Central Coast Green Building Council - Green Building Mentorship Initiative

GREEN BUILDING MENTORSHIP INITIATIVE

Apply to be a 2022 Mentor or Mentee Participant Here

Are you looking for an opportunity to offer your expertise and support the next generation of sustainability leaders? Or, perhaps you're looking to pair up with a mentor to receive support and feedback on your career journey. Well, look no further! 2021 marked the first year of the Central Coast Green Building Council's "Green Building Mentorship Initiative". We are developing a network of mentors and mentees throughout the central coast to connect and collaborate in order to expand our ecosystem of leaders in the built and natural environments.

Who is involved

Mentors: Educators, Consultants, Professionals

Mentees: Anyone looking to find a way into the realm of sustainability & the built environment in the professional world but might not know where to start!

Job Sector Examples: Public Sector, Solar + Storage, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Contracting, Consulting, Natural Building, Ecological Design, Sustainable Communities, Education

2021 Mentee / Mentor Pairings

Aryana, Mentee (pictured on left):

What were you looking for in the mentorship? I signed up to be a mentee because I am looking for guidance on how to unlock the next step in my career path. Over the last two years, I have been acquiring as much experience as possible by trying out different positions, both within the sustainability field and outside of it. Now, I want to focus my energy towards determining what brings me joy, what feels impactful, and how to hone the skills necessary to continue moving forward in that direction.

Brandon, Mentor (pictured on right):

What were you looking for in the mentorship? As a mentor, I am looking for an opportunity to share some of the lessons I've learned while navigating my career path with the next generation of sustainability leaders. There have been so many amazing mentors throughout my life who have helped me get to where I am today, and it only feels right to pass along some of the wisdom that has been bestowed upon me. This initiative has been a wonderful opportunity for me to connect, share, and get inspired!

Jayden, Mentee (pictured on left):

What is your favorite part about being a mentee? Brian's support over the past few months has been tremendously helpful. Being able to get advice from a person who has studied similar topics as me and has worked in careers I am interested in, especially a first-generation college student preparing for graduate school has been an amazing experience.

Brian, Mentor (pictured on right):

What is your favorite part about being a mentor? It's pretty selfish, but it's very satisfying for me to have a role in her academic and professional growth, and frankly, to engage with someone of her caliber. She rocks.

Molly, Mentee (pictured on left):

What is your favorite part about being a mentee? My favorite part of being a mentee is being able to spend time in a real architectural office and gain hands-on experience by talking with people who have made a career out of architecture and have years of experience, which is something I was unable to do just attending architecture lectures in school. So I really value being able to spend time in an environment surrounded by architectural work and people who have the same interests as I do and are eager to help me learn more about the field.

Ken, Mentor (pictured on right): "It's been a delight mentoring Molly Cunningham, who is finishing up her last year at UCSB. It’s been a pleasure getting to know her and exciting to hear her interest in green design – Building Sustainably. My goal is to give her the ability to take what she acquired from school and get a sense of what the physical aspects are like working in a firm that has been around since 1975. Our PR Administrator, Nicholis handles our archive and library here at Appleton Partners and he’s been so generous to share some of the tasks that I hope will help Molly along her expanding educational path. Whether it’s in architecture or not, I’m very happy to help in some way.”

Chad, Mentee (pictured on left):

What have you been discussing that excites you? Usually, I will come with questions about water harvesting, permaculture design, native plants, etc. and learn from Natasha’s background and work experience. She’s been able to provide a better understanding of how the sustainability “buzz words” like bioswale and habitat restoration are actually accomplished in landscape design. I have also been inspired by all the references, projects, and companies that Natasha recommends I check out.

Natasha, Mentor (pictured on right):

What have you been discussing that excites you? School is great for providing a lot of theoretical concepts. When one gets out of school it is really important to incorporate those concepts into one's practice. However there are a lot of real life practical aspects that come into play when you are actually working to create landscapes. I enjoy how conversations bounce between the two.

Tatiana, Mentee (Pictured on Left): My favorite part about being a mentee is that my mentor has shared so much about her career path and helped me gain confidence in my job search. Erica has connected me with her peers and gotten to know me better along the way. We both care deeply about community and sustainability. Something exciting that I heard about from Erica was Community Choice Energy. I was happy to see Santa Barbara recently adopted new residential options for carbon-free energy that other Central Coast counties had similarly transitioned to.

Erica, Mentor (Pictured on Right): In our geographically dispersed region it can be difficult to connect with fellow environmentally-minded folks. CCGBC's Mentor Program appealed to me because it offers the opportunity to build deeper, personal connections with people like Tati who share my same passions. I've really enjoyed getting to know Tati through this process. Though we're both county government employees, our roles are different so it's been interesting to learn about her work and where she wants to take her career. It's been fun to facilitate introductions and make a new friend on the Central Coast!