NDC E-Bulletin Vol. 3, No. 3 • April 28, 2008
President’s Message
Helvi Sandvik
NDC President
One key to business success is our responsibility as individuals and corporations to contribute to society at large. We do this in many ways. As business leaders, we at NANA encourage our employees to become engaged in non-profit organizations and to weigh in on local, state, and federal issues. We have created our own scholarship and mentoring programs to prepare the next generation for leadership positions. Also, we work to find ways to prioritize sustainability in the workplace.
Every day new technology is developed aimed at reducing humanity’s impact on the environment. We know now that what we do today will affect us tomorrow, and we are focused on doing things differently to reduce any damage that might result from our actions. There is a greater awareness of the products we use in our work and our homes to ensure that the waste from those products isn’t harmful to current or future generations.
Being “green” is not only is the “right thing to do,” it is good business. In this bulletin, we highlight several NANA businesses that incorporate sustainability both in their own working environments and as a service to customers. We learn about a company that took a surplus mug and turned it into a project for school children and we see how one NANA company is using its expertise to help the NANA Region deal with the high cost of energy. By being on the forefront of social awareness leaders in open thinking, we can provide new solutions or ways of doing things and offer our customers a greater value — which is a differentiator for us in this very competitive world in which we live.
Helvi Sandvik
President
DOWL Builds Green
DOWL provided the civil design for the LEED-certified JL Tower in Midtown Anchorage.
Alaska Natives know that the earth’s resources are a gift to be respected and used wisely. One of the NANA family of companies, DOWL Engineers (DOWL) is taking that philosophy to heart and has invested time and money to support many designers and engineers in obtaining their LEED® AP accreditation. LEED® stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a nationally recognized benchmark for sustainable design.
The head of DOWL’s Landscape Design group, Kevin M. Doniere, PLA, says more and more developers are recognizing the benefits of a LEED® certification for their projects. “LEED® buildings and site design are more sustainable and, in most cases, more cost effective in the long-term when it comes to operation and maintenance,” said Doniere, “Not to mention, it’s just the right thing to do for the environment.”
Bradley S. Doggett, P.E. is a civil engineer at DOWL and a LEED®AP. He says that, even if a project is not technically LEED® certified, many of its principles are becoming commonplace. “Being efficient with energy and water usage is something that many government and contracting agencies are already requiring,” said Doggett. “I am sure that one day it will be the standard, not the goal.”
Some examples of project elements that help qualify a project for LEED® status include minimizing and improving the quality of wastewater runoff, reusing and recycling building and site development materials, placing new development on a redeveloped site instead of developing in a green space, and making buildings energy efficient.
For more information on the LEED® program, visit the U.S. Green Building Council’s web site at www.usgbc.org.
Greening the Bottom Line
Money does, in fact, grow on trees.
Environmental concerns haven’t changed in 30 years, but opportunities have. With business and industry joining the “green movement,” there are new ways for businesses to help the environment and “green” their bottom line. WHPacific’s Sustainability Task Force, also known as the “Green Team,” is doing just that.
“We are not your typical tree-huggers,” says Cheryl Marks, LEED® AP, known in the Mesa office as the “green advocate.” Marks championed the Sustainability Task Force, which formed in December 2007. “Within 30 hours of sending out an initial e-mail to determine interest, we had a group of 25 passionate people from across the company excited to be involved.”
Now 40 members strong, the group consists of experts from WHPacific’s six business lines and areas of study, as well as members from 15 of its 17 offices. Ultimately, the group will help to connect offices and business lines, providing education, resources, and opportunities. This diverse group is developing a number of initiatives and programs, including:
- Office Improvement Program designed to help each individual office reduce its operating costs and carbon footprints
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Study Group starts in early May and will help more employees become LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED AP).
- Marketing, both internal and external, include submitting on proposals, creating community outreach programs, as well as developing marketing materials and resources for all employees’ use.
- Education, also an internal and external initiative provides information and resources internally, through office “lunch and learns,” a green newsletter, and a green Compass resource site. External education focuses on client presentation, conferences, and white paper development.
To learn more about WHPacific’s Green Team, contact Cheryl Marks at cmarks@whpacific.com.
NANA/Colt Celebrates Earth Month
HSE Assistant Elulis Newman checks out the Family Environmental Handbook.
NANA/Colt Engineering dedicated April to environmental awareness in support of Earth Month.
Their “Giving Back to the Environment, One Step at a Time” campaign featured several initiatives and events that were organized by the Health, Safety, and Environment department.
The first was a Family Safety Coloring Contest to encourage staff and their families to discuss environmental and safety issues. The contest was spilt into two divisions. Children ages 5 and under chose from pre-selected coloring pages, while kids of all ages created posters depicting related messages.
Next, “Plant a Seed for the Environment Week” gave NANA/Colt staff the opportunity to start physically giving back to the environment by growing a plant to either later place outdoors or keep indoors. Kits were made available that included a starter plant pot and choice of four seed types.
On Earth Day, Family Environmental Handbooks were handed out to further educate on specific environmental practices. The handbook was collaboration between all divisions of Worley Parsons Canada (including Colt Worley Parsons, part owner of NANA/Colt) and contains activities, checklists and facts to help readers reduce, reuse, recycle, and renew.
Beyond Earth Month, NANA/Colt plans to maintain their commitment to the environment by continuing to educate staff on what they can do to make a change. This will include participation in the Anchorage (Alaska) City-Wide Clean Up (May 3-10), distribution of car trash bags to encourage staff not to litter, and providing names and numbers of recycling collection areas for items such as plastic and newspaper.
For more on NANA/Colt, visit www.nana-colt.com.
NANA Region Addresses Energy Crisis
The NANA region is home to abundant alternative and renewable energy resources. Pictured is the Selawik Wind Diesel Facility - owned and operated by AVEC. Photo courtesy of AVEC.
As in other parts of the country, energy costs in Alaska continue to rise, particularly in the NANA Region. Here electricity can exceed 60 cents/khwr and fuel can exceed $7/gallon. Making choices between heating the home or buying groceries is a reality for many residents. The cost of energy affects community members, local government, and agencies providing services to the area.
NANA Pacific is working with NANA Regional Corporation (NRC) to address the energy crisis in Northwest Alaska. The work includes development of a comprehensive regional plan that encompasses energy conservation, infrastructure development, and improved efficiencies and addresses locally available energy resource development.
The NANA Region is home to abundant alternative and renewable energy resources. Possibilities include wind energy in Kotzebue, Selawik, Deering, Buckland, and the Kivalina area; forest/ biomass resources in the Upper Kobuk; and hydroelectric resources along the Kobuk River.
Emerging technologies, such as photovoltaic and hydrogen power, are becoming more feasible with improvements in technology and spiralling economic costs. To leverage these resources, continued infrastructure development, transmission, and intra-community transmission development is required. In addition, alternative fuels, such as emerging technologies with coal and regionally available natural gas and propane, can also address energy security in the NANA region.
NANA Pacific will develop a strategic energy plan and assess the feasibility of geothermal and wind power generation. The goal of the NANA energy program is to reduce the impact of the cost of energy by providing a renewable and/or energy alternative. These alternatives could help stabilize the cost of energy and provide long-term socio-economic benefits to village households. With affordable energy, households could afford to stay in their communities, which would help avert rural migration to regional or urban centers.
For more on NANA Pacific, visit www.nanapacific.com.
Three WHPacific Offices Celebrate Earth Day with Local Children
Morris Brown, MFA, AIA, watches as excited El Paso children open their bags of rocks, soil and seeds.
Cheryl Marks helps a couple of Phoenix youngsters plant their seeds.
In celebration of Earth Day, WHPacific personnel taught children in El Paso, Phoenix, and Albuquerque about protecting the environment. The presentations introduced children to basic sustainability, as well as green concepts and their ecological and environmental importance. As part of the interactive program, WHPacific donated potting soil, ceramic mug planters, and green bean seeds for the children to plant.
Rose Garland, marketing coordinator in the Albuquerque office came up with the idea as a way to recycle more than 300 coffee mugs that featured the old ASCG, BPLW, W&H names and logos. It fit well with several of WHPacific’s Sustainability Initiatives, including education, marketing, and office improvement.
WHPacific heavily promotes sustainability throughout each of its offices. “Sustainability is meeting the need of today’s society without compromising the need of tomorrows’ society through responsible development and design. We need to be stewards of the earth because we need the earth to sustain our future,” said Cheryl Marks, LEED AP with the Mesa office and leader of the WHPacific’s Green Team Initiative.
Garland’s idea sprouted and took root immediately. WHPacific Albuquerque volunteers, including David Klein, purchased dirt, rocks for drainage, and green bean seeds, enthusiastically prepared bags of dirt and rocks to accompany the mugs and seeds, which were distributed to the WHPacific offices in Mesa and El Paso. A WHPacific Earth Day coloring book, designed by Marks, was given to each student as well.
The El Paso event took place at the site of the future LEED Certified elementary school that WHPacific is designing for the Ysleta Independent School District. The event included short speeches by the school superintendent, school board members, the president of the Chihuahuan Desert Chapter of the United Green Building Council, and Morris Brown, MFA, AIA, the WHPacific architect for the project. The El Paso Times and a local television station were on hand to cover the event.
“The fun part was watching excited elementary school age children tearing into their bags of rocks and soil, filling their recycled cups and planting their beans,” said Brown. “Children then carefully folded their unplanted bean packages and tucked them in their pockets to take home.”
Equally enthusiastic children took part in the Albuquerque and Phoenix presentations. Marks addressed 60 youngsters students at Sunnyslope Elementary School in Phoenix, and Garland, Stan Reich, PE, and Alex Griego, AIA with WHPacific’s Albuquerque office presented to 140 kindergarteners at Mary Ann Binford Elementary School.
For more on WHPacific, visit www.whpacific.com.
NMS Implements Eco-Friendly Initiatives
NMS Lodging Division incorporates many eco-friendly practices at its Marriott-branded properties.
NANA Management Services has implemented eco-friendly initiatives. NMS headquarters building, located in Anchorage, Alaska, is a member of Green Star®, a non-profit organization based in Anchorage that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention through education and technical assistance. In addition, Green Star offers an award-winning voluntary "green business" certification program, which NMS headquarters is in the process of completing.
“Once Green Star accepts our guidelines at the headquarters building, we plan to implement similar measures at all our locations system-wide,” said Penny Cotten, NMS vice president of marketing and communications.
To educate employees on eco-friendly actions they can take at work and beyond each issue of the Spirit of the Hunter newsletter, which is distributed quarterly to all NMS employees in the system, includes green-focused story and tips.
For the past several years, NMS Lodging Division has been implementing several eco-friendly practices at its Marriott-branded properties - Courtyard, SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn - in Anchorage and Fairbanks. These include energy efficient fluorescent lighting, linen re-use programs, low-flow showerheads and low-flush toilets. In addition, energy efficient boilers are being installed.
For more information on NANA Management Services, visit www.nanamanagement.com.