L-R: Serafin Fernandez, Jonathan Eldridge | |
Community colleges redefine climate leadership
How two Calif. community colleges are turning climate commitments into impact
| | What does climate action look like when it is operational, community-centered, and mission-critical? In the latest episode of the Campus Energy & Sustainability Podcast, Jonathan Eldridge of College of Marin, and Serafin Fernandez of Gavilan College, both public institutions in the California Community Colleges system, join B&D’s Dave Karlsgodt to share how community colleges are advancing resilience through microgrids, governance, student engagement, and strategic capital planning. For K-12, community college, and municipal leaders nationwide, this conversation offers practical insight on aligning climate resilience with your core mission and accelerating progress in your own community. | | |
L-R: Suren Gosine (Salas O'Brien), David Bagnoli (StudioMB), Adam Shirvinski (A2 Services), Osei Headley (DC Dept. of General Services), Crystal West (B&D), Dan Nebhut (B&D), Sangyoup Lee (Salas O'Brien), Marquisha Powell (StudioMB). Photo credit: B&D.
Modernized campus in D.C. earns clean air award
DC's Dept. of General Services recognized for advancing healthier learning environment
| | Congratulations to the District of Columbia Department of General Services on earning a 2025 Clean Air Award from the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) for the modernization of Adams Education Campus in Washington, DC. This national recognition highlights their leadership in delivering healthier, higher-performing learning environments, and we’re proud of having taken part in this impactful project. Learn more about the 2025 NAFA Clean Air Awards and view the full list of honorees below. | | Renderings courtesy of MCN/STUDIOS. | |
A new chapter for a historic urban middle school
Phased, Net Zero transformation keeps students learning while construction moves forward
| Charles Hart Middle School, a nearly 70-year-old public school in Washington, DC, is undergoing a high-stakes modernization that keeps students learning while construction unfolds around them. The project tackles significant site challenges, including building within a flood plain, drilling geothermal wells, and delivering the campus in phases over multiple school years, all while targeting Net Zero energy performance. Backed by an experienced design-build team and led by B&D as project manager, the effort blends sustainability, equity, and community impact into one carefully sequenced transformation. Click below to read how this complex project is redefining school modernization without disrupting the classroom. | |
Mobilizing around a common goal
Stakeholder alignment strategies
When you’re building a school, you’re not just managing a project, you’re navigating a web of competing priorities, tight budgets, and high expectations. So how do you align teachers, families, board members, and community voices around one clear path forward, especially when the stakes couldn’t be higher? In this edition of Ask the Expert, B&D Project Manager Rico Dawson-Velez shares hard-earned insight on building trust, preventing decision paralysis, and leading through uncertainty. Click below to read the full interview.
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Rico Dawson-Velez
Northern California
| | Photo credit: Adobe Stock | |
Prepping school bonds for tougher '26 ballot
Rethinking strategy, credibility and community alignment amid rising voter expectations
| | The window to prepare for 2026 is already narrowing. Across California, bond measures are facing sharper scrutiny, tighter margins, and higher expectations from voters who want proof, not promises. Districts that rely on outdated playbooks risk falling short in a more selective climate. In this timely perspective, B&D’s resident bond expert, Mark Newton, outlines the strategic shifts separating the measures that pass from those that stall. Read more to explore what it will take to position your next bond program for success. | | Never miss another issue of The B&D Perspective. | | |
The B&D Perspective explores key challenges and innovative solutions shaping facility planning and implementation in the K-12 and municipal sectors. It is published monthly by Brailsford & Dunlavey, one of the country's leading development advisory and program management firms. To learn more, go to bdconnect.com/k12-municipal. To view career opportunities at B&D, go to bdconnect.com/careers. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, please click "Unsubscribe" below. | | | | |
