Peter Barsuk, AIA, LEED AP, Gensler
Los Angeles Chapter Chair

Peter Barsuk brings over 18 years of experience in the construction industry as an architect and green building expert. He has been involved in a wide variety of project types including commercial, institutional, healthcare, entertainment and education. A Project Architect, Manager and LEED expert at Gensler, Peter often gets called in to assist clients with LEED certification and documentation processes for various project types. As an office leader in Sustainable Development, Peter continues to chair Gensler’s LA Sustainability Committee and educate his colleagues on the LEED rating system and the practices of sustainable design. A Board member of USGBC-LA for over four years, Mr. Barsuk has served as both Chapter Treasurer and Vice Chair. In these roles he chaired the Chapter's Founding Sponsorship program and hired the Chapter's first Executive Director. Mr. Barsuk holds Accreditations for LEED NC 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 and LEED for Existing Buildings 2.0. He has participated as a speaker and guest lecturer at many conferences, including events for the AIA, ASID, Silverlake Film Festival, BOMA, ULI and the USC Masters program in Real Estate Development.

Brenden McEneaney, LEED AP, City of Santa Monica
Los Angeles Chapter Vice-Chair

Brenden McEneaney is the Green Building Program Advisor for the City of Santa Monica. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the green building code requirements for new construction in the city. He also oversees and administers the City's incentive programs, including expedited permitting for buildings pursuing LEED certification and grant funding for buildings achieving LEED certification and for innovative technologies that address energy efficiency. Brenden also coordinates education and outreach efforts, both for City staff and for residents, to increase awareness of green building design and construction strategies Brenden has a degree in environmental engineering from Yale University and holds a Master's degree in Industrial Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He is a LEED Accredited Professional with the USGBC and a Certified Green Building Professional with Build It Green. Before coming to the City of Santa Monica, Brenden managed operations for the largest retailer of green building finish materials in Southern California.

Annie Argento, LEED AP, Brightworks
Los Angeles Chapter Treasurer

Annie Argento is a Project Manager with Brightworks Sustainability Advisors, a Portland-based consulting firm with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She is currently providing full-service LEED project management for several projects in Southern California as well as consultation on integrating sustainability in master planning. She has experience working with the full suite of LEED products for clients including Thomas Properties Group, The Related Companies, AC Martin Partners, USC, Cal State University and Hyundai Motor Finance Company. Prior to joining Brightworks full time, Annie was affiliated with Collaborative Project Consulting and worked closely the principal to usher projects such as Earthlink Pasadena and TreePeople Conference Center to LEED certification. From 2003-2006, she worked on Yorkshire Development's Tricom Building project which was among the first 15 projects in southern California to be LEED certified and the first in the city of Pasadena. Annie is a graduate of University of Oregon.

Dimitris Klapsis, LEED AP, RA, STUDIO dnk
Los Angeles Chapter Secretary

Dimitris’ eighteen year plus project experience includes a diverse set of architectural solutions, from the Del Mar Station, a Congress for the New Urbanism award-winning mixed-use transit development, to the new Metrolink commuter station in Santa Clarita, California, to the $750 million Arrowhead Medical Center in San Bernardino County, and to the new City of Glendale Police Facility. His dedication to sustainable design solutions has been vital to such projects as the Robert Redford Building for the Natural Resources Defense Council, LEED Platinum-rated, and the Taylor Yard Parcel “C” Master Plan, a 24-acre mixed use LEED for Neighborhood Development project in Los Angeles, California. A vocal advocate for green strategies in the urban context, Klapsis was involved in publishing the Los Angeles edition of Green Map, an interactive planner that highlights the city’s natural and sustainable locales and transit options for the everyday consumer (www.greenmap.org). His presentations on sustainability include the Congress for New Urbanism X, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, the Municipal Green Building Conference and Expo, the United States Green Building Council Annual Members Summit, and the Natural Resources Defense Council Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

Daniele Aquino Horton, LEED AP Thomas Properties Group, Inc.

Daniele Aquino Horton is an accomplished real estate professional with over 10 years experience working as architect, Project Manager and most recently Sustainability Manager for a major developer. Ms. Horton earned her Master's Degree in Sustainable Development from Harvard University and her Bachelor's degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Catholic University of Goias (Brazil). Ms. Horton has been a LEED Accredited professional since 2003. In addition, Ms. Horton holds a Professional Certification in Construction Management from UCLA and a California Real Estate License. Ms. Horton is member of the Urban Land Institute, USGBC-LA Chapter, Women in Real Estate, and the California Sustainability Alliance where she has been a member of the Green Buildings committee and Green Leases Task Force since 2007. Ms. Horton brings her wealth of knowledge in sustainable building to Thomas Properties Group, where she is Sustainability Manager for the firm. Ms. Horton is involved in "greening" the firm's new developments and existing building portfolio. Her responsibilities span entitlement, design, construction and operations. Currently she has undertaken the challenging task of administering the LEED EB Certification for the entire Portfolio of existing buildings for the firm, which includes 34 properties nationwide. As Sustainability Manager, Ms. Horton is also responsible for developing key sustainability initiatives for the firm, industry research, managing corporate sustainability efforts as well as managing and developing internal and external sustainability communications with key stakeholders. Ms. Horton's past experience includes working as a Project Manager for Thomas Properties Group. Prior to joining TPG, Ms. Horton worked as an architect and planner for over 7 years at architecture firms in Brazil and the U.S. at RTKL International & RBB Architects.

Edward Belden, LEED AP Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council 

Edward is the Water Programs Manager for the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council. He is managing ambient monitoring projects along both the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers and the long-term Water Augmentation Study which will be presented. Prior to joining the Watershed Council his projects at an environmental consulting firm ranged from Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Dust Control Measures in Owens Lake to completing a trails manual for the County of Los Angeles. He has worked as a restoration intern for the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, consulted with the United Nations Environment Program in Geneva, and was a biologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and chair of the Emerging Green Builders Los Angeles, USGBC-LA committee. Edward earned his Master of Environmental Science and Management with an emphasis in conservation planning from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara and his BS in Biology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York.

Jeff Gould, LEED AP Colliers International

Jeff Gould joined Colliers International in September 2009 as a Senior Associate. Prior to joining Colliers, Jeff worked at Sperry Van Ness where he and his partners established The Corridor Investment Group which is a team of top commercial real estate investment advisors in the region. Jeff consistently ranks amongst the firm's top 50 advisors nationwide and has closed over $110 million in sales and leasing transactions in his 5 years in the business. Jeff specializes in investment sales, financial analysis and real estate advisory services with a focus on office, medical office, retail and redevelopment properties throughout the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County regions. Throughout his career, Jeff has built his positive reputation on integrity, ethics and strong client representation. Jeff is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelors in Real Estate Finance.

Jessica Mack, LEED AP, Southern California Edison

With more than 10 years of experience in integrated design, Jessica Mack is devoted to uniting necessary stakeholders to improve building performance. As the manager of Southern California Edison’s New Construction Services, she oversees the implementation of all non-residential new construction energy efficiency programs. Responsibilities include overall accountability for program operations and achievement of demand side management goals, particularly energy and peak demand savings. Mack holds a B.A. in architecture with an emphasis on environmental design and construction management from the University of Southern California. She has lived in the Los Angeles area for the past fifteen years with her husband, Johnny, and four children.

Ted Senet, LEED AP Gibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet LLP

Theodore L. Senet, LEED AP is a named partner in the law firm Gibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet LLP.  He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1973 and his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1978.  He currently represents corporate owners, developers, public entities, commercial general contractors, design professionals and residential builders in complex construction litigation, class action litigation, environmental claims, insurance claims and major tort litigation. He has been involved in development, construction, risk management and dispute resolution on numerous major projects, including high rise buildings, hospitals, schools, airports, power, manufacturing and processing plants, and large residential developments.  He has written numerous articles on green building, construction, insurance and real property law. He has been a principal speaker at MCLE-approved seminars and has served on many panel programs.
 

Ying Wang, LEED AP URS 

Ying Wang is a program manger for URS Corp, a global E/A, environmental and CM firm. Currently, Ying is in charge of LAUSD’s CHPS and Energy program. CHPS is a sustainability program similar to LEED, and targets at K-12 education construction. All LAUSD 20 billions new construction has to comply with CHPS criteria. By 2012, there will be 125 schools finished with High Performance standards under her leadership. Ying is successfully developing the LAUSD’s CHPS program from the ground up, covering design, construction and post construction. Ying has been practicing architecture and implementing sustainability program for K-12 and college/university educational facilities for nearly 30 years. In addition to the USGBC, she is active in the California High Performance Schools (CHPS) technical committes, California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) and many other environmental organizations. Ying frequently gives presentations and workshops related to architecture and sustainability. This year, she co-authored a paper of the substainablilty standard of public transit system. Last November, she presented at USGBC GreenBuild in Boston. Ying is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Registered Architect in California and Illinois. She received a Master degree in Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg and a Bachelor degree in Horticulture from the National Taiwan University in Taipei.

John Zinner, LEED AP Zinner Consultants

John Zinner, a LEED AP since 2002, is the principal of Zinner Consultants, a firm specializing in green building, LEED certification and sustainable development.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the US Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter and of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), and serves as Vice President of the Santa Monica Conservancy. 

John is managing a wide variety of LEED New Construction, Core and Shell, and Commercial Interiors projects for clients such as Equity Office, Westfield, Lincoln Property and Tishman Speyer; his certified projects include the Metropolitan Water District’s LEED Platinum Water + Life Museum in Hemet, CA, the first museum to achieve LEED Platinum status.  In addition, he has developed and continues to support green building and sustainability programs for institutional clients including the Los Angeles Unified School District, the City of Rancho Cucamonga, Boeing and Playa Vista.

John is the former chair of the Santa Monica Planning and Housing Commissions, and previously served as both energy coordinator and planning advisor for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.  He holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California and a BA in Political Science form The Colorado College.
 

Marc Costa, LEED AP BD&C, GGBP, Long Beach City College

Marc is continuing his education at California State University, Long Beach pursuing a second baccalaureate in Construction Engineering Management. Holding positions within the NAHB and CMAA student groups on campus, he is working with faculty to bring a wide variety of students together under USGBC Student Groups. As an Emerging Professional-USGBC-LA member, Marc has been helped coordinate the Natural Talent Design Competition for 2009. Currently he co-chairs the Emerging Professionals of USGBC-LA, and is the Pacific Region Council alternate representative for USGBC's Emerging Professionals. At Long Beach City College, he currently helps grow the Clean Energy Workforce Training Program in efforts to train and place individuals in green collar occupations.  At the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, he is interning to assist with the efforts of the Platinum Certification for the Animal Care Center Project. While completing a B.S. in Management Science from UC San Diego, Marc spent four years working for in Solana Beach in the building materials supply industry— from lumber handler to sales supervisor, where he was introduced to sustainable building.

Lance Williams, Ph.D., LEED AP Executive Director 

Lance A. Williams is Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter. He is a LEED® Accredited Professional. A primary area of Dr. Williams’ interest is the relationship between culture and sustainability. He is a frequent program moderator and speaker on LEED®, green building and sustainability. He was the keynote speaker at the 2008 Urban Marketplace, hosted by the Los Angeles chapter of the Urban Land Institute. He has also served as an advisor on green building policy development to Los Angeles County and various corporate organizations. He participated in the 2007 Annual Congress of the World Green Building Council held in Toronto, Canada. He is a also member of the Social Equity Task Force of USGBC national, charged with expanding parameters of the LEED® rating system. At the 2007 Greenbuild Annual International Conference and Expo, USGBC-LA received two national awards from USGBC: First Place Award of Excellence, Advocacy, and Honorable Mention, LEED®. USGBC-LA has also recently produced a 2008 Membership Directory, published by McGraw-Hill Construction. Dr. Williams was editor and principal photographer for the Directory. In recent years, Dr. Williams has traveled extensively throughout Brasil. He was recently a featured speaker at the Third Annual Brasilian Conference on Sustainability in Sao Paulo, speaking on the relationship between culture and sustainability and the potential of applying LEED® strategies in that country. He is also currently completing a documentary of his travels. Dr. Williams holds a Ph. D., in Anthropology, an M. A. in Folklore and Mythology, and a B. A. in History, all from UCLA in Los Angeles. He has amassed over thirty-five years of experience as a professional educator, having taught at fifteen universities and colleges. He has published over 300 articles and essays on American culture and is co-author of a textbook on the music industry. He has many production credits in radio, cable television and commissioned projects. He is also an accomplished photographer.

Katy Robinson, Communications and Operations Director 

Katy Robinson is the Communications and Operations Director for the U.S. Green Building Council, Los Angeles Chapter. She brings with her over 10 years of experience working in nonprofit settings. She has experience working as an administrator, instructor, community organizer, communications and marketing advisor and as a technical guru. Interested in bringing her expertise from the arts field to the green building community, Katy has provided the Los Angeles Chapter with creative innovations in organizational practices and communications. Katy is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Art History and is an accomplished video editor.

Dominique Smith, Education Program Coordinator/Events Chair

Dominique plans Tours and Presentations, Education initiatives, and assists in the coordination of events that promote the Chapter’s mission to improve the economic, social, and environmental performance of Southern California regional development through the integration of green building practices. The Events Committee plans activities that offer Chapter members the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of green building practices, network with other professionals, and give back to the community. In addition to planning Chapter Events, Dominique works as the A&D Market Specialist at McMurray Stern Inc. She works with Architects, Designers, and Construction companies throughout Southern California to design specialized storage solutions. Recently completed projects include storage design and installation at Loyola Marymount University Library, St John’s Medical Center, and LAPD Headquarters. Dominique graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Business Administration. She became a LEED AP in December 2008.

Jeff Villar, Bookkeeper

Jeff Villar of Jvil and Associates is a freelance Accounting and Business consultant. He provides bookkeeping services on a regular basis to update and reconcile the accounting needs of US Green Building Council. He prepares and updates the yearly budgets, prepare financial statements and audit requirements of US Green Building Council. He corresponds with USGBC’s outside Auditor and CPA for the preparation of audit reports and tax returns. In addition to US Green Building Council, Jeff works with other non-profit organizations regarding their accounting and bookkeeping needs such as AIA Pacific & Foothill chapter, The Campaign for College Opportunity and other firms such as FCMS, M Press Studio, Maria Villar Design, Dopetracks. Jeff completed his MBA degree from Keller Graduate School of Management and is also a Certified Quickbooks Pro Advisor and Trainer.

Jaime Villarino, Email Marketing Consultant

Jaime is a Marketing Assistant at Morley Builders in Santa Monica and runs an Email Marketing company called Rethink Marketing Solutions.  As the “communications guru” Jaime is responsible for the coordination and execution of email communications advertising the Chapter events.  She is working towards completing her Project Management Certificate at the University of California, Irvine, and studying for her Project Management Professional Exam. Jaime’s expertise comes in her organizational skills and keen attention to detail. She worked as a Project Manager/Event Coordinator for 4 years as well as performing various duties in the Motion Picture Industry over the past 5 years.

Jaime holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Analysis/Geography from California State University, Fullerton. She lives in Redondo Beach with her awesome boyfriend and dog, Dude.

 Eric Carbonnier, Grants and Development Intern, Architect, LEED AP

Eric Carbonnier is a graduate alum at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.  His research focuses on biomimetic influenced building skins as a paradigm shift on how designers engage indoor and outdoor environments. Eric is also a research assistant at Cal Poly and supports on going research and development in phase change materials, water roofs, and fluid dynamic facades. Eric is a licensed architect and a LEED Accredited Professional with a Bachelor of Architecture from Woodbury University. Before returning to academics, Eric was a Senior Project Designer and contributed to the design profession a variety of civic, k-12, higher education, and ecclesiastical projects throughout California, Washington, and Nevada.

As the Grants and Development intern Eric couples philanthropic organizations and the USGBC-LA to collaborate on environmental action through educational awareness.
 

 Hayley Wong, USGBC-LA Intern

Hayley Wong is currently working at Ken Kurose Architect, an architecture firm in Pasadena. She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from UC Berkeley in May 2009, and was the only person of her class to graduate with a minor in ecological design. That same month, she became a LEED Accredited Professional and, upon her return to Los Angeles, became involved with the Emerging Green Builders chapter in LA. Hayley has also had experience working as an architectural design intern at MacLeod Design in Berkeley and SWA Architects in Pasadena, where she worked with team members in both schematic design and construction. In her spare time, Hayley enjoys choreographing, teaching and attending ballet and jazz classes, and visiting libraries in search of new books to read. Hayley hopes to become a licensed architect in the near future.