Have you recently renovated your Kitchen?

Then HGTV is looking for you!

Home & Garden Television’s (HGTV) BANG FOR YOUR BUCK is looking for fun and enthusiastic homeowners in the greater New Orleans area RIGHT NOW!

Renovations must have taken place within the past three years.

Each episode will tour three similar remodels at similar price points in the same city. We’ll bring in our own design expert and real estate expert to determine how the renovation impacts each home’s value. We’ll also provide viewers with expert advice, answers on remodeling values, and inspiring ideas for design.

Taping will begin shortly, so if you’re interested, please apply immediately by submitting “before and after” photos of the renovation.

Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, Nov.17, 2009.

Send photos and Request an application by emailing: tboyd@highnoontv.com

Or by calling Trisha at (303) 712-3153.

Your browser may not support display of this image. Bang For Your Buck is produced for HGTV by High Noon Entertainment in Centennial, CO. It airs Friday nights at 9:30/8:30c.

"THE GREEN REBUILDING OF NEW ORLEANS: 4 years post Katrina"

CONFERENCE

NOVEMBER 8 – 9

City of New Orleans Go Green NOLA Project added as sponsor to conference.

REGISTATION cost reduced.

Following the Sierra Club's recent release of a New Orleans Green Building Assessment report ( downloadable at http://sierraclub.org/ej/downloads/2009-06-nola.pdf), the Sierra Club Delta Chapter with strong support from the United Steel Workers Local 620 and now the City of New Orleans GO GREEN NOLA PROJECT are planning the first annual post-Katrina conference to discuss green building and rebuilding efforts that have occurred throughout the city since the infamous 2005 storm. The conference will take place on November 8th and 9th at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown New Orleans. The event is the first of its kind and will have three simultaneous tracks on Green Building Projects, Urban Farming in Metro New Orleans, and Green Jobs.

Continuing education credits are available for architects with a professional registration. Information on how to register is provided below.

The conference organizing committee is currently looking for sponsors and presenters to help facilitate the event. Sponsors will receive publicity and registration benefits according to the type of donation. Presenters will have 10-20 minutes to showcase how they or their organization have contributed to the green rebuilding of New Orleans.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE:

The conference agenda allows participants to personalize their experience according to their interests by designating three track options. The tracks will organize discussion sessions into: Green Building, Urban Farming in Metro New Orleans, and Green Jobs.

Darryl Malek-Wiley, Regional Representative at the Sierra Club's office in New Orleans, has been working for environmental justice and sustainable waste management in New Orleans for over 25 years. An extremely well respected member of the community with unparalleled first-hand knowledge of New Orleans' environmental issues, Malek-Wiley has organized a bus tour for conference attendees wanting to have a close-up experience of the city's green building efforts. The 3-hour tour is an additional $15, which includes a boxed lunch.

The remainder of the conference will be dedicated to panel presentations, guest speakers and a brainstorming workshop. While confirmation of the keynote speaker and all presenters are still underway, the conference committee has identified a myriad of groups including Alliance for Affordable Energy, Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development, Mary Queen of Vietnam CDC, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Historic Green, Global Green, Make It Right, LA Green Job Corps, Pontchartrain Park, Gulf South Solar, Green Coast Enterprise, RePower and the New Orleans Food and Farm Network. The 2-day conference will culminate in a unique brainstorming workshop that will serve as a launch point for the New Orleans community to devise a working plan for future green initiatives throughout the metro area.

TO REGISTER TO ATTEND "THE GREEN REBUILDING OF NEW ORLEANS" CONFERENCE:

http://rebuildNOLAgreen.com/

SPONSORS: GET YOUR NAME OUT IN THE NOLA ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY!

PLATINUM: $10,000- 10 free general registrations, a spot in the Sponsor Showcase, free display table, name and logo in conference agenda and all press releases.

GOLD: $5,000- 5 free general registrations, a spot in the Sponsor Showcase, free display table, name/logo in conference agenda and all press releases.

SILVER: $1,000- 2 free general registrations, a spot in the Sponsor Showcase, free display table, name/logo in conference agenda and all press releases.

NICKLE: $500- 1 free general registration, free display table, name/logo in conference agenda and all press releases.

COPPER: $100- Name/logo in conference agenda and all press releases.

"Sponsor Showcase": The conference is divided up into speakers, presenters and panelists. The first session of presenters in the conference, to take place after the bus tours, is called the Sponsor Showcase. Only platinum, gold and silver sponsors will have the opportunity to present. Presenters are asked to prepare a 15-20 minute lecture demonstrating how their organization has contributed to the green rebuilding of New Orleans. The audience will consist of over 200 of the city's most dedicated non-profit organization representatives, environmental leaders, community members, architects, landscape architects, environmental innovators, realtors, engineers, building specialists, students and various other stakeholders.

Display Tables: Tables will frame the outer edge of the largest conference room where the opening remarks, meals, keynote speaker, featured speakers, reception and commencement will be held. Provided tables will be 6' long.

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If you are interested in contributing to the conference, please email our conference organizer at: jennifer.grosso@sierraclub.org For our convenience, please put "REBUILD NOLA GREEN:"followed by "Sponsor", "Presenter" or "Registration" in the subject box.

THE USGBC Louisiana Chapter is seeking interns to promote specific areas of chapter growth. The open intern positions are aimed towards students who are attempting to embark towards professional careers and hold fundamental skills necessary to support our respective committees. The USGBC Louisiana Chapter shall work with the student to ensure that the interns gain necessary exposure needed to meet their school internship requirements. Priority shall be given to students with environmental science, engineering, design, media, public relations and communications backgrounds. Our chapter is establishing relationships with the colleges so that the students can obtain the credit for the internship period toward their degree.

If you are not a student, but still interested in volunteering with the USGBC please contact the appropriate committee chair.

To be eligible you must be a student attending a 4 year accredited Louisiana college or university. Please submit your resume, references and a cover letter. You must be willing to sign an internship agreement with the sponsoring business or entity. The USGBC Louisiana chapter will establish the agreement with the college detailing the credit hours that will be given for participation.

Communications Committee – Intern:

Skills: Ms. Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Publisher, Adobe In Design, Adobe Photoshop and Basic knowledge of HTML preferred.

The Communication Committee of USGBC is a highly visible and respected interface with the public. It acts as the face and voice as it informs media sources about breakthroughs in green building, educates members and non-members about USGBC-LA initiatives, and notifies existing members about Chapter events like meetings, workshops, and holiday parties. A mixture of internal newsletters, website, constant contacts (email), articles, and brochures are used to reach various external audiences. In addition to overseeing public relations, the Committee facilitates internal communications through an Internet Webmaster which maintains the Chapter’s website and posts current membership lists to the intranet.

The USGBC seeks interns to work with the Communications Chair and Board of Directors to develop sponsorship and educational materials, re-design and maintain communications media (website, newsletter, e-blasts, event announcements and related) and provide administrative support in coordination of events which require communications support.

Membership Committee – Intern:

Skills: Ms. Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Publisher, Adobe In Design, Adobe Photoshop and basic knowledge of HTML preferred.

The Membership Committee of the USGBC is responsible for serving the membership and ensuring that they receive a high level of value for their membership. Membership is at both the individual and organizational levels with USGBC. This committee 1) determines what the various types of members are interested in receiving for professional development programs and events from the USGBC, 2) develops membership benefits and promotes them on the website and by other methods, 3) recruits existing membership for involvement in the chapter as volunteers, chair members and board members, 4) designs recruitment programs to continually grow the USGBC membership base and 5) welcomes new members, provides orientation and gets them quickly involved in the chapter.

The USGBC is seeking an intern with an enthusiasm for interacting with environmental professionals and citizens on promoting green development in Louisiana. The intern shall provide administrative and technical support to membership committee including adaptation and implementation of membership recruitment and retention programs, ensuring new members are welcomed in writing and included in the appropriate USGBC databases and mailing lists, and developing communication materials.

Development Committee – Intern:

Skills: Ms. Office/Excel/PowerPoint/Publisher and Adobe In Design, Adobe Photoshop and basic knowledge of HTML preferred.

The USGBC LA Chapter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which derives its funding from donations to the organization through membership, sponsorship, individual giving, grants, and other related funding streams. This funding is obtained through developing relationships with funders who are interested in supporting our vision and mission. This funding is essential in order for the chapter to deliver on our organizational goals as well as continue to provide social equity programs for individuals who would not otherwise be able to afford ‘green’ education, programs, and technologies. The Development Committee is responsible for developing and maintaining all of our funder relationships, developing ‘giving’ campaigns and opportunities with our various funding sources, implementing annual initiatives, creating materials to promote our mission and vision with potential funders, and applying for grants to fund various chapter programs.

The USGBC is seeking interns who are interested in hands-on experience developing all aspects of a fundraising program in a non-profit setting. Strong marketing, communication, writing and public relations skills and education background are desired. The interns will work on membership drives, sponsorship programs and benefits, individual giving programs, identification of grant opportunities and grant writing, as well as provide the necessary administrative and technical support to establish viable programs.

Programs Committee – Intern:

Skills: Ms. Office/Excel/PowerPoint/Publisher and Adobe In Design, Adobe Photoshop and basic knowledge of HTML preferred.

The USGBC Programs Committee is responsible for providing a wide variety of educational programs and events for the chapter membership that promote the vision of USGBC and the Louisiana Chapter while creating networking opportunities for membership. The Programs Committee develops and delivers programs and events designed to attract new participants, retain existing members, and meet the diverse needs of the Chapter. The Committee is responsible for creating a programs event schedule at the beginning of each year. Some events the Programs Committee may develop include special themed events, evening speaking arrangements, lunch-and-learns, a holiday party and green building tours with opportunities for Professional Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits. The committee advertises special events on the website and strives to incorporate various aspects of green building and development, including LEED for new construction, existing buildings, homes, retail, and neighborhoods in the programs.

Programs/Events Coordinator – Intern:

The USGBC is seeking an intern with strong organizational skills, enthusiasm and interest in green building and related topics, and the ability to learn how to plan, promote and manage events. The intern will be responsible for creating program schedules and flyers, coordinating speakers and topics, working with the membership and communications committees to determine member interest in various programs, and interfacing with USGBC national to ensure the programs qualify for LEED CEU credits.

Student Intern at John Williams Architects

Self starter, organized, interest in architecture and interior design who can communicate with co-workers to systematically arrange samples with emphasis on a green products section, research innovative supplies and design, assist with daily office logistics (including but not limited: drafting, general administrative duties, meeting minutes).

Assistant for New Orleans Office of Recovery Management

The New Orleans Office of Recovery Management needs a student who can serve as support staff for developing the goals, strategies, criteria, and policies of the Mayor's Roadmap for Greening New Orleans. Assignments will include technical and policy analyses, financial and economic analyses, and program development. Must work collaboratively, be able to meet timelines in a high pressure environment, handle complex projects, and maintain effective work relationships. Additionally, the intern must be able to conduct reviews of policies, codes, and the permitting process and make necessary recommendations for improvements. Interns are expected to contribute to the development of energy policy in collaboration with the energy unit, the permitting office, Office of Community Development, and other relevant government units.

The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home was designed and built by Louisiana students for Louisiana residents. Judges for the Market Viability contest in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon recognized that.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette team placed first in the contest.
Judges were looking for homes that answered the needs of their clients.

TEAM BeauSoleil designed for Louisiana residents who face harsh summers and hurricanes.

"The (BeauSoleil) house hit on all cylinders," said Joyce Mason, Market Viability judge and vice president for marketing with Pardee Homes. "We were so impressed with the degree to which the team listened to their market.
They didn't impose their ideas or try to infer them upon their residents."

The team is one of 20 university teams from across the globe competing in the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. TEAM BeauSoleil is the only team from Louisiana to ever participate in this contest held every two years.

"We knew from the beginning that if we couldn't bring this home to the people of Louisiana, we wouldn't accomplish anything," said Gretchen Lacombe Vanicor, BeauSoleil project manager. "We paid a lot of attention to our Cajun culture and produced a product that is viable."

Read more about it here.

University of Louisiana Lafayette's BeauSoleil home gets a write up at treehugger.com. Check it out.