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October 5 • 2017 15 jn because it brings together the resources of local governments, property owners and clean energy contractors and empowers busi- nesses with the finances they need right now to make energy improve- ments," Levin said. "It also puts skilled laborers to work. The word is spreading, and my work is very gratifying." ENERGY-EFFICIENCY GURU It was only natural for Levin's long- time associate Jim Newman, owner of Newman Consulting Group in Farmington Hills, to become one of the many PACE contractors now available for hire in Michigan. Newman is a self-made energy- efficiency guru sought after for his knowledge in areas such as indoor air quality and sick building syn- drome. He has been developing his expertise ever since the 1970s Arab oil embargo. Newman said his career has taken him on speak- ing engagements and projects as far away as Dubai and as local as Temple Kol Ami, where he headed Kol Ami's LEED Certification proj- ect. He also served on the board of the Michigan Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and on Oak Park's beautification com- mission, helping the town turn a profit on its recycling program. According to Newman, one of the biggest culprits to climate change and to a company's bottom line are buildings that leak energy. Businesses know it; but it's hard for them to justify forking over large sums of money for long-term energy efficiency when many are concerned about quarterly profit margins. "At least 30 percent of the utility bill of the average American busi- ness goes to waste and 40 percent of the nation's energy is consumed by business," Newman said. "The problem is that after a business conducts an energy audit, it knows what it needs to do to increase efficiency but does not have the capital to pay it up front, and the long-term benefits are hard to justify the investment in the face of day-to-day financial burdens of running a business." Just as he does on the job, Newman walks the green walk in his Farmington Hills home. The boiler room in his basement con- tains a heating/cooling system that brings outside air directly into the home's heating and cooling system to ease the workload of the furnace and boiler in hotter and colder months. Never tiring of learning new methods and technologies for a healthier planet, Newman describes his long career as a "rest- less, creative process" of guiding industries on better energy-use practices that are beneficial in multiple levels. "I guess I am blessed with unrest," Newman said. "I love what I do because I feel what I am doing is good for the environment but also good for business and good for the people who work and live in these buildings. It is my personal practice of tikkun olam." • recently sold used office furniture to places like the Detroit Zoo and Atomic Chicken in Detroit. "When a corporation downsizes, they want their furniture inventory gone and off their hands," Chudnow said. "What would wind up crushed and put in a dumpster becomes an economical way for start-ups and smaller businesses to furnish their offices. It's not easy being green, but being a child of the '60s, I like doing all I can to keep this hard-to-recycle stuff out of our landfills." • solutions to live more environmentally sustainable lives. "Everyone likes the DIY feel of these barrels," he said. "I like empowering my customers with the knowledge that we live alongside the world's largest supply of fresh water. It is our job to protect it, and we can do that by catching storm water that flows off our homes, mixes with oils and other pollutants on our streets, and flows into our rivers and streams." • Joshua Rubin: continued from page 12 INNOVATION. TECHNOLOGY. LI FESAVI NG. Magen David Adom is Israel's ambulance, blood-services, and disaster-relief organization, serving as emergency medical first-responders for the state's more than 8.5 million people. MDA is the only organization mandated by the Israeli government to serve in this role, but it's not a government agency, so it relies on people like you for funding. Please join us at the MAGEN DAVID ADOM DETROIT GALA KEYNOTE SPEAKER Jonathan Medved Expert on Israeli Technology EMCEE Alan "Big Al" Muskovitz "Dick Purtan and Purtan's People" radio show SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF 2017 MDA VOLUNTEERS Lauren Goldstein Samantha Katz Nathan Klausner Stephanie Schulman TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 5:30 p.m. Cocktails and VIP Reception with Jonathan Medved 6:30 p.m. Dinner and Program Congregation Shaarey Zedek 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034 Cocktail attire. Dietary laws observed. To R.S.V.P. or for more information, please contact Sharon Kobernik at 888.674.4871 or skobernik@afmda.org.