Washington, DC – (November 10, 2010) – At this year’s Greenbuild, the annual conference hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), green jobs takes center stage in the form of a Green Jobs Summit and Green Jobs Fair. The events will take place on November 16 in Chicago and are hosted in partnership with the BlueGreen Alliance and the City of Chicago.

Manuel Flores, Acting Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary of Employment and Training Administration, and General President of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), Terence O’Sullivan, will address the Summit attendees as Green Job Summit plenary speakers.

“Chicago is ripe with green job opportunities, making it an ideal platform to host the Green Jobs Summit and Green Jobs Fair,” said Kimberly Lewis, Vice President of Conferences & Events, USGBC. “Acting as tireless advocates for building the green economy, Manuel Flores, Jane Oates and Terence O’Sullivan

will round out a day full of constructive dialogue about green jobs and the green building industry, which is predicted to support or create nearly 8 million jobs between 2009-2013 and contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.”

“Green jobs not only play a key role in helping to green America’s building stock, they will also help rebuild the economy, locally and on the national scale,” said Chairman Manuel Flores. “I’m eager to be a part of the constructive conversation at the Green Jobs Summit.

“The green building industry shows promise as a job creator in communities across the country,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Jane Oates.” “It is important that we continue the green jobs conversation in the context of the continued challenging job market and ongoing economic recovery." 

The Green Jobs Fair will feature jobs from around the Chicagoland area as well as nationally and is free and open to the public. Some of the employers scheduled to attend include: Bank of America, CB Richard Ellis, Turner Construction Company and Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

The green jobs events will bring together trainers, funders, employers, policy-makers, advocates, community groups and job seekers for a half-day event covering green job policies, supply and demand for green jobs, green workforce development and credentials and success stories from the field.

To learn more about the Green Jobs Summit and Green Job Fair, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org

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U.S. Green Building Council

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S.demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

About Greenbuild

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Annual Greenbuild Conference & Expo provides an unrivaled opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, explore new products and exchange ideas with other professionals. Greenbuild is the world’s largest green building conference and represents all sectors of the green building movement. Three days of extensive educational programming, workshops, a vast exhibition floor and ample networking events provide unrivaled opportunities to learn about the latest technological innovations, explore new products, and exchange ideas with other professionals. Greenbuild is the three time recipient of IMEX Green Meetings Award and four time winner of Tradeshow Week’s Fastest 50 growing tradeshows in the U.S. The 2010 show will be held on Nov. 17-19, 2010, in Chicago, Illinois with 40,000 expected attendees and nearly 2000 exhibit booths. Visit www.greenbuildexpo.org for more information.