Mark Winterer | Jennifer Giunta
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Mark Winterer, GRP
Director of Operations, Recover Green Roofs
Mark Winterer
Have you ever wondered how to turn your passion for sustainability into a successful business? Mark Winterer did just that, getting his start in the green roof industry after his involvement with Net Impact, an international organization committed to responsible business leadership. This experience inspired him to develop a business that would contribute to a more sustainable economy and healthy community.
In 2009, Mark started Recover Green Roofs, a design-build firm specializing in the design, installation, and maintenance of rooftop gardens, amenity spaces, roof decks, and farms. Since then, Mark has helped design, build, and maintain over 200 green roofs throughout the United States Northeast.
Why did you decide to become a Green Roof Professional (GRP)?
I decided to become a GRP when I first started Recover because I didn’t have any experience with green roofs and wanted to become an expert. GRHC was a great resource for me as the size and number of our projects grew. They continue to be a great resource today, connecting us with other GRPs and suppliers to share best practices across the industry and providing invaluable training and development tools for our team.
How has it enhanced your career?
Without the GRP program, I have no doubt that it would have taken us longer to master the installation and maintenance best practices for green roofs. This would have limited the growth of our company and our capacity to take on projects, which ultimately would have limited our positive impact on our local built environment. GRHC and the GRP program has instilled us with the confidence to continue to push the industry forward, promoting more sustainable designs, materials, and systems to our clients.
The Living Architecture Performance Tool Certified Silver Rooftop Meadow on the Harvard Business School Building, by Recover Green Roofs
What is your favourite part of your job?
Working with my team, striving to be leaders in the green roof industry, and making our built environment more green with every new project we install.
What advice would you provide to someone interested in pursuing a similar career path to yourself?
It’s important to love what you do and to know why you’re doing it. When I started Recover Green Roofs with my business partner in 2009, I was passionate about sustainability, loved being outside, and enjoyed working with my hands. I had the entrepreneurial spirit, which was the key to success considering the green roof industry in the United States was still in its infancy. Every one of our green roof projects required strategic problem-solving and an open mind; it was hard work! And, a decade later, it’s still hard work but my advice is to surround yourself with people who are as passionate as you are and the work will feel less like work and more like an adventure.
What trends about green infrastructure/sustainability make you excited for the future?
I’m glad to see that cities and the general public are becoming more aware of the value of ecosystem services provided by urban plants. Green roofs are growing in popularity as a design element because of their potential to retain stormwater, reduce urban heat island effect, improve urban biodiversity, and more. It’s great to finally see significant city-level mandates reflecting their potential to improve climate change adaptation planning while also supporting public health.
What do you see the role of green infrastructure in resilience and the COVID-19 recovery?
If you consider rooftop farming a type of green infrastructure as I do, then rooftop farms, like the one we installed at Boston Medical Center, are an important local resource that provides an essential service for vulnerable families - locally grown, free, organic produce. Local farms play a key role in maintaining resilience during the crisis, especially as global supply chains become more disrupted. We need locally produced food now more than ever. It is clear from the Covid-19 crisis that we have not prepared our cities for a disaster of this magnitude. Climate change, although it will reveal itself more slowly, is a similar crisis that we need to prepare for so as not to disrupt our livelihoods in the future. Turning to green infrastructure presents itself an opportunity to make cities healthier and more functional even as the population rises, cities become denser, globalization intensifies, etc.
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Jennifer Giunta, GRP
Director of Sales, Riverbend Greenroofs
Jennifer Giunta is a Green Roof Professional (GRP) who works as the Director of Sales at Riverbend Greenroofs – A Licensed LiveRoof® Grower. Jennifer has more than 20 years of experience in the green roof and landscaping industry, supported by a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Horticulture and landscape contracting with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). She understands the value of green infrastructure across the board and is working to encourage widespread implementation and education. She wants to help emerging professionals enter the industry and has a ton of helpful tips and tricks for those wondering if a career in green roofs is right for them. We checked in with Jennifer to learn more about her experience as a GRP and what excites her most about the industry!
Why did you decide to become a GRP?
I believe in investing time and effort into maintaining professional accreditations because they bring a level of vital standard knowledge. Accreditations show a level of commitment to both continued learning and evolving as a professional and help clients get a baseline of knowledge that comes with being a GRP. I’ve been a horticulturist for over 20 years and in my previous role, I worked for a company that installed and maintained green roofs in the Washington DC area since 2000 so I came in knowing a fair amount about our industry. However, I realized there were gaps in my knowledge the GRP study guides really filled providing me a stronger knowledge base than before I was a GRP. We all come to green roofing from different backgrounds and this experience gave me more insight and depth throughout all aspects of our industry.
How has it enhanced your career?
The GRP has helped me transition from being a contractor to a professional who guides other professionals through green roofing. Some of my knowledge comes from seeing what works on successful green roofs, coaching people on what to look for and how to achieve a fully grown in green roof. The GRP helps me guide new professionals through the benefits of green roofing using a multi-faceted approach. My instant benefit is doing it because it’s beautiful and adds value but not everyone sees it that way. Finding that reason on why to put a green roof on is instrumental so it doesn’t get removed later in the project. Since green roofing still isn’t a staple in many places, questions/concerns from developers, general contractors and installers have are really important. The GRP gives me tools to effectively communicate and understand their concerns and address them so everyone is comfortable and knows the full picture of what green roofing looks like.
The Thomas Edison School of Technology, featuring LiveRoof Standard Modules, installed by Riverbend Greenroofs
What is your favourite part of your job?
I really enjoy sharing my knowledge by educating professionals on all aspects of the green roof. From suggestions and guidance on plant selection to teaching an installer to understand how to properly install a green roof for long term viability and health. I understand that for a green roof to come from a design concept to knockout installation takes a team of dedicated, hardworking professionals communicating and collaborating along the entire process. This collaboration produces the best green roofs on the market.
Inspiring younger generations to embrace and value our industry is very important for the long term viability of green roofing. We are relying on them to take this to the next level. They are smart, thoughtful and understand the value of what we do. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to young construction engineers, undergraduate students and graduate landscape architects and their questions and thought-provoking conversations afterward were incredible. I don’t have all the answers but working with such interesting young people energizes me and gives me hope for our future.
Providing a quality product is the most important aspect for my future in green roofing. Careers are made through long term relationships, being honest, admitting to and correcting mistakes. Riverbend Greenroofs, LiveRoof, and I align because all our core values are providing a top-quality product. I work hard with colleagues to ship top-notch green roofs and believe we are the best in our market segment. We all work hard to get it right the first time and are proud of what we do.
What advice would you provide to someone interested in pursuing a similar career path to yourself?
Starting with plant and media knowledge is the foundation of a successful green roof. Knowing the climate and understanding the environment is another key to success. Understanding plants can be difficult so I suggest working with them from the start. Don’t be afraid to work with an installation team and a maintenance team. You won’t learn this from a book, the best way is to see what is working and what isn’t working in the field. Over the years I have observed and asked many questions of industry leaders when I’m unsure of an ailing green roof. I find many people in this industry are willing to have conversations and share their knowledge. Find a mentor and someone who shares openly to teach others. Take advantage of the GRHC symposiums, local chapter events and municipality training, when available.
In addition to knowing plants having a basic working knowledge of stormwater management (SWM) and roofing are very important. SWM is what is driving many city policies for requiring green roofs so understanding at that level is an important part of the conversation you will have with clients. Roofing membranes are driving decisions on what type of green roof system is chosen so spending time learning roofing membranes will help your career out.
This career is very rewarding, as, like many people, I got into it because I fully believe this is the direction we need to go. Science doesn’t lie and we need to reverse the amount of permeable pavement in this country. Green roofing is just one important component of a fully holistic green infrastructure that needs to be implemented for future generations. I think we have a long way to go so the next generation can have a really robust, fulfilling career with green roofing. I still see too much resistance to it and my plan is to soften this resistance to enable the next generation to knock it out of the park with EVERY building enjoying and interacting with their green roofs.
What trends about green infrastructure/sustainability make you excited for the future?
I’m currently really excited about the general acceptance for Solar Photovoltaics (PV) and green roofing combined on one roof. Typically, I’ve seen people want solar in place of green roofing and not realize the two together are stronger than just solar. Just having solar on the roof is “green” but it’s not helping the urban heat island effect, longevity of the roof membrane (ie waste), stormwater retention, and bringing ecological value to the area. I think there is a real opportunity for the two industries to collaborate more and truly complement each other.
I’m having more conversations with clients and finding creative thinking on how green roofing can be used and what is in it. As much as a sedum base is a staple and brings so much value, I really encourage people to include perennials and grasses. Not only do green roofs with these components look more dynamic, ecologically they add more value. Giving insects, bees, birds and other wildlife a habitat and food source is important and should be part of the conversation. While a nice sedum mix does do some of this, adding more to specific engaged food sources, is a more holistic way of plant selection. I’m really encouraged by architect and landscape architects willing to think outside the box and work together on creative projects.
What do you see the role of green infrastructure in resilience and the COVID-19 recovery?
Having a pandemic has shown us how unbalanced some of our lives have become. Our health is an important aspect of how well people survive when they contract Covid-19. When we look at it from this aspect green infrastructure or green roofing is one of the ways people can have a healthier lifestyle. We should be shouting about the importance of biophilia from the rooftops during this pandemic. We should take this opportunity to educate how plants have a direct impact on our health and wellbeing. I hope we all learn that taking a deep breath in this cleaner air and social distancing in parks creates more value for us than people realized. We should spend time and money in community gardens and parks. I believe taking a walk through the woods clears the soul but I realize not everyone has an opportunity to do so, so if a vibrant green roof can provide a similar environment for others to do the same, we have done our jobs as an industry.
Food security after the initial shutdown was a real threat. Utilizing green roofs for vegetable gardens is a wonderful opportunity for people to capitalize on this insecurity. People should consider this more as the rooftops are an under-utilized space on even existing buildings and can also create a real sense of community with public gardens. Plus, with rooftop gardening, you don’t have to contend with deer and bunnies eating your crops!
Green Roof Professionals are industry recognized as having the most extensive knowledge of green roofs due to the rigorous training and exam process. The GRP training series and exam is available online through the Living Architecture Academy. Learn more about Green Roofs for Healthy Cities or how to become a Green Roof Professional.
