The Institute Names Lakisha Ann Woods President

The National Institute of Building Sciences welcomes Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. In her role as President, Woods will be responsible for leading the Institute’s dedicated team of professionals, enhancing its value and visibility and growing relationships with its members, clients, public agencies and partners. She will lead efforts to expand the organization’s programs and markets while growing and strengthening its membership base.

Woods brings extensive experience in association management, including strategic planning, team building and business development. She has served the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) since 2004, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, where she supervised a staff of 28 and oversaw a budget of $13 million, and previously as NAHB’s Vice President of Publishing and Affinity Programs for nearly 11 years. Prior to that, she held marketing and e-business roles of increasing importance and scope at the Associated General Contractors of America. Woods also is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Board of Directors. Read the release.

You Are Invited to Say Welcome & Farewell

The National Institute of Building Sciences cordially invites you to attend our Annual Reception and Banquet, Wednesday, January 9, 2019, to welcome our new president, Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, and bid farewell to our retiring president, Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA.

Held at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C., in Grand Ballroom B, as part of Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Seventh Annual Conference & Expo, the reception begins at 5:00 pm. Dinner starts at 6:00 pm. Register to attend (select ticket numbers 2019-OPT and 2019-3A).

Ayers Steps Down as Architect of the Capitol

Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, Immediate Past Chairman of the National Institute of Building Sciences, has retired from his position as Architect of the Capitol.

In his role, Ayers was responsible for the facilities, maintenance and operation of the historic U.S. Capitol Building, more than 460 acres of Capitol grounds and 17.4 million square feet of buildings, including the House and Senate Congressional Office Buildings, the Capitol Visitors Center, the Library of Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building and other facilities. Read the article.

Building Innovation 2019: Hotel Discount Rate Ends December 7

Time is running out to save on hotel accommodations for those attending Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Seventh Annual Conference & Expo, January 7-10, 2019.

During Building Innovation 2019, guests staying at the Mandarin Oriental can do so for the special rate of $175, which is lower than the federal government allowed per diem rate. Reserve your room by the deadline, Friday, December 7, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. ET, to secure this rate and availability. Make your reservations online or call (202) 787-6140. Mention "Building Innovation Conference & Expo" when making your reservations by phone. Reserve your room now!

Building Innovation 2019:
Reach the Most Diverse Audience of Industry Professionals

The Building Innovation 2019 audience consists of individuals from all facets of the building community who are actively seeking solutions. If your company has technology, methods or processes that improve building performance, this event offers you the best opportunity to present to the most diverse group representing the building community. A sponsorship and/or exhibit space will give your innovations ample exposure to an audience that includes all industry disciplines as they look for ways to improve the built environment.

Many opportunities are still available to play a significant role in delivering four activity-filled days of informative sessions, quality educational programs, award presentations and networking opportunities. Join forces with the Institute and connect with building industry experts and innovators as we explore strategies that are aimed at Optimizing for Tomorrow. Support the industry and the Institute. Claim your sponsorship and/or exhibit space today. View the Exhibit Hall Floor Plan. Download the Prospectus. Time is running out. The deadline to show your support ends December 21, 2018.

Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council to Meet January 7

The annual meeting of the Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council will take place on Monday, January 7, 2019, from, 1:00 – 3:00 in room Oriental A at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., as part of Building Innovation 2019: the National Institute of Building Sciences Annual Conference & Expo. During the meeting, the CWCC Board of Direction, Energy Efficiency Board of Advisors and Blast Protection Board of Advisors will convene to review their 2018 activities and discuss plans for 2019.

Green Receives ASCE Member Appreciation Award

National Institute of Building Sciences President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA (right), accepts an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Member Appreciation Award from Nick DeNichilo, Chairman of ASCE’s Industry Leaders Council (ILC), upon completing his tenure on the ILC. A founding member of the ILC, Green has served on the council since it began in 2009.

The Industry Leaders Council engages senior leaders from industry, academia, government and non-governmental organizations to identify tactical actions for ASCE and the civil engineering profession. Membership on the ILC is by invitation only. Potential candidates are nominated by their peers and those candidates selected to join the ILC receive an invitation from the ILC Chair and ASCE Executive Director. Learn more about the ILC.

Building Innovation 2019 Opening Keynote
to Talk about Resilience in NYC

Eric Wilson, Deputy Director at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Resiliency, will serve as the Opening Keynote Speaker at Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Seventh Annual Conference and Expo. Addressing the Conference theme of Optimizing for Tomorrow, Wilson will speak during the Opening Keynote Breakfast on Tuesday, January 8, 8:00 am – 10:00 am ET, in Washington, D.C.

New York City’s diverse building stock of over one million buildings is highly vulnerable to the hazards of a changing climate, including tidal and storm flooding in coastal neighborhoods, but also extreme heat, heavy precipitation and groundwater table rise throughout the city. While New York City’s Building Code facilitates physical resilience in new construction, the majority of the city’s buildings are approaching 100 years old. In his remarks, Wilson will share the context of New York City’s climate vulnerabilities, the work he and his colleagues in the Office of Resiliency are doing to address them and challenges in preparing buildings for coming climate hazards.

Choose to attend the Opening Keynote Breakfast or for the full Conference. Learn more about Wilson’s presentation. View the full schedule of Building Innovation 2019 events.

Disaster Mitigation Webinar Now Available Online

Didn’t get to see the webinar, The Business Case for Building Stronger, Smarter Infrastructure, that The Pew Charitable Trusts and National Institute of Building Sciences co-hosted in October? No worries. It is now available for download. 

The webinar featured Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure, the latest Interim Report of the Institute’s “Mitigation Saves” multi-year study. The new report builds on the results presented earlier this year that every $1 invested in disaster mitigation through federal grants saves society $6 in future disaster costs. These latest results examine the return on investment associated with resilient infrastructure related to transportation, electric grid and water systems.

Building Innovation 2019 Plenary Keynote to
Highlight AGU Net-Zero Energy Renovation

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) will complete the first-ever net-zero energy renovation of an existing commercial building in the District of Columbia in 2019, AGU’s Centennial. Janice Lachance, Esq., FASAE, AGU’s Executive Vice President, Strategic and Organizational Excellence, will provide an overview of the project as Keynote Speaker at the Plenary Luncheon, to be held 12:00 – 1:30 pm, Wednesday, January 9, during Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Seventh Annual Conference and Expo, in Washington, D.C.

AGU is an international society of Earth and space scientists dedicated to advancing science and ensuring a sustainable future. Speaking to the Conference theme of Optimizing for Tomorrow, Lachance will explain how, by living its mission of science for the benefit of humanity, AGU made the decision to renovate its existing 62,000-square-foot headquarters building to be a showcase for real-world scientific advancement through innovative, sustainable technology. Read more about Lachance's presentation. Choose to attend Wednesday’s Plenary Luncheon or the full Conference. Register now.

2019 FEDCon® Keynote to Tackle Expensive Problem of Corrosion

Each year, FEDCon® gives private-sector architects, engineers, contractors and manufacturers insight into the construction process of the different agencies of the U.S. federal government. The 2019 FEDCon® Keynote Breakfast, scheduled for Wednesday, January 9, 2019, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, during Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Seventh Annual Conference & Expo, will spotlight the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Material Readiness, Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office and its work tackling the important and expensive problem of corrosion to improve Department of Defense (DOD) facilities for the long term.

DOD criteria incorporate both new technologies and corrosion prevention and control (CPC) focused language to ensure appropriate requirements are included in DOD contracts. Steve Geusic, PE; Sherri McMillion, PE, CEM, ASQ LSSBB; and Richard A. Hays, who all support the DOD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office, will talk about the criteria, provide examples applicable to private-sector facilities and highlight tools available through the Institute’s WBDG Whole Building Design Guide® CPC Resource pages. Their intent is to assist facilities designers, contractors and sustainers to meet life-cycle requirements and to optimize facilities for tomorrow through better decision making.

Read more about the FEDCon® presentation. Attend the FEDCon® Breakfast, sponsored by Master Painters Institute (MPI), Wednesday, January 9, 2019, to learn about the challenge of corrosion and the tools available to address it. Then stay for the full conference. Register today.