working and engagement groups power and enrich our work as an organization

Volunteers make mindful MATERIALS what it is and make up the core of its collaboration hub. This page celebrates their invaluable cross-functional expertise, time and commitment to a world with mindful materials for all.

mindful MATERIALS currently has two types of volunteer roles: Engagement Groups and Working Groups. Engagement Groups exist to help connect the mindful community, encourage peer-to-peer learning, and share the latest on holistic materials sustainability. Working Groups contribute to the strategic goals of mindful MATERIALS by supporting the creation, review or dissemination of tools and resources.

engagement groups

Looking for a home in this industry to connect with peers and learn about materials? Join one of our two engagement groups - or suggest another you’d like to kick off! Stay in the loop on the latest with materials sustainability, enjoy peer-to-peer learning, and provide industry feedback to the mindful movement. Each month, Engagement Groups meet via zoom and learn from guest speakers relevant to their work, and have an opportunity for open discussion and Q&A amongst the group.

Current Engagement Groups:

A&D Engagement Group

  • Co-chairs:

    • Alexandra Gadawski, HMFH Architects;

    • Rebecca Best, Material Bank

    • mM staff liaison: Laurel Christensen

The A&D Engagement Group comes together as a collective to discuss the importance of holistically sustainable specifications and share knowledge and resources to enable each member to design and specify more sustainably — more successfully. Plus, members play a key role in elevating awareness and action by the broader community.

Manufacturer’s Engagement Group

  • Co-Chairs:

    • Rachel Berkin, Tarkett

    • Kendra Martz, Construction Specialties

    • mM staff liaison: Annie Bevan

Navigating implementation and effectiveness of your sustainability efforts as a manufacturer has a lot of shared challenges and opportunities. Come together with peers to learn the latest from mM and industry experts, knowledge-share with each other, plus identify collective opportunities to leverage the CMF, drive changes in manufacturing, and grow awareness and action among specifiers.

“This is like vitamins and
dessert at the same time!”

 
 

-Jodie Thill, Flad Architects, on A&DEG April 2022 Guest Presentation
(presented by Lona Rerick, Anne Hicks Harney and Lisa Goodwin Robbins)

working groups

Working Groups are driven by the strategic goals of mindful MATERIALS and support cross-functional input, strategic direction, resource creation and the evolution of our collaboration hub, common framework, and connected database.

In August 2023 we launched two new working groups, Community and Creative. The Content Advisory Board (which developed the Common Materials Framework) is not currently accepting new members, but will be reconvening in Q4 2023 to address continued expansion and updates to the CMF.

  • Co-Chairs:

    Antonio Holguin, Autex Acoustics

    Mandy Miller, Elkus Manfredi

    mM staff liaison: Laurel Christensen

    The Community WG helps to foster and expand the mM Community of volunteers - both nationally and internationally. The WG supports mM Staff and Volunteer WG/EG Chairs and Co-Chairs in maintaining engagement and adding value for all members of the mM Community. Members act as the first point of contact with parties interested in getting involved with mM, and help to shape and develop the CTA for different stakeholders to outline how individuals and companies can best get involved with and support mM’s work in their respective roles. Interfaces with all engagement groups to support them in making their platforms more valuable and engaging

  • Co-Chairs:

    Jen Levisen, mindfulMATERIALS

    Taylor Friehl, SMS Collaborative

    mM staff liaison: Alex Muller

    The Creative Working Group is the magic touch on our work at mindful MATERIALS. This group has folks who are excited about how to craft and package messages to reach the hearts and minds of existing or new community members. This includes graphic visuals, website review and copy, resource support, brand maintenance, etcetera.

    The Creative WG works closely with the Community WG (and all others) to help polish and package their outreach and engagement strategies. For example, creating visual templates for volunteer highlights and structure for the content, or conducting a review of the website to identify update needs.

  • The Content Advisory Board (CAB) develops and updates the data (certifications, eco-labels, general information, etc.) that will be included in the Common Materails Framework, as well as how that data is organized. The goal of the CAB is to provide a cross-section of industry stakeholder input and ensure there is industry alignment on the Common Framework.

    Current Roster:

    Annie Bevan, mindful MATERIALS
    Michaela Shaw, Hightower
    Jack Dinning, Brightworks Sustainability
    Jeff Frost, Brightworks Sustainability
    Mary Dickinson, Perkins&Will
    Maria Papiez, EwingCole
    Rachelle Schoessler Lynn, Gensler
    Ralph Bicknese, Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects
    Lona Rerick, ZGF Architects
    David Cordell, Perkins&Will