The 2008 BetterBricks Awards honored an all-time high of 27 building professionals, including architects, owners, service providers, engineers and green building advocates.  The BetterBricks Awards held ceremonies recognizing the champions behind the best building projects in Oregon, Puget Sound and Idaho.  Don't forget to register for the Montana Awards on February 26, 2009. 

Some of the 2008 winners' accomplishments include:

• Renee Loveland, Director of the Built Environment  for Gerding Edlen in Portland is responsible for managing over 40 LEED or environmental certification projects
• David Furr & Kathleen Hill, Utility Coordinator & Resource Conservation Specialist for the Salem-Keizer Public Schools, Oregon, have overseen 12 schools that will soon receive ENERGY STAR® certification
• David Thyer is the President of R.C. Hedreen Co. in Puget Sound and his most recent project, Olive 8, is set to be the first hotel/condominium project in Seattle to receive any type of LEED certification;
• Lucia Athens, Senior Sustainable Futures Strategist for CollinsWoerman (formerly with City of Seattle) created the City of Seattle's first LEED Green Building policy
• Senator Kate Kelly from Idaho has been at the forefront of Idaho's climate and energy efficiency charge; she was also the key author of the Idaho Energy Efficient State Building Act.

Every year, the BetterBricks Awards are sponsored by different entities in each city. Portland/SW Washington BetterBricks' partners included the Energy Trust of Oregon and Stoel Rives, LLP. In Idaho sponsors were Idaho Power, ZGA Architects, Stoel Rives, LLP, the Association of Idaho Cities. In the Puget Sound area, BetterBricks sponsors were Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power, and Snohomish PUD.