Climate + Social Justice in the Built Environment.

Hi everyone,

Abundant Sun Limited, Vermont Green Buildings Network (VGBN), New Frameworks, and now Cx Associates invite you to a community roundtable to discuss: ‘Climate and Social Justice in the Built Environment…A continuation of what we’ve started’.

On September 22, 2021 VGBN, led by its Executive Director Jenna Antonino diMare, and moderated by Shelly Pottorf (Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture at Middlebury College), delivered its inaugural webinar entitled ‘Climate and Social Justice in the Built Environment’. It was a very lively and insightful exchange between Dr. Jude Smith Rachele, Co-founder & CEO of Abundant Sun and Ace McArleton, Co-founder and Owner of New Frameworks. Click the link VGBN’s “Climate + Social Justice in the Built Environment” to check out the recorded webinar.

Following on from the success of this event, together we have decided to host a 1.5-hour community discussion on the same subject matter. We are all very passionate about, capable of, and committed to finding real-time solutions to the housing needs and challenges that so many individuals, families and communities are experiencing. We believe we have hit a critical point, and that together have achieved a critical mass of us who have the skills, the wisdom, the knowledge, the resources and the will to make people’s lives better through improvements to our built environment. It takes a village!

So, join us on November 15th, 2021, from 5:30pm – 7:00pm Eastern Daylight Time for a spirited and poignant exchange, which we hope will lead to stronger community relations, palpable thoughts and concrete actions.

Please share with your colleagues, members of any version of a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion or Culture Committee that your organization may have, and anyone else who you believe will add power and glory to the discussion.

About the organizers:

Dr. Jude Smith Rachele:
Dr. Rachele has for the past 25 years been providing consultancy in the areas of leadership, ethics and governance. Dr. Rachele is CEO of Abundant Sun Ltd, an international cultural transformation agency, which she founded in the UK in 2003 and in Vermont in 2015. She works internationally with government departments, human services organizations, schools, universities, multinational corporations, energy companies, retail supermarkets, global law firms and charities. With an unconventional approach to global diversity and inclusion, Dr. Rachele authored the book “Dismantling Diversity Management: Introducing an Ethical Performance Improvement Campaign” published in June 2017.

Dr. Rachele has taught as an Adjunct Professor at Marlboro College, VT on its MBA in Managing for Sustainability. She was also a radio commentator on Vermont Public Radio. She holds a BA, in Psychology, and a PhD in Business.

Eveline Killian:
Eveline is an architectural engineer with over 25 years of experience in commercial and industrial Energy Analysis, Retrocommissioning, and Project Management. In her Energy Analyst role, Eveline has extensive experience in energy efficient building design and operation, efficiency program design and implementation, and measurement and verification of energy efficiency measures. As a project manager, Eveline works closely with design firms, building owners and contractors to ensure a smooth and timely project flow for new construction and retrofit projects. Her Performance Contracting experience involves large commercial and multi-family energy retrofit projects. This includes energy and financial analyses, contract management and performance contracting savings guarantee maintenance. Eveline is a Certified Energy Manager and a professional engineer.

Jenna Antonino DiMare:
Jenna has served as the Executive Director of Vermont Green Building Network since 2013. She also serves as the Director of the Burlington 2030 District, an urban sustainability initiative managed by VGBN. Jenna holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture (MLA) from Cornell University and a BA from Brown University, where she studied architecture, ecological design and environmental policy. When not in the office, Jenna enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, photography, cooking, and co-teaching mushroom hunting workshops with her partner via their joint project The Mushroom Forager, LLC. Jenna resides in Richmond, Vermont with her husband and two daughters. Pronouns: She/Her

Shelly Pottorf:
Shelly is a practicing architect and the Principal of Architend, a firm committed to catalyzing a living future through architecture, community design, sustainable consulting, and research. She further serves as an Assistant Professor in the Prairie View A&M University School of Architecture, where she designed and directs the Minor in Sustainable Design. Her research centers around Place-based regenerative design. This work has been accomplished utilizing fourth year undergraduate design studio and supporting courses to conduct Public Interest Design for a low-income, historically black community in Houston, Texas. Her qualifications include: AIA, CPHC, LEED AP BD+C.

Ace McArleton:
Ace McArleton founded New Frameworks Natural Design/Build in 2006 to offer design/build services that blend natural materials and methods with high-performance design with a focus on climate regeneration and social justice. Ace is co-founder of the NESEA Diversity Caucus, the BEBL Anti-Racism Action Group, is co-author of The Natural Building Companion (Chelsea Green, 2012), and led his business’ conversion to a worker cooperative in 2016. Ace is passionate about finding practical, regional solutions to build healthy, just communities now and into the future.

Jacob Deva Racusin:
Jacob is a sustainable and natural building designer, builder and educator. He is co-author of The Natural Building Companion , contributor to The Art of Natural Building and Systems Director and Co-Owner of New Frameworks Natural Design/Build, focusing on mechanical, water, energy, and enclosure system design and quality control. He is also a Building Performance Institute-certified Envelope Professional and Building Analyst. Jacob is author of the book ‘Essential Building Science: Understanding Energy and Moisture in High Performance House Design‘, and the program director of the Building Science and Net Zero Design Certificate Program at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and has taught natural building and building science at various universities and building schools. He and his family live in a 2000 sq ft high-performance, natural home in the mountains of northern Vermont, where they run a small-scale Permaculture-inspired homestead.