26 years of leadership leaves a lasting legacy of proactive advocacy for energy efficient and resilient buildingsC
WASHINGTON, October 17, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) today announced that Jared Blum, who has led the Washington-based trade association since 1990, will leave at the end of this year.
PIMA was founded in 1987 to represent the manufacturers of polyiso insulation and has grown to include a synergistic partnership of polyiso manufacturers and industry suppliers. Polyiso is one of the most energy efficient insulations on the market today and one of the nation’s most widely used and cost-effective insulation products available.
“As a result of Jared’s leadership, PIMA has developed an enviable and comprehensive approach to member and marketplace needs – legislative, regulatory, technical and communications – that adds value to member companies’ bottom lines and benefits the public interest in national energy efficiency efforts,” said Helene Pierce, Chairman PIMA Board of Directors.
During Blum’s time at PIMA, the association elevated the profile of roof energy performance as a critical part of the nation’s energy security strategy. In addition, PIMA received two EPA awards for environmental leadership, developed award-winning governmental affairs and technical educational programs, and became a nationally recognized leader on such critical issues as construction fire safety, building resilience, energy efficiency and atmospheric environmental initiatives like ozone depletion and climate change.
Blum also has served in leadership roles in a wide array of allied organizations such as the Alliance to Save Energy, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. He also served on the Secretary of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Advisory Committee from 1996-2002.
“Jared has been a stalwart leader of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy for over 15 years and an effective ambassador for the polyiso insulation industry as part of the clean energy solutions set,” said Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy. “Due to Jared’s vision, PIMA has effectively leveraged its activities with other trade associations and environmental advocates in Washington and across the country to support policies that promote safe, cost- effective, sustainable and energy-efficient construction.”
Key accomplishments of PIMA during Blum’s tenure include:
• Polyiso became the high thermal choice for green construction due to recognition of its
environmental benefits.
• PIMA members’ transitioned to blowing agents free of ozone-depleting chemicals.
• PIMA created the QualityMark program for third-party certification for R-value of polyiso roof insulation products.
• With PIMA’s strong support and leadership, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), dramatically increased R-values in roofs and walls by 30 percent, and later extended those increases to existing roof replacement.
• The polyiso industry in North America expanded from 17 to 35 plants.
• Blum lead a delegation of renewable and energy efficiency business leaders to the successful COP21 climate meeting in Paris, and Blum presented an intervention on behalf of the international business community to attending UN delegates.
• PIMA was a founding member of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a leading business voice in international efforts to adopt policies reducing climate-change emissions as well as the Building Codes Assistance Project, a key organization in assisting state energy code development and implementation.
• The EPA gave PIMA the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award for its members’ early removal of CFCs from their products, and later also the EPA’s Climate Award for leadership in climate protection.
Blum will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and will be involved in other projects advancing resilience and energy efficiency in building standards throughout the world.
About PIMA
For over 25 years, the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) has served as the unified voice of the rigid polyiso industry, proactively advocating for safe, cost-effective, sustainable, and energy-efficient construction. PIMA’s members, who first came together in 1987, include a synergistic partnership of polyiso manufacturers and industry suppliers. Polyiso is one of the nation’s most widely used and cost-effective insulation products available. To learn more, visit www.polyiso.org.
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Contact:
Mittie Rooney
301-602-8709
