Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2019 - 22

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

A RETROSPECTIVE ON FIFTEEN YEARS
OF INDUSTRY BUILDING
JEFFREY BRUCE'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF THE CHAIR'S AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INDUSTRY, DELIVERED AT THE DC GREY TO GREEN CONFERENCE, OCT. 29, 2019

hank you Chairman Barmore, the GRHC Board, Steven
Peck, the GRHC staff and attendees. I regret that I am unable to attend this annual celebration of our industry. I am
deeply humbled and honored to have been selected for this
prestigious award. We all migrate to this organization under different circumstances but are bound by the passion of the possibility
that this industry can change the world in fundamental ways. My
first presentation at GRHC, 15 years ago here in Washington, DC
was titled the "The Weakest Link: Challenges in Construction
Implementation of Green Roofs". It detailed the emergence of
green roofs and how the construction industry was ill prepared to
implement the technology. At that time, there were no guidelines,
no public policy, and significant resistance to adoption by owners,
general contractors, insurance underwriters and public officials.
Flash forward to today and realize the progress we have collectively accomplished. It is astonishing and rewarding to see how our
passion can fuel a world movement in the short period of 15 years.
Our accomplishments are numerous, detailed and comprehensive.
Training manuals and a Green Roof Professional certification program have produced a thousand professionals that understand best
practices. We've advocated for mandatory green roof policies in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Denver, Portland and
San Francisco and many other cities to help drive market demand.
We've had policy symposia in over 100 cities, significant advancement in funding for and output from academic researchers, the

"IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CONTINUE
TO ADVOCATE TO CORPORATE AND
PUBLIC INTERESTS THAT THEY
HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO INVEST
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR
INDUSTRY WHICH WILL SECURE
ITS FUTURE FOR ALL. "
- JEFFREY BRUCE
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / WINTER 2019 / 22

educational Living Architecture
Centers of Excellence, the Living Architecture Performance
Tool to promote comprehensive
design and maintenance practices, and the creation of World
Green Infrastructure Network
representing over two dozen
countries around the world. I
would like you to give yourself a
standing ovation!
I may be the recipient of
this award today but it must be
shared by everyone in this room
and everyone that contributed
resources, time and energy to
this meaningful endeavor that
binds us to a common vision.
A fundamental belief that has
driven my passion for this
organization is that we all need
to be motivated beyond personal
interests and corporate proprieties to contribute unselfishly
to a collective vision toward the
advancement of the industry.
We all can directly witness how
a rising tide lifts all ships to
the benefit of all. Compare the
impact of the market share of
the green roof industry in these
intervening 15 years. It is imperative to continue to advocate
to corporate and public interests
that they have an obligation to
invest in the development of our
industry which will secure its future for all. No single company
or collection of companies could
have been able to achieve all the
accomplishments of GRHC.
While my name is on this
award, everyone that answered
my phone calls, agreed to sit

on a committee, provided an
educational session, attended
a conference or symposium,
or provided leadership on the
board should understand that
they are the real recipients of
this recognition. I enter the
coming year with great pride
and optimism about what we
will accomplishment. It will require investment, commitment
and dedication, but our future
is bright and filled with new
possibilities.
In closing I would like to
thank each one of you for
your guidance and consul, for
your unyielding advocacy on
my behalf, for your unselfish
contribution of knowledge, but
most of all for your warm and
lasting friendship. Fifteen years
ago, I would have never imagined that I would find a family
of peers that would change my
life in such meaningful and fundamental ways. To this family
I remain eternally grateful and
humbled to share such rich experiences and accomplishments.
I can only dream about what
we can collectively accomplish
in the future. I look forward
to continuing our dialogue
and expanding our passionate
family. Thank you for your
sincere support and recognition
to which I am deeply honored
to share the spotlight with all of
you today.
Sincerely yours,
Jeffrey L. Bruce, GRP, FASLA

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Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2019

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