T. Boone Pickens to speak at NAHB National Green Building Conference

Financier and alternative energy advocate T. Boone Pickens will speak at the 11th Annual NAHB National Green Building Conference, which will be held in Dallas May 8-10. Presented by the National Association of Home Builders, the conference is the largest event of its kind focusing on the residential green building market.
Pickens will address the award nominees, local and national association leaders and other attendees at the 2009 NAHB National Green Building Awards Dinner, which takes place Friday evening, May 8.
Pickens is expected to speak about environmental initiatives that can help conserve energy, water and other natural resources and the important role that the home building industry continues to play in mainstreaming new technologies.
"We are delighted that one of our host state's most famous residents will share his expertise with our conference attendees," said Joanne Theunissen, a builder and remodeler in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., and chair of the 2009 NAHB National Green Building Conference.
This year, the conference theme is "The Green of Green" because it focuses on the nuts and bolts of incorporating green building practices into a business plan: project management, the legal issues and liabilities surrounding green building, energy tax credits and incentives, and more.
In addition to the NAHB National Green Building Awards for outstanding new homes, remodeling projects and developments, highlights of the conference include: 

• Keynote speaker Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com and author of more than a dozen books, including Strategies for the Green Economy. 
• The Annual Tour of Green Homes. Dallas area builders and remodelers will show off their latest green projects, some under construction and some completed. 
• Plan reviews and educational sessions - not only on business management topics but also on marketing, building science and technology - targeted to builders, remodelers and developers. 
• Networking opportunities and exhibits from the industry's most prominent green suppliers and manufacturers.

"I believe that this year's conference is simply a can't-miss event for our industry -especially for those of us looking for new tools that will allow us to remain profitable in the current economic climate - and be ready to be green as the demand for housing returns," Theunissen said.
Additional information and registration is available at www.nahb.org/GreenBuildingConference. Conference corporate sponsors include the Propane Education and Research Council, Stock Building Supply, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Whirlpool.