Before joining CORE, Kim served as the Green Building Program Analyst for the District of Columbia’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) where she helped to build DCRA’s Green Building Division. In her role, she reviewed architectural and engineering plans for buildings to verify compliance with the Green Building Act, Green Construction Code, and Energy Conservation Code. In addition, she met with architects and engineers in the preliminary phases of design to discuss code interpretations and options available in addition to prescriptive code design. Kim developed and published the District’s Green Building Program Manual, Sectional Reference Guides and participated in the development of submittal documentation for the green and energy Codes. She developed and presented trainings for the building industry to educate on DC Codes and code compliance. Her role also involved working closely with sister agencies and programs, including Department of the Environment, Department of General Services, Department of Housing and Community Development, Office of Planning, Office of Zoning, and Sustainable DC. Kim represented the District at ICC Hearings on the Green and Energy Codes, advised the 12 voting members of DCRA, including CBO, on voting for changes to these international codes after research and participation in the code adoption process.

 

In 2012, Kim worked as a Program Officer for Enterprise Community Partners in the Green Communities Division. There she managed the Enterprise Green Communities certification program, including answering technical questions, completing full technical reviews, and developing, maintaining, and providing technical support for the online certification platform. She worked closely with state and local jurisdictions, including New York City, Ohio and Minnesota, to develop customized versions of the Green Communities criteria to meet their individual needs.

 

Prior to entering into the field of sustainability, Kim worked in education, focusing on the built environment at both the high school and university levels. As the Department Head for Construction at Construction Careers Center Charter High School in St Louis she developed, and implemented a 4-year structured curriculum with coursework in architecture and construction focusing on carpentry systems. This curriculum was integrated with an existing STEM curriculum, and throughout the general coursework as part of a horizontal curriculum building effort. As a lecturer at Washington University in St Louis in the Graduate School of Architecture, Kim organized lectures and discussions on relevant topics for the Urban Issues Seminar course, a cross-disciplinary course in architecture, social work, urban design and law. She performed critiques of student work, held office hours to assist students in project development, and participated in building the course syllabus and organizing readings for student comprehension of topics related to community development.

 

After graduating from Washington University in St Louis with the Graduate School of Architecture’s highest honor, the Alpha Rho Chi Award for leadership, service and promise of professional merit, Kim entered AmeriCorp to serve as a VISTA member for Rebuilding Together, a national non-profit volunteer organization that works to rehabilitate housing for low-income homeowners with a focus on making homes safer, more accessible and more energy efficient. 

 

Kim is an Associate member of the AIA, and LEED Green Associate.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Maryland, along with her Master of Architecture, Master of Urban Design, and Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis.