The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association announced that the association’s President, Jared Blum, has been named Chairman of the Board of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), effective December 3, 2010. 

The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association announced that the association’s President, Jared Blum, has been named Chairman of the Board of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), effective December 3, 2010. Blum succeeds Dick Ottinger, who founded EESI while serving as a Congressman in the 1980s.

“I am excited about the challenges and opportunities awaiting EESI,” said Blum. “On a daily basis our nation confronts rapidly changing science on topics ranging from climate change, to biofuels, to smart growth. In our fundamental role as educators on this science for Members of Congress and their staffs, EESI will continue to provide the balanced forum for which it has become so well regarded and in which innovative policy solutions are developed.”

Since being created more than 25 years ago by a bipartisan Congressional caucus, EESI has developed a long track record of bringing innovative ideas to Capitol Hill and catalyzing constructive responses to America's pressing energy and environmental challenges. In the 1980s, EESI was among the earliest organizations to highlight the emerging threat of climate change. In the 1990s, EESI co-founded the coalition that led to the passage of a landmark multi-modal transportation bill. In the new millennium, EESI continues to be a leading source of information on energy efficiency and renewable energy for policymakers.

During Blum’s tenure at PIMA, the organization has received two awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for climate and ozone protection. In addition, Blum has developed award-winning governmental affairs and technical educational programs, and has become a nationally recognized leader on such critical issues as energy efficiency, sustainable construction, and atmospheric environmental initiatives. He also is a member of the Board for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, and previously served as counsel to a Member of Congress and the Federal Trade Commission.