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Username
Lauren Hildebrand
Proposer First Name
Lauren
Proposer Email
lhildebrand@swinter.com
Proposer Last Name
Hildebrand
Proposer Company/Organization
Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
Proposer Phone
(973) 204-1158

Boston 2022 Areas of Focus

Proposer Job Title
Sustainability Director
Proposed Session Description
New York City Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis! The New York City Board of Health passed a resolution that includes a list of action items for the city’s health department. What is the difference between environmental justice and environmental racism? You'll hear from a diverse group of presenters/panelists that represent the built industry and the surrounding community through building science, consulting, outdoor spaces, healthy materials and medical backgrounds. We need to look outside of our built environment's main focus of climate CHANGE to truly understand its impact on climate INJUSTICE. We work tirelessly to improve our built environment through energy efficient upgrades via new technologies, client engagement, data trends & analysis, etc. Let's use public health research and NYC's recent declaration from the DOH that racism is in fact a public health crisis into action by shifting the lens to the how the built industry can contribute to a healthier, more equitable future in the fight for climate justice and action. We can implement lessons learned from inequities highlighted during the pandemic, by re-framing DOH's recommendations to utilize already establishment methodologies like Universal Design, WELL Health Equity targets, and other certification programs that have started to directly address equity in buildings.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
It's the main focus. See details above
Learning Objectives
Learn how (in) access to open space and public parkland contribute to public health, environmental injustice and what are some ways we can address this
Identify low and no cost healthy material solutions while prioritizing health without affecting your bottom line
Utilize existing programs and methodologies such as Universal Design, IWBI's Health Equity Pilot Credits, Fitwel's Viral Response Module (VRM), and LEED's Social Equity Pilot Credits
Understand the intent and highlights of NYC's DOH's "Racism is a Public Health Crisis" declaration
Has this session been presented before?
No
Session Format
Interview or structured conversation among panelists
Session Format Details
Open to what works for the topic and the conference. We can secure up to four presenters from various different backgrounds. We can either do a 10 min presentation from each of the presenters with a Q&A at the end, or one of us would act as the moderator and we would have 3-4 panelists with prepped questions to foster audience engagement.

Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2022

Comments about your speaker roster
As a Sustainability Director at Steven Winter Associates, Lauren focuses on high performance building technologies, green building certifications, and human health in buildings. She provides the know-how in performance testing, contractor training, healthy building materials, energy code compliance, and incentive opportunities. In addition to her daily project oversight, Lauren is on the IWBI Health Equity Advisory Committee, her internal DEI focus group committee, and regularly conducts trainings and presentations for audiences of designers, builders, and building owners. Topics include electrification, healthy buildings, building science best practices, health equity, healthy materials and other emerging trends in sustainability. Melissa Abramson, REI, leads the creation of local brand engagement strategy through collaboration with local leaders to build awareness and engagement, by which differentiating REI and increasing brand impact through storytelling, media relations, strategic non-profit relationships, advocacy, local social, partnerships, events and more. She is also the Founder and Chair of the New York Outdoor Recreation Coalition. Bill Walsh is the Founder of the Healthy Building Network (HBN). Since 2000 HBN has been defining the leading edge of healthy building practices that increase transparency in the building products industry, reduce human exposures to chemicals in building materials, and create market incentives for healthier innovations in manufacturing. Bill and HBN have been awarded the Design for Humanity Award by the American Society of Interior Designers (2019) and US Green Building Council’s Leadership In Advocacy Award (2012). Chris Bland, Mt. Sinai, Born in Paterson, NJ, Christopher is a Program Coordinator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from The State University of New York at Geneseo and a MPH in epidemiology from the University of Georgia. While at the University of Georgia, Christopher taught courses on Global Health, served as the president of the Public Health Association and became a member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. Christopher’s research interest includes the intersections of mental health and HIV/AIDS, the physiological/psychological effects of volatile compounds in the air of urban housing and environmental justice. Christopher has been a consultant to prominent health organizations such as GILEAD Sciences, PEPFAR, Ryan White, Georgia Department of Public Health, and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. Christopher’s current work at Sinai includes building and managing a virtual home visit program for pediatric asthma patients. Now residing in Manhattan, Christopher’s future goals are to implement grass-roots initiatives throughout NYC that task shift interventions to respected community leaders and health workers to teach health education in their community and include integrative wellness for underserved populations.
Reviewer 1
Washington, Maria
Reviewer 2
Moody, Kaitlin
Curator
Moody, Kaitlin
Proposal #
109
Session #
307
Committee Decision
Accepted
Full Description
Racism has always been a public health crisis: now NYC's Department of Health has declared this official. What does this mean and how can NYC's accomplishments, goals and missteps help the Boston community - and the nation - incorporate health equity into the built environment? We start with our belief that time outside is a human right, and that the outdoors should be places where everyone feels safe and welcome to be themselves, access opportunities and find their place. REI has long been committed to fostering welcoming, inclusive spaces outside and a co-op where everyone can feel respected, represented, and connected with all they need to live their best outdoor life. Then we will move to the inside. Being INSIDE is a human right.