The Bim Kendall House, the new home of the University of Wyoming's Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) program -- the Haub School, Ruckelshaus Institute and Wyoming Conservation Corps -- was dedicated today (Friday.)
"The Kendall House is a model for the Laramie community in sustainable architecture and design at a residential scale. This includes how to design a green home in an affordable way," said Indy Burke, ENR director. "We are proud to showcase this home to the community, and today for this dedication event, to honor the many people who helped make this project possible and our program a success."
The new building includes a renovation and new addition of an existing 1950s prairie-style office building, which was formally named after UW faculty member Verna Hitchcock when it was used by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The use of the existing building was intended to save resources and honored the rich history of this UW building.
The Kendall House also has a new energy-efficient addition built with sustainable building materials and renewable energy resources. The house features several different "green" aspects, including a photovoltaic solar system, which will provide about 30 percent of the house's electrical needs.
William Ruckelshaus also spoke at the dedication and discussed the importance of collaborative process in decision-making. He was the institute's first board chairman in 1994, and in which the Ruckelshaus Institute was named in his honor.
"Bill Ruckelshaus is the most trusted voice on environmental policy in the world," said Harold Bergman, former director of ENR who is currently a faculty member in the Department of Zoology and Physiology.
Ruckelshaus is currently a strategic director in the Madrona Venture Group, formed in 1999 and a principal in Madrona Investment Group, L.L.C. (MIG), a Seattle-based investment company, formed in 1996. He became the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's first administrator when the agency was formed in December 1970, where he served until April 1973. That same year he was appointed acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and later appointed Deputy Attorney General of the United States Department of Justice. Ruckelshaus was appointed by President Reagan in 1983 as the fifth EPA Administrator until 1985.
The building's dedication honored Don and Bim Kendall for their "generous gift that has led to the new building for ENR," Burke added.
Don Kendall is a founding board member of the Ruckelshaus Institute, and gave a gift in honor of his wife, Bim, for whom the house is named. Kendall is co-founder of PepsiCo and was the company's first chairman and Chief Executive Officer for 21 years before retirement in 1986.
The Kendalls are long-time Wyoming residents and spend summers in the state on their ranch near Cora in Sublette County.
Bim Kendall is a former Nature Conservancy for Wyoming board member. Most recently, her affiliations include the East West Institute, a global "think-and-do tank" that devises innovative solutions to pressing security concerns. She also is a trustee for the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Inc., home to New York City's largest annual outdoor music festival.
She was the childhood friend of Helga Haub in Germany and the Kendall House was named in honor of their friendship. The School of Environment and Natural Resources in 2004 was renamed the Helga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, recognizing a major gift from Helga and Erivan Haub.
Helga Haub, a UW honorary degree recipient in 2006, has led her mother in-law, Elizabeth Haub's, charge for a foundation for environmental law and policy. The foundation has provided financial assistance for projects, which have been vital for the development of international and environmental law and policy.
The Haubs are widely known for their philanthropy and family-owned company, the Tengelmann Group, which provides textile and nonfood discounting, home improvement supplies, drugstores and food retailing in 15 countries. The couple, originally from Germany, own a ranch in Sublette County where they have summered for the past 21 years.
