Get Ready for Fall!

Hello Baltimore Washington Chapter Members

As we approach the end of summer and the end of our summer hiatus, I look forward to the cooler days of autumn and the exciting programs we have planned for everyone. This year has been an adventure ride on the financial rollercoaster but hopefully with the cooler breezes of fall ahead we can all have a successful and profitable end of 2011.

          This summer your board has not taken the whole summer off we have been hard at work planning meetings for 2012 and finalizing the details for 2011’s great networking and educational events. Our next meeting will be an opportunity not to miss, with NKBA’s National President Elect Alan Zelinski, CKD, speaking to us about the winds of change and a topic that’s near and dear to everyone’s heart “Sales”. Alan has many years of experience and some good stories to share so make sure to register on our website at www.nkbabaltowash.org where you can see a synopsis of the meeting and plan your year.

Another not to miss long standing pass time is our Annual Golf Outing. This year will be a new course and from what I hear a very fine course for all you golf lovers and for novices who just want to come play. If you’re interested in sponsoring or playing just head to the website or contact Sam Gregory for more details.

We have many more opportunities for you to save the dates to get those coveted CEU’s for all our certified members and those who like to network and socialize as well, so check out all our upcoming events in every month through 2011 and mark your calendars or just go ahead and register early!

Thanks for all the support this year and I look forward to seeing everyone at our fall kick off on September 22^nd.

Sincerely,

Deleigh

Deleigh Van Deursen, CKD, CBD

NCIDQ certificate #016873

Chapter President

BaltimoreWashingtonChapter NKBA

2012 NKBA Design Competition- Open for Entries

Dear NKBA member,

The 2012 NKBA Design Competition is open for entries. It's time to compile your kitchen and bathroom projects from the past year, and enter today!

What you have to gain: national media attention, cash prizes, an award presented at KBIS 2012, and your project featured on NKBA.org, in NKBA Magazine, and in the NKBA Booth at KBIS in Chicago.

What's needed: clear, well-composed photos, a simple design statement, elevations and a floor plan to scale, and a completed entry packet, available online.

Ways you can win: six room categories and ten specialty awards including Best Kitchen and Bath, Green Design, Before & After, Budget-Friendly, People's Pick, and Universal Design.

Entries postmarked by October 28, 2011 are just $50 per entry. Late entries postmarked by November 11, 2011 are $75 per entry.

Click here to learn more or download an entry packet today!

Be sure to check out the website for more info and to sign up!

Chapter Meetings:

Design of the Sale & NKBA Update

September 22 

 Tysons Corner Mariott

Emerging Color & Fashion Trends

&

Student Night & Hall of Fame Night

October 20

Pooks Hill

Special Events:

Golf Outing

September 27

 1757 Golf Club

Professional Development

November 9

Potomac Point Winery Tour, Tasting & Lunch!

A Note from VP Academic Relations:

    The fall season approaches, and "Back to School" is on everyone's mind!  I would like to take a moment to say that we are fortunate to have NKBA Accredited or Supported Programs at three Colleges in our chapter - Montgomery College, Lord Fairfax Community College and Ann Arundel Community College. 

    Our tradition is to honor and focus on NKBA students attending these Accredited or Supported programs at our October meeting each year.  This year the date is Oct. 20, at the Bethesda Marriott, so if you are a student, please make a point to join us and bring some of your colleagues and friends.  Or, if you are not a student, but know one, please invite them as well.  We also cordially invite the faculty!

   The topic is "Emerging Color and Furniture Trends".  The speaker  Rob Haley leads the U.S. Color Development and Trends Group headquartered in High Point, North Carolina. This team sets the standard in the furniture and cabinetry industries for tracking fashion and color trends. Haley takes the audience on a color journey for the wood industry and reveals some of the unlikely hiding places where tomorrow's consumer color preferences can be discovered! We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Check out this new benefit from Service Alley and the Washington Post. As a member of the NKBA – Baltimore Washington Chapter, you can get a reduced rate to help market your business.

The Washington Post built and launched a new website, called Service Alley, at the beginning of this year to help homeowners find and connect with trusted local home service providers in the DC Metropolitan area.
               
NKBA - Baltimore/Washington Chapter has worked out a partnership with The Post and Service Alley. We will have a profile on the site that we'll use to list our members and tell consumers why they should hire reputable members for their job.

You can claim a basic profile for free and add information about your business (the site was pre-populated with publicly available data, so many of your businesses are already listed on the site). Also, as part of our partnership, we have a special offer to pass along to our members. After you have claimed your free profile, you will have the option to upgrade to a Plus or Premium profile, which will increase your presence on the site. If you choose to do so, use the code ASSOC10 to receive a special offer of $10/month for the first 4 months of the Plus profile (regular rate is $30/month) or $40/month for the first 4 months of the Premium profile (regular rate $60/mo). After you upgrade, make sure to select NKBA - Baltimore/Washington Chapter as your association membership so that the NKBA - Baltimore/Washington Chapter logo and link will appear on your profile and in search results.

If you have any problems or want some help claiming your profile, you can call Fletcher James at 202-334-9490

Miele Sponsors University of Maryland Team in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon

Miele is proud to sponsor the University of Maryland’s entry, entitled WaterShed, into the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. Held biennially, the Solar Decathlon challenges 20 university teams from around the globe to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient and attractive. The teams include tomorrow’s architects, designers, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and homeowners. This year’s competition will take place from September 23 – October 2, 2011 at the National Mall’s Potomac Park in Washington, D.C.

Miele will provide a variety of appliances for the home, including, the Optima 18” Slimline Fully Integrated Dishwasher, 30” Built in Ventilation Hood with Retractable Canopy, 60 cm MasterChef Clean Touch Steel SPEED OVEN, 30” Induction Cooktop, a Universal Upright Vacuum and Earth Canister Vacuum Cleaner. Each appliance was chosen for its sustainable features, streamlined design and ability to integrate into a small space.

WaterShed is inspired by the rich, complex ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and the team’s home aims to propose solutions to water and energy shortages. The house is a model of how the built environment can help preserve watersheds everywhere by managing storm water onsite, filtering pollutants from grey water, and minimizing water use. The photovoltaic and solar thermal arrays, effectiveness of the building envelope, and efficiency of the mechanical systems make the WaterShed house less thirsty for fossil fuels than standard homes.

“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Miele on our entry into the Solar Decathlon competition 2011,” said Brian Grieb, WaterShed’s Faculty Project Manager. “Miele has a reputation for providing elegantly-designed, environmentally-conscious, cost-efficient products that are constructed with longevity in mind. These attributes are exactly the qualities we are seeking to infuse in the story of WaterShed.”

The design of the home highlights the path of a water drop. WaterShed's split butterfly roof harvests storm water runoff from each module, directing and collecting it into the water axis at the core of the house. Water used within the house intersects this axis through a consolidated mechanical core.

The home will feature a constructed wetland that helps filter and recycle grey water from the shower, washer, and dishwasher; a green roof that slows rainwater runoff to the landscape, while improving the house's energy efficiency; a garden, an edible wall system, and a composting station to illustrate the potential for improved health, energy, and cost savings with a complete carbon cycle program.

Solar Decathlon participants spend almost two years designing and building their houses and preparing for the competition. Students test their houses to ensure optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. During the competition the buildings’ energy systems are tested to perform certain tasks, such as maintaining the homes’ temperature range, provide lighting, run appliances, and much more.

For more information about Team WaterShed, visit http://2011.solarteam.org.

Hope everybody enjoyed their summer vacation!  The fall means that start of legislation activity again.  Keep your eye out for any updates!