PRESS RELEASE

2010 Sustainability Award Winners Announced

The 2010 Sustainability Awards were announced by The Environmental Center tonight at a celebration at The OXFORD Hotel on downtown Bend.  The Environmental Center received 28 nominations and the winners were selected by a community review committee. 

“Determined and persistent change makers—in business, government, nonprofit organizations, and the community—are essential to achieving a sustainable future,” said Mike Riley, executive director of The Environmental Center.  “By showcasing their commitment to sustainability, we hope to inspire even more sustainable action in Central Oregon.”

The Environmental Center presented awards in five categories:
•    Individual:  Mark Petersen
•    Small Business:  Brilliant Environmental Building Products
•    Large Business:  Steele Associates Architects
•    Nonprofit:  Bend Area Habitat for Humanity
•    Government:  Bend Park and Recreation District
More information about each winner is presented below. 

Business and organization (government and nonprofit) nominees were evaluated by what their leadership had done to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, operating policies and practices, support for social equity in the community, and efforts to set an example for or push their industry towards sustainability.  Individual nominees were evaluated by how they incorporate sustainability into their daily life and how they help make sustainability real in our community and/or set an example for others to follow.

“We are very excited to be presenting these inaugural sustainability awards.  It’s important to tell and celebrate the positive, inspiring stories,” continued Riley.  “We here so much about what’s wrong, especially about the environment, and not enough about what is going right.  And there is a lot of positive work being done right here in our local community, where we make the daily choices that will lead us to a sustainable future.”

The Sustainability Awards were envisioned as part of the Bend 2030 planning and visioning process, in the Quality Environment focus area, Action Item 14.7.

ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER

The Environmental Center’s mission is to embed sustainability into daily life in Central Oregon.  We translate sustainability into practical, local actions that create a healthy future for people and the planet. 

Our programs incorporate education and advocacy to advance our vision of a sustainable Central Oregon.  They include: zero waste of materials, energy and water; advocating for a regional public transit system; youth education; advocating for and supporting sustainability initiatives by local governments and businesses, and operating a community campus that demonstrates sustainability in action.  Find us on the web at www.envirocenter.org or at our public facility at 16 NW Kansas Avenue in downtown Bend, Oregon.

ABOUT THE AWARD WINNERS


Individual Award: Mark Petersen

What stood out to us:  Mark Petersen is a great example of an individual who has incorporated sustainability into all parts of his life.  He has made a concerted effort to take practical, local action to make a difference. 

Mark Petersen has embraced concepts of sustainability in his personal life, as a community volunteer, and at work.  In his personal life, Mark uses organic products, shops locally, recycles, composts, commutes by bicycle (weather permitting), eats a primarily vegetarian diet, and constantly seeks ways to reduce his carbon footprint.

At the community level, Mark was the driving force behind the transformation of his neighborhood’s individual garden plots into a 12,000 square foot community garden with 46 shareholders.  Living in a world that accepts the fact that the food we consume comes from an average distance of 1,700 miles, Mark opted to buck the trend and work to develop a system to “go local”.  According to Mark’s neighbors, the garden has strengthened their sense of community, educated people about where their food comes, donated produce regularly to people in need, and provided a daily source of beauty and inspiration.

In Mark’s work life, as Director of Hospitality Services at St. Charles Health System, he has led a number of significant sustainability efforts.  These include:

•    Mark was instrumental in bringing the Farmers Market to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend and Redmond, connecting the hospital’s mission of improving community health to healthy eating habits, local farmers and building community. 
•    Mark has worked with hospital staff to increase waste recovery from almost nothing in 2004 to 34% today.  .
•    Mark has promoted many changes in the Hospital's food services, including:
o    elimination of all trans-fats;
o    use of local products such as organic produce; GH free milk products; organic, Free Trade coffee; and free-range bison meat; and
o    replacing the majority of paper cups with reusable cups, keeping 150,000 cups per year out of the landfill.

Finally, Marks neighbors say that he is “a visionary leader who believes in the final product with conviction. He connects needs to intended and noble results. He always comes prepared.  And his soft spoken style and strong work ethic allow him to achieve fantastic results.”



Small Business: Brilliant Environmental Building Products

Brilliant Environmental Building Products offers products that protect health, use energy and other resources sparingly, and are extraordinarily well made.  It is a one-stop green shop for everything you need for home and business interior design.

What stood out for us:  Brilliant is the only local store that sells only sustainable products for the interior of the home or business.  Brilliant does not compromise their sustainability values in the products they sell, they model sustainable business practices wherever possible, and they provide critical information for the homeowner, builder, or designer that wants to go sustainable.

Some specific examples include:

•    They are a PVC-free company.

•    They offer a wide range of sustainable products, many of which have third-party certification, such as wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. 

•    They have implemented a range of energy conservation and waste prevention practices in their showroom.

•    They deliver products in a bio-diesel vehicle.

•    They donate time and materials to a wide range of local nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity, the Shepard’s house and the Rampathon of COBA.

•    Owner Jorden Swart has taught a variety of classes about sustainability, including at COCC’s SBA class, COBA’s Green Career Day, and topic specific classes for the design and construction industry.

•    Finally, the owner is a certified SBA and one employee is working towards LEED certification in interior design and building.


Large Business Award: Steele Associates Architects, LLC

Steele Associates Architects is an architectural design firm serving public and private clients in central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.  They provide a full range of architectural and interior design services, from residential to commercial to site master planning.

What stood out for us:  Steele and Associates Architects has a measureable track record in making sustainability real, in the projects they design and in their daily operations, and in pushing their industry towards sustainable thinking and practice. 

Steele Associates helped usher in many “firsts” in architectural design in Central Oregon.  Steele designed 75% of the LEED certified buildings in Central Oregon, including the first LEED Gold Building and the first high performance school in the region.  Today, every one of Steele’s projects is designed to be energy-efficient, half of Steele’s staff are certified sustainable design experts—including all of its architects—and they have a 100% success record for third party certification. 

Operationally, Steele Associates also walks the sustainability talk.  For example:
•    The company designed and owns its Bend headquarters, which was the first LEED Gold New Construction building in Bend.
•    The company has implemented a variety of energy and water conservation and waste prevention measures at its offices.
•    Steele is a Commute Options partner and won the Commute Options business challenge three years in a row.
•    They purchase 100% of their building’s electricity from PacificPower’s Blue Sky renewable energy program.
•    Steele provides its employees a comprehensive pay and benefits package that has met or exceed the AIA national average for the past decade.  The company also pays the fees associated with LEED certification for its staff and guarantees bonuses to the staff that achieve certification.
•    And Steele engages with many local nonprofits, donating cash as well as staff time and design talent, and allows employees to volunteer with organizations they are passionate about on company time. 

Finally, Steele Associates has been a leader in the design industry.  The company sponsored the first LEED training workshop in Central Oregon, the first Central Oregon Green Building Summit, and was a founding member of the Building Green Council of Central Oregon.


Nonprofit Award: Bend Area Habitat for Humanity

BAHFH works in partnership with the community and families in need to build quality, affordable homes in Bend and in Crook County. To date BAHFH has built 94 homes and housed 107 families.  These families earn the opportunity to experience the pride and stability of homeownership.  Consistency in housing allows these families to more fully participate in their community.

What stood out to us: Bend Area Habitat for Humanity is a fantastic example of an organization that has integrated the social and environmental aspects of sustainability into its mission and activities.  Specific examples include:

•    The non-profit has doggedly pursued adoption of green building techniques, demonstrating for the community that sustainability starts “at home” and can be synonymous with “affordable”.

•    For the past several years, Habitat has equipped its homes with 2.2kw PV solar power systems that produce enough power for most of homeowners to apply summer power credits against their winter bills.  This is an important cost-savings for families on often very limited budgets.

•    Third party certification shows that Habitat’s homes are some of the most efficient in town.

•    Habitat’s ReStore encourages re-use of used building materials, appliances and home furnishings, diverting over 2 million pounds from the landfill in 2009 and generating significant revenue to support its mission.

•    BAHFH is a leading affiliate of its parent organization, participating in a pilot Neighborhood Revitalization program of Habitat International and operating one of the largest ReStore operations in the region.

•    Recognized by Oregon Business in 2010 as one of the 100 Best Nonprofits to work for in Oregon.


Government Award: Bend Park and Recreation District

The Bend Park and Recreation District maintains and operates more than 2,400 acres of developed and undeveloped parkland, including 74 parks and open spaces, 62 miles of trails, Juniper Swim and Fitness Center, and the Bend Senior Center. They also offer over 770 recreation programs each year for all ages and abilities throughout the greater Bend area.

What stood out for us:  Among this year’s nominees, BPRD has the most comprehensive sustainability program of any organization—private or public.  From planning and employee education to policy and implementation, BPRD is making a concerted effort to embed sustainability into all levels of the organization and all decisions it makes.  It is truly a model for other large organizations to follow and sets a high standard for its industry peers.

They also have a great definition of sustainability.  As they put it in their nomination, “Over the years our understanding of what it means to be truly sustainable has matured. Today we consider sustainability to mean that we provide exceptional park and recreation opportunities for our community while improving environmental conditions, fulfilling human needs and contributing to the community’s economic stability.”

Some specific examples include:
•    Completing a sustainability training program with representatives of all levels of the organization.
•    Completing the first LEED certified publicly owned building in the region.
•    25% reduction in pesticide use through adoption of integrated pest management practices.
•    Significant investments in energy and waster saving technology at Juniper Swim and Fitness Center and other neighborhood and community parks.
•    Yard debris composting and reuse program that prevents significant waste.
•    50% of the district’s electricity comes from renewable energy.
•    The first public agency in the state to achieve OR DEQ’s Eco-Biz certification for landscape operations and the first park agency in the state to achieve Eco-Biz certification for an auto shop.
•    Significant resources devoted to ensuring low-income youth and people with disabilities have access to park and recreation facilities and programs. 


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