David Ferrara, Anchor Mechanical
At Anchor Mechanical, Inc., David’s focus as General Manager is on elevating clients’ experiences through strategic project planning and best in class service. Striving for operational excellence, he ensures that property improvements and HVAC services exceed customer expectations for quality, value, and convenience. With a background in directing operations for several large organizations in the Mid-Atlantic, his expertise lies in delivering tailored solutions that meet diverse client needs. His credentials, including HVAC Masters Licenses and certifications as an Energy Auditor and Building Commissioning Professional, empower him to drive innovation and professionalism in every project we undertake. He is the former Executive Director of NAPEEF, served on the Board of Directors, and was an instructor for the association for eight years.
Gautami Palanki, Howard Hughes Corporation
Gautami is passionate about accelerating climate action in buildings and cities, through better connections between data and people. Her expertise includes high performance architectural design, sustainability reporting, green building certifications and technology implementation. She is currently Senior Vice President of ESG Strategy for Howard Hughes Corporation. Prior to this role, she led product engagement and global implementation of an environmental performance score for Arc Skoru, a data driven technology platform. Gautami also worked at the US Green Building Council, transforming LEED to a performance-based rating system for buildings and cities, and she led sustainability strategy consulting for AtSite Inc. She started her career as an architectural designer at RTKL, developing culturally and environmentally-conscious design schemes. A licensed architect and LEED AP, she received her Bachelor of Architecture from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India and M.S. Sustainable Design from Carnegie Mellon University. Twitter @gautamipalanki.
Holly Lennihan, Cannon Design
Holly serves as Vice President at CannonDesign. She has over two decades of experience and is a seasoned project manager, working with clients across markets and regions of all sizes. She is a strong advocate of both sustainable design solutions and high-performance building design. Holly is a strategic advisor to her clients, currently working with both the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Matan Inc. Holly is active in both professional and community outreach. She serves on multiple regional sustainable building councils in Washington, DC and has served for over 20 years on the Board of Directors of Mi Casa—a nonprofit affordable housing developer committed to providing quality affordable housing to low and moderate households in the Washington DC area.