As President of the San Mateo County Community College Board, Richard Holober accepted the Sustainable San Mateo County Award on March 13, 2008 on behalf of the college district.

As an elected community college district trustee, Richard has insisted that the district follow “green building” principles at College of San Mateo, Skyline College and Cañada College. The College District has won awards for its energy conservation program, and was profiled in Environment California’s “Greening the Bottom Line” report. The community college district’s co-generation and energy efficiency projects reduce energy consumption by 56%. This saves taxpayers one million dollars a year in gas and electric bills, and removes six million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, decreasing global warming impacts.

Watch the video honoring the SMCCCD on its sustainable development.

Under Richard’s leadership, the Community College Board adopted the policy of building all new campus facilities to the US Green Building Council’s LEED certification standards. LEED certification is the environmental community’s universally recognized standard for sustainable building constriction.

San Mateo County Community College District is the Peninsula’s smart growth pioneer. It is the only local government agency that has built employee housing in the county. The acclaimed College Vista rental apartments are across the street from College of San Mateo. With rents about 50% of the market rate, faculty and staff can afford to live near the job. College Vista helps the district attract teachers in a high cost housing market, and it removes 165,000 commuter miles from the road each year, reducing pollution and global warming effects. The college district is currently obtaining approval for a faculty and staff housing complex at Cañada College in Redwood City. Peninsula environmental leaders have endorsed this project and have spoken out for it at Redwood City Planning Commission hearings.