAE in December.

2001

• Organized tour of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's LEED Platinum building in Annapolis, MD in February.
• Analyzing Daylighting Performance Workshop scheduled for May 16.
• Building Commissioning Workshop scheduled for October 17.
• Six lunch time seminars scheduled. Topics include the Armstrong Ceiling Tile Manufacturing Facility, Green Schools, the Keystone Building Project, Carpet, Construction Waste Management, and HACC's Approach to Total Resource Management.
• Developing bylaws and elected a Board of Directors.
• Developed a strategic plan.
• Created stand-alone web site at www.gbacpa.org.
• Developed bylaws and elected a Board of Directors.
• Held/will hold 14 Steering Committee/Board of Directors meetings.
• Held first annual membership meeting in April.
• Developed a strategic plan.
• Attended the Chapters Committee meeting at the USGBC Member Summit in Tuscon.
• Board decided to apply to the USGBC for Affiliate Status.
• Secured operational grant of $50,000 to be spread over two years from the Sustainable Energy Fund of Central Eastern Pennsylvania.
• Developed web-based member survey. Over one-third of members responded.