New Buildings Institute - making buildings better for people and the environment

The Columbia River looking Southwest from White Salmon.

Our original office sits in the small community of White Salmon, Washington, in the scenic Columbia River Gorge just 60 miles east of Portland, Oregon. We recently added a second location, this one in an historic brick building in downtown Vancouver, Washington. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in 1997, NBI works with national, regional, state and utility groups to promote improved energy performance in commercial new construction. NBI manages projects involving building research, design guidelines and code activities to ensure all elements of this chain are available for use by energy efficiency programs throughout the United States. Additionally, NBI serves as a carrier of ideas between states and regions, researchers and the market.

Our Staff

Executive Director. Dave brought an exceptional mix of leadership, strategic planning and business development skills with him. Combined with his extensive technical project experience and strong familiarity with NBI’s goals and relationships, Dave is uniquely suited to direct the Institute’s continuing success and growth. Prior to joining NBI, Dave was a Senior Manager, Commercial Sector Initiative, at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance in Portland. He managed the Alliance’s commercial sector portfolio and directed the development of the Washington Sustainable Schools project. Under his direction, daylighting labs were established at five Schools of Architecture. Additional experience includes 12 years with Pacific Energy Associates in Portland serving as a technical consultant on several collaborative projects; Director of Research, Development and Evaluation for Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships; Director of the City of Portland Energy Office; and the first Executive Director of the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation.

Program Director. Cathy directs large research projects, manages our project portfolio and supports business development. She currently leads a west coast performance assessment of a new Indirect Evaporative Rooftop Unit, and is managing curriculum development for the California Universities Energy Efficiency Training & Education Partnership. Cathy has over 20 years experience in energy efficiency strategic planning, policy, and large scale project management. Prior to joining NBI in 2000, she served as Director of the Oregon Municipal Energy and Conservation Agency and was a Commercial Conservation Manager with Bonneville Power Administration. Cathy is a LEED Accredited Professional and her management skills and enthusiasm for improving building efficiency keep NBI’s projects on the forefront in the industry. Cathy has made Hood River home and loves family time, mountain and river time, and attending youth soccer games.

Technical Director. Mark oversees our Advanced Buildings work. A licensed architect in Washington and Montana, and a LEED Accredited Professional, Mark has been consulting on sustainable design and energy efficiency for 15 years. His career has encompassed a broad range of technical topics, including building and site design, energy use, occupant health, daylighting, and high performance mechanical systems. Mark has consulted on hundreds of capital projects, ranging in scale from single and multi-family residential projects to large commercial office buildings. He has also developed curriculum and conducted numerous training sessions on sustainable design and energy efficiency. Prior to joining NBI, Mark worked as a Senior Consultant on sustainable design at Paladino and Co., and as an energy efficiency Consultant at Ecotope Inc. At NBI, Mark is responsible for the development of technical publications, training material, and program development to support the incorporation of energy efficiency strategies in new commercial construction. Mark is primarily located in Seattle, where he lives with his wife and daughter, and enjoys the region’s skiing and boating opportunities.

Senior Program Manager. Mark has over 25 years’ experience in the field of energy efficiency. After five years spent as a Conservation Analyst with the Northwest Power and Conservation Planning Council during the 1980’s, he opened the first overseas office of the International Institute for Energy Conservation in Bangkok, Thailand serving as Executive Director there from 1989 to 1992, where he created the first demand side management program in Asia. Mark also worked to develop photovoltaic businesses in India, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam. Since returning to the U.S., Mr. Cherniack has worked on renewable energy, carbon mitigation, fuel cells and efficiency. He is currently managing NBI’s portfolio of projects related to HVAC efficiency and advanced HVAC diagnostics. Mark and his spouse operated a restaurant for almost five years and live in Mosier, Oregon.

Senior Engineer. Howdy is a physicist and registered engineer currently working on unitary systems and evaporative cooling. He has a wealth of field experience in the US and abroad including monitoring and commissioning a full range of HVAC systems ranging from residential to large-scale commercial /industrial systems. He has published extensively in the proceedings of the ACEEE and the ASES (American Solar Energy Society), on subjects including HVAC performance, energy monitoring and commissioning, and solar equipment performance. He is co-developer of the EZ SIM building energy model and billing analysis tool. He also has extensive experience at the energy policy level including program management, the development of comprehensive state and utility level integrated resource plans and program evaluation. He’s worked in both government and the private sector, including the formation of two solar equipment manufacturing companies. Howdy is a long-time resident of the Columbia River Gorge, the perfect location for indulging in two of his favorite hobbies, experimenting with innovations in solar energy and sail design.

Senior Analyst. After working as an actuary for many years, Cathy recently earned her Masters in Environmental Management. With a strong background in quantitative analysis, she has solid research and project management skills and abundant experience in writing and speaking on technical topics. Prior to joining our organization, she completed a series of building post-occupancy studies for Cascadia Region Green Building Council and assisted NBI in evaluating the feasibility of a fee-based building performance protocol. Cathy will initially be working on a School Building Performance Review development project and assisting with the market assessment of evaporative cooling equipment. A native Oregonian currently living in Portland, Cathy enjoys hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in her spare time.

, Lighting Manager. Barb has bachelor degrees in Marketing and Interior Architecture, and earned a Masters of Science in Lighting from the Lighting Research Center of Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. She has over a decade of experience working as a lighting designer and as a manufacturer’s representative connecting the advanced lighting practice of the Portland architectural market with some of the country’s top manufacturers. Barb’s mix of skills and experience will help NBI keep moving the bar on lighting technologies and lighting practices, and we welcome her to the team. She will be working out of the “Barn” in Vancouver, which desperately needs some lighting design assistance as part of its energy renovation.

, Senior Consultant. Terry works with us part time in a variety of capacities, including Advanced Buildings implementation support and mechanical systems training. Terry has been CEO of two companies (MGH and currently MicroGrid, Inc.) specializing in energy and controls systems for complex commercial buildings. He is also a curriculum developer, founder and former Director of the Edmunds Community College Energy Management Program, and one-time Director of Training for Ecotope. Most recently he has assisted in development and delivery of training materials for the NEEA BetterBricks program. Terry resides in Portland, just downriver from our White Salmon office. Among his avid interests is piloting private aircraft.

Dan Harris, Project Manager. Daniel Harris is a professional engineer in HVAC in New York State and holds a MS in Mechanical Engineering of Control Systems from the University of Washington. Dan’s experience is diverse from research and development in PEM fuel cells, building data analysis and energy management systems, wireless sensor networks, utility metering and building asset management. Most recently Dan worked as a consultant in New York City and for the Association for Energy Affordability developing building metering, monitoring and commodity pricing projects. Dan is happy to be joining the capable team at NBI and looking forward to providing services and analysis that result in practical solutions to reduce energy intensity in buildings.

, Operations Director. Rochelle joined New Buildings Institute as the Financial Administrator in April 2004. She is an MBA with 12 years of professional experience in accounting/finance and senior management positions, including positions with KPMG Peat Marwick and Providence Health System. Rochelle’s experience and expertise include strategic planning and budgeting, nonprofit grant reporting, preparation of financial statements, external compliance reporting, and management of payroll, banking, insurance and human resource functions. Rochelle understands the collaborative nature required in nonprofit organizations and is skilled at partnering with staff, board members and funders.

Stacey Hobart, Communications Director. Stacey works across NBI projects and programs to help communicate progress and accomplishments to those interested in advancing energy-efficient, high-performance commercial building practices. Stacey has over 15 years’ experience working in the energy industry in the areas of project management, public affairs, energy efficiency and marketing. Most recently, as corporate marketing manager at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, she was responsible for managing external communications to the organization’s utility stakeholders. Prior to that, Stacey managed marketing activities for NEEA’s commercial building program. Before relocating to the Northwest in 1998, Stacey oversaw the American Public Power Association’s research and development program in Washington, D.C. Stacey lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys spending free time with family in the backyard garden, on a sandy beach or hiking trail.

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