At CoolSeal by GuardTop®, our commitment to sustainability is a part of everything we do. Our team aims to make an impact not just with our product, but by working alongside forward-thinking communities and institutions on driving sustainable solutions to address climate change and environmental issues.
That’s why we’re particularly proud to announce that Maria Koetter, our climate and sustainability specialist, has been named to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Cities and Communities Consensus Committee (CCCC) for 2024.
Maria was chosen by the USGBC Board of Directors from among more than 60 applicants to fill one of the 18 open spots on the committee in 2024. She may be reappointed to this position for up to four years.
“I’m honored to have been chosen to serve on the USGBC’s Cities and Communities Consensus Committee and to be able to help municipalities build more sustainable communities where residents can thrive,” said Maria. “This is our core mission at CoolSeal and I’m happy to extend this mission for even greater impact.”
The USGBC is best known for the development and administration of the LEED green building rating system, which provides developers, builders, and municipalities a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. Customers who use CoolSeal for building projects are eligible for LEED points for its usage.
As part of the USGBC’s Cities and Communities Consensus Committee, Maria and her fellow committee members will serve as the body responsible for making recommendations about the organization’s urban sustainability/policy agenda as well as preserving the integrity and supporting the evolution and development of the LEED for Cities and Communities Standard and Program.
Maria has devoted her career to moving the needle on sustainability, particularly when it comes to mitigating urban heat issues. Prior to joining CoolSeal, she was the Executive Director of the Global Cool Cities Alliance, where she led efforts to develop and implement policies and programs to build resilience to extreme heat, working with government leaders and experts from cities, universities, federal agencies, and manufacturing and industrial sectors.
As the Director of Sustainability for the Louisville (KY) Metro Government, Maria led the city’s first urban heat island study and developed the Louisville Cool Roof incentive program, among her many other accomplishments. At Bgreen2, she provided strategic sustainability and corporate consulting services to clients like Norton Healthcare, Lexmark International, and the University of Cincinnati.
At CoolSeal, Maria leads our sustainability support services, which offers technical support and assistance with sustainability, heat mitigation, and climate planning programs, as well as data monitoring and grant identification and application preparation.
CoolSeal is the only cool pavement sealcoat on the market that offers a fully green alternative to polymer-based coats. Our ultra-high-performance sealcoat, which is a water-based asphalt emulsion, is designed to reflect the sun and lower asphalt surface temperatures by up to 10-25 F (under certain conditions) to mitigate heat island effects and enhance comfort and well-being for residents. It offers longer-lasting protection, requiring fewer treatments and lowering costs over the lifetime of the surface being protected.
Learn more about CoolSeal and our sustainability support services.
