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"I thought I knew what I was in for when started the LEED AP process. I was wrong."
Freshly motivated, I went to the convention center to check in for the class. There were about 125 people attending. I was not the oldest one. I was, however, the only purchasing agent among the 124 architects and interior design professionals. I don't know what it is about being a purchasing agent in hospitality, but when we all introduced ourselves I immediately had a cadre of new friends-that is until we broke into teams and practiced how to calculate the LEED Points for the number of bicycle racks you need and how far they are required to be from the building. We also had to calculate points for glazing, hardscape surfaces and lighting, and decide which American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHREA) section applied to a specific situation. We covered water and energy efficiency but very little about furnishings.
With a little help from my friends and a lot of good information from USGBC's highly professional representatives who taught the course, I left with a solid understanding of how the LEED rating system works. That class helped me prepare for the test but its real value was in helping me to begin to understand how to translate the basic principles of sustainability to the furnishings side.
DID I MAKE THE GRADE?
After studying about 11 months, and putting off the test as long as I could, it was time. I showed up at a testing center where they stripped me of all communication devices, my watch, pens and pencils, paper and wallet. I went to a computer room full of people taking medical exams, law exams and every other stressful exam you can imagine. Determined not to fail and have to pay another $250 to retake the exam, I dove into the computerized exam full force. It was supposed to take two hours. I was done in one hour 15 minutes. Panic set in. That was too fast. Should I go revisit the questions I wasn't sure of ? No, I told myself, the initial gut feeling is always best. So it was time to sign off.
When I used to take tests it was much easier. Test results would come back in three or four days. You could go home, have a beer, and kick yourself for not studying harder then forget about it until the scores were posted. With a computerized test you get the answer immediately. I wasn't sure I wanted to know that fast. Nevertheless, I pushed to the "Finished" button and up popped about three pages of single-spaced typing telling me what kind of test I just took, who it was for....everything but my score. I read down to the middle of the third page and there it was in very small letters...passed.
You would think there would have been a screen flashing CONGRATULATIONS YOU PASSED THE LEED AP EXAM!!! Sometimes I think the USGBC has a lack of flair.
Since then, PMI has become involved in many hotel projects that require LEED certification. The USGBC's ongoing training and assistance have really helped us to become a valuable team member for those projects. And, we've shared comments on the benefits of certification with our colleagues. Many manufacturers are also training and taking the test. Among them are my friends, Mike and Diana Dobin of Valley Forge Fabrics, who have passed the test and have completely transformed their business to be sustainable not only in product but in practice, as well and Dan Ryan, of Cheng Meng Furniture, who is also now a LEED AP.
As I look back at the process to become a LEED AP, I now realize that it was a road that had a beginning but not an end. It's bigger than just some letters behind my name-it really is a continuing evolution as I learn more, get better at being green and send those ripples outward to the next wave of converts.