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GREEN GROWTH
Conference + Expo  2010 Speakers + BiosYou will hear from some of the top sustainability thought leaders in the region and the country. These professionals have made dramatic changes in their businesses and will demonstrate how you can achieve similar growth in your own company.
| Clinton Boyd, Sustainable Research Group |
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Clinton S. Boyd, PhD is the Senior Scientist of the Sustainable Research Group, a consulting firm that provides sustainability research, marketing, project design and management services that advance an organization's integration of sustainable development principles into its business model. He has a PhD degree in Biochemistry from Rhodes University, South Africa. Dr. Boyd has worked in academia as a research biochemist studying the pharmacological and toxicological effects of chemicals and other environmental factors on neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. His research led him to the conclusion that health-based outcomes should form the foundation and be the driver for a sustainable future. Dr. Boyd now applies Design for the Environment, industrial ecology, industrial biotechnology, life cycle analysis, green (sustainable) chemistry, and biochemistry to enhance the design, development and use of chemicals, materials & processes that have reduced impact on human health and ecosystem health. |
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| Ralph Buckingham, Intertek |
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Ralph Buckingham is the Category lead for Furniture testing and certification at Intertek. He is the Certification Manager for Intertek’s division that provides 3rd party certification to the BIFMA E3 standard for the leveltim Cert Program. He is a member of BIFMA, and participates in all major BIFMA initiatives. Ralph wrote a white paper titled “An Engineers Guide for Evaluating Furniture Quality and Improving Test Methods” (available upon request). Over the past three years Ralph has guided the development and expansion of the services Intertek offers to the furniture industry. In the most recent service offering expansion Ralph brought together Intertek’s experts in Environmental Management Systems Auditing, Life Cycle Assessment, CMP / OSHA, and Corporate Social Responsibility to develop a Certification Team and auditing process for BIFMA’s leveltm Program. |
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| Mike Dunlap, Michael A. Dunlap & Associates, LLC |
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Mike Dunlap is the owner and principal of Michael A. Dunlap & Associates, LLC, a business consulting services company that focuses primarily upon issues involving the office furniture industry. These include international partnerships & collaboration, strategic market planning, products liability program management, independent rep sales team development, and general business / market trends within the office furniture industry. The firm conducts the quarterly MADA / OFI Trends Survey, a unique global industry-wide performance measurement tool. Mike writes a monthly column for MiBiz West called “From Where I Sit”, as well as a monthly radio program on PBS station WGVU (88.5 FM / 95.3 FM and 850 AM / 1480 AM) under the same name. His quotes appear frequently as an expert and resource by both the industry and West Michigan business media. |
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| Bill Fluharty, Design and Innovation Consulting |
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Bill Fluharty is the Principal of Design and Innovation Consulting. Bill has worked as an Industrial Design and Innovation Leader in the automotive industry for 24 years. Bill left his position as Vice President of Research & Discovery and Industrial Design at Johnson Controls in 2008 to focus on helping companies and individuals leverage the competencies of Design to improve all aspects of an enterprise. His passion for the management of design and innovation is currently supporting both emerging and established leaders in West Michigan. Bill has an Industrial Design degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and resides in Holland, Michigan. |
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| Renae Hesselink, Nichols |
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Renae Hesselink is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan chapter, and currently Chair of the Board of Directors. She has been with Nichols (a distributor of custodial and packaging supplies) for 17 years in various positions and three years ago moved into to a new role within the company as Vice President of Sustainability. Nichols recently achieved LEED-EB O & M (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance). Renae has been involved in the successful implementation of eight Green Cleaning programs that have lead to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits and another eight programs in process. Other roles include: leadership team of the Muskegon Sustainability Coalition; advisor for MiBiz Triple Bottom Line quarterly news; Grand Valley State University’s Sustainable Community Development Initiative (SCDI); and on an advisory committee for Delta Institute in Michigan. Renae is a regular writer for the U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan Chapter’s monthly column in MiBiz. Identified by MiBiz as a “Champion of Sustainability”. Contributed two cases studies published in “The Business of Green Cleaning” by Stephen Ashkin and David Holly. In 2009 she was recognized as an “Agent of Change” by the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce and featured in the Muskegon Chronicle’s Working Women: Learning from These Successful Area Women”. She holds a Master’s of Business Administration in Leadership Studies from Baker College and undergraduate degree in business from Grand Valley State University. |
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| Scott Keller, Warner Norcross & Judd |
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Scott Keller is a partner with Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, a full service law firm with nearly 220 attorneys in Grand Rapids, Southfield, Lansing, Sterling Heights, Holland and Muskegon. Scott has over 25 years experience servicing clients' intellectual property needs, including advertising and Internet law, trademarks, copyrights, domain names, unfair competition and litigation. He has worked with many advertising agencies and other clients concerning their advertising content and brands. He is part of Warner's Corporate Sustainability and Climate Group, a multi-disciplined practice that includes experts in Sustainable Business Operations, Energy, Greenhouse Gas/Carbon Regulation, Green/LEED Real Estate and Economic Incentives for Sustainability. Warner believes in Putting Sustainability Into Practice®. |
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| Amnon Levav, SIT-Systematic Inventive Thinking |
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Amnon Levav is co-founder and Managing Director of SIT - Systematic Inventive Thinking (www.sitsite.com), a company dedicated to help people and organizations to become more innovative. He is a facilitator of workshops and projects for Problem Solving, New Product Development and Marketing Communications, and an experienced trainer in courses for inventive thinking. Amnon Levav brings to his speaking engagements a combination of expertise in facilitating interactive activities for audiences of 10-500 people, with a wide range of experience in working with companies on innovation projects. His presentations include case studies and examples from dozens of categories, insights from numerous countries and cultures, and a wide range of innovation related activities. |
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| Paul Murray, Herman Miller, Inc. |
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Paul Murray is the Director of Environmental Safety and Sustainability for Herman Miller, Inc. He carries the message of corporate environmental responsibility to business and academic audiences throughout the country. “The Power of One,” his presentation to the design community and other audiences affirms that each individual, company, and industry can champion environmental awareness among co-workers and clients alike, whether by promoting the use of sustainable products or through a simple commitment to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” whenever possible. Read Full Bio [pdf] |
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| Chuck Otto, Corporate Sustainability Communications |
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Chuck Otto is a public relations and corporate communications specialist committed to advancing the principles of social and environmental sustainability in the workplace. He is a veteran of more than 20 years in the PR/Marketing industry, having worked with a wide spectrum of clients that includes the U.S. Department of Energy, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Sears, the Detroit Medical Center, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). During his years residing in West Michigan, Chuck has taken on a variety of sustainability-focused assignments for the office furniture industry’s leading companies. His other regional/national clients have included Dow Chemical, Whirlpool, Interface Fabrics Group, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and the Sustainable Research Group. Chuck is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan Chapter, for which he edits and sometimes writes a monthly column for MiBiz. He also belongs to the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, and served on Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell’s first Environmental Advisory Committee. A tree-hugging pragmatist – if such a thing is possible – Chuck believes in the long-term value of balancing People, Planet and Profit in business. |
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| Carol Pike, Fusion Business Services |
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Carol Pike is co-founder and principal of Fusion Business Services providing strategic and financial management resources for small business and non-profit organizations. Carol’s extensive experience in commercial interior design, organizational excellence guidance and strategic management ensures clients receive solid expertise to achieve desired performance measurements. Carol designs and utilizes custom information gathering tools to ensure the unique qualities and requirements of each client are revealed and analyzed. The results achieved are organizationally holistic, reflect triple bottom line thinking and are results driven. Carol Pike sits on the Board of Directors of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and chairs the Tools & Resources Committee. She is active in regional sustainability efforts and numerous volunteer activities. |
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| Sam Pobst, Eco Metrics LLC |
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Sam Pobst is the founder of Eco Metrics LLC, a green building consulting firm established in 2005 to serve the growing demand for sustainable building design and construction. Eco Metrics is a national coalition of green building consultants with expertise in diverse areas of green building specialties, collaborating to develop tools and expertise to advance our organization. Sam has a degree in Construction Management from Michigan State University, and has 35 years of experience in the commercial construction industry. He was a founding member of the US Green Building Council West Michigan Chapter, serving two terms as Chair, and is Past Chair of the USGBC Heartland Regional Council. He is a LEED® Accredited Professional with specialties in BO+M, BD+C, and ID+C, a USGBC LEED Faculty™ member, a Certified Professional Constructor (CPC), a certified Green Advantage (GA) Trainer, a certified Dynamic Governance (DG) facilitator, and a licensed contractor in the State of Michigan. Sam has consulted on 23 LEED projects, and brings a practical perspective on the economics of green building as a businessman with a construction and development background. |
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| Tom Reardon, BIFMA |
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Thomas M. Reardon is the executive director of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA) International, the North American trade association representing the interests of business furniture manufacturers and their suppliers. BIFMA’s mission is to lead, advocate, inform and develop standards for the North American office and institutional furniture industry. Mr. Reardon joined BIFMA in 1990 as Manager of Research & Information with responsibility for the industry statistical information program. Throughout his tenure with BIFMA he has also had responsibility for membership development, marketing programs, international affairs, communications and the annual industry leadership conference. Tom was promoted to executive director in January 1998. |
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| Charles Reid, Charter House Innovation and City Flats Hotel |
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Charles Reid is the President and Owner of Charter House Innovation and the City Flats Hotel.In April 2007, the state of Michigan named CHi one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. This award opened the door to Reid’s nomination and ultimate receipt of the Small Business Administration’s 2010 Small Businessman of the Year award for the state of Michigan. In May 2010, Reid, along with SBA winners from across the country, was honored at an exclusive White House ceremony, where President Obama personally recognized Reid’s achievements during the keynote address. In June 2010, Reid received a Character Award from the West Michigan Character Council, which recognizes local business leaders who display an outstanding dedication to community-focused initiatives. Read Full Bio [pdf] |
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| Dave Rinard, Steelcase Inc. |
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David A. Rinard is director of Global Environmental Performance for Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Steelcase delivers a better work experience to its customers by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. Its portfolio includes architecture, furniture and technology products. Dave, promoted to his current position in November 1994, leads the department that is responsible for overseeing the company’s environmental initiatives and performance and implementing our corporate environmental strategy, including regulatory compliance, sustainability, environmental outreach and responsible conduct programs Read Full Bio [pdf] |
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| Brock Rodgers, izzy+ |
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Brock Rodgers is an environmental engineer at izzy+, a Michigan-based office and educational furniture and seating business owned by JSJ Corporation. He is the technical lead on environmental issues for izzy+ and its manufacturing sites, and leads the BIFMA level® certification initiative for izzy+ products. In major markets across North America, Brock conducts presentations for contract furniture professionals to explain the relationships between products developed for their sustainable attributes, and LEED and level® programs. In Europe, he has met and compared notes with furniture industry experts on how to integrate extremely progressive best practices in product design, manufacturing operations and product lifecycle management. His quest to make sustainability meaningful on a personal level led him to join West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and its Social Responsibility committee. There, Brock helps companies define how their actions in social responsibility make a positive impact on the Triple Bottom Line. Most recently, he worked at Rehau Inc., where he organized an Earth Day 2010 networking event at the LEED-certified City Flats Hotel to rally West Michigan partners in sustainable development. Previously, he held engineering roles at Johnson Controls Interiors and Wedin International. He is also vice president of management development for the Jaycees in Grand Haven, Mich. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in product design engineering from Ferris State University and a master’s degree in management with a sustainability concentration from Aquinas College. |
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| William Small, The Right Place Inc./MMTC-West |
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William Small serves as Vice President, Technical Services, for The Right Place Inc., as well as Regional Manager for the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center – West. Prior to joining RPI, Bill served as the Principal Project Manager for Nurture by Steelcase, a subsidiary created to serve the healthcare industry, implementing Lean Product Development methodology. During his almost 20 years with Steelcase, Bill served in leadership roles in project and program management, particularly in the areas of supply chain management, manufacturing and new product development. In his role with The Right Place, Bill and the MMTC-West team provide West Michigan’s small and medium sized manufacturers with operational assessment, process improvement training, mentoring services, website technical assistance, as well as sustainable manufacturing and market diversification tactics. MMTC is the Michigan affiliate of federal Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership through the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Bill has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Central Michigan University, an Associate’s degree in Plastics Engineering from Ferris/GRCC, and a Masters of Management (Marketing concentration) from Aquinas College. |
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| Ross Smith, NTH Consultants Ltd. |
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Ross Smith is a Senior Project Engineer at NTH Consultants, Ltd. He is the team leader for several groups operating out of the NTH Grand Rapdis office including building envelope and infrastructure engineering, environmental engineering and site development, and construction engineering services. Ross has over 10 years experience specializing in asset management and preservation, building envelope assessment, repair design and implementation, project management, and owner's representative services. |
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| Bill Stough, Sustainable Research Group |
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Bill Stough is the CEO of Sustainable Research Group (SRG). SRG provides sustainability research, project design, marketing and management services to advance its customer's integration of sustainable business practices, thereby reducing their ecological footprint and increasing their value proposition to stakeholders. Bill has over 25 years experience in environmentally sustainable business initiatives, industrial ecology, pollution prevention and environmental management systems. He has served in leadership board positions for many business and environmental organizations, is the founder of the sustainable business forum networks; was project manager for the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association program to develop an ANSI sustainable product standard; and is a US, EPA/NIST Green Supplier Network assessor. Bill has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning and a Masters in Business Management. |
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| Bob Surman, Nucraft |
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Bob Surman has over 20 years of experience in the contract furniture industry, working in a variety of sales and marketing capacities for some of the industry’s leading manufacturers, including Haworth, Herman Miller and Nucraft. His product development achievements include participation in the development of two prestigious Best of Competition award-winning products in the annual Best of NeoCon product design competition (Resolve from Herman Miller and Origin from Nucraft) and two patents. During his tenure at Nucraft, he has been instrumental in the strategic planning and implementation of Nucraft’s sustainability initiatives as well as training the organization, and their network of independent Reps, on sustainability, LEED and level™, and is a level™ Accredited Faculty member. |
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| Michael Taylor, Steelcase Inc. |
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Michael P. Taylor is a senior researcher in WorkSpace Futures at Steelcase Inc., the global leader in the office furniture industry. Mike is responsible for materials research and materiality foresight at Steelcase. This includes translational research of material science, sustainability, biotechnology and nanotechnology into innovative applications and products, along with investigating the emerging trend of materiality in the user experience and product ecology. Mike is a member of The Materials Information Society (ASM), The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS), the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST), Materials Research Society (MRS) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). He is also a member of MBDC’s Cradle-to-CradleSM Technical Advisory Group that is responsible for providing guidance on science issues related to certification. |
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| Craig Throne, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. |
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Craig Throne is the General Manager Patagonia Footwear/VP Global Marketing, Wolverine World Wide. A kiwi by birth and by nature (which, in theory makes Throne a flightless bird), flightless he hasn't been. After growing up as a typical kiwi - which means playing rugby, sailing and exploring the delights of New Zealand - he headed on his OW (Overseas Experience). After earning a Masters Degree in International Business in Dublin, Ireland, Throne lived and worked in UK, initially for the US consumer good giant P&G. He later moved on to the footwear and clothing industry and eventually found himself setting up the Merrell business withing Europe, a new subsidiary of Michigan's very own Wolverine World Wide. Read Full Bio [pdf] |
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| Eric VanDellen, Amway Corporation |
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Eric VanDellen joined Amway as a Research Chemist in R&D. Eric was involved in product development as a Sr. Group Leader of Nutritional Analysis and Microbiology, and has published numerous papers in the fields of microbiology, nutritional analysis, and drinking water treatment. He has also managed Environment, Health and Product Safety, and is currently the Sustainability Program Manager and ISO auditor for Amway. He received his BA and MA degrees from Western Kentucky University in chemistry. He is currently Chairman of the Environmental Quality Committee for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and is a current board member and Vice-President of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
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| Mike Westbrook, Shape Corporation |
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Mike Westbrook is the Safety & Environmental Manager at Shape Corporation in Grand Haven, MI. Shape is a global leader in impact energy management systems and advanced rollforming and is North America’s top automotive bumper manufacturer. Mike has over 10 years experience in occupational safety, workers compensation management, and environmental compliance in the chemical and automotive industries. |
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| Gabe Wing, Herman Miller |
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Gabe Wing joined Herman Miller in 2001 and provides the technical leadership for the Design for the Environment (DfE) team, which is responsible for developing environmentally sensitive design standards for new and existing Herman Miller products. Gabe has created an environmental materials database that enables Herman Miller’s engineers to specify the most eco-effective materials for new products. A significant portion of his work involves working closely with key industrial partners to optimize current materials and also to identify new, sustainable solutions. In addition, he leads training sessions for designers and engineers on the principles of sustainable product design. |
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| Daniel Wolf, Dewar Sloan |
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Daniel Wolf heads the strategy practice of Dewar Sloan, a business development and research firm based in Traverse City. His corporate and consulting experience spans a wide range of strategy issues in the “green growth” space. Daniel is the author of two books on strategic leadership and management, Prepared and Resolved: The Strategic Agenda for Growth, Performance and Change, and Boards and Strategy: How Governance Matters in Strategy Direction, Integration and Execution. He has explored “green strategy issues” for more than two decades in work on enterprise strategy for companies involved in vehicles, architectural systems, logistics, agribusiness, healthcare, power equipment and other categories. |
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