As a consultant in 2008, Connie McGreavy suggested the New England Institute of Technology host a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Little did she know she would lead the formation of the Rhode Island chapter and become a sizable force in the green-building world. Now, after three years at the helm, Mc-Greavy is stepping down as executive director.
“I just feel that I accomplished what I set out to do,” said McGreavy, who officially departed as executive director last month but will continue as an informal adviser to the council.
The chapter also faced tight finances and learned in February that a private foundation turned down its request for a $100,000 grant. The chapter had hoped to steer the grant toward payroll. When the grant didn’t happen, McGreavy re-evaluated.
“The responsible thing to do I thought was to step down and hope that the systems that I put in place and the board I put in place would be able to carry on,” she said.
The chapter plans to leave the executive director position vacant, but will retain Claudia Torres Arriaga as the part-time administrative coordinator, said Steve Kitchin, the chair of the chapter’s board. Kitchin and McGreavy said the structure would bring the council more in line with how other councils in the region are organized.
Still, McGreavy’s exit “means a very big loss for the council in the short and the long term,” said Kitchin, vice president for corporate education and training at New England Institute of Technology. “Connie’s efforts were second to none.”
The energetic, fast-talking Warren resident started the council almost by accident. As a consultant for New England Tech, Mc-Greavy outlined ways the school could incorporate energy efficiency into its curriculum. When administrators approved of her idea to host a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, McGreavy volunteered to lead the project.
For the first two years, McGreavy worked without pay, while maintaining her consulting business, Conserve by Design, on the side. In 2010, the council hired her.
Since her start three years ago, Mc-Greavy has steered the council to become an official chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, hired a part-time administrative coordinator, grown membership to more than 200 and arranged numerous events and educational offerings.
She successfully lobbied the state to adopt the Green Building Act, which set environmentally friendly standards for public buildings. Working with the Conservation Law Foundation, the chapter also pushed through the adoption of the International Energy Conservation Code, in a move that leveraged $22 million in federal stimulus money. Now, state building officials are incorporating the International Green Construction Code into the state’s building code.
Meanwhile the number of Rhode Island buildings meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards – the council’s marquee certification program – has grown to more than 100 from about two dozen when Mc-Greavy started.
“It’s astounding to me how many unique LEED buildings we have in our little state,” McGreavy said.
Kitchin said the council will likely continue to focus on its core areas of educating its members, advocating governments adopt green-building practices and boosting membership and fundraising.
As for McGreavy, she is searching for a “chief sustainability officer” position.
“I’m embarking on a national search and the sky’s the limit,” she said. •
