Howard B. LaFever, principal with GHD Inc., of Cazenovia, N.Y., was recently named Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). Founded as a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization, ISI?s purpose is to improve the performance and viability of infrastructure through the application of more sustainable technologies and methodologies. The ISI organization was co-founded in 2011 by three national nonprofit organizations: the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).
?I am truly honored to be the ISI Chairman of the Board of Directors, which has been founded to implement the important task of the sustainability of infrastructure for the 21st Century and beyond,? said LaFever. ?The ISI has taken on this role, which is an important initiative designed to develop sustainable technology to help our society and our communities, and to help policy makers evaluate the sustainability of infrastructure, along with setting realistic national priorities, and conducting a national discourse on infrastructure investment. In the U.S., this is incredibly important given the nature of our crumbling infrastructure.?
With 41 years of engineering experience, LaFever is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE), and has been serving on the ISI Board of Directors as chair-elect since 2011. LaFever has a specialty certification in Environmental Sustainability and Water & Wastewater. In addition to the board chairman position with ISI, he is a lifetime member of APWA and has served in a major role as a founding member of APWA?s Center for Sustainability and as a member of the center?s leadership group. LaFever served on the APWA Board of Directors for six years representing Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. He is a fellow member of ASCE, the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, past president of the ACEC New York Central Chapter and a life member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
Recently, ISI launched the a new sustainable infrastructure rating system, called Envision, which is a collaborative product developed between ISI, based in Washington, D.C., and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Mass.
?ISI has committed to develop and support the Envision rating system and related resources, including education and training programs ? all of which will assist infrastructure project owners, agencies, project teams and others with delivering sustainable solutions to meet the imperative infrastructure needs our country faces,? said LaFever. ?This new tool will help the infrastructure professionals of all types who design and build these projects and who face a tall order to satisfy the ever-growing demand for infrastructure, and at the same time responsibly address the potential environmental and economic effects in their communities.?
LaFever earned his Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University, and his Masters in Sanitary Engineering & Water Resources Planning from Cornell University. He worked his way up through the engineering ranks, specializing in wastewater and solid waste services at Stearns & Wheeler to his current position as a principal with GHD (formerly Stearns & Wheeler), a global engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firm.
