Public Speaking
Building Green On The Pale Blue Dot
In 1990, when the Voyager spacecraft took a photograph of Earth from 4 billion miles out in space, the image was a tiny speck of life in the vacuum of the universe, what astronomer Carl Sagan calls the "pale blue dot.” Steve Thomas has seen much of this dot as a blue-water sailor in the 1970’s, host, writer and producer of The Last Navigator book and film in the 80’s and in his television series, most notably: This Old House (PBS), Renovation Nation (Discovery/Planet Green) and Save Our History, (History Channel).
In this richly illustrated and fast paced talk, Steve takes the audience with him on his documentary and television projects with the “Star Path” navigators of Satawal Island in the Equatorial Pacific, the Eskimos of the Alaskan Arctic, with WWII vets in the Alaska and on restored B25 bombers, and Habitat for Humanity projects from Detroit to Kenya. Along the way he takes us through his own building and renovation projects from his 1700's historic home in Salem, Massachusetts, a "green" timber frame barn built on an island in Maine, and a “downsized” 1905 Shingle Style Victorian in the fishing village of Port Clyde, Maine.
The business core of the talk is a clear, straightforward and concise explanation of what sustainable, or “green” building really means, who, demographically, is building green and what motivates them to do so, and why green building, scaled up, is a major driver of positive change for the planet.
Steve’s talk appeals to both general and professional and audiences alike. For builders, architects, designers, kitchen and bath designers, city and corporate planners and anyone in the building products industry, the talk is a natural fit. Steve has spoken to forums as diverse as the “Good and Green” conference, the “Marketing to Women” conference, the “Argus Americas Asphalt Summit” (a group of oil industry executives), and the National Healthy Homes Conference, put on by the U.S Dept. Of Housing And Urban Development, and the National Spray Foam Alliance Convention.
Steve also speaks about Historic Preservation and “sympathetic” restoration/renovations, and how “preserving the past helps to create the future”. This speech appeals to city planners, historic groups, design professionals, and the general public.
Steve’s audiences over the years have been widely diverse, and he is always happy to craft a talk for your audience. Here’s what his clients say about him:
Testimonials
National Kitchen + Bath Association
nkba.org/
“Steve Thomas was our guest speaker for a National Kitchen and Bath Association Chapter meeting that we hosted at our showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. Steve turned a monthly chapter meeting into a packed, standing room only event. It was one of the best attended meetings of the year, and Steve did not disappoint when he addressed some of Atlanta’s best designers.
He is able to share his passion for the industry through a unique visual story telling approach that captures people’s attention and imagination. His amazing life and experiences around the world became the starting point for him to educate our group on the latest trends.
Once the talk was finished Steve made himself available to talk one-on-one with attendees on topics from the latest in building science to green technology and design and he was always available for pictures. Steve made the meeting a night to remember.”
Rick Spencer | Manager of Retail Operations
DCD Kitchen & Bath Design Studio
The Zweig Group
zweiggroup.com
“Steve Thomas is one of the best speakers we have ever worked with for our events. He is intelligent, articulate, well-prepared, funny, and has lots of knowledge and wisdom to pass along. What’s also great about Steve is that he quickly returns phone calls and emails, gets his presentation done early, and is just nice and fun to be around. He also helps out by providing any information necessary on a timely basis to market the event. We love working with Steve here!”
Mark C. Zweig | Founder and Chairman
Zweig Group, LLCv
The Timber Framers Guild
www.tfguild.org
“Steve recently presented as a featured speaker at a conference of the Timber Framers Guild. I was quite surprised to see how Steve could work a crowd. He is a skilled storyteller with a keen ability to draw people in. Steve is an adventurer who conveys an enthusiasm that is quite contagious. Few people can make you feel like old friends in such short order!”
Michael J Cuba | President, board of directors
Timber Framers Guild
The Vinyl Siding Institute
www.vinylsiding.org
“Steve recently presented as a featured speaker at a conference of the Timber Framers Guild. I was quite surprised to see how Steve could work a crowd. He is a skilled storyteller with a keen ability to draw people in. Steve is an adventurer who conveys an enthusiasm that is quite contagious. Few people can make you feel like old friends in such short order!”
Jery Y. Huntley | Former President & CEO
Vinyl Siding Institute
The Marketing to Women Conference | Good and Green Conference
pme-events.com/home.html
“Steve Thomas is a gifted story teller. He captivates you from “Once Upon A Time”! Steve is a wealth of information on so many topics…is smart, funny, inspiring and knows how to engage with his audience. He is a passionate advocate for green building and protecting our planet. Steve Thomas is not just a great speaker, he’s an unforgettable experience.”
Nan McCann | Co-Founder
Good And Green®
The Green Marketing Conference, M2W®
The Marketing to Women Conference, M2Moms® – The Marketing to Moms Conference
Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA)
www.sprayfoam.org
“Steve Thomas brought his years of diverse experience in the construction sector and on television, along with his unique curiosity and sophistication stemming from traveling to many parts of the world, to entertain our audience of high performance insulation and roofing professionals. His delivery and personality are engaging and entertained everyone, and his easy-going, everyday-guy approach made him accessible and super easy to work with from initial prep through to the event. Great show!”
Kurt Riesenberg | Executive Director
Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA)
U.S. Dept. Of Housing and Urban Development
www.usda.gov/
“I want to thank you for your personal involvement in the National Healthy Homes Conference. Your keynote was inspiring – and entertaining – and greatly appreciated by all. We know that the mission to create healthy housing for American families cannot be achieved without the efforts of many. Having you at the Conference is a testament to that fact, and serves as a reminder that such highly respected individuals as you share our concerns. Together we can continue to reduce health hazards in housing for children and our most vulnerable.
I appreciate all you did for us at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Please share my gratitude with Evy for helping us get you to the conference. I look forward to future collaboration with you in this important endeavor.”
Jon L. Gan
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office
of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
The Marshall Historical Society
“If you’re only thinking “This Old House” when it comes to Steve Thomas, think again! The synergy of Steve’s eclectic experiences around the world will energize and inspire folks in your organization to make a difference wherever they can. Most importantly Steve Thomas made us THINK; think about being more deliberative in creating shelter for families, a sense of place in our community and how every local decision can have an effect on sustaining the planet. Not enough? Try easy to work with, sincere, timely, generous, organized, an approachable crowd pleaser."