Balancing the Board
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 8:10PM 
We lean on our advisory board so much to shape our strategy going forward. Our first stepping stone to our pilot project is publishing a white paper (due out in December) The Business Case for Sustainable Renovation what I love about our board is the diverse personalities and philosophies serve as natural counterweights and help us craft our market strategy.
In one corner we have Chris Hill, who's business-case practicality consistently reminds me that the people who will ultimately write the checks for our renovations usually think with their wallets first and we need to make a strong ROI case to them for why this makes sense.
In the other corner, there's Sara Sweeney, a green building veteran who believes deeply in our responsibility to the planet and our implicit need to make our building stock sustainable for the good of all. Her greenwash radar is turned on high at all times and she consistently reminds us that if we don't accomplish real effieciency gains in our projects and truly help the planet then none of this really matters.
Somewhere between these two intellectual heavyweights is Yahya Henry, I call him silent but deadly on our conference calls because he sits back and listens, and might not say anything for 15 or 20 minutes. Then after I've gone on some monologue about what I think about this and that, he will ask a singular incisive question I hadn't thought about that might challenge me to rethink the entire way I go about things.
Then there's Rich Cartlidge, who's energy for this field of work and infectious desire to solve the legal problems Green Building will cause make him a deeply valued asset on our team.
These calls and emails are of enormous value to me both personally and professionally and while I make the call out to be a heavyweight bout, our discussions are always intelligent and thought provoking without being dirisive, yet another reason I'm so appreciative to my board for all the work they do.
Reader Comments (4)
The heart of a successful venture like this is a diverse and strong board that brings a lot of different skill sets and voices to the table. You have a really terrific team, testament to the vision, mission and confidence of the players!
Thanks for the comment Tim. I truly appreciate being on a team with such great folks. I almost feel like a wet blanket sometimes, but feel that until the risks (legal and financial) are adequately explored and dealt with, we can't truly move forward. However, I am well balanced by the enthusiasm and motivation of my fellow board members.
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