Mayor Joines keynotes “Creating Great Places”

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Jan. 16, 2014 - PRLog -- Winston-Salem’s Mayor will share the podium with Smart Growth America’s Chief of Staff for an inspiring program entitled “Creating Great Places”. Allen Joines and Ilana Preuss are the keynote speakers for the Annual Event of the Piedmont-Triad Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council-North Carolina Chapter to be held on February 20 at Wake Forest Biotech Place.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with social and networking time in the four-story, glass atrium of Wake Forest Biotech Place. The state-of-the-art biotechnology research and innovation center pays tribute to its past as a tobacco warehouse, while serving as a beacon for the best practices of environmentally friendly development. Biotech Place achieved LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. It possesses all of the qualities of a great place and is the perfect venue for showcasing the philosophies of both guest speakers.

Recently elected for a fourth term, Allen Joines is the longest serving mayor in the history of Winston-Salem. Joines has championed economic development while spearheading the effort to make Winston‑Salem a center for bio‑tech and other knowledge‑based businesses. During his first three terms, more than 40 companies relocated to or expanded in Winston-Salem, creating more than 12,000 jobs.

Under Joines’ leadership, Winston-Salem also has solidified its commitment to sustainability. The City completed a greenhouse gas inventory in September 2008 and subsequently adopted an Action Plan. Winston-Salem has a full-time Sustainability Program Manager and Energy Manager, a multi-stakeholder public Sustainability Board and a City Sustainability Plan.

Joines serves as a member of the advisory board for the U.S. Green Building Council-North Carolina Chapter. “The work of the U.S. Green Building Council is crucial to the City’s overall sustainability objectives of reducing our carbon emissions.  I encourage our citizens to get involved in the important work the Council and its members do in our community to promote LEED building,” Joines says. “ I look forward to seeing you all on February 20^th at Wake Forest Biotech Place as we celebrate the Council’s achievements.”

Prior to joiningSmart Growth America, Ilana Preuss was Outreach Director for the Transportation for America Campaign – a broad coalition advocating for a national vision for a 21st century transportation system.  Preuss also served for seven years in the smart growth division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, most recently as director of the acclaimed technical assistance program. In that position, she worked with local officials, development and design practitioners and many others to assist communities in transportation planning, transit-oriented development, downtown and suburban redevelopment, zoning reform and other efforts. She co-authored publications such as Density in Your Community and many strategies for local engagement on smart growth.

USGBC NC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission of transforming the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. USGBC NC has more than 800 members and serves
all 100 counties in the state.