Board of Directors and Staff
About our Board of Directors
The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild Board of Directors is the Guild’s governing body, and is responsible for articulating and upholding the vision, values, and mission of the Guild. The Board establishes policy, provides direction, and performs Chapter oversight in accordance with the purposes of the Guild. Learn more about the Role of our Board.
Who Serves on our Board
The Board consists of fourteen voting members of the Guild who serve three-year terms, with the option to seek re-election for a second term (limit six years).Board members include community leaders, business and industry professionals, designers and contractors desiring to take an active leadership role in the development of the organization.
Board Meetings
The Board and its committees conduct work in open, regularly scheduled, quarterly meetings. Meeting agendas and related materials are available in advance of the meetings, and meeting minutes are available online for Northwest EcoBuilding Guild member viewing.
If you are interested in joining the board email us.
Current Board Members
Howard Thurston, President
Howard Thurston is an engineering leader and longtime advocate for sustainable building in the Pacific Northwest. He has been deeply involved with the NW EcoBuilding Guild for many years, with a particular focus on supporting and strengthening the community in Portland, Oregon. Howard is Head of Engineering at KLH US Holding Corp., where he oversees technical strategy and delivery across engineering functions. Howard brings his strong advocacy, steady commitment to collaboration, innovation, and environmentally responsible building practices to his professional work.
Howard Thurston is an engineering leader and longtime advocate for sustainable building in the Pacific Northwest. He has been deeply involved with the NW EcoBuilding Guild for many years, with a particular focus on supporting and strengthening the community in Portland, Oregon. Howard is Head of Engineering at KLH US Holding Corp., where he oversees technical strategy and delivery across engineering functions. Howard brings his strong advocacy, steady commitment to collaboration, innovation, and environmentally responsible building practices to his professional work.
Michael Niall, Outgoing President
Michael Niall provides green building consulting, training, and green energy solutions for individuals and businesses seeking practical, sustainable results. With deep expertise and a hands-on approach, Michael has helped clients translate sustainability goals into measurable performance and long-term value. His commitment to the success of the NWEBG has been both tremendous and long-lived — so much so, in fact, that after serving many terms, we finally had to kick him off the Board for exceeding the limit. His impact, leadership, and dedication continue to shape the organization well beyond his official tenure.
Michael Niall provides green building consulting, training, and green energy solutions for individuals and businesses seeking practical, sustainable results. With deep expertise and a hands-on approach, Michael has helped clients translate sustainability goals into measurable performance and long-term value.
His commitment to the success of the NWEBG has been both tremendous and long-lived — so much so, in fact, that after serving many terms, we finally had to kick him off the Board for exceeding the limit. His impact, leadership, and dedication continue to shape the organization well beyond his official tenure.
Aaron Sauerhoff, VP-Elect and Seattle Education Chair
Aaron relocated to the Northwest from the Northeast ten years ago (as of 2025) after stumbling into a NYC march, which led him to spend a day gazing at the downtown infrastructure with fresh eyes, realizing how we are shaped by our buildings. This spiritual experience forced him to reconcile with the quality of the structures and systems he observed and spurred him to pivot his life’s direction toward the improvement of our collective building practices. From forming the natural building program at Evergreen, working on crews in the South Sound and positioning himself on Olympia’s Planning Commission, to…
Aaron relocated to the Northwest from the Northeast ten years ago (as of 2025) after stumbling
into a NYC march, which led him to spend a day gazing at the downtown infrastructure with
fresh eyes, realizing how we are shaped by our buildings. This spiritual experience forced him to
reconcile with the quality of the structures and systems he observed and spurred him to pivot
his life’s direction toward the improvement of our collective building practices. From forming
the natural building program at Evergreen, working on crews in the South Sound and positioning
himself on Olympia’s Planning Commission, to eventually developing a design firm and network
to form modular, collaborative cohorts ad libitum for specific projects: he’s centered building
science in his sphere of influence and care indefinitely.
His gaze now sets on scaling healthy building technologies while working to create access to
them across income strata. He and his growing crew of collaborators combine their efforts to
bring forth systems such as biogenic pre-fab, carbon-sequestering material streams, and places
that will continue to thrive long after we’ve become memories.
Grace Huang, Secretary
Grace Huang is an architect who specializes in sustainable and healthy home building practices. She founded ming AD in 2001, guided by the belief that every home or building should be a healthy and sustainable place to live or work—one that supports safety, comfort, rejuvenation, and inspiration. For more than 20 years, Grace has been deeply involved in all aspects of the Guild and was recognized as a Built Green Pioneer in 2020.
Grace Huang is an architect who specializes in sustainable and healthy home building practices. She founded ming AD in 2001, guided by the belief that every home or building should be a healthy and sustainable place to live or work—one that supports safety, comfort, rejuvenation, and inspiration. For more than 20 years, Grace has been deeply involved in all aspects of the Guild and was recognized as a Built Green Pioneer in 2020.
Laura Elfline, Outgoing (LOL) Treasurer
Laura is co-founder/owner with her business partner and husband, Doug, at Mighty House Construction and Mighty Energy Solutions. As managing partner andnative Seattleite, Laura utilizes education and outreach to influence positive change towards sustainability. She believes that an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the commitment to take action on lots of small, sticky, positive choices will result in healthy homes for us and the environment. Outside of her business and volunteer efforts, Laura spends downtime with extended family and friends enjoying the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. (Email)
Laura is co-founder/owner with her business partner and husband, Doug, at Mighty House Construction and Mighty Energy Solutions. As managing partner andnative Seattleite, Laura utilizes education and outreach to influence positive change towards sustainability. She believes that an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the commitment to take action on lots of small, sticky, positive choices will result in healthy homes for us and the environment. Outside of her business and volunteer efforts, Laura spends downtime with extended family and friends enjoying the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. (Email)
Atticus Floqûet, University of Washington Liaison
Atticus is a current UW student, advancing a Bachelors of Sociology into entering the UW Master’s Degree program at UW for a duo-degree in Landscape Architecture and Architecture. He is dedicated to understanding the complex layers of systems in building sciences to advance ecological trends and technologies in architectural and landscape architectural practices, and is an advocate for sustainability and multiculturalism. Guided by being an activist for social justice and environmentalism, Atticus seeks to bring students and professionals together to help create communities that promote both sustainable living and design, and multiculturalism in the school and workplace.
Atticus is a current UW student, advancing a Bachelors of Sociology into entering the UW
Master’s Degree program at UW for a duo-degree in Landscape Architecture and
Architecture. He is dedicated to understanding the complex layers of systems in building
sciences to advance ecological trends and technologies in architectural and landscape
architectural practices, and is an advocate for sustainability and multiculturalism. Guided
by being an activist for social justice and environmentalism, Atticus seeks to bring students
and professionals together to help create communities that promote both sustainable
living and design, and multiculturalism in the school and workplace.
Chris Johnston, Board Member At Large
Chris Johnston is a longtime advocate for sustainable building in the Pacific Northwest. He founded, grew, and sold a licensed construction company in Washington State focused on improving energy efficiency in homes and commercial buildings, and brings a strong technical foundation with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Chris has been actively involved with the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild for many years and remains deeply committed to practical, community-driven approaches to better building.
Chris Johnston is a longtime advocate for sustainable building in the Pacific Northwest.
He founded, grew, and sold a licensed construction company in Washington State
focused on improving energy efficiency in homes and commercial buildings, and brings
a strong technical foundation with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Chris has been
actively involved with the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild for many years and remains
deeply committed to practical, community-driven approaches to better building.