As a principal at Environmental Building Strategies, Ryan Potvin brings years of experience in the real estate sales, marketing and development fields to compliment an active involvement in the progress of green building. While attaining degrees in business and communications at the University of Colorado, Ryan was an active member of the University Real Estate Council. As a LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C), Certified Green Building Professional, LEED for Homes Green Rater, HERS Rater and Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, Ryan’s consultation expertise ranges across every potential aspect of a sustainable project. Ryan remains active in his field as a member of several non profit organizations that provide leadership in green building including the California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System, the Bay Area LEED Users Group (BAyLUG), the Northern California Chapter of the USGBC, the Urban Land Institute, and the Emerging Green Builders Association. Ryan is highly involved in his community of San Francisco as a cross country coach at Stuart Hall for Boys and a board member of the Northern California Chapter of the University of Colorado Alumni Association. email Ryan »

Through years of hands-on experience in the construction and development fields, Matt came to appreciate firsthand the need for progress in green building. Matt gained over six years of experience in project management as owner of MAK contracting, a New England construction company. Following the sale of MAK, he moved west and started Environmental Building Strategies because of a need to positively affect a larger community through his passion for the built environment. He is now a LEED Accredited Professional (O&M), RESNET Energy Rater, Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, Certified Green Building Professional and Certified Energy Plans Examiner. He currently serves as the Chair of the Pacific Regional Council of the USGBC, board member of the USGBC-Northern California Chapter and member of their finance & Existing Buildings committees. Following a love of numbers, Matt has pursued higher education in the fields of finance and economics. As a result he is considered an expert in Life Cycle Costing as well as scenario optimization matrices where he works with clients to make the most effective decisions possible under given parameters. email Matt »

Shane Mason serves as the commissioning engineer and project manager for Environmental Building Strategies. He manages day-to-day Cx functions for multiple projects, and reviews mechanical, plumbing and lighting system designs. He creates pre-functional checklists for installation contractors and manages functional performance testing of mechanical, plumbing, lighting, renewable energy and control systems. Mr. Mason also administers jobsite observations and commissioning kick off meetings. Previously, Mr. Mason served as an R&D Mechanical Engineer where he was involved in the design aspects of new product development. He also created machinery for use in the mass production of medical devices. In addition, Mr. Mason has a background as a structural engineer, with experience in reviewing architectural drawings, creating structural plans, and creating technical documentation and instruction materials, all of which enhance EBS’ commissioning and LEED service offerings. email Shane »

Jake brings a strong science background to the EBS team and is now a seasoned LEED project manager with projects ranging from tenant improvements, to new construction and existing buildings. He is an expert in the LEED requirements and has extensive experience maximizing projects’ certification level. Currently Jake is He has become an extremely skilled energy modeler, commissioning coordinator and sustainability project manager. In this time he has worked on a variety of LEED and ENERGY STAR projects. Jake has been integral in the development of the EBS LEED EDGE project management tool which brings efficiency to LEED consulting . It combines the LEED reference guide with LEED Online providing a streamlined approach to understanding credit compliance. He also helped design and build EBS’ Sustainability Financial Impact Analysis tool, which analyzes the financials of improvements to commercial real estate. Currently Jake is heading up our engagements with clients such as the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the County of San Diego, and Webcor Builders. email Jake »

Crissy Tsai applies green building and real estate development expertise to enable developers to realize their sustainability goals. As a sustainable building analyst she assists projects throughout the whole project timeline from the pre entitlement phase, incorporating sustainability design and initiatives, to the construction and LEED documentation. As a LEED Accredited Professional, Certified Green Building Professional, and Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, Crissy is able to educate and personalize environmental goals for clients. Crissy’s passion for sustainability started in college where she studied Environmental Economics and Policy at University of California, Berkeley. While studying abroad she realized the magnitude of resources conventional buildings consume and became interested in biomimicry and passive design. Deciding to change building practices from the inside out, Crissy got her California Real Estate Broker license and MBA with a concentration on finance. She is an active member of the green building community and currently is the Programs Chair of the SF Bay Bridge Branch of the USGBC Northern California Chapter. email Crissy »

With his passion for getting into the details of things, Michael Hummel is a natural fit to the progressive and integrated work of sustainability. He attended the University of Hawaii Architecture Program where he developed a solid multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving. This methodology includes strong skills and experience in the fields of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction, as well as the interpersonal relationships that allow synergy to occur in the Environmental Design Process. While in school he was also elected to Student Government and participated in other service organizations. After receiving his Bachelors of Architecture Degree, he spent several years putting these concepts to work out in the field. Back in California Michael served as designer, construction project manager, and hands on builder for a number of innovative building projects that culminated in his receiving a California General Contractors License. As a California and Utah Licensed Architect and LEED GA Michael has spent the last few years working as a Project Manager and Construction Administrator for a small architecture firm in the Canyon Lands of Southern Utah. There he continued developing his abilities as an architect as well as further honing his research, management, and relationship building skills. His project experience has included Government, Hospitality, Office, Commercial, Tennant Improvement, as well as Single and Multi-Family Residential projects. Complimenting his other skills, he is also at home in the world of both numerical and 3D modeling and analysis. Michael is committed to furthering the work of High Performance, Environmentally Sensitive Building Development, and his exceptionally integrated approach to collaboration and communication, and his commitment to client needs makes him a valuable asset on every sustainability project. email Michael »

Eric Corey Freed is Principal of organicARCHITECT, an architecture and consulting firm in California, with nearly 20 years of experience in green building. Eric is a licensed architect (California, New Mexico, Arizona), and a recognized pioneer in the tradition of Organic Architecture, first developed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A lifetime proponent of individualism and sustainability, Eric Corey Freed knew he wanted to be an architect at the early age of eight. Promoting both an organic and ecological approach to design, Eric wishes to provide an alternative to what he calls the “harsh, style-driven fashions” that are so popular in architecture today.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Eric Corey Freed attended Temple University College of Architecture, graduating with honors in 1994. While a student, Eric had the opportunity to focus his concentration on Urban Design in Rome, Italy.  During several years working in both Philadelphia and New York City, Eric became very active within the profession. He worked under acclaimed architect Beverly Willis, and helped design two schools in New York. Their design for Manhattan Village Academy was widely published. At that time, noted architect and critic, Philip Johnson cited Eric as “one of the real brains of his generation.”  In 1996, Eric accepted a position in Santa Fe, New Mexico with a former apprentice of the master, Frank Lloyd Wright. While there, he had direct contact with both the most ancient and the newest of environmental building materials. Seeking to expand his knowledge, Eric relocated to San Francisco in 1997 to start his own practice and join the heart of the environmental movement.

Eric is the author of four books, including “Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies” (John Wiley & Sons), a best seller with 100,000 copies in print. His latest books, “Sustainable School Architecture” and “Green$ense for the Home” were released in 2010.  Eric is considered a leader in the field; named by San Francisco Magazine “Best Green Architect” in 2005 and “Best Visionary” in 2007; and “Green Visionary” by 7×7 Magazine in 2008.  A sought after public speaker, Eric speaks at over 40 events a year tirelessly promoting his vision of innovative green design. email Eric »

Kapil of the Pundir Group works with our Existing Buildings team by providing support on LEED EBOM, Retro-Commissioning, ASHRAE Level I, II & III Audits as well as ENERGY STAR projects. He is well qualified and has provided energy conversation expertise to leading Architectural, Mechanical and Environmental professional services firms for over 15 years. He has sSignificant experience in the Commercial and Industrial sectors with capabilities that include: Energy audits (ASHRAE Level I, II and III), Retro-Commissioning & Continuous Commissioning, Energy Star certification and benchmarking, Utility bill and tariff analyses, Energy forecasting and budgeting, Measurement & Verification (M&V), Infrared Thermography and Vibration Analysis, as well as developing, implementing and tracking portfolio-wide sustainability strategies on behalf of our clients. email Kapil »

Victor Donet is a web design and programmer specialist that EBS hired to redesign our new site as well as architect the web version of LEED EDGE He will be working with us on a consulting basis throughout 2012. email Victor »

Due to his experience within the Real Estate, Financial, and IT fields, Laurence Chaw brings a unique skill set to the Environment Building Strategies team as a Financial Analyst. Since early childhood, Laurence was introduced to family residential investment properties which he became increasingly involved in as he matured. He earned his undergraduate degree from James Madison University with majors in Finance and IT. Post graduation, Laurence worked as a Risk Advisor for Ernst & Young dealing with a variety of clients ranging from FORTUNE 50 to growing start ups. He is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Colorado in Boulder with focuses in Real Estate and Finance with an expected graduation date of April 2010. The focus on sustainability was Laurence’s primary motivator for pursuing his MBA at the University of Colorado. His relevant experience includes complex financial modeling, client relations, due diligence, sustainable development, and database design. Laurence is a LEED Accredited Professional dedicated to demonstrating the profitability of sustainable building from a triple bottom line perspective. email Lawrance »

Burke Pemberton, our Business Analyst & Full-charge Bookkeeper, holds a B.S. in Accounting and manages all aspects of EBS’ accounting operations including general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll. He maintains and drives continuous improvement for all of our internal control systems and procedures, including financial reporting, all operational accounting functions, and company policy and procedure. Burke’s personal commitment to sustainability is exemplified by his status as an MBA student at San Francisco ‘s Presidio Graduate School where he is studying Sustainable Business Management with the objective of helping organizations realize wasted value through the implementation of sustainable and efficient operating practices. Burke has spent the last ten years gaining a complete understanding of business cycles in the Bay Area restaurant circle where he had the opportunity to works as the opening General Manager of one of San Francisco’s most sustainable restaurants. Burke also holds a GRI certification.
email Burke »