Board of Advisors

PLEASE NOTE! The first BrightBuilt Retrofit Competition has ended. Please stay tuned for more information about our first project with Community Partners and check back for information about future programs. You can also e-mail info@brightbuiltretrofit.com if you would like to talk with someone about the BrightBuilt Retrofit.

The BrightBuilt Retrofit Board of Advisors brings together a diverse group of professionals with expertise in various aspects of the green building industry and the non-profit world.  The Board will help to guide the direction of the project, select the eventual recipient of the project and will serve as liaisons to the various constituencies they represent to get the word out about BBR.  For more information about the members, download a complete contact list for the BrightBuilt Retrofit Board of Advisors.

Tedd Benson, President – Bensonwood Homes
Bensonwood Homes is acknowledged as the premier designer/builder of energy-efficient
 timber frame, hybrid, and other high-performance homes, commercial buildings and specialty structures across the US and Canada.  www.bensonwood.com

Keith Collins, Entrepreneur – BrightBuilt Barn Owner
Mr. Collins in the inspiration behind the BrightBuilt Collaborative and is interested in organizing and contributing to projects that advance green building sciences.   www.brightbuiltbarn.com

Martin Holladay, Senior Editor – Green Building Advisor
GreenBuildingAdvisor.com is dedicated to providing the most useful, accurate, and complete information about designing, building, and remodeling energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthy homes.  A product of Taunton Press, publisher of Fine Homebuilding, GreenBuildingAdvisor.com draws on 25+ years of experience publishing residential construction information.  www.greenbuildingadvisor.com

Gunnar Hubbard, LEED AP, Principal – Fore Solutions
Allison Zuchman, LEED AP, Project Manager
Fore Solutions is a nationally-known leader is green and LEED building consulting working on projects such as the first LEED Platinum in Freeport, Maine, to the 16 million square foot endeavor of MGM MIRAGE’s Project City Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.  www.fore-solutions.com.

Phil Kaplan, LEED AP, Principal – Kaplan Thompson Architects
Robin Tannenbaum, LEED AP, Architectural Designer
 Kaplan Thompson Architects is committed to designing only vibrant, healthy, and low-energy buildings. Recent accomplishments include the LEED for Homes Innovative Project Award for 2009 as well as three LEED Platinum homes. www.kaplanthompson.com

Dan Kolbert, Owner - Kolbert Building & Renovations
Kolbert Building & Renovations specializes in bringing new technology and techniques to its work, whether restoring historic homes or new construction. Their building practices are environmentally conscientious.  www.kolbertbuilding.com

Jessica Lantos, Membership Manager - Maine Association of Non-Profits (MANP)
The Maine Association of Nonprofits is a statewide membership organization representative of and a champion for Maine nonprofits.  Its mission is to strengthen the leadership, voice and organizational effectiveness of the state’s nonprofits so that they can better enrich the quality of community and personal life in Maine.  www.nonprofitmaine.org

Jennifer Marapese, Interim Executive Director
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)
NESEA is the nation’s leading regional membership organization promoting sustainable energy solutions.  NESEA is committed to advancing three core elements: sustainable solutions, proven results and cutting-edge development in the field.  www.nesea.org

Naomi Mermin, Chair – Maine Chapter of U.S. Green Building Council
The ME USGBC is Maine’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry, working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible and healthy places to live and work. www.mainusgbc.org

Jim Newman, Director of Strategy & Business Development - BuildingGreen, LLC
Buildinggreen.com is the web corollary of Environmental Building News, both of which are dedicated to providing resources to help people design and build construction projects from a whole-systems perspective and take an integrated design approach that minimizes ecological impact and maximizes economic performance. www.buildinggreen.com

John Rooks, President – The SOAP Group
Alissa Conroy, Vice-President
The SOAP Group is a communication consulting firm focused on sustainability and social justice. They engineer programs and platforms that create corporate, civic and cultural value.  www.thesoapgroup.com