TORONTO, ONTARIO — Green Roofs for Healthy Cities said the first wave of accredited Green Roof Professionals (GRPs) individuals successfully completed a multi-disciplinary exam encompassing five areas of concentration including pre-design, design, contract management, quality assurance and support, and maintenance.

GRP accreditation verifies that the individual has attained the level of interdisciplinary knowledge of best practices associated with the successful design, installation and maintenance of green roof systems. GRP accreditation training courses provide continuing education credits for AIA, ASLA, APA and LEED.

“We are very pleased with the caliber of the new GRPs and the fact that they come from both the green arts side, i.e., the living components of a green roof, and the black arts side, i.e., the non-living components”, said Jeffrey L. Bruce, Chair of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “Industry experts from both the black and the green arts have worked hard over the past six years to develop training materials and a professional exam that covers best practices across the spectrum of professionals, in order to improve multi-disciplinary knowledge and practice in the field.”

“Our recent North American industry survey reports the American green roof industry grew by 35% in 2008, so we are proud to establish the GRP accreditation that keeps pace with the growing demand for qualified professionals in this sector,” said Steven W.

Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “The GRP accreditation will help to protect the industry by emphasizing best practices, while providing additional marketing and business development support to those who attain the new designation,” he added.

The GRP accreditation is supported by four professional development courses offered in different locations throughout North America. See www.greenroofs.org for a course calendar. GRP exams will be offered in Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago and New York this Fall.