Team
By admin on 25-05-2008
Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA Associate, LEED™ AP, GRP, is publisher and editor of Greenroofs.com and is the author of its original content, and is also the designer of The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database. She has a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Georgia (2000, cum laude) and an Associate’s in Art in Business Administration (1982). She heads up the Greenroofs.com Blog, Sky Gardens ~ where cool green meets lofty blue.
“Cool green?” Cool green architecture, cool green people, cool green environments, etc., you get the picture. “Lofty blue?” As in sky high spaces, places, ideals, and ideas.
Linda is a greenroof design consultant and and principal of Sky Gardens Design (2003), and has presented on greenroofs all over the world. In 2004 she got her LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) designation from the U.S. Green Building Council, and in 2010 received her GRP (Green Roof Professional) designation from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Linda is also a mom of three and has been an international flight attendant since 1979 (Yes, she’s still flying – minimum!). Back in 2003, when not too busy writing, editing, and flying, she started her Sky Gardens ~ Travels in Landscape Architecture column which featured areas of the world currently greening their roofs. But reality set in and that column turned into this blog in May, 2008! She lives in Alpharetta, Georgia with husband and business partner Aramis, and the occassional “children” who keep coming back every now and then.
email: linda@greenroofs.com
View Linda’s Profile
Aramis M. Velazquez is the CEO (Chief Everything Officer) of Greenroofs.com, LLC (1999). Aramis has an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Florida International University, with a strong Engineering, Information Technology & Accounting background.
Aramis handles all the operations in Greenroofs.com, LLC, which includes Sales & Marketing, Information Technology, Accounting, Billing, Customer Service and whatever else Linda does not want to do.
email: aramis@greenroofs.comView Aramis’ Profile
Guest Editors
Our Guest Editors are colleagues and, yes, friends of ours, yet are independent of Greenroofs.com. Some blog, and some don’t (not yet, atleast!). The opinions expressed by our Contributing Editors may not necessarily reflect the beliefs of Greenroofs.com, and are offered to our readers to simply present individual views and experiences and open a dialogue of further discussion, debate and research across a wide spectrum of subjects within the greenroofing world.
Meet our Guest Contributing Editors, in order of coming on board, who graciously provide unique insights in their field of expertise without compensation. They blog about cool design, projects, the industry, and their own practices and businesses, too:
Ed Snodgrass is our Plant Editor (2004). He writes an occasional Q & A column entitled “Ask Ed” where he answers your plant and horticulture questions, and also contributes an occasional Plant Feature, which highlights a particularly interesting and useful greenroof plant.
Ed is a Horticultural Consultant and co-owns and operates Emory Knoll Farms, a perennial nursery specializing in green roof plants, currently stocking over 100 varieties and providing over 2.5 million sf of planted roofs. In 2010 Ed co-authored his latest book The Green Roof Manual: A Professional Guide to Design, Installation, and Maintenance with Linda McIntyre, published by Timber Press. In 2006, Ed, along with Lucie Snodgrass, co-authored Green Roof Plants, A Planting and Resource Guide, published by Timber Press. Located in Street, Maryland, Ed lives as lightly on the Earth as he can with his wife.
email: PlantEditor@greenroofs.comView Ed’s Profile
Christine Thuring is the Student Editor (July 2004) and, in addition to her biannual newsletter “Green roofs on the curve” and “Christine’s Ramblings,” she also writes occasional Exclusive Features and Blog posts. With a background in plant ecology, Christine Thuring has been focused on green roofs since 2001. She has a MSc from the Penn State “Centre for Green Roof Research” (2005) and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sheffield. As a Contributing Editor for Greenroofs.com, she responds to queries and enjoys connecting people and interests. Sign up here to receive her occasional Ramblings and Newsletter.
In addition to research, Christine has represented green roofs in terms of education and communication, ecological design and consulting, and German-to-English translations (learn more). She is best defined by Chlorophyllocity, through which her many interests and activities are represented. From collaborative design projects to applied research, translation, and study tours (Green Roof Safari), her mission is to facilitate and support humanity’s transition from the carbon to the ecological age. A multi-lingual citizen of the world, Christine enjoys rail travel, loves bogs and spring wildflowers, and rides her bike everywhere.email: StudentEditor@greenroofs.com or Christine@greenroofs.comView Christine’s Profile
Kelly Luckett, LEED AP, GRP, is “The Green Roof Guy.” He fine-tuned his editorial focus and inaugurated his new column of the same name in April, 2008. Formerly “The Roving Exhibitor (March 2005),” he wrote about his experiences at green building conferences as president of Green Roof Blocks. Green Roof Blocks manufactures various modular green roof products and accessories. As president, he still is a frequent trade show exhibitor at greenroof and green building conferences, workshops & seminars – but Kelly also roves around the country attending ASTM, GRHC and other roofing and greenroof related organization meetings, and has become a central figure here. In fact, in November, 2010, Kelly was selected to receive the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Civic Award of Excellence in recognition of his contribution to the green roof industry.
In 2009, Kelly authored Green Roof Construction and Maintenance, published by McGraw-Hill’s Greensource. Look for this column about his experiences and impressions within the greenroof industry as just a regular (green)roofing guy from St. Louis, Missouri, where Kelly lives with his wife, son and daughter. So read his column to stay up to date within the greenroof industry!
email: GreenRoofGuy@greenroofs.comView Kelly’s Profile
Ralph Velasquez is our Sustainable Roofing Technologies Editor. He changed his editorial focus and inaugurated his new column “Sustainable Roofing” in April, 2008. Previously, you knew him as the ASTM Editor. He wrote a quarterly “ASTM Update” (March 2005) as a member of the American Society for the Testing of Materials Green Roof Task Force (E.06.71.07), part of the sub-committee for Sustainability (E.06.71), which in turn is part of the committee for Performance of Buildings (E.06).
Ralph is Executive Director of Sustainability with Tremco Inc., heading up their new program for sustainable roofing, waterproofing and building envelope solutions, including green roofs, photovoltaics (incl. BIPV), cool roofing and bio-based materials. Ralph lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife.
email: SustainableRoofingEditor@greenroofs.comView Ralph’s Profile
Patrick Carey, GRP, is the Architecture Editor (April 2005). He writes an occasional architectural column entitled “A View from the Sky Trenches,” where he selects and discusses pertinent greenroof industry topics.
Patrick has a degree in architecture and lives in Seattle, Washington, principal of hadj design, a green roof design-build company. Patrick is also director of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild’s Green Roof Project. PKC is also a trainer for the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof 101, 201, & 301 Courses.
email: ArchitectureEditor@greenroofs.comView Patrick’s Profile
Haven Kiers, MLA, LEED AP, GRP, is the Design Editor (October 2005). She writes an occasional column entitled “Chic Sustainability,” and co-writes and co-presents the “Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” series. She feels the “Greenroof challenge lies in finding the right balance between idealistic principles and cutting edge design.”
Haven is a Mom and lives and works in Davis, California, with her husband, daughter, and baby boy. Haven designs and presents nationally about greenroofs, and is also a trainer for the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof 101, 201, & 401 Courses.
email: DesignEditor@greenroofs.comView Haven’s Profile
Dr. Bill Retzlaff is the G.R.E.E.N. Editor (June 2006). He writes a bi-annual column entitled “The G.R.E.E.N. Research Report.” Dr. Retzlaff is the research coordinator of the St. Louis metropolitan area research collaboration G.R.E.E.N. – Green Roof Environmental Evaluation Network – between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUe), Green Roof Blocks, Jost Greenhouses, Midwest Trading and Horticultural Supplies, Inc., Midwest Groundcovers, JDR Enterprises, Emory Knoll Farms, Garick, The Gaia Institute, and Greenroofs.com.
Bill Retzlaff, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences Program at SIUe, and lives in the St. Louis, Missouri area with his wife.
email: GREENEditor@greenroofs.com
George Irwin is the Green Wall Editor and writes “The Green Walls Column“ (March 2008). George is President and CEO of Green Living Technologies, LLC, a company that manufactures and designs Green Living™ Walls & Green Living™ Roofs in addition to other Green Living™ Accessories. He is a former trainer for the GRHC Green Walls 101. George oversees additional green wall research with various higher educational facilities in the U.S.
George lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife, son and daughter. In his spare time he is still an avid gardener he also enjoys travel and lecturing.
email: GreenWallEditor@greenroofs.comView George’s Profile
Caroline Menetre (April 2008) was our student intern from 2008 – 2009 and continues to collaborate with us. Caroline graduated in 2009 with a degree in Environmental Horticulture at North Metro Tech in Atlanta with a specialization in Sustainable Urban Horticulture. Previously, she was employed for 20 years as art director with one of Northwest Florida’s most established and successful advertising agencies.
Keenly interested in greenroofs and greenwalls – and combined with years of experience in advertising and editorial publications – Caroline has helped Greenroofs.com grow The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database; headed up the new design of our 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ – 12 Month Wall Calendar; and also helped design the look of our blog, Sky Gardens ~ where cool green meets lofty blue, among other projects. She is currently an independent landscape designer, environmental horticulturist, and local organic garden manager.
email: Caroline@greenroofs.comView Caroline’s Profile
Christopher Wark is our Energy Editor (2010) and is writing a seven-part series entitled “Cooler Than Cool Roofs: How Heat Doesn’t Move Through a Green Roof.“
Chris has over 20 years of multidisciplinary engineering experience providing support to manufacturers, municipalities and national labs. His focus for the past 8 years has been on the development and promotion of sustainable solutions in architecture and construction. He is currently a Senior Energy Analyst for Viridian Energy & Environmental as well as a designer of modular green roof and container garden systems. He lives in Manhattan, New York, with his wife.
email: EnergyEditor@Greenroofs.comView Chris’ Profile
