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Bill Kachman, a retired U.S. Army major from DeLand, has been elected president of the Florida Green Building Coalition, a statewide certifier of green residential and commercial construction and local government projects.
The president-elect also is a DeLand resident, Ralph Locke of Environmental Construction & Consulting Inc.
The officers elected also included Mary Tappouni of Breaking Ground Contracting in Jacksonville as treasurer and Barry Faske of Faske Enterprises in Hollywood as immediate past president.
Their terms start in January.
NEXT YEAR’S PRESIDENT — Ralph Locke of DeLand was recently chosen as president-elect of the Florida Green Building Coalition.
Katrina Locke of Volusia County Environmental Management is one of 17 other FGBC board members from around the state.
The Florida Green Building Coalition is the state’s leading certifier of green single-family homes, commercial buildings, high-rises, land developments and local government projects, according to a news release. FGBC just passed the 24,000 mark in “Florida Green” certifications.
“We have some amazing and dedicated members and leaders in FGBC. Our collective knowledge and expertise across the industry can drive growth, increase FGBC’s certifications and advance our mission,” Kachman, an FGBC certifying agent and chair of the Homes Committee, said in the release. “I’m looking forward to working with them to help grow and continue to be the pre-eminent green building organization in Florida.”
Kachman worked for 12 years in the education field as a teacher, served as a registered lobbyist for Correctional Education, and as a distance education developer for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
In 2004, he joined Environmental Construction & Consulting and got involved with green building. For the next nine years, he helped manage the construction and consulting side of the company, working with builders, local governments, and communities to further green building practices in Volusia and Lake counties.
Locke is a Florida native and military combat veteran. He has more than 30 years of experience as a building professional and is one of the early pioneers in the green building field. The president of Environmental Construction & Consulting has been a member of FGBC since 2003.
He is also an FGBC Certifying Agent and chairs the Education Committee. He works with homebuilding associations, contractors, developers, local governments, homeowners, and even high-school students to promote green building practices.
Two decades ago, FGBC brought together industry professionals from the construction, government, academic and research communities to create green standards tailored specifically to Florida. Beyond third-party certifications, FGBC is also a resource for the builders, developers, contractors, architects, and municipalities when considering going green.
“Florida Green” standards take a scientific approach and are developed with state-specific criteria. They address Florida’s hot-humid environment, climate, distinctive topography, unique geology, resiliency, and natural disasters.
For more information about “going green,” call 407-777-4920, email info@floridagreenbuilding.org or visit www.floridagreenbuilding.org.
