12/30/2008

Media Contact: Gregg Kleiner, 541-740-9654
Source: David Kenney, 503-780-8736

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) has hired a former environmental attorney and community affairs specialist to serve as its operations director and tapped a nationally-recognized expert in sustainable forestry and conservation issues to join its Technical Leadership Team.

Susan Safford, a former environmental outreach manager for the Port of Portland who served as an administrator of the Oregon Hanford Waste Board for the Oregon Dept. of Energy and as an environmental attorney with Stoel Rives LLP, will oversee operations at Oregon BEST. Safford holds degrees from Princeton University and the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College.

Catherine Mater, president of Mater Engineering in Corvallis, Ore. and a senior fellow of the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, joins Oregon BEST's Technical Leadership Team. With more than 30 years of research and design experience in the forest products industry, including the study of woody biomass and residual fiber, Mater will help Oregon BEST further develop the state's national reputation as a green building materials and design innovator.

"Oregon BEST is quickly expanding as an economic catalyst for Oregon's green building and renewable energy sectors, and both Sue and Catherine bring skill sets that will be invaluable as we continue helping Oregon's universities and businesses collaborate to power the state's green economy," said David Kenney, Oregon BEST's president and executive director. "Oregon BEST's role in the state's economic development drive is vital as Oregon positions itself to take advantage of the Obama Administration's upcoming investments in renewable energy and green job creation. Having two more highly qualified people on our team will be a great help."

As a senior community affairs specialist for Jones and Stokes, Inc., Safford's principal responsibilities included project management and business development. "Oregon BEST connects university research teams with Oregon businesspeople to create new green technologies, companies, and jobs, so I'm excited to apply my knowledge of business development to Oregon's fast-growing sectors of renewable energy and green building," Safford said.

In the past 10 years Mater, who holds degrees in civil engineering and political science, has served on two presidential panels to evaluate forest industry harvest and manufacturing options, has spearheaded a pilot project in forest certification on public lands, and provides expertise for a wide range of Pinchot Institute projects.

"Oregon already enjoys a national reputation for our innovative approach to green building design, and Oregon BEST is helping cement that reputation by fast-tracking green building research at our universities," Mater said. "I'm pleased to be a part of this organization that's working to build Oregon's economy based on sustainable products and services."

About Oregon BEST: The Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) brings together Oregon's significant R&D strengths in the key emerging areas of renewable energy and green building products and services, with the goal of increasing research and accelerating public/private partnerships to transform that research into on-the-ground business opportunities and Oregon jobs. Oregon BEST partners include the Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, as well as numerous private businesses, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. http://oregonbest.org