Excerpts from a press release sent over this week from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Mississippi Chapter:

Tupelo, MS, June 2009

The Mississippi Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched a Branch in North Mississippi, centered in the Oxford‐Tupelo area. The North Branch will help carry out the USGBC’s mission of educating the public and the building professions on green building design and practices.

The Branch was formed to respond to the growing interest in green building in the Oxford‐ Tupelo area and will eventually serve the entire northern section of the state from Highway 82 north. All activities are open to the public and include monthly seminars on green building topics, as well as intensive full‐day workshops to educate future leaders in green design and construction. These activities will complement the robust USGBC program that is on‐going in the Jackson area.

According to Perry Richardson, Chair of the USGBC Mississippi Chapter, the new Branch will be critical in meeting the needs for sustainable development in the state. “Our chapter has its roots in the population center of Jackson, but the development of branches outside the Jackson area is an important step in our vision of bringing sustainable design and construction practices to the whole state. The group that is forming in the Oxford‐Tupelo area is good for everyone. Green is the color of the future.”

About USGBC: The Washington, D.C.‐based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost‐efficient and energy‐saving green buildings. With a community comprising 78 local chapters and affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 100,000 LEED Accredited Professionals, USGBC is the driving force that is changing the way we design, construct,  and operate the buildings in which we all live and work.

http://chapters.usgbc.org/mississippi