Going Green
Colorado USGBC's first executive director gears up for a big year
(01/01/2006)
By Tony Milo

The Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council gained its first-ever full-time staffer last fall. Executive Director Amy Jiron takes office just as the group prepares to welcome the U.S. green building community to Denver for a national convention in November 2006.

Amy Jiron is the new executive director of the Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, filling the organization's first paid position in the state.

Jiron received her juris doctor from the Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. and a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Her experience includes working with non-profit organizations, sustainable design engineering and environmental advocacy.

Formed in 2003, the Colorado chapter had been a solely volunteer-based organization until the USGBC national organization presented the chapter with a grant to hire Jiron. The grants were awarded to some chapters through an intensely competitive process.
As executive director, she will work closely with the board of directors, committee volunteers and members to further the group's strategic goals. They include the transformation of the built environment throughout the state through green building education and outreach.

Jiron will also play a role in helping the chapter prepare to host the 2006 Greenbuilt International Conference & Expo, which will be held in November at the Colorado Convention Center. As many as 15,000 people are expected to attend.

Colorado Construction magazine talked to Jiron about her new role, the chapter's plans and why green building is about to take off in a big way here in Colorado.

Colorado Construction: How has your background prepared you for this position?
Amy Jiron: I understand both buildings and the real estate industry. I have an engineering degree and I did energy models for buildings. I've also worked for an energy services company and on design projects that involved daylighting and building commissioning, energy efficiency, recycling materials - all the things the U.S. Green Building Council is very involved in.

I also went to law school, where I studied environmental law and issues related to real estate and land use. I understand both the field point-of-view and the behind-the-scenes point-of-view, what it takes to put together contracts, the creativity involved in making a financial deal work.

And I've worked for several non-profit organizations so I have an idea of how non-profits work, how they raise funds, plan strategies, stay on mission.

CCM: Is it fair to say then that the appeal of this position was that it brings together all three aspects of your educational and professional background?

Jiron: That's exactly what it is. As an engineer, of course, I know about LEED and green building, but I wanted to become more involved in the policy side of things, helping make sure that construction is environmentally friendly. I like to be in a building that isn't separate from the outside, where you can feel the energy of the outdoor world, and with LEED and the USGBC, that's what the mission is all about.

Besides, I graduated from law school and passed the bar and I really have no desire to sue people.

CCM: What does it say that Colorado was only one of five state chapters to receive a grant from the national USGBC to hire a full-time executive director?

Jiron: I think national sees great potential in our chapter. We're ready to take the next step beyond where we're at now and really put green building on the map in Colorado ... People come to Colorado for the natural beauty and the outdoors.

Look at Denver. We're situated next to these majestic mountains that are so beautiful to look at. The environment is a part of everyday life for us and now we just need to incorporate it into the built environment. We really want to move to the forefront of green building, and we can do that.

CCM: Given that Colorado is hosting Greenbuilt 2006, how important was it that the chapter get its own full-time executive director?

Jiron: It's very significant. We're hosting the entire green building community next November, and the planning on that has been years in the making. They're expecting 10,000 to 15,000 people to come to Denver.

But the real beauty of the conference is not that they're bringing all these green building people to Colorado; it's that we're trying to transform the market here. We want to get that started before [the conference] gets here so we can show all these green building advocates that Colorado is green.

In Denver, Mayor [John] Hickenlooper has started a sustainable building initiative; the state legislature is considering adopting LEED standards for all state buildings; and, in Colorado, we have 41 buildings involved with LEED in some fashion.

Our membership is growing quickly too. We've gone from no members in April of 2003 to 150 people now. We're on the move in Colorado, and we're going to become even more green. It's happening.

For More Information

To learn more about the Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, go to www.usgbccolorado.org or contact Executive Director Amy Jiron at 303-229-9424 or amy@usgbccolorado.org

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