Your 2009 Career Insurance Policy: Get LEED Accredited

 

Happy New Year!

The team at Galley Eco Capital enjoyed a restful holiday and are happy to reconnect with you on the 2009 Green Journey.

Hint: A recent study says that nearly 85% of real estate executives are working on greening their portfolios.

Are you prepared?

I’ve spoken with finance and investment professionals who say that they are not convinced that project LEED certification issues really relate to their work.  (Author’s epiphany: They never seem to subscribe to Our Green Journey, either.)

Being at the top of our game in this business is all about knowing how to judge property values and where they’re headed. And you can’t tell where values are headed these days without establishing the positive connections between integrated design, or green retrofitting, and asset value.

I think pragmatism should guide your thinking on this one. So many investors have announced that they are working on greening their existing building portfolios, you don’t want to run the risk of having obsolete skills. Finally, the USGBC is transitioning to LEED 3.0 soon, so you may want to get accredited anyway, particularly if you’d already started studying for the LEED-NC 2.2 exam and had gotten sidetracked before.

Do the LEED Hustle: Updates and Exam Prep Opportunities here in the San Francisco Bay Area

So here’s a public service announcement from my local Northern California USGBC Chapter:

Registration for the current LEED AP exams closes March 31st!

LEED Exam prep classes here in the Bay Area sell out in minutes. So some energetic hustle is required if you’re serious about getting accredited. Upcoming course choices with links are posted below.

Everyone else –> contact your local USGBC chapter about exam prep classes, get accredited and be the lion in your job market, not the gazelle.

LEED New Construction (NC) v2.2 Exam Preparation Workshops:

This full-day LEED NCv2.2 Exam Training Workshop will be offered in Silicon Valley and Sacramento and is designed to prepare you pass the test with confidence - the first time.  This is the “old” New Construction exam that will be offered until around May of 2009.  The “new” exam will come out sometime around summer of 2009.

January 23rd
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Milpitas

Click here for more information/registration.

February 11th
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sacramento

Click here for more information/registration.

LEED Project Management Workshop:

January 30th
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
San Francisco

Click here for more information/registration.

LEED for Commercial Interiors Exam Prep Workshop:

February 2nd
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
San Francisco

Click here for more information/registration.

Green Building Operations and Maintenance Workshop;  The LEED Implementation Process:

This is the new 2009 version that will be part of the support for the new LEED EB exam that is due out around spring 2009.

February 6th
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
San Jose

Click here for more information/registration.

Informative events about the LEED v3.0 transition:

LEED 2009: Looking Ahead:

The U.S. Green Building Council Silicon Valley Branch is presenting a look ahead at the changes to LEED Accreditation.

In this session you’ll get answers to your questions, like:
* Why is the LEED AP exam system changing?
* What are the differences between the new LEED Credentialing system and the
current LEED AP examination system?
* What is the timeline for introducing the new system?
* When can I expect the exam to change?
* When the new system emerges what does it mean for current and future LEED AP’s?

January 13th
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
San Jose

Click here for more information/registration.

LEED Update: New Testing and Rating Systems:

For those of you who could not make it to Boston for GreenBuild, now is your chance to catch up on what is in store for LEED in 2009 and beyond.  LEED Version 3 takes effect in 2009 and will bring about the most significant changes to the LEED program in years.

Additionally, the LEED AP testing program will be overhauled in 2009.  The new credentialing program will feature LEED Associates, LEED Accredited Professionals and LEED Fellows - each with their own testing and maintenance requirements.  Join us on Jan 14th and be among the first to learn how these important changes to LEED will impact your projects and teams.

January 14th
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
San Francisco
Click here for more information/registration.