A community-oriented, volunteer-run organization, GreenHomeNYC’s mission is to facilitate the adoption of sustainable building methods and materials by owners of small residential and commercial buildings in New York City. GreenHomeNYC aims to be a hub of resources for small building owners, to promote the understanding of green building issues, and to connect building owners with local green building service and materials providers.

In addition to its independent activities, GreenHomeNYC is also the New York City Chapter for the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). NESEA is the nation’s leading regional membership organization focused on promoting the understanding, development, and adoption of energy conservation and non-polluting, renewable energy technologies. To find out more, visit www.nesea.org.

GreenHomeNYC is a registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit corporation.

Co-founder Aaron Yowell can trace his interest in sustainable development to a summer spent on his native soil of western Maine living off the grid and having the good fortune of working with co-founder Bomee Jung at Blink.com. Aaron recently earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law where he focused on urban development and affordable housing and currently works as a Law Clerk in the Real Estate Department of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. While at NYU, Aaron authored two articles: That’s Where We Print the Money:Trading Increased Density for Public Amenities published in the NYU Environmental Law Journal and Inclusionary Zoning for New York City: Predictions and Recommendations for Hudson Yards, Greenpoint-Williamsburg and Beyond published in the Wagner Review. Aaron holds a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University.

Ariella Rosenberg Maron is the Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, the office responsible for the implementation of PlaNYC, the city’s long-term sustainability plan. Prior to this, she worked in the Energy Division of the New York City Economic Development Corporation where she specialized in energy efficiency and sustainability and as an urban planner in The Bronx for the New York City Department of City Planning and as an analyst at the energy, economic consulting firm PA Consulting Group (formerly PHB Hagler Bailly). She received her Master in City Planning from MIT where she concentrated on environmental policy and urban design and focused her thesis research on mainstreaming green building in NYC. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

GreenHomeNYC founder Bomee Jung attributes her interest in sustainable urban environments to her high school’s policy debate program (though she’s no longer convinced that light pollution leads to nuclear war). She recently returned to GreenHomeNYC after completing a Master in City Planning degree at MIT, where she studied environmental policy and real estate development, and wrote a thesis on sustainable construction in Mexican low-cost housing policy. She currently serves as the Program Director for Green Communities in the New York office of Enterprise Community Partners, a national leader in greening affordable housing.

Executive Director
Cat Fitzgerald became involved with GreenHomeNYC in 2002 while doing research on green and sustainable products and furnishings for an independent art curator. She was excited to discover that ecologically responsible design was becoming increasingly important to the next generation of artists and designers (and that was before the recent green explosion). She has enjoyed continuing her self-education in all things green through GreenHomeNYC’s forums and open houses. In her other time Cat is a customer experience consultant and analyst, working hard to make websites easier for people to use. She was also the co-founder of August Press, an art book publishing company, and was previously an editor and publisher of Blind Spot, a New York City-based photography magazine. A graduate of Vassar College with a degree in Art History, Cat has an incurable case of wanderlust and loves to hike, surf, take pictures and get out for fresh air as often as possible.

F.L. Andrew Padian has over 25 years of experience in the unique building science of multifamily buildings. He has performed detailed energy analysis on hundreds of multifamily buildings across the country, providing recommendations for energy and water efficiency, comfort, durability, and health & safety for both new and existing buildings. He created the first national model for training and certification of building managers and maintenance staff of multifamily buildings for energy efficiency; over 1000 participants have taken the extensive 1 to 5 day training. He runs the Multifamily Buildings Division for Steven Winter Associates, Inc., a nationally recognized consulting firm and leader in sustainable building practices.

Gita Nandan is co-founder of thread collective, a multidisciplinary design firm based in New York, whose projects include architecture, landscape and sustainable design. Through the South Bank international design competition, the firm was recently awarded the contract for the design of a sustainable town and museum in South Africa. Gita is a registered architect in New York and New Jersey, and is a LEED-Accredited Professional. In addition, Gita currently teaches at the Art Institute and Pratt Institute, where she brings sustainable issues to the core of her studio courses.

Adam worked for the New York State Assembly in Manhattan for a number of years before returning to school to focus on urban planning at Rutgers. That experience in government led to a recognition of the built environment’s impact on peoples’ livelihoods and resource usage. His current research focuses on standard land use practice principles, valuation of green buildings, and the development of green standards for local and state governments. Adam helps us keep on top of developments in green building policy.

Alison Novak is a tree hugging real estate developer. She came to real estate by way of the public sector, where she worked on the revitalization of commercial districts. Alison took her Master in City Planning and Master of Science in Real Estate Development from MIT where she found even more sustainably-minded folks than in Northern California. Now she endeavors to bring sustainability to The Hudson Companies’ projects, by way of its first green building project, as well as to other New Yorkers via GreenhomeNYC. Inspired by solutions that combat multiple problems, Alison appreciates the intersection of sustainability, social justice, urban form, and bricks-and-mortar that can be found in sustainable real estate development.

Christina Ficicchia became interested in sustainable development while obtaining her undergraduate degree in Biology at Boston University where her interest in becoming a doctor shifted towards helping people through a different avenue in environmental planning. She went on to obtain a Masters Degree from Pratt Institute in City and Regional Planning focusing on sustainable development and environmental best practices in urban planning. Currently she works as the Economic and Environmental Planner at the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation where she is involved in projects related to green building, Brownfield’s, alternative energy and transportation technologies and other greening initiatives throughout the Bronx. She is excited to join the GreenHomeNYC team and looks forward to making NYC a greener and more environmentally sustainable urban environment for all of its citizens and visitors.

Cory Trembath has been concerned about the environment for as long as she can remember. The rampant suburban sprawl she witnessed in her hometown as a child led her to study architecture, and later historic preservation, as a way to lessen the impact of the built environment on the natural world. She earned her degree in Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and spent an exchange year at the Eidgen�ssische Technische Hochschule in Z�rich. She currently works for John G. Waite Associates, a nationally recognized preservation architecture firm, where she continues to strive towards a holistic approach to sustainability through the compatibilities of historic preservation, green design and urban planning. She is thrilled to join the team at GreenHomeNYC to push these goals even further. In the summer Cory can be found leading free kayak tours along the Hudson River with the Downtown Boathouse, introducing New Yorkers to a part of their local environment.

Deirdre Molloy is currently finishing up a degree in Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and she has been a part of GreenHomeNYC since February 2008. You may find her typing away in the corner at the monthly forums as she documents the many highlights of the meetings. In 2003, after finishing up her BA in Marketing from Siena college, Deirdre began volunteering with Americorps NCCC in Denver. It was there, she realized her responsibility to both the physical and social environment. While pursuing her passion for design, she aspires to find ways to design with an environmentally conscious based approach. The monthly forums have been a continuous source of inspiration and education, and she is more than happy to be able to pitch in.

Program Coordinator Erik Nevala-Lee, a California native, came to New York to go to NYU and study Urban Design. He has since realized the unique position the city plays in the ongoing quest for sustainability. Hoping to further his personal education, as well as the education of others, he became a part of GreenhomeNYC in 2004. While school and work have taken him in many different directions he will continue to keep environmental issues at the core of his day to day life until he can focus on it full time.

Frank works on maps and GIS analysis for Regional Plan Association. He’s putting his overflowing enthusiasm for web-enabled planning tools to work as a member of the GreenHomeNYC web team. He holds a Masters in City Planning from MIT, where his MCP thesis investigated the local travel habits and residential choices of the baby boomer generation.

Green Building Monthly Forum Coordinator Joe Franza has been involved with GreenHomeNYC since January 2003 and joined its staff three months later. His interest in green building traces back to his undergraduate years at Columbia University where he researched sustainable architectural design and energy-efficient construction methods. Joe holds a Master of Architecture with a concentration in Landscape Urbanism from the University of Illinois and is currently working on Historic Preservation/Restoration projects in the New York City area. (On leave 2008)

Leslie Park is working on fundraising and development.

Miquela Craytor has felt passionately for the environment ever since she hugged her first tree. Growing up in Oregon created a strong belief in balancing the environment and the needs required for everyday living. Upon receiving a BA in Planning from University of Oregon,she embarked on city-planning on an entirely different scale. She received her Masters in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute, with a focus on Sustainable Development. She is concerned with creating and implementing sustainable and community development policies and practices on a local, regional and global level. She previously worked as a Senior Planner of Economic Development at the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, the economic consultants to the Bronx Borough President. She now is the Executive Director for Sustainable South Bronx.

Ryan Merkin first became interested in green buildings while completing his graduate work on the urban heat island effect at MIT, where he received his Master Of Science in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. He currently works as a building systems consultant assisting owners of buildings both old and new achieve their sustainability goals through better building practices and education. When Ryan is not counting lightbulbs, he enjoys a good game of basketball or tennis, and catching the New York Yankees. Ryan is also a board member of Association of Energy Engineers New York Chapter.

Sam Pardo is working on launching the GreenHomeNYC House Calls project.

Having spent a lot time outdoors as a child, Sharon Brind has always been interested in the environment and protecting it. Being a seasoned traveler she was introduced to many different cultures and went on to get a BA in Art History/Anthropology. Her love of art and wanting it to be available to all, essentially led her to get her Masters in Museum Studies for Decorative Art, where she began to see both the beauty and sustainability of the world of antiques. While working for many different galleries and interior designers in NYC she was aware of the immense impact that sustainable design and product could have on the industry. She is currently pursuing consultancy work in helping people to achieve more sustainable interiors and to leave less of a footprint. She is energized and excited to find the community of GreenHomeNYC and work toward a healthy place to live.

Silvia Steude came to New York in 2002 to pursue a career in architecture. Having grown up in an environment in Germany where living sustainably was a way of life, she soon realized that it was essential for her to be working with people who felt there was more to architecture than pure aesthetics, an opportunity to give back to the environment, to provide a healthy and sustainable living space, work place, etc. Silvia joined GreenHomeNYC in the Fall of 2007 to deepen her connection to like-minded people and increase her knowledge of sustainable building design and technology.

Chef Stephanie Sugawara has catered the delicious lunches served during GreenHomeNYC’s annual Green Buildings Open House since 2006. She’s a private chef who worked at Chez Panisse in Berkeley CA for 9 years, then ran Balthazar Bakery for four years (hence her sandwich and salad making prowess). Folks interested in having her cater their private events (mostly small dinner parties up to 14) can contact her by e-mail (ugwar at yahoo). Chef Stephanie isn’t a staff volunteer, but we wanted to give her a shout-out anyway in appreciation of her long-standing support of our tour.

NESEA Chapter manager Steven Lenard dedicated himself to sustainability when he realized he may have been producing more pollution than he was cleaning up as a contractor to the Environmental Protection Agency. After getting a bachelor’s in political science and biology at the University of Chicago, Steven spent four years evaluating potential Superfund sites in New England. This inspired him to focus his studies toward a Master in City Planning at MIT on preventing contamination rather than cleaning it up. Steven is now a City Planner with the Department of City Planning working in the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods of Brooklyn.