The Central Coast Green Building Council will provide a “State of the Union” overview of its advocacy priorities and current initiatives. This session will address critical topics at the intersection of policy, technology, and materials, including strategies for building electrification, the new post NEM 3.0 landscape of solar and battery installations, and the promise of alternative construction materials such as hempcrete. Presenters will share their expertise, highlight recent setbacks and developments, and outline the opportunities for shaping sustainable building and energy practices across the Central Coast.
Speakers
Paul Poirier AIA, LEED AP, Principal Architect, Poirier + Associates Architects, Santa Barbara, California Paul Poirier is a licensed architect in California, Nevada, and Alabama and has 40 years of experience designing award-winning commercial and residential projects with emphasis on “green” innovation and design excellence. He has provided his leadership to the Central Coast Green Building Council, the Sustainability Project, the Green Building Alliance, the AIA Santa Barbara Chapter, and served as past chair and a current member of the AIA California Committee on the Environment. Recently, he has been working with the AIA to roll out the 2030 Commitment program to AIA members across the country through the 2030 Workgroup.
Paul has served as CCGBC’s first President, as Vice Chair of the Pacific Regional Council, as a Pacific Representative to the USGBC’s Chapter Steering Committee, and served on USGBC’s LEED Steering Committee. Paul is a California Office of Emergency Services certified trainer and has actively trained architects and engineers across California to be able to respond to major disasters through Cal OES deployment. Paul is committed to maintaining the architectural beauty of the central coast of California while protecting the environmental quality, resilience, and sustainability of our community for future generations.
Amanda Martin-Behrendtsen
With a background in nursing and social business, Amanda takes a holistic approach to creating lasting socio-economic impact. A special needs mother of two and a regenerative builder in Southern California, she built California's first permitted Hempcrete ADU, using workforce development to train diverse groups such as migrant workers, veterans, and the previously incarcerated. She has served on the Central Coast Green Building Council for over 7 years, currently leads Region 9 for the US Hemp Building Association, and was recently elected its Vice President. Amanda believes in the power of living the triple bottom line for community resilience and generational health.
Cash Upton has been passionate about the intersection of economics and sustainability ever since he graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Economy, with an emphasis in environmental sustainability. He began his sustainability career in 2009 as the Environmental Coordinator for The West Beach Music and Arts Festival, a 10,000-person festival in Santa Barbara, where he implemented a multitude of sustainability practices, which earned the festival The Greener Festival Award. This solidified for Cash the importance of making sure that while we have a good time, we also make sure to steward our natural environment. Cash has served on the board of the Central Coast Green Building Council for 5 years, as well as the AIA Santa Barbara board of directors, where he co-chairs the Committee on the Environment. Since 2022, Cash has hosted the ReFi Generation podcast, focusing on the intersection of regenerative agriculture and sustainability tech, paired with on-chain accountability mechanisms. For 7 years, Cash has been the Design & Sales Coordinator for the local Santa Barbara solar company, Brighten Solar, where he has designed and sold over 4.2MW of solar locally. Currently, Brighten Solar is working on micro-grid projects that will help make the Santa Barbara community more sustainable and resilient.