We are thrilled to have added three wonderful speakers to the 29th Annual Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award Ceremony line-up. ISTC has been working to add diversity in speakers from industry and business type. This year’s Morning Symposium will not just provide you with diverse, cutting edge information, but will provide tools and strategies to move your sustainability initiatives forward.
Speakers added to our line-up are:
- Barb Daly, Quality Assurance and Facility Manager at Testa Produce, Inc.
- Chris Perzan, Director of Environmental and Energy Affairs and Sr. Counsel to Navistar, Inc.
- Dan Scoles, Manager of EHS & Sustainability at NOW Foods
In this post, we will be highlighting our addition to the Shaping the Future of Production – Morning Keynote Panel, Barb Daly, Quality Assurance and Facility Manager at Testa Produce, Inc.
In a future blog post, we will highlight Chris Perzan from Navistar, Inc. (14-time winner) and Dan Scoles from NOW Foods (4-time Award winner)– additions to the Where are they now? Past Award Winners panel.
Please visit our Awards Ceremony webpage to see the entire agenda for the day. We hope that you can join us on October 27th at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers!
Barb Daly – Testa Produce
Testa Produce won the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award in 2012 for their work in renewable energy, energy efficiency, a green roof, LEED building accreditation, and much more.
In 2011, Testa Produce expanded its operations to a newly constructed distribution facility on a restored brownfield site in the Back of the Yards Neighborhood – previously Chicago’s historic Stockyards Corridor. The company’s 91,300 square foot facility is equipped with premier state of the art green technologies. 180 Photovoltaic Solar Panels and a 750 kW wind turbine, the first of its kind in the City of Chicago, generate approximately 30% of the building’s energy needs. The company’s on-site energy generation offsets the equivalent of about 80 homes worth of energy each year.
An extensive water management system consisting of a retention pond, bio swales, rainwater-harvesting cistern, and a 45,000 square foot barreled vegetated roof reduces the facility’s water demand by over 40% through the collection, storage, and reuse rainwater runoff for non-potable purposes. Green Screens are irrigated though water runoff and shade, insulate, and provide a unique green aesthetic to the exterior of the building. Motion sensor lighting, LED fixtures, and skylights minimize light waste and allow ample natural lighting. Testa’s building meets the stringent requirements of the US Green Building Council and as a result the company has been named the first LEED Platinum Refrigerated Foodservice Facility in the United States.
Barb has been working for Testa Produce for 9 ½ years. She has helped in the research and building process for Testa’s LEED® Platinum facility unveiled in 2011. A transplant from California, her previous experience includes Director of Purchasing for Hilton, Hyatt and the Moscone convention center. Barbara has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industry. We look forward to learning more from them about what Testa has implemented since winning the Award and what the future holds!