Local Action: The New Paradigm in Climate Change Policy
Tommy Linstroth's career has spanned both the private, academic, and non-profit sectors in the midwest, west and now east coast, where he serves as the Director of Sustainability for Melaver, Inc, a third generation, family-owned business working to become a vertically integrated sustainable real estate firm.  He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Melaver's sustainable vision and develops sustainable property management practices for properties in the company's portfolio, as well as manages development of new properties according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. To date, Tommy is/has been involved with over 25 LEED projects, with numerous additional projects in the pipeline with a market value nearing a half billion dollars. These projects include the first building in the Southeast to be both LEED certified and in the National Register of Historic places, the first all-retail LEED shopping center in the nation, the first LEED McDonald's restaurant, and Sustainable Fellwood, one of the largest green affordable housing developments in part of the LEED for Neighborhood Developments pilot program and LEED for Homes program  in the nation. He also heads up the consultancy division of Melaver, Inc, advising clients across the country on sustainable development and organizational sustainability. Tommy is the founder and past-chairman of the United States Green Building Council's Savannah Chapter, and is Chair of the newly formed USGBC Georgia chapter. He develops programming for sustainable design issues within the area, and facilitates education, outreach and information sharing among the green building community. Mr. Linstroth also works to educate local officials on pertinent issues in green building, sustainability and recycling. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Conservation Voters, the Live Oak Public Libraries, and serves on the Chatham Environmental Forum, the Mayor's Healthy Savannah Initiative and the Creative Coast Advisory Board.     Tommy graduated from the University of Wisconsin  Platteville, Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.  He then earned his Masters in Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Charleston, with concentrations on sustainable development, environmental policy, and municipal greenhouse gas emissions.     He is a frequent speaker on green building throughout the country, and he co-authored the book Local Action: The New Paradigm in Climate Change Policy published in November 2007, and is a contributing author for The Green Building Bottom Line, published in November 2008. He is a frequent author for numerous journals and periodicals, and has a column in Sustainable Facilities magazine. He currently resides in Savannah, Georgia.