Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Green Building Team

Pictured from left to right: Valerie Garrett, Jaimes Valdez, Alisa Kane, Liza Mickle, David Tooze, Shawn Wood and Vinh Mason

Alisa Kane, LEED AP, Green Building and Development Manager

At BPS, Alisa works on green capital improvement projects, policy initiatives, ecodistricts, outreach and partnership development. She has a Master's in Urban Planning and has spent the last 17 years working in the fields of green building, community development and recycling.

Alisa is a published writer, regular speaker at green building events and an active community volunteer. You can follow her adventures in sustainable Portland on Twitter @seeinggreen.

David Tooze, Senior Energy Specialist

David helps implement Portland's resource efficiency goals through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at city-owned facilities. He leads the City Energy Challenge effort where Bureaus have completed work that cuts electricity and natural gas bills by $5.5 million each year.

At home, his busy life revolves around his wife Minden, their three children, church and extended family. For fun he enjoys garage sales, camping trips to the coast, Cascades and beyond, and an annual hunting trip with his sons.

Jaimes Valdez, Renewable Energy Specialist

Jaimes provides technical expertise, research, and policy support for BPS clean energy and green building programs. He brings over nine years of experience in sustainability consulting, especially in helping non-profits, governments and businesses make the shift to clean, renewable energy sources.  

He has a degree in Physics and Environmental Studies from Whitman College and particularly enjoys the quantitative details of energy efficiency and resource use. Prior to joining BPS, he worked for renewable energy firm DNV-Wind. Jaimes keeps up-to-date on the federal, state and regional incentives for solar energy systems, as well as technology and price trends.

A frequent bike commuter, he is an avid enthusiast of all things mechanical. Jaimes can often be found restoring vintage objects for newfound uses.

Liza Mickle, Historic Resources Program Specialist

As a Historic Resources Program planner, Liza provides technical and policy support for Historic Resources and Preservation planning. She works with citizens, businesses, property owners, public agencies and other community partners to help protect and enhance the City's history, cultural heritage, and built environment. Liza holds a Masters Degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Oregon and has worked at BPS for 12 years. 

Liza enjoys biking, hiking, traveling, and gardening. She’s looking forward to a research fellowship in fall 2012 in the medieval Italian hill town of Civita di Bagnoregio.

Shawn Wood, Construction Waste Specialist

Shawn has over 17 years of development-related experience in the private and public sector. His skills in both design and construction result in a hands-on approach to his work. Shawn’s focus on the Green Building Team is to develop programs and strategies to reduce construction debris, encourage material salvage and reuse, and recycle what’s left.

When he’s not busy saving construction material from the landfill, Shawn enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking and exploring the Northwest.

Valerie Garrett, LEED AP BD+C, Green Building Specialist

Since 2007, Valerie has been the coordinator of the Regional Green Building Hotline, providing technical assistance to the Metro Region. She does program outreach and manages the annual City of Portland Build It Green! Home Tour. Valerie holds a Texas architectural license and her green journey began in 2000 as project manager for a local non-profit housing developer. In her work, Valerie combines her interest and experience in residential design, art, old structures, community organization, research and writing.

When not attending to two vocal tabby cats, Valerie enjoys exploring ancient architecture, making things and eternal home and garden revamping. She volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.

Vinh Mason, Green Building Policy Coordinator

Vinh Mason works on the development and implementation of green building, ecodistrict and climate protection policy. He researches best practices to assess and improve building energy performance, greenhouse gas mitigation and indoor environmental quality. Prior to joining BPS in 2007, Vinh taught college classes in climate change and sustainable energy alternatives. In 2008, he completed a Master of Environmental Management degree at Portland State University focusing on the design of climate protection policies with the adaptive capacity to meet long-term green house gas mitigation goals.

Aside from policy design, Vinh enjoys greening his home, rehabilitating bicycles, and immersing his family into Portland's burgeoning bike, foodie and independent culture. He's also an avid hiker, always searching for obscure, black-bear friendly trails, and occasionally surfs off the coast of Oregon.