November 2nd, 2008 - Posted By: Brad Liljequist

When I walked into Aaron’s office today to work on a grant application to the Department of Ecology, I noticed a framed chart showing his personality type – RED. I wasn’t sure if this was a warning, or simply informational, but it is right on. (If I remember right, red means assertive, Promethean, volatile, and generative).

Aaron is the Executive Director of Built Green. He was part of the core group that came together in early 2006 to shape and launch the project (that initial group included David Fujimoto and I from the City of Issaquah, Aaron and Koben Calhoun from Built Green, and Patti Southard and Katie Spataro from King County). From the start Aaron has been filled with a passion for what the project can be and mean in advancing ultra sustainable housing, but at the same time his passion is balanced with pragmatism and realism. He is quick on his feet, and is a very direct communicator (a couple of days ago, after Aaron shared some thoughts with Doug Howland, I asked Doug if those thoughts were consistent with what I had said, and Doug said yes, except that I had taken five minutes longer to say the same thing).

When he is not helping us move our project along, Aaron is focused on running the Built Green program. Built Green of King/Snohomish Counties is one of the largest and most successful green building programs in the country. Aaron manages the Executive Committee, certifies thousands of units a year, runs a major regional conference, and acts as one of the leading spokespeople for green building in the region. He manages this with a steadiness and verve that are the envy of many. We are lucky to have Aaron as part of our core team moving this project forward.

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