I am the Director of the USGBC Central Plains Community in Kansas City, MO, serving all of Kansas and half of Missouri. I am part of a regional team covering eight states in the Midwest.

The common thread in my career has been the focus on the health of our environment and communities through collaboration with businesses, governments, and citizens in innovative, often groundbreaking, ways. x000D x000D Through stints with non-profit, entrepreneurial, and global, private sector companies, my work has shaped a unique perspective on the concept of “People, Planet, Profit” gained through these diverse experiences. x000D x000D A culmination of that experience is now implemented locally by supporting my home county in reaching its sustainability goals and making our community a healthier place for all.

Erika Winters-Downey, SE, LEED AP BD+C, is an Associate Principal with Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), a full-service design firm and integrated subsidiary of Clayco, a national construction firm. Erika serves as Director of Sustainable Structures for the Technical Assurance Group (TAG), and in this role supports all the integrated Clayco companies. x000D x000D Erika more than two decades of experience in the AEC industry, integrating best practices in structural design and construction. Supported by experience working with national industry-based organizations, including over ten years in the structural steel industry, Erika leads embodied carbon reduction strategies for the Clayco integrated companies. Since joining the Clayco enterprise, Erika has established embodied carbon study prototypes and piloted the low-carbon concrete design testing program. x000D Erika currently serves as Board Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Central Plains chapter and participates as a member of the inaugural Board of the Kansas City Building Energy Exchange.

Jeremy is the Director of Sustainability and Regenerative Design at BNIM. He has served as the primary sustainability and LEED champion on dozens of projects worldwide, and he serves as a volunteer leader nationally with Design Corps, Inc. regionally with Climate Action Kansas City, and locally with the Central Plains USGBC. Starting in December, Jeremy will serve as Co-Chair of Climate Action KC, an organization founded and lead by elected leaders in the heartland to enact a Regional Climate Action Plan and the Policy Playbook to support that plan. Through public testimony and education on technical topics, he serves as a trusted resource for both municipal staff and elected officials. Jeremy’s passion for sustainability, preservation, and equity through empowerment are clearly expressed from his work, ranging from organizing green disaster recovery efforts in Greensburg and New Orleans, designing safe and healthy affordable housing and schools, and mentoring students in design and sustainability throughout the Kansas City Metro area.