Ray Anderson to Keynote Green Construction 2006

Pleasanton, CA, January 31, 2006--Construction Events today announced two building industry leaders as keynotes for Green Construction 2006 and Construction 2006. The co-located events will be held April 12-13 at the San Jose Convention Center (San Jose, CA). Ray Anderson will speak on April 13th. Anderson founded Interface in Atlanta in 1973 and built it into a billion-dollar-a-year building products company. Paul Hawken's book, The Ecology of Commerce, gave Mr. Anderson an entirely new perspective and motivated him to turn Interface, Inc., into an environmentally friendly enterprise. Anderson's new book, Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise: The Interface Model, helped prove to other businesses that they could protect the environment while increasing profits. Ray's honors include the prestigious George and Cynthia Mitchell International Prize for Sustainable Development, presented in 2001; the SAM-SPG Sustainability Leadership Award of 2001; the U.S. Green Building Council's Inaugural Leadership Award, 2002; and the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award for Corporate Leadership, 2002. Ray was recently named a Senior Fellow and Leading Voice for Green and Sustainable Design by the Design Futures Council. Mr. Sim Van der Ryn, President, Van Der Ryn Architects will keynote on April 12th. Van der Ryn is acknowledged as a leader in "sustainable architecture." He is also a researcher and educator. Van der Ryn's driving professional interest has been applying principles of physical and social ecology to architecture and environmental design. Mr. Van der Ryn distinguished himself among those designers and planners who have pioneered sustainable design at the community scale and the building-specific scale. He has designed everything from single-family and multi-family housing, to community facilities, retreat centers and resorts, to learning facilities, as well as office and commercial buildings. Sim Van der Ryn has been presented with numerous honors and awards, including: the Goff Chair of Innovative Architecture, University of Oklahoma; Fellowship of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts; Rockefeller Scholar in Residence, Bellagio, Italy; the President's Award for Planning, American Society of Landscape Architects; Arbolera de Vida Master Plan, Albuquerque, New Mexico; the Nathaniel Owings Award, California Council American Institute of Architects; a Commendation for Excellence in Technology, California Council American Institute of Architects; and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Session descriptions for all speakers at the co-located events can be viewed at www.ConstructionEvents.com. Sponsoring organizations include AIA Santa Clara Valley, AIA Central Valley, Associated General Contractors of California, the Builder's Exchanges of Alameda, Santa Clara, Peninsula and Monterey. Media sponsors include Comcast Cable, East Bay Business Times, San Jose Silicon Valley Business Journal, Land Development Today, Builders Central, Commercial Building Guides and more. Green Construction 2006 will run conjointly with Construction 2006 and is expected to attract more than 3,000 business, academic, and governmental attendees, as well as 200 exhibitors. Show organizers anticipate that the combined events will draw attendees representing a wide cross-section of the construction ecosystem, including general contractors, architects, commercial builders, specialty contractors, government officials, engineers, industry suppliers, building owners, heavy construction firms, real estate brokers, commercial facilities and construction managers. Organizations interested in participating in these events are encouraged to learn more at www.ConstructionEvents.com.

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