Expand Your Community
Whether you are inspired by project-focused work or you enjoy connecting with your fellow colleagues and community members, there is a Member Committee for you!
All of our members have access to our community of thought leaders, subject-matter experts, and sustainability professionals, and help guide our strategic direction.
Check out our regionally-focused or interest-based committees and find one that matches your interest and opens doors to collaborating with a network of authentic, purpose-driven advocates.
Why Join a Committee?
Connect and collaborate with our members through our online collaboration platform and searchable Member Directory.
Serve in a leadership position within a Member Committee and help guide our focus and collective community impact.
Gain access to our technical resources, training portfolio, recorded content, and research publications.
Invest in diversifying and guiding a pipeline of future leaders, changemakers, and a greener workforce.
Influence local and regional policy-making through your professional expertise and applied passions.
Collaborate with other USGBC California Members, learn from leaders in the green building movement, and grow your professional and personal skill sets.
Request to present to a Committee
USGBC California’s Committees are places to connect with colleagues and community members, as well as gain access to thought leaders, subject matter experts and sustainability professionals. During our monthly meetings, we collaborate to be greater than a sum of our parts, learn from each other, and ultimately deliver more impact in making California a more sustainable region for all. If you would like to make a 5-minute (max) presentation at a particular Committee meeting on a topic, organization, idea or yes, even yourself, we’d love to hear from you. All requests will be reviewed and forwarded to the Committees. (No sales pitches, please!)
Our Committees
Interest-based committees lead the way for greening the built environment throughout California in the places that matter most.
Regionally-focused committees deliver locally on the broader USGBC California mission. Neighborhoods are distinct and diverse providing the best opportunity to dig into local issues. Microclimates in California range from subtropical to snowy mountains and each require thoughtful design and planning to create sustainable cities. You can participate in the committee where you live or work to affect positive change and connect with local leaders in sustainability.
Building Decarbonization Committee
Collaboratively advances education, policy, and programs on building decarbonization for California through education, technology and tools, policy and advocacy, and materials and products.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Advocacy Lead:
Construction Committee
Provides a space for collaboration to advance sustainability in construction for California through education, leadership, and access to resources.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Vikki Tucker, Brightworks Sustainability
Advisor:
Cole Stinger, Truebeck Construction
Board Liaison:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee
Underlying Environmental Justice in planning, infrastructure, and other related issues which are not just affected by climate change, lack of representation, and inclusion of solid commitments. The DEIB committee seeks to combat environmental and social injustice issues that plague inner city communities, like air pollution, lack of sustainable housing, lack of funding for training programs, lack of representation in community block grants, and sustainable urban planning projects.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Thomas Webster
Adia Thomas
Advisor:
Emerging Professionals Committee
Convenes fresh new perspectives from some of the brightest minds in our sector. This group helps to support all of our committees and serves as a pipeline for emerging talent to grow into leadership positions within USGBC California and their own organizations.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Emily Chu
Operational Lead:
Nate Constan
Environmental Justice Project Committee
The Environmental Justice Project Committee is rooted in the recognition that climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. The issues faced by these neighborhoods range from environmental concerns like tree canopy inequity and air quality to social challenges like housing access and funding for essential services. This committee seeks to strengthen climate resilience across the state by working in partnership with community-based organizations at the local level to share resources, foster advocacy and educational efforts, and support projects that combat these inequities.
The Environmental Justice Project Committee is also the new home of the Environmental Justice Project. By merging the Environmental Justice Project and DEI+B committees, project volunteers are given the necessary context and training to be effective community partners, while DEI+B committee members are offered a way to translate their values into action.
Leadership:
Chair:
Katie Freeze-Becker, Leading Edge
Marketing Lead:
Elias Jabbe
Green Building Design & Engineering Committee
Provides a forum for multidisciplinary collaboration to elevate the role of sustainable design within California through education, innovation, and leadership.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Payal Vora
Green Homes Committee
Provides a dynamic platform for exchange, engagement, and alignment to encourage healthy, sustainable, affordable, and regenerative practices in home building and living. The committee aims to address the inequities of access to information, resources, and technology by working to advance and diversify the awareness, knowledge, and innovation in greening homes through education, training, and outreach.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Izumi Tanaka, Home Green Homes
Green Schools Committee
Engages California schools in a dialogue that facilitates and encourages the growth of a sustainable school system, for K-12 schools and higher education. This includes providing the fundamentals of sustainability education, improving internal and external campus systems. Suggested changes ensure the health and well-being of all students and school campus employees for both indoor and outdoor spaces in which they inhabit daily.
Leadership:
Campus Green Subcommittee Chair:
Inland Empire (IE) Committee
Covers San Bernardino and Riverside Counties with a collective population of over 4.3 million people and over 1.3 million households. Implementing green building practices is crucial to the IE’s future environmental sustainability, economic success, and quality of life. A unique focus of the committee is on the positive impacts that green building can have on public health. We provide a rich and impactful series of events throughout the course of the year, such as green building tours of local sustainable buildings, green business workshops, sustainable education classes for kids, and World Water Day events.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Living Futures Committee
Attend a committee meeting
Long Beach Committee
Collaborates with the key players in this sector–actively promoting energy efficient and environmentally responsible building designs that will result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and prevent depletion of our natural resources. The committee believes that, as design professionals, we need to do our part in promoting buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.
Leadership:
Chair:
Operational Lead:
Fern Nueno, City of Long Beach Office of Climate Action and Sustainability
Marketing Lead:
Jane Olayiwola
Women+ in Green Committee
Provides a forum for women and allies to make an impact in California, build networks, celebrate women leaders, and create healthy, inclusive, sustainable, resilient communities for all.
Leadership:
Co-Chairs:
Christianne Schrobilgen, Las Segovias
Angela Morrow, Green Energy Solutions
Operational Lead:
Apply for a Leadership Position
USGBC-CA Committees provide opportunities for connection, collaboration, and career advancement. Nominate yourself or others for leadership positions such as Co-Chair, Ambassador, Marketing, Events, or Advocacy Lead.
Positions are open for applications on a rolling basis, so apply now to advance your career with USGBC-CA Committees!
More Ways to Get Involved
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteering is the perfect way to demonstrate your passion for sustainability. Volunteers serving 100 hours or more annually qualify for the esteemed President’s Volunteer Service Award, and professionals can earn up to 50% of their CE hours per GBCI reporting period for Committee and Branch Volunteer Work!
Become an Annual Sponsor
Become an Annual Sponsor
We invite you to become a key player in leading the green building movement in California!
