We're Doing Our Part - TLC is green in practice as well as services. Our offices are carbon neutral following the purchase of renewable energy credits to offset the energy used for utilities. RECs allow you to purchase renewable energy even if your local utility doesn't offer it. Additionally, our Jacksonville and Nashville offices are LEED® CI certified, our Dallas office is seeking LEED certification, and all of our offices have water and energy saving measures and recycling initiatives.

Mark Gelfo Re-Elected to Two Posts

Jacksonville Division Director and principal Mark Gelfo was re-elected secretary/treasurer for the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG). The election took place during the ACG's annual conference on Total Building Building Commissioning in April. Mark is in the third year of his three-year term on the ACB Board of Directors. During the conference, he chaired a roundtable discussion on Commissioning of Electrical Systems that focused on emergency power systems, low- and medium-voltage systems, and the development of an electrical commissioning guideline standard. He was also re-elected chairman of the USGBC North Florida Chapter Education Committeew for the fourth consecutive year. Mark is a registered PE as well as a LEED AP, LEED BD+C, LEED O+M, and CxA.

Premier Beverage Becomes TLC's 63rd LEED-Certified Project

Premier Beverage in Hillsborough County has earned USGBC LEED-NC Silver, making it TLC's 63rd LEED-certified project. Our services included fire protection prime consulting, LEED administration, energy modeling and commissioning. The project included a 520,000-sf distribution center with fast response (ESFR) sprinkler systems and an adjacent 50,000-sf two-story office building.

Perkins+Will Orlando Office Buildout Certified LEED Gold

The Perkins+Will Orlando office space build-out has been certified LEED for Commercial Interiors Gold. This is TLC's second Perkins+Will/TLC collaboration to result in LEED certification for P+W offices - their Coral Gables office was certified LEED-CI Gold last month.

GD Rogers Elementary School Achieves LEED for Schools Silver

GD Rogers Elementary School in Manatee County has been certified LEED for Schools Silver. The school, formerly Manatee County Elementary E, is the 8th LEED for Schools-certified project in Florida and the 43rd such project nationally. Florida has the most LEED for Schools certified projects followed by California with four - and TLC can claim two of the eight in Florida as our own: East Elementary in Charlotte County and GD Rogers Garden Elementary. We teamed with Fawley Bryant Architects for the 80,500-sf school, which was completed in 2009 at a construction cost of $14 million.

Jacksonville Staff A Busy Crew

Jacksonville Senior Electrical Project Engineer Ryan Fryman led a tour of the University of North Florida College of Education and Human Services Building for the U.S. Green Building Council, North Florida Chapter, on May 6. That same day, Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo and Senior Mechanical Engineer Mac Coble were recognized for their role in the Jake M. Godbold City Hall Annex when the project was presented the Commercial Rehabilitation award by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission. Mark and Mac provided LEED administration and commissioning services, respectively, and were recognized as part of the project team at the event.

Tyndall AFB Fitness Center Is Topic at SAME Conference

Sustainability Consultant Kim Shinn's gave a presentation on the Tyndall Air Force Base Fitness Center at the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) 2010 Joint Engineer Technical Conference in Atlanta on May 6. The fitness center, which is also an energy demonstration project for the Air Force, is on track to achieve USGBC LEED Platinum certification.

Harpeth Valley Elementary School Earns LEED for Schools

Harpeth Valley Elementary School in Nashville has been certified LEED for Schools. TLC provided LEED administration, energy modeling and commissioning for this addition/renovation project.

Kim Shinn to Present at Greenbuild 2010

TLC Sustainability Consultant Kim Shinn will be among the presenters at Greenbuild 2010. Kim and Kirk Teske of HKS will present "Night at the Energy Modeling Improv - featuring The Wizard of SD." The conference program describes the session as "a lively and interactive demonstration in the use of energy modeling software and how it can be used by design teams to inform and influence early design decisions. The presenters divide the audience into competitive teams and engage them as participants in the early design process, demonstrating how the eQuest "Schematic Design Wizard" can assist them in making informed design decisions that can lay the foundation for truly low energy intensity buildings." This year's selection process was highly competitive, with more than 1,100 proposals submitted and only 105 sessions accepted into the final program. Greenbuild 2010 will be held Nov. 17-19 at Chicago's McCormick Place West, the site of Greenbuild 2007. Kim's session is at 2 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 17.

Darden Support Center Achieves LEED Gold

The Darden Restaurant Support Center in Orlando has achieved USGBC LEED Gold certification, making it TLC's 59th LEED-Certified project. The project was awarded 41 out of 42 points attempted. TLC teamed with Perkins + Will of Atlanta and and Hardin Construction Co. of Orlando for the state-of-the-art corporate support center, which has already won the AIA Orlando Chapter Award of Excellence and the NAIOP Central Florida Chapter Green Building of the Year.

Paul Welch Acquires CxA

Nashville Mechanical Engineer Paul Welch, PE, has passed the ACG commissioning exam to become a certified commissioning authority. TLC now has 28 CxA's.

701 Brickell Earns LEED Certification

The 701 Brickell Office renovation project has achieved LEED for Existing Buildings Operation & Management (LEED EB O & M) certification. TLC provided energy modeling services, served as LEED EB consultant and provided LEED EB documentation for EA 2.1, 2.1 and 2.3 for the Miami high-rise.

Promenade at Coconut Creek Achieves LEED-CS Silver

We provided fundamental and enhanced commissioning services for HVAC, lighting and domestic water systems for the Promenade, a 300,000-sf retail/office building in Coconut Creek's Mainstreet District. RS&H was the architect and Stanberry Development was our teaming partner for Promenade, which achieved 29 LEED points, enough for LEED Core and Shell Silver. The Mainstreet District, formerly a tomato field in a large undeveloped parcel in Broward County, is being transformed into an urban village with approximately 250,000 sf of retail, 50,000 sf of office space and as many of 450 residential units.

Liberty at Monarch Lakes Earns LEED-CS Gold

TLC teamed with RLC Architects and provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and LEED design services for the four-story, 110,000-sf Liberty Center. Construction was completed in 2007 at a cost of $8 million. The project achieved 35 points, earning it a LEED Core and Shell Gold.

Perkins+Will Coral Gables Office Achieves LEED-CI Gold

Another TLC project has struck gold: The Perkins+Will Headquarters Building in Coral Gables has been LEED for Commercial Interiors Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. TLC's Tampa office provided fundamental and enhanced commissioning services for the 8,000-sf renovated office space. This is TLC's 55th LEED Certified project and its 19th LEED Gold certification.

Tennessee Executive Mansion Renovation Earns LEED-CI Certified Rating

The Tennessee Governor’s Mansion has achieved LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. TLC's Sustainability Consultant Kim Shinn, PE, LEED AP BD+C, CxA, served as LEED consultant for the 8,000-sf renovation of the Executive Mansion. When it appeared the project was about to be denied certification after the final construction review, he was brought back in to the project to help the team appeal and add a couple of credits to get them over the threshold.

Matt Wiechart Passes HBDP Exam

Matt Wiechart, a principal and senior mechanical engineer in TLC's Orlando Division, has passed the ASHRAE High-Performance Building Design Professional (HBDP) exam. A registered professional engineer, certified commissioning authority and LEED Accredited Professional, Matt is only the third professional in Florida to achieve this new certification. ASHRAE developed the HBDP program in close collaboration with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the Mechanical Contractors Association of America and with input from the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Initiative. Professionals who earn the HBDP certification have demonstrated a well-rounded understanding and knowledge of how heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration design is integrated into high performing buildings to achieve the goal of producing a sustainable mechanical design.

Darden Service Center Named Green Building of Year

Darden Restaurant Service Center has been named the NAIOP Central Florida 2010 Green Building of the Year. TLC's Orlando and C&T divisions teamed with Perkins+Will and provided mechanical, electrical, voice-video-data systems, audio-visual presentation systems and energy modeling services for the project, which is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. Hardin Construction Co. was the constructor and Trammel Crow was the developer.

David Hamera Elected to Local USGBC Post

David Hamera, LEED AP BD+C, has been elected secretary of the Southwest Florida branch of the U.S. Green Building Council. A member of the board since the inception of the branch 18 months ago, David previously served as the LEED for Schools chair. He is an electrical designer in the Ft. Myers office. The Southwest Florida branch is part of the Gulf Coast chapter, which also has branches in Tampa and Myakka.

Clark Hunt Acquires CxA

Clark Hunt, an associate and mechanical project manager in the Orlando Division, has passed the ACG commissioning exam to become a certified commissioning authority. Clark is also a LEED AP.

Orlando Division's Kristy Walson Helps Prep UF Students for LEED Competition

The Orlando Division's Kristy Walson, PE, LEED AP, helped a student group from the University of Florida prepare for a national LEED competition by sitting in on a practice presentation at the offices of James A. Cummings on Jan. 22. During the session, the students presented a LEED checklist for the UF SW Parking Garage to TLC. Kristy reports that it was a lot of fun and refreshing to see young adults getting so into the LEED process. The group is shown above, with Kristy second from left, and Travis Kolbjornsen, LEED AP Building Design+Construction, of James A. Cummings on the far right. James A. Cummings was the contractor for the garage project.

Jax City Hall Annex Achieves LEED Gold

TLC Jacksonville, whose Jacksonville City Hall Annex project has achieved LEED Gold Certification. TLC provided LEED consulting, LEED administration, and enhanced commissioning services for the project. KBJ was the architect and Danis was the contractor. This is TLC's 53rd LEED-certified project and the 13th with which Division 81 has been involved - six Gold, five Silver and two Certified.

SSA/ODOR Building in Montgomery, AL, Achieves LEED Silver

The SSA/ODAR office building in Montgomery, AL, has achieved LEED NC v2.2 Silver. TLC provided LEED project administration services for this design-build project. Our role included filing an appeal to win the Minimum Energy Performance prerequisite and Optimize Energy Performance points, which got the project to 34 points. The 49,300-sf, two-story office building is owned by a developer who did it as a build-to-suit for the General Services Administration. The building houses the district Social Security offices, including the regional Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) hearing offices. Project construction cost was slightly more than $7 million. The contractor was Brasfield & Gorrie and the architect was IPG.

UNF Education Building Becomes TLC's 50th LEED Certified Building

Congratulations to TLC Jacksonville, whose University of North Florida College of Education building has achieved LEED Gold! TLC teamed with Baker Barrios architects for the project, which is TLC's 50th LEED certified building. The project initially received 37 LEED points but the team re-submitted the LEED construction credits with two additional points (Green Power and Exemplary Performance on Recycled Content) to reach for the Gold. This is the first LEED Gold building on UNF's campus. The new three-story, 110,000-sf building has classrooms, "smart classrooms," conference rooms, study areas, and offices. Our services included structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, communications and technology design services and energy modeling.

Lynn Financial Center Achieves LEED-CS v2.0 Gold

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TLC got an early Christmas present with the news that Lynn Financial Center in Boca Raton achieved USGBC LEED CS v2.0 Gold. TLC teamed with Retzsch Lanao Caycedo (RLC) Architects and provided MEP/FP and energy modeling services for the two new four-story core-and-shell office buildings.The buildings feature an underground reservoir to store rain water for irrigation, energy-efficient air conditioning and recycled building materials. Constructed in 2009 at a cost of $10.3 million, the twin buildings offer 128,000 sf of Class A office space. The project was awarded all 35 points that were submitted. This is TLC's 49th LEED certified building.

Riverbend Office Building Achieves LEED-NC Gold

TLC just logged its 48th LEED certified project with Riverbend Office Building in Tampa, which has achieved LEED NC Gold. Teamed with Knovations LLC of Tampa, TLC provided LEED consulting, energy modeling and commissioning for this new 2-story, 24,000-sf office building.

TLC Projects Earn Double Dose of LEED Gold

Not one but two TLC projects have achieved USGBC LEED Gold certification: the University of Florida Pediatric Dental Clinic in Naples (shown below) and the Salvatore M. Zeitlin Animal Hospital in West Palm Beach.

The Ft. Myers office teamed with Schenkel Shultz Architecture for the Pediatric Dental Clinic and WG Mills was the construction manager. Our services included MEP, fire protection and structural design along with support for LEED mechanical and electrical templates including energy modeling. The building is located on the Edison State College Collier County Campus right next to the Early Childhood Development Building, another TLC LEED Gold project. The Jacksonville office teamed with Stuebben Architecture for the Salvatore M. Zeitlin Animal Hospital in West Palm Beach, which was formerly known as Palm Beach Zoo Veterinary Hospital. Constructed at a cost of $2.5 million, the 10,000-sf building has exam rooms, treatment rooms, laboratories and offices and features a photovoltaic system on the roof. Our services included MEP, fire protection, C&T, LEED design and energy modeling. Both projects received 42 LEED points.

Gregory Clements Becomes CxA

Mechanical Engineer Gregory Clements has passed the ACG commissioning exam to become Division 41's newest certified commissioning authority. He joins Jim Keohane, Lawrin Ellis and Carmine Rende. TLC now has 25 CxA's.

TLC Dallas Achieves LEED Gold CI

Congratulations to Division Director John Piazza, PE, LEED AP, and the Dallas staff, whose new office space has been awarded LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors certification. The interior renovation and tenant build-out was awarded 32 of 57 points, 20 in the design phase and 12 in the final construction phase review. This is TLC's 45th LEED certified project. For the record, we have one Platinum, 12 Gold, 19 silver and 13 Certified.

Steve Rollin Special Guest at Groundbreaking

Deerfield Division Director Steve Rollin, PE, RCDD, LEED AP, represented TLC at the recent groundbreaking of the Village of Palmetto Bay Municipal Center. This design-build two-story building includes office space for the village police station, building department, municipal offices and commission chambers. TLC provided MEP/FP/LEED administration, energy modeling and net-zero pre-design supplementary consulting for the building, which is designed for LEED Gold. The 25,000-sf building is expected to be competed in 2010 at a construction cost of $4 million. Steve was at the groundbreaking by special invitation to present the vision, our role in the project, green and sustainable systems and net zero goals. This was an excellent and well received promotional opportunity for TLC and our energy/sustainability leadership.

Michael Sheerin On Green Healthcare Panel

Director of Healthcare Michael Sheerin, PE, LEED AP, participated in a panel discussion on healthcare sustainability at the recent Western Florida Chapter American College of Healthcare Executives education seminar in Ft. Myers. Michael is shown above with George Mikatarian, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Parrish Medical Center, at left, and Kent Ley, AIA, Facility Architect and Planner at Lee Memorial Health System, center.

UF Baseball Locker Room Earns LEED

University of Florida's new Baseball Locker Room and Lemerand Athletics Center renovation project has achieved LEED certification. The Lemerand Athletics Center originally housed locker room spaces for soccer, baseball, softball, men's track, women's track and volleyball. In 2001, the softball locker room was moved to a new facility adjacent to softball field in order to provide better access to the softball team and to open space for the volleyball locker room to expand. Since space for the remaining teams was still at a premium, the University decided to move the baseball team from Lemerand to a new facility, thus opening up space for the remaining teams. In addition to locker rooms, the new facility includes improved audio-visual rooms, showers, restrooms, and storage space for the baseball program. Renovations were made to the Lemerand Center entrance and the northeast entrance of the baseball field entrance. Teamed with RDG Sports, TLC provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, communications and technology services for UF's new 5,500-sf facility. This $9 million renovation project was completed in 2006. This is TLC's 44th LEED certified building.

UM Clinical Research Building Achieves LEED

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Great news for the Deerfield Office -- the University of Miami Clinical Research Building has achieved USGBC LEED Certification! TLC teamed with Perkins+Will for the core and shell and P+W, Atlanta, for tenant improvements for this $90 million project. The new 15-story building includes a 60,000-sf wellness center, 30,000-sf Center for Research in Medical Education, libraries, conference rooms, offices, reception areas and a 1,423-space parking garage. Our services included MEP/FP and energy modeling.

U.S. Army Reserve Center in Gainesville Gains LEED Silver

Photo/KBJ Architects

TLC Jacksonville has another notch on its LEED belt -- the U.S. Army Reserve Center Renovation in Gainesville, which earned LEED for New Construction Silver certification. We teamed with KBJ Architects and QBS constructors for this $4.5 million, design-build project. Services were provided for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Southeastern Region, Jacksonville District. The building was approved for 36 of the 37 credits submitted, plus all seven prerequisites.

It's LEED Gold for the City of Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services

Another TLC project has achieved LEED certification -- the City of Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services. TLC was not the engineer of record but our Jacksonville office provided some HVAC consulting, energy modeling and commissioning services. This was a design-build project with Ebert Norman and Brady Architects and Auld & White Constructors, LLC.

Vincent McNish Is TLC's Latest CxA

Vincent McNish, a mechanical project engineer in the Miami office, has passed the ACG commissioning exam.Vincent's business card is filling up fast -- he's also a registered Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited Professional and a Certified Plumbing Designer. TLC now has 24 Certified Commissioning Authorities.

Carmine Rende Passes CxA Exam

Senior Project Engineer Carmine Rende, PE, LEED AP, now has a new professional credential -- CxA. Carmine passed the ACG commissioning exam to become TLC's 22nd Certified Commissioning Authority and the Ft. Myers Division's 3rd.

TLC Accepts 2030 Challenge

As a pioneer of green design in the South, TLC Engineering for Architecture has accepted the 2030 Challenge (http://www.architecture2030.org/).This initiative, endorsed by the American Institute of Architects, the AIA Committee on the Environment and other organizations, aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.The 2030 Challenge asks the global architecture and building community to adopt design targets for new buildings, developments and major renovations to meet predetermined fossil fuel, GHG-emitting and energy consumption performance standards. The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations starts at 50% and will be increased by 10% every five years until it reaches carbon neutral in 2030. These targets may be met by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.TLC has committed to the 2030 Challenge because it reflects our values as a sustainable design engineering firm and supports our goal to remain the sustainable engineer of choice.For more information about TLC’s sustainable design experience, contact Kim Shinn, PE, LEED AP, CxA at kim.shinn@tlc-eng.com or your local TLC office.

TBFNT Aiken County Earns LEED EB O&M Silver

The Bridgestone Aiken County tire manufacturing plant in Graniteville, SC, has achieved LEED Silver for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. TLC provided LEED consulting for this 1.75 million sf project. We also achieved a new milestone: 40 LEED certified buildings!

TLC Nashville Achieves LEED for Commercial Interiors Certification

The Nashville office has achieved LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. TLC Nashville provided MEP, C&T, LEED consulting, energy modeling and commissioning for the interior renovation and tenant build-out. This is TLC's 37th LEED Certified Building and second TLC regional office, following Jacksonville, to achieve LEED CI. Our Dallas office is LEED registered and awaiting certification.

Florida State University President Recognizes TLC Tallahassee

TLC and GRCA were recognized by Florida State University for their contribution in the design and construction of the Kirby W. Kemper Off-Grid Zero Emissions Building. Florida State President T.K. Wetherell presented the team with an engraved wood and brass plaque at the dedication ceremony Aug. 14. The building, which houses the new Energy and Sustainable Center, is designed to meet USGBC LEED Platininum certification. The Center will serve as a working laboratory for the development of sustainable technologies. Additionally, it will house exchange students coming to FSU to study energy conservation.The building envelope consists of structural insulated panels that are thermally efficient. The building also features daylighting windows with light shelves to maximize natural light and minimize the need for artificial light.The design employs a 7-KW photovoltaic array for converting solar energy into usable electricity. The PV panels will be used to produce hydrogen through the use of a highly efficient water electrolysis device that is currently under development by the Center. The hydrogen will be burned in a generator to provide all electrical power. A standard gas water heater was converted to burn hydrogen so no natural gas is needed. Even the kitchen range has been converted to burn hydrogen. TLC provided LEED AP, Cx, and MEP design services. Now that construction is complete, the project has been submitted for final LEED certification.

TLC Hosts USGBC North Florida Retreat

On Saturday Aug. 15, TLC hosted and sponsored the USGBC North Florida Chapter’s annual Steering Committee retreat at TLC’s LEED CI Silver Certified Jacksonville office. Education Committee Chair Mark Gelfo and Marketing & Communications Committee Chair Emily Carrier were among the 20 chapter leaders in attendance. Among the many topics discussed, Mark gave the chapter’s leaders a presentation on the new LEED AP credentials and the new Credentialing Maintenance Program being rolled out by USGBC.

TLC's LEED-Certified Portfolio Grows to 36

Boca Village Corporate Center South Tower in Boca Raton has achieved LEED Core and Shell 2.0 Silver certification, making it TLC's 36th LEED certified building. We provided commissioning and energy modeling services for the seven-story core-and shell commercial office building, which was constructed at a cost of $17. 5 million.

USGBC-NF Honors Mark Gelfo, Emily Carrier

Jacksonville's Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED AP, CxA, and Emily Carrier, LEED AP, CPSM, were honored in the recent U.S. Green Building Council North Florida Chapter 2009 Innovation Awards ceremony. Mark won the President's Award and Emily was named Volunteer of the Year.

New Heights Elementary Achieves LEED Gold

New Heights Elementary School in St. Petersburg has achieved USGBC LEED Gold certification. Tampa's Al Lapera provided commissioning services for the school, formerly known as Tyrone Elementary. TLC teamed with Beck for the school, which is TLC's 35th LEED certified project.

TLC Among ENR's Top Green Firms

TLC ranked 55 in Engineering News-Record's listing of the top 100 green design firms in the country. If there's any doubt that sustainable design has hit the mainstream, the magazine reports that in 2008, the top 100 firms generated $2.85 billion in revenue from LEED registered projects, an increase of 63.9% over $1.74 billion in 2007.

Dallas South Central Police Station Attains LEED Gold

Photo/Perkins+Will
The Dallas South Central Police Station has achieved LEED® Gold certification. TLC, in joint venture with Meza Engineering of Dallas, teamed with Perkins+Will Architects of Dallas for the project. The 38,000-sf building, which opened in 2007, is the first new Dallas Police Department building to serve the south side since 1991. Designed to hold a capacity of 400, the station houses the department’s Seventh Patrol Division and serves a growing area about 15 miles south of downtown.The station was built with the goal of reconnecting and revitalizing the department’s relationship with the surrounding community. To achieve this, the building was designed with an open and welcoming feel, with lots of glass and natural materials. Other sustainable features include: use of geothermal system for heating and cooling that reduces energy costs up to 58%; low-flow fixtures that reduce water consumption up to 30%; low-emitting adhesives and sealants; collection of rain water from rooftops for irrigation; permeable paving for overflow public parking; and an Energy Star roofing system. Native plants are used throughout the site including buffalo grass, native grasses and a variety of decorative gravels. The irrigation system consists primarily of drip irrigation to reduce wasteful overspray and the overall use of water on the site.

New Allied Health and Sciences Building Brings Home the Gold to VCC

The Allied Health and Sciences Building at Valencia Community College West Campus has become the college's first USGBC LEED certified building. The new 84,500-sf building achieved LEED NC 2.2 Gold. TLC teamed with Baker Barrios and provided MEP/FP, structural, audio/visual, voice/data, LEED consulting and energy modeling services. The HVAC system was designed to achieve more than 20% in annual energy cost savings. This, coupled with energy-efficient lights, windows and insulation, makes the building 28% more efficient than a conventional building and saves the college about $41,000 in annual energy costs. This is TLC’s 33rd LEED certified building and 8th LEED Gold!

Seamus O'Donnell Newest LEED AP at Miami Office

Congratulations to Seamus O'Donnell, a mechanical design/energy modeling champion in the Miami office, for passing the LEED exam. He is TLC's 117th LEED AP and Miami's 10th. Nice job, Shay.

Ramesh Munagala Passes LEED® Exam

Senior Project Manager Ramesh Munagala is the latest Dallas staffer to pass the LEED exam. TLC's newest division now boasts six LEED APs -- Ramesh, John Piazza, Raul Malilong, Ryan Taylor, Aaron Morken and Jay Ritch. TLC Dallas recently moved into new sustainable office space at 4131 N. Central Expressway. The office is providing engineering services for numerous buildings that are on track for LEED certification, including Park Place Honda of Burleson, Dallas Fire Station No. 42, Global Peace Factory Coffee House, and numerous Bank of America buildings in Dallas and Houston. In addition, TLC Dallas is providing design for the $100 million Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho, which is LEED registered.

Bill Jack Acquires LEED® AP

Congratulations to Division 11’s Bill Jack on passing the USGBC LEED exam. He is TLC’s 116th LEED AP.

TLC Dallas Gets a LEED® AP Two-fer

Plumbing/Fire Protection Project Manager Aaron Morken (above) and Electrical Designer Ryan Taylor are the latest Dallas staffers to pass the LEED AP test. The office now has five LEED Accredited Professionals.

Al LaPera Presentation Earns Rave Reviews

Tampa’s Al LaPera gave a well-received presentation at the 88th annual convention of the Florida Association Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors. His topic was “LEED AP – Why Would a Plumbing Contractor Need It?” Al, who is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Certified Commissioning Authority, really knows his stuff. He received high marks all around from the audience and one participant called him a “A Platinum Speaker!”

Kristy Walson Elected Secretary of USGBC Central Florida

Kristy Walson, EI, LEED AP, a mechanical engineer in the Orlando division, has been elected secretary of the U.S. Green Building Council Central Florida Chapter. Besides being a member of the board, she co-chairs the chapter’s Education Committee.

Al LaPera Earns Rave Reviews at FAPHCC Convention

Tampa’s Al LaPera gave a well-received presentation at the 88th annual convention of the Florida Association Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors. His topic was “LEED AP – Why Would a Plumbing Contractor Need It?” Al, who is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Certified Commissioning Authority, really knows his stuff. He received high marks all around from the audience and one participant called him a “A Platinum Speaker!”

Healthcare's Eric Cepull Passes LEED® Exam

Congratulations to Eric Cepull, a mechanical engineer in the Healthcare Division, for passing the USGBC LEED exam. Eric is Healthcare’s 11th LEED Accredited Professional and TLC’s 113th. He’s also a Professional Engineer and a Healthcare Facility Design Professional.

Raul Malilong Is Latest Dallas LEED® AP

Hearty congratulations to Raul Malilong, PE, a mechanical engineer in Dallas, on passing the LEED Professional Accreditation Exam for New Construction. Raul is the third LEED AP in the Dallas office.

St. Pete College Student Services Center Strikes LEED® GOLD

St. Petersburg College Student Services Center has achieved USGBC LEED Gold certification, making it TLC’s 32nd LEED certified project! TLC's Tampa office provided LEED consulting and commissioning services for the $1.2 million, 44,000 sf building. Architect was Canerday Belfsky Arroyo Architects.

Cocoa's Eric Bradford Is LEED® AP

Eric Bradford, a structural engineering intern at the Cocoa Office, has passed the USGBC LEED exam to become Cocoa's 11th LEED AP and TLC's 112th. Congrats, Eric.

John Piazza Acquires LEED® AP

Dallas Division Director John Piazza, PE, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED AP exam. TLC Dallas is providing engineering services for numerous buildings that are on track for LEED certification, including Park Place Honda of Burleson, Dallas Fire Station No. 42, Global Peace Factory Coffee House, and numerous Bank of America buildings in Dallas and Houston. In addition, TLD Dallas is in design on the $100 million Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho, which is LEED registered.

James Wamsley Earns CxA Certificate

James T. Wamsley, PE LEED AP, Senior Mechanical Engineer in the Cocoa office, has passed the ACG commissioning exam to become a Certified Commissioning Authority.

Edison State College Gets Golden Childcare Center

The Edison State College Childcare Center has become the college’s first LEED certified project, earning 40 points for GOLD! TLC Ft. Myers teamed with SchenkelShultz Ft. Myers and provided structural, MEP/FP and fundamental commissioning services. The building is on the Lely Campus in Naples and adjacent to the UF Pediatric Dentistry Clinic, a TLC project that is seeking Silver. TLC now has 31 LEED certified projects including 6 Golds!

East Elementary First Public School in Florida to Achieve LEED® for Schools

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East Elementary School in Punta Gorda has achieved LEED for Schools Silver Certification! The Charlotte County school is the FIRST public school in Florida and one of only five projects in the U.S. to achieve LEED for Schools. The Ft. Myers office teamed with Reynolds Smith and Hills of Ft. Myers for the MEP design and Deerfield did the commissioning. TLC has provided services for four LEED certified schools in Charlotte County: Baker, Neil Armstrong, Peace River, and now East Elementary.

UF Southwest Stadium Expansion Achieves LEED® Platinum

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The University of Florida Southwest Stadium Expansion is the first athletic facility in the nation to attain USGBC LEED Platinum and the first LEED Platinum building in Florida. The three-story, 66,650-sf air conditioned expansion includes an Athletic Center with offices, training areas, meeting rooms, a Gator shop and rest rooms. TLC provided energy modeling services to help drive the decisions that would affect the building’s overall energy consumption. The result is a building that performs 23.8% better than ASHRAE 90.1-1999 requirements based on LEED energy modeling requirements and earned five LEED points based on this performance. We also provided commissioning services. As the commissioning agent, TLC confirmed that the fundamental building systems were designed and constructed according to the owner’s vision and that the facilities staff knows how to operate and maintain the systems. The Southwest Stadium expansion is TLC's 28th LEED Certified project.

Orlando's Natalia Jorquera Passes LEED® Exam

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Structural Engineer Natalia Jorquera, EI, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become the Orlando Division's eighth LEED Accredited Professional. Great job.

Michael C. Head Acquires LEED® Accreditation

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Principal and Senior Structural Engineer Michael C. Head has passed the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Nice going, Mike.

KPMG Nashville Achieves LEED® CI Silver

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KPMG in Nashville has achieved USGBC LEED for Commercial Interiors Silver certification, becoming TLC's 27th LEED certified project. TLC Jacksonville provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection design services for this 17,884-sf tenant fitup. The project was within budget and achieved a full LEED rating higher than the design team was shooting for.

Sandpearl Achieves LEED® Silver; TLC Achieves Another 1st

The Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach has become the first hotel/resort in Florida to earn LEED Certification and only the 15th hotel/resort worldwide. TLC Tampa teamed with Adache Group Architects on the project, which achieved LEED Silver. Hearty congratulations to the Tampa team members who worked on the project. Special thanks to Gerry Crnkovich and Al Lapera, who according to Tampa Division Director Kevin Keiter, "left a few years of their lives somewhere under the foundations of that challenging project."

Boca Colonnade Strikes LEED® Gold

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Boca Colonnade in Boca Raton has been certified for LEED Core and Shell Pilot Gold. TLC Deerfield provided mechanical and electrical design and energy modeling for this new four-story, class A office building and 400-car parking garage. Construction was completed in 2007 at a cost of $8 million. This is TLC's 25th USGBC LEED certified building. Congratulations to the entire design team.

Starbucks Plant Achieves LEED® Gold

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Starbucks Manufacturing Plant No. 5 in Sandy Run, South Carolina, has achieved USGBC LEED Gold, making it TLC's 24th LEED certified project. Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo provided LEED administration and fundamental and enhanced commissioning for the new 150,000-sf plant, which was constructed at a cost of $20 million. This is Jacksonville's first LEED Gold project and Mark's seventh overall as LEED administrator.

Cheryl A. Maze Acquires LEED® AP Accreditation

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Orlando Marketing Representative Cheryl A. Maze has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. She's living up to her name. Nice job, Cheryl!

Wesley Thigpen Adds LEED® AP to His Certifications

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Wesley Thigpen, PE, CxA, mechanical project engineer in the Tallahassee office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design exam to come a LEED Accredited Professional.

FSU Life Sciences Center Gets LEED® Certified

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Florida State University’s Life Sciences Teaching & Research Center has achieved USGBC LEED Certification, making it TLC’s 23rd LEED Certified building. TLC teamed with Elliott Marshal Innes of Tallahassee and provided MEP/FP, structural, LEED design and energy modeling for this research lab/classroom building. This was a Tallahassee project, with several TLC offices providing design services. Congratulations to all!

David Miller Becomes Commissioning Authority

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David Miller has passed the ACG Commissioning Exam to become TLC's 20th Certified Commissioning Authority. David is also a Professional Engineer and a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional. An energy performance consultant, he works out of the Cocoa office.

Our LEED® AP's Are Growing By Leaps and Bounds

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Led by CEO Debra Lupton, TLC's team members have made a mighty push to acquire their USGBC LEED AP's. In the past week alone, our ranks of LEED Accredited Professionals have grown by nine. Show above are (top row, from left) Debra Lupton; Orlando Division Director Wayne Allred; Deerfield Sr. Mechanical Engineer Don Austin; Nashville's Sr. Specialty Designer Dale Peden; (bottom row, from left) Healthcare's Ryan Kmetz; Miami's Vanessa Bermudez; Miami's Lidia Ruiz; Cocoa's Nick Kugler; and Cocoa's Stacy Warren. Congratulations to all! TLC now has 113 LEED AP's.

Ft. Myers Office Has Four More LEED® AP's

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Congratulations to the Ft. Myers team, whose number of LEED Accredited Professionals just grew by 40%. Shown above from left are the newest LEED AP's: Mike McClafferty, David Hamera , Lawrin Ellis and Scott Lain. The Ft. Myers office now has 10 LEED APs.

Kelvin and Gregory Hit LEED® AP Double

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Just in time to kick off St. Patrick's Day, Tallahassee's Kelvin Khor (above left) and Ft. Myers' Gregory Clements (above, right) passed the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become LEED Accredited Professionals. To mark the occasion of TLC's 100th LEED AP, we dubbed both of them "honorary Irish" and celebrated with cake and cupcakes -- with green frosting, of course.

Walker Brands Office Building Achieves LEED® Gold

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Congratulations to the Tampa and Nashville offices, whose Walker Brands building has achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold! The 8,000-sf office building is the City of Tampa's first LEED-certified building and TLC's 22nd LEED-certified project. Teamed with Beck, TLC provided MEP, C&T, LEED consulting and commissioning for the building, which was completed in April 2008. The design achieved a 30% water use reduction over baseline, features lighting controls and lots of daylighting, insulated glass,and a cool roof. Six independent A/C zones and temperature controls in each office provide maximum comfort and optimized energy performance. The HVAC system uses CFC-free refrigerants that minimize the emission of compounds which contribute to global warming. Job well done to Adriel Mercado, Al LaPera, Jamil Aljasir, Brian Green, Rob Shorey from Tampa and Mike Haney and John Rippel from Nashville.

Two More Team Members Acquire LEED® APs

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Leigh Ann Vogel, PE, (above left), and Jason Whittaker, EI, (above right) are the latest TLC team members to become U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professionals. Leigh Ann is an electrical project manager in Healthcare and Jason is a structural engineer in Nashville. TLC now has 98 LEED accredited professionals.

Six-Mile Cypress Achieves LEED® Silver

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TLC just logged its 21st LEED certified project with the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver certification of the Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Interpretive Center in Ft Myers. The new interactive teaching center includes a boardwalk through the cypress swamp allowing visitors to view birds, alligators, wildlife, plants, flowers, ponds, trees, insects, and turtles in their natural habitat. Jim Keohane and the Ft. Myers gang teamed with Parker Mudgett Smith Architects for the 7,000 sf building, which was completed in 2008. Our services included MEP, LEED design and energy modeling.

Chancey Office Building Receives LEED® Certification

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Congrats to Nashville's John Rippel and Jamil Aljasir, whose fundamental commissioning services helped the Chancey Office Building in Tampa achieve LEED-NC certification. Construction of the four-story, 19,000-sf custom commercial office building was completed in 2008 at a cost of $4 million. In congratulating the team, project architect Lilian Menéndez Sherrard said, "When it comes to sustainability, every effort is of great worth not only for our clients but for our planet. Thanks for your patience, especially to those who endure my many phone calls requesting specific information. In the end it was an effort that we can all be proud of." This is TLC's 20th LEED Certified project.

19th TLC Project Achieves LEED® Certification

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Congratulation to Mark Gelfo and the Jacksonville team, whose Stellar Group Sylvanside Office Building has achieved USGBC LEED for New Construction Silver Certification! TLC provided LEED administration and consulting services for the project, which included design charrettes during the conceptual and schematic phases and periodic LEED design review meetings during design and construction. The two-story, 25,000-sf office building was constructed at a cost of $5 million. Stellar was the design building-and owner. For the record, this is TLC's 19th LEED Certified project and the Jacksonville Office's 7th certified project.

Two TLC Staffers Become LEED® Accredited Professionals

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Chirag Parikh of the Deerfield office (right) and Brannon Bass (left) of the Tallahassee office have both passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become LEED Accredited professionals. TLC now has 96 LEED-APs.

David Miller Brings Energy & Efficiency to His Role

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David Miller, PE, LEED AP, has joined TLC as an energy performance consultant. David will perform energy assessments, facility evaluation and re-commissioning and help position TLC as an expert in this growing niche market. He will also support TLC engineers in the delivery of cost-effective engineering solutions. “In a nutshell, I will compile data on how a building performs in terms of energy efficiency, help the owner-client understand what the data means, and find ways for him or her to save or make money,” he said. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, David has more than 19 years of experience in building controls, systems analysis and design in the A/E profession, with a focus on public sector and hospital work. His clients have included the State of New York, the University of Florida, Yale University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Florida Hospital, Shands, Methodist and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Tracy Bethel Achieves LEED® Accreditation

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Tracy Bethel, plumbing/fire protection manager for the Nashville office, passed the USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Tracy is Nashville's 12th LEED AP.

New Year Brings Three New LEED® AP's

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Three more TLC staffers have passed the U.S. Greeen Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam. Shown above from left are: Tampa's Senior Project Manager Al LaPera and Healthcare's Mechanical Engineer Jeremiah Bullis, EI, who passed the LEED for New Construction exam, and Nashville's Marketing Specialist Vikki Carter, who passed the LEED for Commercial Interiors exam. Firm-wide, TLC now has 93 LEED Accredited Professionals.

Two Staffers Acquire LEED ®AP

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Orlando Division Senior Mechanical Engineer Mike Hartley, PE, (above left) and Healthcare's Electrical Engineer Andrew Legro, PE, (above right) passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become LEED Accredited Professionals. TLC now has 90 LEED APs firmwide.

We're Ringing in the Season with LEED® CI Silver

Photo Illustration Courtesy of ASD, Inc.
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Just in time for the holidays, a confidential client's renovated office space in SouthPark Center in Orlando achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED® for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Silver certification. TLC’s Jacksonville office provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection design and commissioning services. ASD, Inc., of Jacksonville provided architectural, interior design, and LEED administration services. In planning the 37,500-sq.ft.renovation, executives of the hotel and resort firm decided to “green up” its corporate offices to improve productivity and lower building operation costs. The project involved incorporating low-flow faucets and flush meters, lamps that brighten in low sunlight, and motion detector lighting in all of the offices, and placing recycling bins throughout. This is the second USGBC LEED-CI project in Florida; both achieved Silver ratings and both were TLC projects. The first was TLC’s new office space in the DuPont Center on the Southbank in Jacksonville. A leader in sustainable engineering and LEED consulting, TLC Engineering for Architecture has a portfolio of 18 LEED-certified projects and nearly 100 LEED-registered projects.

Nashville Project Achieves LEED® EB Silver Certification

The Bridgestone Firestone tire manufacturing plant in Warren County, Tennessee, has become TLC’s 18th LEED-Certified project and our first LEED for Existing Buildings. The Nashville office provided LEED consulting services including documenting the prerequisites and credits needed for certification, reviewing the documentation prior to submittal, and serving as a technical resource. The 19-year-old, 1 million-sf plant is the second manufacturing facility in the U.S. and the first tire plant in the world to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification.

Miami's Ralph Baeza Becomes a LEED® AP

Ralph Baeza, PE, an associate and senior electrical engineer in the Miami office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Ralph is Miami’s 8th LEED AP and TLC’s 89th.

Jim Mullen Is TLC's Latest LEED® AP

Jim Mullen, PE, a mechanical project engineer in the Cocoa office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Jim is Cocoa’s 8th LEED AP and TLC’s 88th.

Denise Terry Passes LEED® Exam

Electrical Engineer Denise Terry, EI, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Denise is the Jacksonville staff’s 26th LEED AP and TLC’s 87th.

Matt Wiechart Acquires CxA

Matt Wiechart, senior mechanical engineer in the Orlando Division, has passed the AABC commissioning exam to become a certified commissioning authority. Matt is also a Professional Engineer and a U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Accredited Professional.

Brian Lomel Appointed to USGBC-SF Board

Brian Lomel, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, has been appointed to the U.S. Green Building Council South Florida Board. In addition to serving as a director, he will chair the education committee. His election to this highly contested post reflects high praise from his peers.

Three Staffers Become Commissioning Authorities

Three more TLC staffers have passed the AABC Commissioning Group Certification exam to become certified commissioning authorities. They are (above, from left) Lawrin Ellis, PE, of the Ft. Myers office, Wesley Thigpen Jr., PE, of the Tallahassee, aned Gary Jeffries of the Cocoa office. TLC now has 20 CxA's firmwide.

Jacksonville Gets Greener by the Day

Billy Ratliff, a plumbing/fire protection designer in the Jacksonville office, has passed the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become Jacksonville's 25th LEED Accredited Professional and TLC's 86th. Sixty-seven percent of the Jacksonville office staff are now LEED APs.

Three More Jacksonville Staffers Acquire LEED® AP

Three more Jacksonville staffers have passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become LEED Accredited Professionals. They are (above from left) Jeff Stone, EI, Chris Vidal, EI, and Dale Galbraith. We now have 24 LEED APs in the Jacksonville Office.

USGBC Central Florida Offering LEED Workshops

The Central Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council will offer two LEED workshops in October at Seminole Community College-Heathrow Campus. “LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations Technical Review” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, October 10. “LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 31. For more information, contact TLC's Kristy Walson, EI, at kristy.walson@tlc-eng.com or 407-487-1118.

Jacksonville's Ryan Lime is New LEED® AP

Ryan Lime is the latest Jacksonville Office staffer to pass the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Ryan is Jacksonville’s 21st LEED AP and TLC’s 83!

Kristy Walson is New LEED® AP

Kristy Walson, EI, a mechanical graduate engineer in the Orlando Division, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become TLC’s 82nd LEED Accredited Professional. Kristy is one of two staffers on the board of the USGBC Central Florida Chatper and serves as co-chair of the Education Committee.

TLC-Jacksonville's LEED® AP Team Flourishes

Six Jacksonville staffers passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to become LEED Accredited Professionals. They are (top row from left): Mechanical Engineer Kellen Miller, EI; Electrical Technician John Hall; and Mechanical Designer Brian Jones; (bottom row from left) Mechanical Designer Brian Allen; Systems Engineer Taw North; and Receptionist/Secretary Kimberly Jowers. This brings the number of LEED APs in Jacksonville to 20.

Lehigh Valley Kasych Pavilion Achieves LEED® Certification

TLC's latest -- and 16th -- LEED certified building is Lehigh Valley Hospital Kasych Pavilion in Allentown, PA. The 7-story Kasych Family Pavilion has 182 private patient rooms; two intensive care units with a total of 44 beds; a 30-bed transitional open heart unit, an 18-bed regional burn center and three medical-surgical units. Classrooms and an education center are on the first floor. Serving the new center is a state-of-the-art communications and electronic records system. Energy savings were achieved through the use of exhaust ventilation heat recovery, a process in which the heat of the air exhausted from the building is captured and used to pre-heat the fresh air being drawn into the building. Other LEED strategies include dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets to reduce water consumption; energy efficient lighting and mechanical systems; use of natural daylight; eco-friendly flooring, paint and sealants; and reflective roofing materials that make it easier to cool the building. Nearly 90% of the construction and demolition debris was diverted from going to the landfill. “Going green is the right thing to do for our environment and our community,” said Brian Hardner, the hospital’s vice president of facilities and construction. FreemanWhite Inc. was architect of record, developed the master plan, planned and designed interior functions and provided interior design services. Venturi Scott Brown was design architect for the exterior and major interior public spaces. Construction manager was Whiting-Turner. TLC provided MEP and technology engineering, LEED administration and energy modeling services and assisted with the commissioning. The pavilion was part of the Green Guide for Health Care Construction pilot program, which TLC was instrumental in developing.

Ft. Myers Staff Becoming Familiar Faces at Charlotte County School Board Meetings

Members of TLC's Ft. Myers staff made their 3rd appearance in four months before the Charlotte County School Board meeting to accept a framed U.S. Green Building Certificate and show off the LEED plaque that was awarded for the LEED Silver certified Peace River Elementary School. TLC teamed with Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Ft. Myers for the project. Owen-Ames-Kimball was the construction manager. Shown left to right are Lawrin Ellis, Jim Keohane, James Wing and Robert Lesnau.

Biscayne Landing Office Building Pre-Certified for LEED® Gold CS

The Biscayne Landing Office Building in Miami Beach has been pre-certified for U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold for Core and Shell and is only two points away from Platinum. TLC provided sustainable MEP, fire protection, and energy modeling services for the building. The architect, Arquitectonica, is submitting documentation in an effort to achieve Platinum. Similarly, the Orlando Fire Station 15, for which TLC did the commissioning, has earned 29 LEED points, which makes it a lock for achieving LEED for New Construction certification (minimum of 26 points required).

More Good Green News

The University of Florida Baseball Locker Room Facility has achieved LEED for New Construction certification. Teamed with RDG Planning and Design, TLC provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology services for the facility. And a golden oldie, the USAA Regional Office Building in Tampa (above), has been awarded LEED Gold for Existing Building certification. Way back when, TLC teamed with Spillis Candella DMJM to provide MEP and technology services for this building.

Vincent McNish is TLC's Newest LEED® AP

Vincent McNish, PE, Project Mechanical Engineer at the Miami Office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become TLC’s newest LEED Accredited Professional. He is Miami’s 7th LEED AP and TLC’s 75th.

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo Re-Elected to USGBC North Florida Board

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED AP, CxA, has been re-elected to another term on the board of the U.S. Green Building Council North Florida Chapter. Mark played a key role in organizing the chapter and is a former president. This was the North Florida Chapter's first election in which all of the members could participate in the growth and development of the chapter.

UNF Parking Services Building Earns LEED® Silver

The University of North Florida's Parking Services Building has achieved LEED® Silver Certification in the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating program. “This is a remarkable accomplishment, given the project’s small size (3,000 sf) and budget, and that it was not originally intended to be a LEED building.” noted Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, CxA. Close coordination among the team members, including the university’s facilities people, TLC engineers, project architect Tom Norman of Ebert Norman Brady Architects and project contractor Ty Bliss of W.G. Mills, helped keep the project on track. TLC provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and LEED consulting services for the building, which was constructed at a cost of $1.2 million.

Lehigh Valley Hospital Center for Advanced Health Care Achieves LEED® Silver

Hot on the heels of Peace River Elementary School achieving USGBC LEED Silver comes news that Lehigh Valley Hospital Center for Advanced Health Care in Allentown, PA, has achieved USGBC LEED for Core and Shell Pilot Silver certification. The project achieved 33 points – one shy of Gold! TLC served as LEED consultant and commissioning agent on the 4-story medical building. Hearty congratulations to Nashville’s Kim Shinn and Victoria Robertson for all of their hard work. This is TLC’s 14th LEED certified building, second LEED healthcare building, and first LEED certified building outside of Florida.

Peace River Elementary School is TLC's "Lucky 13" LEED® Building

Peace River Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor has achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Silver Certification. TLC teamed with Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Ft. Myers for the project. Some of the sustainable features are high-performance chillers and air handlers, low-flow faucets and toilets, motion-activated lights and indirect lighting. In addition, the ceiling and floor tiles, the carpeting, the filters on the air conditioning, ventilation and heating equipment, and the building's structural steel framing are all recycled or renewable materials.The building is TLC's 13th LEED certified building and the third TLC-engineered Charlotte County school to be LEED certified since March. Hat’s off to the Ft. Myers office, which provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection design services, and the Deerfield Beach office, which commissioned the building.

Charlotte County Schools Laud Ft. Myers “Green Team”

Members of the Ft. Myers’ sustainable design team are getting to be regulars at Charlotte County school board meetings. For the second time in three months, Ft. Myers engineers were special guests at the meeting to present a crystal USGBC LEED plaque, this one for Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Port Charlotte. With the March certification of Baker Center Early Childhood Center, Charlotte County School District has the distinction of having the first public school and the first elementary school in Florida to be LEED certified - and TLC provided engineering and LEED consulting services for both! Of the 34 LEED-certified buildings in Florida, 12 of them - 35% -- are TLC projects. Shown left to right: Jeffrey Stash, James Wing, James Koehane, Brett Sands, and Michael Head from TLC's Ft. Myers office

Deerfield Beach Expands its Green Team with New Mechanical Engineer

Alvaro Gonzalez, EI, LEED AP, has joined the Deerfield Beach staff as a mechanical engineer. With a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from America University in Bogata, Colombia, and nine years of MEP experience, Alvaro brings strong HVAC design skills to our Deerfield Beach team.

Charlotte County's Neil Armstrong Elementary School Becomes 1st LEED® Certified Elementary School in Florida

Neil Armstrong Media Room/Photo Courtesy of Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc.

Charlotte County's new Neil Armstrong replacement elementary school in Port Charlotte has become the first elementary school in Florida to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. The certification comes on the heels of Charlotte County's Baker Center Early Childhood Center becoming the first LEED certified public school. Neil Armstrong and Baker were two of the six Charlotte County schools destroyed by Hurricane Charley in August 2004. TLC teamed with Reynolds, Smith and Hills architect and provided sustainable mechanical, electrical, structural, plumbing and fire protection design, LEED consulting, energy modeling and commissioning services. Owens-Ames-Kimball served as construction manager. Neil Armstrong is TLC's 12th LEED certified building; in fact, of the 34 LEED certified buildings in Florida, TLC has provided engineering or commissioning services for 35%.

Bob Ricketts Is Named Tallahassee Division Director

Robert Ricketts, PE, LEED AP, CxA, has been named Director of the Tallahassee office. A firm principal whose most recent role was senior electrical engineer, Bob has been a staple of the Tallahassee staff for more than 15 years. He has lived in Tallahassee since 1981 and is well known in the engineering and architectural communities for his technical excellence, responsiveness to clients, and professionalism. Bob has more than 36 years of experience in all aspects of electrical engineering and project management. His portfolio includes numerous buildings at Florida State and Florida A&M universities, Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy, the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital campus, the Department of Management Services, and the Leon County School District. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma. As an avid proponent of sustainable engineering, Bob is an accredited professional in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program and is an ACG-certified commissioning authority. His sustainable projects include the LEED Silver certified City of Tallahassee Solid Waste Facility and the Florida State University Life Science Research Center, which is registered for certification.

Mark Gelfo Appointed to ACG Board

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED AP, CxA, has been appointed to the board of the American Commissioning Group (ACG), the nation’s leading association of certified commissioning authorities. Mark learned of the appointment while attending the ACG’s annual conference in Las Vegas, where he gave a well-received presentation on Commissioning of Emergency Power Systems. Commissioning is an integral part of today’s high-performance and sustainable buildings because it verifies that the complex building systems and processes work as designed. A leader in sustainable design in Northeast Florida, Mark is Immediate Past President and Education Committee Chair for the USGBC North Florida Chapter.

Matthew Craig Passes LEED® AP Exam

Matthew Craig, a structural EI in the Cocoa office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Matt is the 7th LEED AP in Cocoa and only the 6th structural engineer at TLC to acquire LEED accreditation.

John Riner Acquires LEED® AP

John Riner, PE, MBA, LEED AP, electrical project manager in Cocoa, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. He is Cocoa’s 6th LEED AP. John’s projects include the Toho Water Authority Administration Building in Kissimmee and the Cocoa Utilities Transmission and Distribution Warehouse in Cocoa, both of which are seeking LEED certification.

Three TLC Staffers Become Certified Commissioning Authorities

From Left: Ryan Fryman, Richard Lindburg and Al LaPera

Jacksonville Electrical Project Engineer Ryan Fryman, Tallahassee Electrical Project Engineer Richard Lindburg, and Tampa Senior Project Manager Al LaPera all passed the ACG commissioning authority exam to become certified CxA's. The test was offered at the Annual American Commissioning Group (ACG) Conference last week. TLC now has 16 certified commissioning authorities. The certification is especially important because commissioning is an integral part of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification.

The Charlotte County School Board at their April meeting recognized the outstanding LEED contributions provided by our Ft. Myers staffers by presenting them a framed U.S. Green Building Council LEED for New Construction Certificate and a USGBC glass plaque for the recently completed Baker Center in Punta Gorda. Brett McKinstry, Jim Keohane, Mike Head, Jacob Kaye, Lawrin Ellis, and Jim Wing were on hand to receive the certificate and plaque.Shown from left to right: Lawrin Ellis, Jim Wing, Jim Keohane, Mike Head, Jacob Kaye and Brett McKinstry.

The Baker Center Early Childhood Center in Punta Gorda has become the first public school building in Florida to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. The early childhood center and home of Charlotte County's Head Start and Early Head Start Program was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004 and was housed in modular classrooms ever since. "It's exciting to know we have a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that is not only safe for our children but environmentally friendly," said Baker Center Manager Debi Bell. TLC Ft. Myers teamed with Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects and provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, communications, and technology design services and LEED administration for the building, while TLC Deerfield Beach provided commissioning services. Baker Center is TLC's 11th LEED Certified building.

Mechanical Engineer Donia Bessa has passed her Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Her business card is filling up fast – she’s also a registered Professional Engineer, a Certified Plumbing Designer and a Healthcare Facility Design Professional. Donia is the Healthcare Division's fifth LEED AP.

Miami Division Director Angel Lorenzo, PE, passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Angel is the Miami Office's sixth LEED AP and TLC’s 75th. Among the office's LEED-registered projects is Biscayne Landing, the $730 million master-planned community in North Miami.

Senior Electrical Engineer Brett Sands, PE, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Brett is the ninth LEED AP at the Ft. Myers office and the 73rd LEED AP firm-wise. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

LEED Accredited Professionals from TLC’s Jacksonville office show off their green TLC LEED shirts. All 15 staffers passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to attain the LEED AP credential. TLC rewards each employee who becomes LEED accredited with these specially designed shirts. The plaque in the picture is for the office’s Silver LEED CI certification. Shown above (from front row center going counterclockwise) are Emily Carrier, Rafi Wartan, Leonard Spears, Harry Waller, Dick Worth, Ben Cole, Ryan Fryman, Mike Giordano, DJ Parker, Mark Gelfo, Ben Roseborough, Butch Tucker, Mark Murphy, Mac Coble, and Gerald Versluys.

Associate and Senior Mechanical Project Engineer Carmine Rende of the Ft. Myers office has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Carmine is the eighth LEED AP in TLC-Ft. Myers and the 72nd firmwide.

Jacob Kaye, PE, an Electrical Project Engineer in Ft. Myers, has passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Jacob is Ft. Myers’ seventh LEED AP and TLC’s 71st.

Parrish Medical Center’s Port St. John Health Center and Nature Preserve has achieved USGBC LEED Silver Certification. The medical office building is the first health care facility in the state to achieve LEED certification. Congratulations to Director of Healthcare Engineering Michael Sheerin, Parrish-PSJ Project Manager Bob Danner, and the entire design team. TLC teamed with RTKL Architects of Dallas for the project, which is TLC’s 9th LEED certified building. Of the 24 LEED certified buildings in Florida, we have provided design and/or commissioning services for 37.5% of them!

Jacksonville’s Marketing Specialist Emily Carrier has passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Emily is the 15th LEED Accredited Professional in the Jacksonville office and the 71st firm-wide.

John Rippel, PE, CGD, LEED AP, CxA, will give a presentation on the “Fundamentals of Ground Source Heat Pumps” at an educational forum hosted by the American Ground Water Trust on Jan. 17 in Tallahassee. The forum, entitled “Using the Earth’s Renewable Energy,” is aimed at engineers, architects, planners, and professionals in related fields. John, who is a mechanical project engineer in the Tampa office, is one of only two certified geothermal engineers in the State of Florida. For more information or to register for the conference, click here.

Dick Worth, PE, LEED-AP, senior mechanical engineer in Jacksonville, just added another credential to his name – Healthcare Facility Design Professional. Dick is TLC’s second engineer to earn the HFDP credential, which is offered by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers in conjunction with the American Society of Healthcare Engineering and the American Hospital Association.

Orlin Velinov, PE, mechanical project engineer in Miami, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Orlin is Miami’s 5th LEED AP and TLC’s 70th.

Carmine Rende, PE, (left) and Nick Mancuso, PE, (right) both senior project engineers in Ft. Myers, have become Certified Sustainable Development Professionals. The credential, offered by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), identifies individuals who have demonstrated high levels of technical expertise in energy management and environmental practices. Nick and Carmine are lifetime members of the AEE.

Mechanical Project Manager Donald J. Parker, CPD, LEED AP, is now the 14th LEED Accredited Professional in Jacksonville. With DJ joining TLC’s green team, Jacksonville has become the first division to meet the goal of having all PMs and above become LEED Accredited. TLC now has 70 LEED Accredited Professionals.

Tallahassee Division Director John Hardesty, who is already a registered Professional Engineer, LEED Accredited Professional, Certified Commissioning Authority, and Certified Energy Manager, has added another certification: Certified Sustainable Development Professional. This new credential, offered by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), identifies individuals who have demonstrated high levels of technical expertise in energy management and environmental practices. Certification requires a three-day mandatory AEE training course and passage of a four-hour exam. Applicants must be a PE, CEM, have a bachelor of science degree plus more than six years of engineering experience, or be an engineering technician with more than 10 years of experience.

Ben Cole, PE, HFDP, a firm principal and Senior Mechanical Project Engineer in Jacksonville, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. He is TLC’s 69th LEED AP and Jacksonville’s 13th. Ben, who is a Professional Engineer and a Healthcare Facility Design Professional, can now add LEED AP to his growing list of accreditations.

Tallahassee’s Green Team was out in force at the 2nd Annual Campus and Community Sustainability Conference Oct. 15 and 16 at Florida State University. The conference drew more than 250 attendees from across Florida. Senior Electrical Engineer Bobby Ricketts, Electrical Project Engineer Richard Lindburg, Mechanical Project Engineer John Fortenberry, and Mechanical Project Engineer Doug Law manned TLC’s booth while Division Director John Hardesty worked the room as only he can – in fact, Division 31 picked up a commissioning job from the City of Tallahassee. Marketing’s Mike Miller did such a great job on the booth that the other exhibitors were green with envy. The conference was presented by LLT Building Corporation and hosted by FSU's Sustainable Campus and Community Committee and the Council for Sustainable Florida.

Congratulations to Brian Lomel and the Deerfield Beach office, whose Broward County South Regional Library just achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Silver certification. TLC commissioned the HVAC, lighting dimming control, and domestic water systems for the $13.8 million library, which was designed by Marvin Scharf & Associates of Ft. Lauderdale. Our commissioning services included review of DD and CD submittals, production of Design and Construction phase commissioning plans, shop drawing reviews, and reviewing pre-functional and functional testing results. The library features a multi-purpose room, a computer library, and several collections including the largest collection of children’s books in the county. Florida now has 22 LEED-certified buildings and TLC has provided sustainable design, LEED consulting and/or commissioning services on eight of them – or 36%!

Senior Plumbing/Fire Protection Engineer John Alford, PE, CIPE, and Mechanical Project Manager Clark Hunt Jr., both from the Orlando Division, have passed the U.S. Green Building Council LEED exam to become LEED Accredited Professionals. This makes six LEED APs in the Orlando Division and 69 firm-wide. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the USGBC's green building rating system.

The City of Dunedin’s new Community Center has received LEED Silver certification from U.S. Green Building Council. TLC teamed with Collman & Karsky of Tampa for the $8.2 million building. The engineering team, including project manager Ray Stacey, Kevin Keiter, Jon Milam, Rob Shorey, Ron Schleich, Gerry Crnkovich, Erin Gessner Harvey, and Santiago Beron, designed the MEP/FP systems to be eco-friendly and efficient. Environmental and cost savings were achieved by optimizing energy performance with glass, insulation and sun control for an annual savings of at least $35,000 per year; reducing water use by more than 20%; achieving zero light pollution; complete remediation of the former brownfield site; recycling more than 70% of the construction waste; and using recycled building materials. The additional cost for the LEED portion of the design and construction was an estimated 2% of the total, or $160,000, with a payback of five years. Dunedin Community Center is TLC’s seventh LEED-certified building.

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, served double-duty at a sustainability conference Sept. 20 hosted by the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA). He and Susan Cleveland, LEED-AP, from ASD in Jacksonville, presented a case study of TLC Jacksonville’s new office, which achieved LEED-CI, Silver certification. Mark also served as moderator for a panel discusson on sustainability’s impact on design decisions.

Mark Murphy, PE, electrical project engineer in Jacksonville, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. This makes 12 LEED-AP’s in the Jacksonville office and 69 firm-wide.

Beth Tomlinson, PE, LEED-AP, mechanical engineer in the Miami Division, gave a one-hour presentation to the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Building Enclosure Council on Sept. 11 about the USGBC LEED program and its impact on architecture. She presented before a packed house of more than 50 people, most of whom were South Floridia architects. Beth is the new president-elect of the Miami Chapter of ASHRAE.

Mark Murphy, PE, electrical project engineer in Jacksonville, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. This makes 12 LEED-AP’s in the Jacksonville office and 69 firm-wide.

Jagdish Prasad, senior mechanical project manager in the Orlando Division, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. He is TLC's 68th LEED-AP. Jagdish has more than 32 years of mechanical engineering experience and is a lifetime member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from BIT Sindri, India, and his master's degree and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Florida Atlantic University's Christine E. Lynn School of Nursing has been touched with gold - LEED Gold. After initially achieving Silver certification last month, the project was resubmitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for review and recertification. This is FAU's first LEED Gold-certified building. "Everyone at TLC was confident we could achieve LEED Gold for this building. We're thrilled for the University and honored to be a part of such an important and ground-breaking endeavor," said Vince Briones, PE, LEED-AP, manager of TLC's sustainable design services, who spearheaded the effort to gain Gold certification.

TLC's Deerfield Beach office teamed with SchenkelShultz Architecture of Orlando on the new three-story, 75,000 sf building. "The certification reflects the university's commitment to the environment and to the comfort, health and well-being of its staff and students," said Brian Lomel, PE, LEED-AP, director of TLC's Deerfield Beach office, who led the engineering team that provided mechanical and electrical design and LEED consulting services.

The building has CO2 monitoring, indoor chemical & pollutant control, low-emitting material, 25% recycled content & reduced energy consumption saves over 17% in cost compared to a traditional building.

TLC Engineering for Architecture, already a leader in sustainable building design services in the Southeast, is becoming a greener organization in practice as well.

John Douglas Benz, AIA, Chairman, announced that the board of directors has approved a series of sustainability policies aimed at helping the environment. One key initiative is for TLC to become to become carbon neutral by purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset the energy used for power, lighting, heating and cooling in the firm's nine offices. The credits will go to a portfolio of small landfill gas-to-energy projects throughout the U.S that are certified by "Green-e", the nation's leading independent renewable energy certification and verification program. We use these projects because the methane they destroy for fuel has 21 times the global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Most of the world's climate scientists agree that the emission of greenhouses gases has a significant negative impact on the climate and global warming.

We will also purchase renewable energy credits for all travel associated with green projects, green design services and commissioning. Employees are being asked to do their part by turning off lights in work spaces and conference rooms when they aren't in use and shutting down computers and other electronic equipment at night and on weekends. Water-conservation measures are also being initiated. Several of TLC's offices have had water- and energy-saving policies in place for some time with much success.

"This endeavor illustrates TLC's firm belief that we are all stewards of the environment. As a firm, we are passionate about sustainability, not just in green building design but in the way we live our lives," said Chief Executive Office Debra Lupton, AIA.

A member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and a leader in Florida's green building design movement, TLC has provided sustainable engineering services for six of the 19 buildings in Florida that are certified by the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating program. One of those six is TLC's new office space in Jacksonville, which recently achieved USGBC LEED Silver certification to become the first LEED for Commercial interiors project in Florida. All of TLC's new regional offices will be designed to meet LEED certification requirements; in fact, our new office space in Nashville, which is currently under construction, is being designed for LEED Silver certification.

Victor Diaz, PE, electrical project engineer in the Orlando Division, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional.

TLC's President and Chief Operating Officer Winston W. "Bud" Gardner has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. Bud is TLC's 66th LEED-AP.

Alim Kazi, PE, LEED-AP, has joined TLC as a mechanical project manager in Deerfield Beach. Alim has more than 20 years of experience in design, construction coordination of mechanical HVAC systems and project management for office buildings, healthcare projects, schools, universities, hotels and residential buildings. He has his master's degree in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

Add three more TLC staffers to our list of LEED-APs: Harry Waller, EI, mechanical engineer in Jacksonville; Jerry Russo, PE, electrical project manager in Orlando; and Moncef Hadiji, PE, RCDD, senior electrical engineer in Cocoa.

Two Deerfield staffers passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals: Steve Rollin, PE, RCDD, an associate and senior electrical engineer, and Mike Baluyot, EI, an electrical graduate engineer.

Raul Mastrapa, PE, a TLC associate and senior mechanical engineer in the Miami office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. Raul is the fifth LEED-AP at TLC-Miami and TLC's 64th.

The U.S. Green Building Council-Central Florida Chapter has selected the Orange County Sheriff's Office Sector II building project for its Legacy Project. The goal of the Legacy Project is for the USGBC-Central Florida to partner with the project team and provide pro bono assistance through a peer review process on its design, construction and maintenance of the building, which will be registered for LEED-certification. "This is a win-win for the environment, and a win-win for the project by capitalizing on a large pool of experience to achieve the common goal of sustainability and reduced energy and water consumption," said Tony Aguerrevere, manager of the capital project division for Orange County Government. The Sector II facility will be built on a 4.5-acre site on Lake Underhill Road near Rouse Road. The approximately 22,000-sf office and operations building will also be constructed to withstand hurricane force winds. Architects Design Group is the design firm for the project. TLC is providing structural design services for the Sheriff's Office building and Matt Wiechart, PE, LEED-AP, Senior Mechanical Engineer in the Orlando Division, is on the Legacy Project team.

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, is profiled in the July 20 issue of the Jacksonville Business Journal. Aptly titled "Gelfo was an early champion of green building engineering," the article details his leadership role in North Florida's sustainable design movement including serving as president of the North Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Project designer Susan Cleveland of ASD Architects speaks glowingly of Mark's dedication to green building design and his leadership abilities. The article also talks about the new Silver LEED for Commercial Interiors-certified Jacksonville office and how Mark loves living in Jacksonville.

Dick Worth, PE, senior mechanical engineer in our Jacksonville office, CW Yong, PE, a structural engineer in our Nashville office, and Kirk Jennings, EI, an electrical engineer in Nashville, have passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals. TLC now has 61 LEED-APs more than 15% of our staff.

Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn School of Nursing was awarded Silver LEED status by the U.S. Green Building Council. TLC teamed with SchenkelShultz Architecture on the new three-story building, which features bamboo flooring, demand-based ventilation with CO2 sensors, a reflective roof and glazed windows. “The building actually achieved one point short of the Gold rating,” said Deerfield Beach Division Director Brian Lomel, PE, LEED-AP. Sustainable features include building-wide controls that shut off the lights when a room is empty; floors made with bamboo, a fast-growing plant source; and paint, furniture and carpet that are low on chemicals that emit harmful fumes and high on recycled content. The energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-condition systems are equipped with CO2 sensors to help maintain indoor air quality. The building's reflective roof and glazed windows, which let in light but not heat, reduce air-conditioning needs. Even the outdoor lamps are aimed to minimize light pollution. The building achieved one point short of the Gold rating. TLC provided mechanical and electrical design services for this 75,000-sf building, which was constructed at a cost of $13 million.

Jay Ritch, mechanical project manager at the Nashville office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam. Jay is TLC’s 58th LEED-Accredited Professional and Nashville’s eighth.

TLC’s new Jacksonville Office renovation/relocation project has achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver Certification! The building earned 28 points, one more than required for LEED for Commercial Interiors. “The team originally wasn’t shooting for silver – we were just hoping to get certified. But once we got into it, we found we could get a lot of the points with little or no effort or additional cost,” said Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, CxA. This is the first LEED-CI certified project in the state, only the 3rd LEED certified project in Jacksonville, and the first Silver project in Jacksonville.

Principal and Senior Electrical Engineer Tom Clevenger, PE, passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become TLC’s 56th LEED-Accredited Professional. Tom is the 7th LEED-AP on the Nashville staff.

Our Green Team is growing by leaps and bounds, following the LEED-accreditation of three TLC staffers. Jerry Russo, PE, electrical project manager in the Orlando division; Ed Doss, PE, CIPE, mechanical engineer in our Nashville division; and John Wiseman, PE, electrical project manager in Nashville, all passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam. This brings to six the number of LEED-Accredited Professionals in our Nashville division, five in our Orlando division, and 55 firm-wide.

Harry Waller, EI, a mechanical engineer in the Jacksonville office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. Harry is the 10th LEED-AP in the Jacksonville office and the 52nd firm-wide.

Deerfield Beach Division Director Brian Lomel, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, is a busy man. On June 6, he took part in a round table discusssion entitled “From Green to LEED and Everyplace in Between” at a program hosted by the ULI Southeast Florida/Caribbean District Council. On Tuesday, June 19, he spoke at the monthly meeting of the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). The program, "It's Not Easy Being Green," will include LEED certification, brownfields, and hybrid buildings. Brian’s also slated to give two sustainable design presentations in July, to the Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Brokers Assn. (CIREBA) and the Florida Land Planners Assn.

Marile Borino, EI, LEED-AP, is returning to TLC as an electrical project manager at the Miami Office. Marile has 17 years of experience working on commercial, educational, recreational, and government projects. She has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Miami.

TLC’s number of LEED-Accredited Professionals now totals 51. Jacksonville’s Electrical Project Engineer Ryan Fryman, PE, and Ft. Myers’ Structural Project Engineer Chris Schanbeck, PE, took the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam this week and both aced it!

Nashville Division Director Steve Kemp, PE, and Mechanical Project Engineer Jay Ritch have passed the ACG Certified Commissioning examination. This brings TLC’s number of CxA’s to 13 and makes Nashville the 8th TLC division to have certified commissioning authorities on staff.

Three Tallahassee staffers have passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals: Principal and Senior Electrical engineer Robert Ricketts, PE; Mechanical Engineer John Fortenberry, PE;, and Electrical Project Engineer Richard Lindburg, PE.

Electrical engineers Mike Giordano, EI, and Butch Tucker have passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals. TLC's Jacksonville office now boasts eight LEED-AP’s and TLC’s Green Team has expanded to 46.

Principal and Ft. Myers Division Director Brett McKinstry, PE, has passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become a U.S. Green Building Council LEED-Accredited Professional.

Beth Tomlinson, EI, LEED-AP, a mechanical engineer in the Miami Office, has been honored with the 2007 Service Award from her alma mater, Marquette University’s College of Engineering. Beth has been a volunteer teacher with the Peace Corps in Namibia, Africa, participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters programs, and is involved with the USGBC’s efforts to promote sustainable building design. With the award came the proclamation: “Much of her profession is devoted to sustainable building education and practices. As a volunteer on the local chapter of the United States Green Building Council’s Public Policy Committee, she supports regional, county and citywide green building initiatives. Beth’s love of nature is reflected in her favorite pastime, kayaking in the Everglades and the Keys.”

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, will moderate the “Going Green in Jacksonville” luncheon sponsored by the Society for Marketing Professional Services North Florida and U.S. Green Building Council. The program will include a brief review of LEED-certified projects in Jacksonville and projects that are currently pursuing LEED certification. The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, at the San Jose Country Club, 7529 San Jose Boulevard. The cost is $25 for SMPS members, $40 for non-members, and $15 for students. RSVP to Tabitha Collins at 904-353-6500, ext. 244 or Tabitha@elkinsconstructors.com by Monday, April 16.

Nicole Crispin, EI, structural graduate engineer in the Ft. Myers office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) NC 2.2 exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional.

John Rippel, PE, LEED-AP, a mechanical engineer in Tampa, has passed the ACG exam to become a certified commissioning authority. John is also a certified geothermal designer.

Jim Wamsley, PE, LEED, AP, a principal and senior mechanical engineer for TLC's Cocoa office, was a speaker at the Center for Public Safety's annual seminar, which was held March 22 and 23 in Orlando. His topic, "Green Design-Creating Sustainable Facilities," focused on designing environmentally responsible, energy efficient public facilities for the 21st century. Public works directors and elected officials from the U.S. and the Cayman Islands attended the seminar.

TLC's Director of Sustainable Design Kim Shinn, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, will speak on LEED building design at the May meeting of the SW Florida Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). His presentation follows that of the current ASHRAE Society president,Terry Townsend, PE, who will also speak on sustainable design. This meeting has the potential to be huge. According to TLC's Mike Myers, PE, LEED-AP, who is president-elect of the SW Florida Chapter, members of the local AIA Chapter and the Sarasota ASHRAE Chapter have been invited to attend. It's not often that a member of the national board of the U.S. Green Building Council (aka Kim) and the ASHRAE president get to share the stage. The meeting will be held from 6:15-8:30 p.m., May 9, at the Pelican Preserve, which is located off of Treeline Drive in Ft. Myers. For more information and regular updates, check out the ASHRAE SW chapter website at www.swflashrae.org.

The South Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council will host a LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation Technical Workshop on April 11. This is the "Official" workshop to prepare for the LEED AP Examination. Topics will include technical requirements; the certification process; project case studies and strategies; green building costs and benefits; and available tools and resources. The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Miami International Airport Concourse A, 4th floor auditorium. Early registration fees are $345 for USGBC members and $445 for non-members; late registration (begins April 4) fees are $375 for USGBC members and $495 for non-members. To register, visit www.usgbc.org/workshops/register.

Jim Keohane, principal and Ft. Myers Associate Division Director, has passed the ACG exam to become a certified commissioning authority. Jim can now add the CxA certification to the "PE" and "LEED-AP" following his name.

The University of North Florida Social Sciences building has earned certification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Congratulations to Jacksonville’s Mark Gelfo, DJ Parker, Harry Waller, Mac Coble, Bill Fouraker, and Tim Sullivan, who provided MEP and systems design, LEED consulting and Cx commissioning on the new three-story building.

Dan Whitfield, PE, LEED-AP, a mechanical engineer in the Tallahassee, passed his commissioning exam to become an ACG Certified Commissioning Authority. Dan is the 10th TLC staffer to earn CxA certification.

Rene Blanco, a mechanical engineer in the Orlando Division, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become TLC's 45th LEED-Accredited Professional.

Registration for the new LEED Accredited Professional exams (LEED for New Construction, LEED for Commercial Interiors, and LEED for Existing Buildings) is now open. Registration is easier than it used to be. If you are already a LEED AP, you don’t need to re-take the exam. Your accreditation is good as long as the LEED version 2.x products are being used. And LEED version 3 is at least two or three years off. If you are accredited, you may Sign In to the USGBC website, go to Your Account, then click on the link in the left-hand menu (Accreditation Profile) to update your Accreditation Profile. If you are ready to take the test, click on www.usgc.org/leedap, read that page, then click on the link on the left-hand menu Schedule an Exam and fill in your Profile, select your exam, then Submit your application. You will be directed to the Thomson Prometrics website for scheduling.

Matt Wiechart, PE, a Principal and Mechanical Project Engineer in the Ft. Myers office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for New Construction 2.1 Exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional. TLC now has 44 LEED-APs. Deerfield Beach Division Director Brian Lomel, PE, passed his ACG commissioning exam to become a certified commissioning authority. Meanwhile, Simon Sue, PE, mechanical project engineer in Deerfield Beach, and R. Adriel Mercado, EI, electrical engineer II in the Tampa office, have passed the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals.

Jacksonville's Leonard Spears, PE, and Ben Roseborough, EI, passed the ACG commissioning exam while at the GreenBuild Conference in Denver. The men, both mechanical engineers, are also LEED-Accredited Professionals. Our CxA credentials are growing – this makes eight TLC staffers who have passed the exam, including four in Jacksonville.

Our sustainable design team has grown to 41 with the addition of Jeffrey Duford, LEED-AP, who joined the Tampa staff as an electrical designer. Jeff, newly arrived from Boston, has more than six years of electrical design experience and is working on his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council pilot exam for LEED for Existing Building (LEED-EB). He is also accredited in LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC).

Jason Stinchcomb, PE, electrical project engineer at Deerfield Beach, passed the U. S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become TLC’s 40th LEED–Accredited Professional.

Tallahassee Division Director John Hardesty, PE, Ft. Myers Mechanical Project Engineer Robert Lesnau, PE, and Nashville Structural Engineer Wenjun Guo, PE, are the latest TLC’ers to pass the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals. John also earned certification as an ACG Commissioning Authority. TLC now has 39 LEED-APs and six CxA’s.

Three TLC staffers have earned important professional accreditations. Rafi Wartan, PE, a principal and senior electrical engineer at the Jacksonville office, and Fredy Sarria, EI, an electrical engineer at the Miami office, have passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals. Meanwhile, Robert M. "Mac" Coble, PE, LEED-AP, a principal and senior mechanical engineer in Jacksonville, has passed the ACG exam to become a certified commissioning authority.

The University of Florida's Mary Ann Cofrin-Harn Pavilion has obtained basic certification in the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Hearty congratulations to TLC's Orlando Division’s Mila Kukharenko, LEED-AP, and the rest of the design team for a job well done. TLC teamed with Kha Le-Huu in designing this 18,000-sf exhibition pavilion the Harn Museum of Art. This is TLC’s third LEED-certified building.

James Keohane of the Ft. Myers office, James Wamsley of the Cocoa Beach office, and Mike Erbesfeld of the Deerfield Beach office have passed the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become LEED-Accredited Professionals.

Director of Sustainable Design Kim Shinn, PE, LEED-AP, has been elected to a three-year term on the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors. Kim, who represents the South East region, is one of eight new board members elected by Regional Councils. His term begins in 2007.

Mike Haney, PE, an associate and senior mechanical engineer at the Tampa office, has passed his U.S. Green Building Council Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional.

Ben Roseborough, a mechanical EI in the Jacksonville office, has passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam to become a LEED-Accredited Professional.

Deerfield Beach Division Director Brian Lomel, PE, LEED-AP, has been named to the Public Policy Committee of the U.S. Green Building Council South. A leading green design advocate in the Southeast Florida, Brian has been working with the Boca Raton City Manager and the Chamber of Commerce Director to establish a public policy regarding incentives for developers to build "green." He also participated in fact-finding surveys regarding President George W. Bush's new energy policy and the impact on the GSA Courthouse HVAC Design Excellence Program.

TLC's Director of Sustainable Design Kim Shinn has several LEED-Accreditation Professional Examination Preparation workshops on the horizon after successful sessions in Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami and Cocoa. This workshop gives participants a review of the information that is included in the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED-AP) version 2.1 Examination given by the U.S. Green Building Council. Topics include the LEED registration and certification processes; the LEED professional accreditation process; and LEED prerequisite and credit requirements. The Florida Board of Professional Engineers recently approved this workshop as a four-hour course for continuing education credit in the "Area of Practice" for engineers.

Kim, along with Deerfield Beach Division Director Brian Lomel and other members of TLC's "Green Team" of LEED-Accredited Professionals, are sought-after speakers at professional and civic events. Their knowledge of LEED coupled with their passion for green design principles, processes and products help them really bring the issue to life. If you are interested in having a TLC LEED-Accredited Professional speak at an upcoming event, contact your local TLC office.

Add Tampa Division Director Kevin Keiter, PE, to TLC's growing list of LEED-Accredited Professionals. Kevin is the 6th Division Director to be accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. TLC now has 30 LEED-APs.

CIREBA

Brian Lomel, PE, LEED-AP, Director of TLC's Deerfield Beach office, will present "An Update to Green Buildings" at the July 11 meeting of the Commercial Industrial Real Estate Brokers Assn. (CIREBA). The luncheon meeting is being held at the Westin-Cypress Creek. Members are invited to bring a broker guest.

Busy Green Bee

Speaking of Brian, he served as a panelist on a energy roundtable sponsored by the City of Ft. Lauderdale Utility Advisory Committee. The topic was "Conserving Energy and Saving Money." Brian also served as a roundtable panelist last year.

He also has been busy providing a one-hour AIA Florida Continuing Education Course, "Practical Green Design" to architectural firms. So far this year he's provided the course to PGAL, Retzsch Lanao Caycedo Architects, BEAI, Beame Architectural Partnership, Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue, and Oliver Glidden Spina & Partners. In the near future he'll be providing the course to Keith and Schnars, PA.

Ditto

Director of Sustainable Design Kim Shinn, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, will do a LEED introduction to the Williamson County, TN, Rotary Club at their Aug. 10th luncheon meeting. He's also a scheduled speaker at an AIA Mississippi state-wide green design seminar on Aug. 22 in Jackson. AND he's also doing a green healthcare-engineered systems presentation as part of the Gulf Coast Green Symposium in Houston on Sept. 27 and perhaps a roundtable session the afternoon before.

Tallahassee's Getting Greener

Things are humming in our Tallahassee office, with Division director John Hardesty becoming a Certified Energy Manager and mechanical engineer Doug Law passing his USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam. With Doug's certification, TLC's green team now includes 29 LEED-Accredited Professionals.

Rachel's Cookin'

Rachel Cook, EI, of the Orlando Division has passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam. With Rachel's accreditation, TLC's sustainable design team now has 28 LEED-AP's.

Greener and Greener

Four TLC staffers recently passed the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam. With the addition of Mechanical Engineer John Rippel, PE, and Mechanical Project Engineer John Hale, PE, Mechanical Engineer Leonard Spears, PE, and Marketing Specialist Tanya Fugitt, CPSM, our Sustainable Design Team now has 27 LEED-Accredited Professionals. John Rippel works in the Tampa office and John Hale, Leonard Spears and Tanya Fugitt work in the Jacksonville office.