...for USGBCNY’s Urban Green Expo in the fall. “We are really excited about the expo,” Unger says. “It gives us the opportunity to put together a first-class educational program on a theme that we think is essential, retrofitting existing urban buildings.”

A second item reminds him to review suggested modifications to proposed standards for volatile organic compounds in building materials. Lawyers are making changes to building code proposals based on the work of the Green Codes Task Force, and “I am reviewing these changes to make sure they are technical refinements and not substantive changes,” he says.

Wrapping up the work of the GCTF is Unger’s top priority. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn asked USGBCNY to convene the task force in July 2008 to help green the laws and regulations governing city construction. Eight technical committees made up of over 170 green building experts are going through the code, identifying barriers to implementing green building and enhancements needed in the building code. Recommendations are due this summer.

“It is a massive effort,” Unger says. “It reflects our strength as an organization and technical expertise of our membership that we were able to call upon national leaders in green building issues to develop the task force.”

Next up on Unger’s schedule is a call to a contact in Vancouver to discuss dual-flush toilets. Vancouver now mandates the toilets in new construction.

“One of the technical committees is considering requiring dual-flush toilets, but we are getting push-back from industry,” he says. “I would like to hear what they [Vancouver] has to say.”

In between phone calls Unger dashes off to a meeting at the mayor’s office with representatives from the city’s Department of Environmental Protetion to hear their perspective on GCTF proposals affecting stormwater mitigation and water efficiency.

Later in the afternoon he meets with the executive committee of his board. A top agenda item is the Green Construction Trades training courses. Committees of union representatives, contractors, architects, engineers and curriculum experts have spent a year and a half developing the courses, which are intended to teach green building skills to the building trades and contractors.

Focus is now shifting to distributing the course materials. Initial indications are that demand for the materials will be strong, which is good, but Unger is concerned about handling all the requests to use the materials.

The executive committee also discusses the New York organization’s rebranding as the Urban Green Council. “When people hear the USGBC name, it gives us immediate credibility, but it makes it hard for us to take credit as a separate organization for the work we are doing, like developing the training course,” Unger says. The separate identity is required if the organization is to build the kind of support and financial base required to continue the work, he adds.

Unger envisions disseminating the resources and solutions developed in New York to other USGBC chapters. “We see ourselves as an urban laboratory, with everything from skyscrapers to single-family homes,” he says. “The re-branding will provide an identity that reflects that urban focus.”

Unger ends the day at an event hosted by City Bakery called “Hungry New York: Synergies between Sustainable Food and Buildings.” The event is just one of the things in the week that stretches Unger’s workday until 9 or 10 p.m.

Unger clearly loves his job and the people he is working with. “There are so many great people involved with the industry,” he says. “They are smart, creative, committed and funny. It is really intellectually stimulating and incredibly fulfilling.