Steven L. Willobee, LEED AP

Community Development Manager

Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME)

Steve Willobee has over ten years of experience in planning, implementing and overseeing public and private redevelopment projects.  Steve has been a community and redevelopment consultant, since 2006.  At SME, Steve is responsible for packaging and negotiating financial incentives, on behalf of clients, for redevelopment projects.  He has assisted clients in obtaining brownfield tax increment financing (TIF) and business tax credits, historic tax credits, grants, and other federal, state, and local resources.   Steve is presently involved in numerous redevelopment projects throughout the Midwest.  Prior to becoming a consultant, Steve was a Community Specialist with the Community Assistance Team (CATeam) at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).  The CATeam is a cross-trained team that provides one-stop-shop assistance to downtowns, communities, and developers that are seeking revitalization and redevelopment assistance.

Steve has a BS in Political Science from Lake Superior State University (1998) and a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Western Michigan University (2002).

Steve has served on the Board of Directors for the West Michigan Chapter of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) since 2008. 

Mary Tell

Mary Tell, the newest addition to the firm’s Litigation and Corporate Sustainability and Climate Groups, also works at the Grand Rapids office of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP.  A recent graduate of the University of Michigan law school, Mary is building a practice focused on advertising and marketing law, including litigating Lanham Act claims, as well as corporate sustainability issues.

Linda Frey served as the Executive Director of the West Michigan Chapter of U.S. Green Building Council for over two years, co-edited a monthly column for MiBiz and co-hosted “Getting Green” on WGVU-FM.  Linda has worked on building a broad spectrum of community collaborations & educational programming that introduces sustainable practices in building design and operations.  Previously, she spent 15 years in the non-profit sector focusing on community development.

Dan Buhr

Introduced to the lighting industry in 2003 while working for a Sylvania Distributor and managing inventory, inside sales and customer service. Joined Voss Lighting, the largest Independent Philips Lighting Distributor in the USA, in 2007 as a Customer Service Representative. Within seven months was given outside sales territory in downtown Grand Rapids and surrounding area for Voss Lighting. In 2009, after one year in the Grand Rapids territory, Voss and Philips Lighting requested that he open and pioneer a new territory on the Lakeshore (Muskegon – Holland).

He has now been with Voss Lighting for almost three years and is still serving and developing the Lakeshore area. He has been supported by Philips Lighting by their un-ending dedication to providing sustainable lighting technology. In the past two years, he has used his passion for sharing the knowledge and benefits of these lighting products with businesses in the region.

In July, he became a trade ally to Consumers Energy, DTE, Holland BPW & Grand Haven BLP in their endeavors to provide rebates to their end users. Through educating and supplying the sustainable products necessary for rebates,  he has enabled many customers to upgrade to more sustainable lighting systems.

Paulette Alioa

Paulette Alioa, LEED AP, Managing Partner of GreenSpace Consultants, LLC, specializing in Facilities Operations assessment and GBO+M

Professional expertise includes:

• On-site Owner’s Representative for several Detroit-based corporations  
• Facilities strategic planning, budgeting & design, construction project management, FM process development & continuous improvement
• Project Manager and Interior Architectural Designer with several notable Detroit-based Architecture & Engineering firms

Current professional affiliations include:

• SE Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
• Troy Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Practices Committee
• V.P. of Public Relations for Novi Toastmasters Club

Former roles include:

• Board Member, USGBC Detroit Regional Chapter
• Co-Chair of the USGBC “Greening the Heartland” Regional conference
• Heartland Regional Representative
• Member of IFMA, SE Michigan Chapter

Annie Balonick is the Market Development Manager for Facility Service Programs at ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association.  As the leading trade association for the Cleaning & Maintenance Industry, ISSA’s global membership includes more than 5,500 distributor, manufacturer, building service contractor, and in-house service provider companies.

Annie’s widespread work with this organization has taken her around the globe offering marketing, sustainability, and image enhancement assistance to  cleaning industry organizations representing all segments of the supply chain.

Janet Ramsey

Janet Ramsey is a partner in the Grand Rapids office of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP and practices in the area of intellectual property litigation, with a focus on advertising and marketing law.  Janet has litigated advertising disputes involving a wide range of issues and products, including the Taco Bell Chihuahua character, waterfree urinals and steam dryers. 

Todd Parker is an Associate at the Delta Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to transform the Great Lakes Region into the center of the emerging green economy.  Todd coordinates the Delta Institute’s Michigan carbon offset programs, including the Michigan Conservation and Climate Initiative and the Managed Forest Carbon Offset Program.  Through these programs, the Delta Institute has provided an entry point to the voluntary carbon market for landowners and returned $559,000 in revenue to landowners from sales of carbon offset credits. 

Sheri Flahive

Sheri Flahive, LEED-AP, has been the COO of Corporate Cleaning Inc. For the past 20 years and is responsible for transforming Corporate Cleaning into an entirely Green cleaning company. Sheri is an active member of the USGBC local W MI Chapter as well as a national member. Corporate Cleaning has worked with several building owners on their Green Cleaning requirements for their LEED buildings.  Corporate Cleaning proactively changed their entire operations to green cleaning several years ago and have been very successful at growing their business because of that decision. 

Glen is currently a Sales Representative for Nichols Paper & Supply. He has 23 years of industry experience in sales and sales management. He also has experience speaking and presenting on an array of topics throughout his career. Glen was awarded the Golden Apple of Excellence award from Holland Christian schools and has received numerous “You First” awards for demonstrating customer commitment at Nichols.

Jan is the Managing Principal of A3C and a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning.  She has been involved in the design of healthcare and higher education facilities since 1979 and has served as Project Director on projects for multiple educational clients including the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.  Jan is an advocate of evidence based design and facilitates project planning, programming and design through an integrated design approach.  She has served as a guest lecturer at the UM School of Public Health and serves on the AIA Michigan Health Facilities Planning Seminar Project Presentation Committee.

Chris Bedford is co-founder and President of the Sweetwater Local Foods Market – Michigan’s first farmers market to exclusive sell locally grown fruits and vegetables raised in a manner that enhances biological diversity and builds soil health AND meats, eggs, and cheese from animals raised humanely without antibiotics or hormones.

Martin C. P. McElroy began his architectural career from the question: "what do owners do with their buildings after they're built?" and the principle that the design process never ends.   An internal consultant to major design and construction firms, his consulting firm launched five years ago with the restructuring of Delphi Automotive, a facility operating plan for the Robert Bosch Automotive Technical Center, and Mott Community College's quality management system.   The "Blueprint for Facilities Excellence" is a process model for transitioning new buildings into a high-level Sustainable Operating Plan.

Paul joined Eco Metrics in 2008.  His role includes day-to-day project management, credit calculations and documentation.

He received his LEED AP designation in 2004 and has been a licensed builder since 1999, with a focus on sustainable remodeling. He has performed several total house renovations, fusing older homes with modern design and sustainable materials as well as retail and office design and construction projects.

Jack has over ten years of school facility experience as a past Facility Director. He has overseen the building of three new schools plus renovations at eight other buildings. Jack also has multiple years of experience in the development and implementation of sinking funds. His strength is in building efficiencies both in the design and operation of school buildings.

Josh Miller is a graduate of Aquinas College’s Sustainable Business Management and Environmental Studies programs. Since January of 2007, he has worked to develop Spectrum Health’s Sustainability Program by integrating sustainability into the corporate culture.  His current efforts are focused on increasing water and energy efficiency, reducing waste and toxicity, developing environmentally preferable purchasing strategies, educating staff on the fundamentals of sustainability and establishing healthy design, construction and operational guidelines.  Mr. Miller is currently the Chair of the Spectrum Health Regional Network Sustainability Committee and is involved with the following committees; Novation Environmental Advisory Group, Global Health and Safety Initiative Eco-Health Footprint Task Force and MHA Michigan Green Healthcare Initiative.

Tom Salsbury

Tom Salsbury has 24 years experience in the k-12 building and maintenance industry serving the past 8 years to date as Director of Facilities/Maintenance for the Lenawee Intermediate School District.  During this tenure Tom has successfully facilitated more than 10 million dollars of k-12 construction and renovation projects including the development of numerous future focused educational labs incorporating the Toyota 5s lean process and various alternative energy systems.  A few noteworthy projects completed are the district’s state of the art advanced manufacturing lab, bio-chemical technology lab, multimedia studio lab and hospitality/culinary arts lab.  Tom is currently engaged in the planning process for the district’s intended development of a “Center for a Sustainable Future” campus on its already owned 75 acre site.  The intent for the campus is that it become a teaching and practical demonstration location for emerging agricultural sciences and technologies, environmental site design leadership, natural resource conservation, land stewardship and the role agriculture can play as a constructive environmental change agent.  In addition to these attributes Tom has recently completed a 2 year project of leading his staff and custodial operations to a “green” cleaning program also incorporating the principles of the Toyota 5s lean process. 

Kevin Jackson

Housing Custodial Supervisor, Ferris State University.

Brief Biography:  Employed at Ferris since 2002, 6 years as physical Plant Custodial Supervisor and over a year as Housing Custodial supervisor. Administrator of the Janus Custodial Training Team. IICRC certified commercial carpet maintenance technician. Chair of the Ferris State Green team.

Since October of 2009 implemented 5s lean program in Housing Custodial consisting of 20 Residence Halls and upwards of 700 apartments. This is a goal that will be achieved in 16 to 18 months .

March 2004 – Janus team awarded the “Distinguished Team Award” at Ferris State

November 09 –  Janus team awarded the “Innovations in Facilities award for 2009” at the GLACUHO conference in Ft. Wayne .

Steve Leeser

Steven Leeser has been involved in facilities management since 1981. He has served in hospitals, heavy industry, and higher education while supervising custodial, maintenance, food service, security,  and telecommunication employees.  His current position of Operations Supervisor at Grand Valley State University involves custodial services, event support and signage, facilities warehouse, recycling, waste management, mail and courier services, and logistics. Steve has been active in GVSU’s award winning sustainability initiative. LEED certification has been awarded to nine building at GVSU and certification is pending on a “total” Allendale campus award. Steve has earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and master’s degrees from Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. He and his wife Brenda reside in Hudsonville, Michigan.   

Renae Hesselink passed the LEED AP exam in June 2009. She is a founding member of  the local U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan chapter. She is completing her fourth year on the local board of directors – two years as Marketing Chair and two year as Vice Chair.  In September of 2007, she was chosen as the Chapter’s Green School Advocate and is currently chair of the Green School Advocacy Committee.

Alan S. Bigger has over thirty years of experience in facilities management, environmental management, human relations, and training and development.   Bigger was employed as the director of facilities management at Earlham College, a position from which he retired in 2009.   Prior to Earlham College he was the director of building services at the University of Notre Dame for sixteen years; manager of special services at the University of Missouri for four years; an administrator at the South Texas Hospital for four years and  a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force for ten years.  He has also taught classes for the National College of Business and Ohio State University.

Marcie Palmer is a marketing and communications professional with Nichols, a distributor of products and solutions for clean and healthy facilities and safe shipment of products.

Kelly is a Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) and Senior Ecological Resource Specialist with JFNew.

Sam Pobst is the founder of Eco Metrics LLC, a green building consulting firm established in 2005 to serve the growing demand for sustainable building design and construction.  Eco Metrics is a national coalition of green building consultants with expertise in diverse areas of green building specialties, collaborating to develop tools and expertise to advance our organization. 

Stephen Tvedten is the author of nontoxic pest control books: The Best Control 2 & The Bug Stops Here. Stephen Tvedten's current occupation is President of Get Set, Inc., an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) firm that uses exclusively non-toxic alternatives to pesticides.

With more than 20 years in the contract furnishing and construction industry, Mr. Hire’s expertise includes work as an owner’s representative, project manager, and designer of presentation and communications spaces and systems. Mr. Hire has worked on lighting, acoustic, projection, and sound system design, and construction of theatrical spaces, showrooms, and audio visual facilities. These spaces have been featured in several publications including Sound and Video Communication, Architectural Lighting, Lighting Dimensions, and Architectural Record.

Larry works to minimize process waste streams and manage external environmental certification programs at Herman Miller, Inc as their Environmental Manager.