Property Management Staff Attend “Sustainability Boot Camp”
This summer, almost 200 property managers, property management supervisors and assistant supervisors from more than 100 developments attended a two-day energyefficiency training course organized by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Building Owners and Managers Association of New York (BOMA), and Urban Green Council.
Known as “Sustainability Boot Camp,” the training helps building operators understand the steps to take to make buildings more energy efficient. In New York City, building emissions are responsible for approximately 71 percent of all carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change.
Incorporating sustainability into the day-to-day management of all NYCHA properties is a key goal of NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda, which aims to create healthy, comfortable homes for our residents that will withstand the challenge of climate change.
“NYCHA seeks to be sustainable at every level. This includes investing in our staff, the leaders of NextGen NYCHA,” said Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “This energy efficiency-focused program will give our staff the tools they need to help us move towards a more sustainable future.”
As one of the City’s largest landlords, increasing NYCHA’s energy efficiency can make a significant impact not only on NYCHA communities but on the City’s overall environment. “Our building staff is on the front lines when it comes to sustainability,” said Vice President for Energy and sustainability Bomee Jung. “This program is a great resource for our staff as we work to meet our Sustainability Agenda commitment to train property managers in practices that promote healthy homes and improve energy management.”
Greener, Cleaner, More Efficient Property Management
“Making things work better and more efficiently here is a group effort,” said Renee Wright, property manager at Surfside Gardens in Brooklyn’s Coney Island. “The course provided a lot of information you could use at work and at home. We learned about recycling, low-flow shower heads to save water, and energy-efficient lighting. We were also given resources and websites to get even more information.”
Tuesdai Gaskin, property maintenance supervisor at Surfside Gardens, agreed. “We learned a lot about ways to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint,” she said. “The training makes you think about how to use equipment and materials to protect the environment and not be wasteful, like not idling trucks while loading, turning off lights that aren’t being used, and following instructions carefully on cleaning and other materials. I shared a lot of what I learned with our maintenance staff.”
“The extension of the Sustainability Boot Camp to NYCHA professionals is a laudable progression of the program and provided NYCHA staff with the skill-set they need to bring greening and conservation efforts to developments,” said City Council Member Ritchie Torres, Chair of the Committee on Public Housing.
Many of the largest commercial and residential owners and managers in New York City have taken the Sustainability Boot Camp course, conducted by trained instructors and industry experts.
Following the training, employees can earn the Urban Green Council’s GPRO Operations and Maintenance Essentials certificate by passing the accreditation exam.
