A Note from ABC Collaborative Co-Founder Martha Campbell:
Dearest Colleagues and Friends,
It has been one of the highlights of my career to have been a part of the Advanced Building Construction Collaborative and the efforts we have spearheaded together over the past several years. After almost 11 years at RMI I have made the decision to pivot to a new opportunity and will be joining Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s team as her Senior Climate Policy Advisor. In my next role I very much hope to collaborate with you in bringing your innovations to the state!
When I look back at our work together, I can say I am honored to have been a part of this community and to have been able to serve its goals and growth. From technical analysis and market scoping to research and development of promising retrofit technologies, to strategizing to remove code barriers for new industrialized construction, there is no question that the work you each do is the future of construction and building sustainably in this country.
As I reflect on my time with the Collaborative, I thought it was worth sharing a few parting thoughts.
One, I think organizing as a collective to help better shape policies that support the modernization of construction and building performance will be critical. Groups led by industry tend to have significant political clout and you should exercise yours. Coming together to understand what your policy agenda and the overall system design that is conducive to modernizing and streamlining the construction sector will be an important first step.
Two, I think a focus on finance and leveraging the forthcoming Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) resources during this period of high capital costs will enable disruptors and innovators to not just survive but thrive. Consider reinvigorating and making the Finance Working Group more action oriented.
Three, while technological innovation is at the core of our DNA, one of the greatest gaps I see in the sector is around labor and the skilled trades. Demand cannot be met without the “machinery” in place to deliver solutions at scale. Labor will be at the center of that machinery and a systematized way to stand up delivery is necessary and will require reformation of the trades at times and how they relate to each other. Business models with an eye to this will have a smoother ramp up as demand increases.
Thank you for indulging my thoughts. I hope they serve useful as you all embark upon this next chapter of the Collaborative’s future.
Please do stay in touch and come help us make Michigan the center of advanced building construction!
All my very best,
Martha