USGBC Chapter Advocacy Committee: Roles & Responsibilities ... regular, two-way communication to include monthly adv
USGBC Chapter Advocacy Committee: Roles & Responsibilities USGBC has developed a standard chapter advocacy committee structure (see end of document) based on our most successful chapters’ operations. We recognized the need to better coordinate our advocacy activities, particularly with respect to advancing policy around USGBC’s four core issue areas , other efforts of chapter green schools committees, and of chapters’ residential green building advocates. The proposed advocacy committee structure links these efforts, and can hopefully inform your chapter’s model. The sections below detail the function of the advocacy committee structure’s components. Working with USGBC National: The chapter advocacy committee interacts with USGBC national through regular, two-way communication to include monthly advocacy calls; national’s advocacy consultants; advocacy e-mail updates; and of course, via one-off phone and e-mail exchanges. Chapters are bound through their USGBC chapter charter to further an advocacy agenda that supports the policy positions of USGBC national. Review the USGBC Chapter Advocacy Planning Guide here. The Statewide Advocacy Committee: In a state with more than one chapter within its territory, a statewide advocacy committee coordinating the activities of the individual chapters becomes necessary. Each advocacy committee should appoint two liaisons to participate in the statewide committee. (Both should attend every call, as each person is responsible for communicating with distinct parties: one liaison informs his/her chapter board; the second informs the work of his/her chapter advocacy committee. From this pool of representatives, a chair is elected. This seat rotates annually. At least two members of the statewide advocacy committee should attend USGBC’s monthly advocacy coordination phone calls. The Advocacy Committee Chair: The chapter’s advocacy committee chair oversees the work of the committee. The chair organizes this work through communication with USGBC national staff; information from one of the statewide advocacy committee liaisons; and with respect to the will of the chapter board, as communicated through the committee’s vice-chair. The Advocacy Committee Chair should review and adhere to the guidelines for Roles & Responsibilities of the Chapter Advocacy Chair. The Advocacy Committee Vice Chair: Not only is the vice chair responsible for keeping the chapter board informed of the advocacy committee’s activity, but this person is also charged with relaying the activities of the statewide advocacy committee to the chapter board. For this reason, the vice chair is one of the two statewide advocacy committee liaisons. In states with multiple chapters, communication from the statewide advocacy committee to the chapter advocacy committee is critical – especially where additional expertise may be needed from the viewpoint of a particular “perspective seat.” Perspective Seats: The function of the perspective seats is to harness the relevant expertise within the chapter’s membership for the purpose of advancing the USGBC mission through the chapters’ advocacy efforts. The person occupying one of the four perspective seats does not act alone, but rather, can tap into the grassroots power of the chapter’s membership to recruit the most experienced, interested persons for a given project or initiative. Chapters are encouraged to support their advocacy committee perspective seats by providing contacts within the chapter membership who have expertise related to the issue-specific efforts of the advocacy committee.
Energy & Climate: This seat is important for advancing USGBC’s national advocacy priority area of Green Buildings for Climate Protection. This perspective seat advances the importance of green buildings as a critical part of the solution in the energy and climate debates. It will be important for this individual to be well versed in USGBC’s messaging around green buildings and climate change, and also in how USGBC is working hard to improve the performance of all buildings, especially through the Building Performance Partnership. The evolving Green Building Information Gateway and other research efforts at USGBC may also prove helpful in this role. Residential Marketplace: This seat is important for advancing USGBC’s national advocacy priority area of Green Affordable Housing. This individual is in charge of identifying and acting on opportunities to bring the benefits of green building to the populations that need it most through policy that improves the health, efficiency and environmental quality of affordable housing. In addition, this perspective seat is encouraged to advance the importance of addressing residential buildings – both new and existing – through smart policy and strategic relationships. For chapters that maintain distinct residential green building advocacy committees, this is a liaison role to tap into the existing work and expertise of that community. It will be important for this individual to be connected with local LEED for Homes Providers, local Green Designees with the National Association of Realtors, and to be familiar with the LEED for Homes Rating System and the resources available on The Green Home Guide. City-Scale Policy & Infrastructure: This seat is important for advancing USGBC’s national advocacy priority area of Sustainable Cities & Communities. This perspective seat advances the importance of green buildings and green communities as a critical part of any government’s sustainability planning process. Familiarity with the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System and associated resources, not limited to USGBC’s vision for a more holistic approach to codes and standards (see Greening the Codes), will be of critical importance. Schools & Education: This seat is important for advancing USGBC’s national advocacy priority area of Green Schools. For chapters that maintain distinct green schools committees, this seat is a liaison role to tap into the existing work and expertise of the green schools committee. This perspective seat, like the others, is also encouraged to correspond with the community of chapter members that are interested (or have experience) in policy that promotes green schools. Familiarity with the LEED for Schools Rating System and the work of the Center for Green Schools (including the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative, the Mayors’ Alliance for Green Schools and the Congressional Green Schools Caucus) will be of critical importance.
Statewide Advocacy Committee [in states with multiple chapters]
USGBC National
Chapter Board
Advocacy Committee Fundamentals
Chair
Vice Chair & State Liaison
State Liaison
Chapter Advocacy Committee
Schools & Education [or Green Schools Liaison]
Energy & Climate
City‐Scale Policy & Infrastructure
Residential Marketplace [or Residential Green Building Liaison]
Collaborating with the Chapter’s Membership The issue seats serve as opportunities to tap into the grassroots advocacy potential of the chapter membership. The committee members who occupy a USGBC priority perspective seat should liaise with those chapter members most interested or experienced in that field. Where your chapter may already have an established committee focused on green schools or residential green building, this seat should naturally liaise with those groups, as well as correspond with the greater chapter membership.
Perspective Seats Beyond a chair, vice chair and provisions for statewide liaisons if appropriate, there are four areas of expertise that merit seat on your committee and align with USGBC’s core advocacy priorities: 1. Residential Marketplace (Green Affordable Housing) 2. Schools & Education (Green Schools) 3. City‐scale Policy & Infrastructure (Sustainable Cities & Communities) 4. Energy & Climate (Green Buildings for Climate Protection) Authority to Act The chapter board should delegate reasonable authority to the advocacy committee to act on legislative or other urgent advocacy matters, especially where action is consistent with the priorities of USGBC national. The board’s executive committee should have the authority to approve advocacy actions in exigent circumstances. In states with multiple chapters, chapter boards should delegate collective authority to the statewide advocacy committee. This body is composed of two representatives from each chapter.
