After graduating with a bachelor's degree in communications, Sara O'Mara merged her communication skills with the construction industry by serving as an owner's representative and project manager. She oversaw construction/renovation projects for more than 1300 branches for a local financial institution based in Charlotte, NC. Today, with over fifteen years experience in the construction industry, Sara's enthusiasm for sustainable design has fostered a new appreciation and dedication to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and its guiding principals. For the past five years, she has represented Choate Construction Company while training sub-contractors on LEED fundamentals and regional context on construction projects. While acting as co-chair of the USGBC Construction Committee, Sara served as a moderator at the 2004 Greenbuild Conference in Portland, Oregon on the "Nuts-and-Bolts" session identifying the best practices that can be implemented by developers and contractors to expedite and simplify the LEED certification and documentation process. Sara is a founding member of the USGBC South Carolina Chapter and was a regional representative in the Integrated Business Plan Model for USGBC in 2005 representing the southeast region. Currently Sara is on the Charlotte Region Board of Directors, is the Chair of the Southeast Regional Council to the USGBC, is the co-chair of the Chapter Steering Committee of the USGBC, is a member of the LEED Steering Committee and is also a member of the Master Steering Committee of the USGBC. Sara was recently recognized as one of the Green Advocate of 2008 at the Charlotte Business Journal Green Awards. A LEED Accredited Professional since 2003, Sara is currently working on over fifteen LEED Registered Projects with Choate Construction Company.
