On the Ranch

It’s hard to believe the holiday season is upon us once again. For most of us, it is a time to celebrate the passing of another year with our friends and loved ones. We deck the halls with cheerful holiday decorations, exchange gifts, and eat way too much! The holiday season is also a time when many of us try to give back to our communities and those who are less fortunate in whatever way we can. In that same spirit of giving, Kiley Ranch will be participating in the Reno Rodeo Foundation Denim Drive this year. The Denim Drive collects new clothing items like socks, underwear and jeans for boys and girls ages 0-18 in protective custody in our community.

If you would like to donate items to the Reno Rodeo Denim Drive, you may drop them off at the Kiley Ranch Welcome Center located at 1000 Kiley Parkway, Sparks, NV 89436. The Welcome Center hours are Wednesday thru Sunday 10am-5pm, and the drive runs from Monday, November 24 thru Friday, December 19. For more information on the Denim Drive and additional drop-off locations visit the Reno Rodeo Foundation website.

Share and Enjoy:

Green 101 was a snapshot of what municipalities, small businesses and individuals are doing and can do to reduce their impact on the environment. Stacey Crowley, Director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives at Kiley Ranch Communities pulled together a group of panelists that included Jason Geddes, Environmental Manager for the City of Reno, Valerie Glenn from The Glenn Group and Craig Schriber, Nevada’s first Eco-Broker with Dickson Realty.

It was a fun and enlightening discussion on the various levels of going green. Young professiona’s engaged in discussion and asked some very poignant and timely questions. Here’s a brief recap of what was discussed.

City efforts include:

• Increase recycling programs in the city
• Rehab their existing City Hall to reduce energy usage by almost 50%
• Partner with other agencies to find incentives and rebates for green projects
• Continue to host the Green Summit and educate the public on ways to be green

The Glenn Group recently remodeled their office space and is now seeking LEED Silver certification for this amazing renovation. Valerie explained some of the unique things about the remodel including:

• Recycling or reusing demolished materials including carpet, drywall and doors
• Using products with recycled content like carpet tiles, systems, and furniture
• Energy efficient lighting and daylight sensors create a space that is 25 to 30% more energy efficient
• Increased worker satisfaction, carpooling and other green strategies

Craig, the Eco-broker, discussed the current housing market situation, highlighting the large number of available properties still on the market today. There are a few fairly simple things that a homeowner can do to increase the attractiveness of the home. In general updating the home with energy efficient appliances and fixtures, sealing drafts and replacing old windows with double or triple pane can great increase the energy efficiency. It can also just make the home more comfortable, whether you plan to sell or not.

The 2nd Annual Leadership Summit brought together over 300 Greater Reno-Tahoe business professionals to “Make the Grade” in their personal and professional lives. The packed agenda included:

• Networking with Educational and Youth non-profit organizations in our community as part of the Pebble Project
• Keynote speaker Darian Rodriguez Heyman, executive director of Craigslist Foundation who discussed social entrepreneurship and how young professionals can integrate theis non-profit work into corporate models
• Three breakout sessions which included: educational leadership, mentoring, and the green movement
• Reno Gazette Journal’s “20 Under 40″ Awards program followed by a cocktail reception

For more information on the Reno Tahoe Young Professionals Network, visit www.renotahoeypn.com

Stacey Crowley
Director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives, Kiley Ranch Communities

Share and Enjoy: