Clear Blue Commercial Appoints Advisory Board

Clear Blue Commercial Appoints Advisory Board and Adds New Agent as Company Expands Real Estate Brokerage and Sustainability Consulting Services

PETALUMA, CALIF. — August 3, 2017— Clear Blue Commercial announces the formation of an advisory board as the company prepares for a future focused on expanding its purchase and lease transaction services and helping property-owner clients achieve sustainable, profitable and environmentally-conscious solutions for their facilities. It also welcomes Janie Glidden to its brokerage team to assist clients with development, transactions and project management. A certified green building professional, Glidden joins Clear Blue Commercial after serving as executive director of the American Subcontractor’s Association of California, and she brings an extensive background in helping companies navigate construction, energy and sustainability projects.

Its new board members boast extensive expertise in law, project management, customer relations, sustainability, business consultation and entrepreneurship, providing strategic guidance, as well as operational and industry counselling. The board intends to work with Clear Blue Commercial to market and scale its business throughout the region and beyond, maximize opportunities for its sustainability-driven mission, and create a support structure for its clients, agents and project managers.

“Like many other successful purpose-driven small businesses, we established this dynamic advisory team for our next phase of growth as we expand our sustainability consulting and project management services for all types of commercial real estate properties,” said Carolyn Pistone, president and managing director of Clear Blue Commercial. “Additionally, adding Janie to our team perfectly complements our mission to help property-owner and tenant clients with cost-saving facility greening, decreasing their environmental footprint and making their buildings healthier for its users and the planet.”

The advisory board includes:

  • Donald Black – A director at Andersen Zeigler PC, Black is a veteran Sonoma County business, real estate transactions and financing attorney.
  • Cate Steane – Steane owns a professional project management business, where she helps small and mid-size businesses plan for project success.
  • Tim Saavedra – Vice president of West Petaluma Umpqua Bank, Saavedra has a broad understanding of financial lending and transactions.
  • Oren Wool – Wool is the executive director of Sustainable North Bay, hosts the renowned
  • Sustainable Enterprise Conference and is a consultant for companies bringing healthy, environmentally conscious products and services to the market.
  • Laurie Zerga – Zerga is a strategic advisor for business owners looking to grow their business’ potential.

“Under the direction of its passionate leader, advocate and broker Carolyn Pistone, Clear Blue Commercial has clearly shown its clients how their facilities can be both sustainable and profitable,” said board member Wool. “Commercial buildings are the single largest contributor to carbon emissions, and Clear Blue’s mission to green them brings the greatest positive environmental impact we can make. Its strategies are already proven effective, and I’m thrilled to serve as a strategic advisor within this board because of how critical and important this work is. People – starting with businesses and property owners – need to pick up the slack and be catalysts for reversing damage to the environment.”

Clear Blue Commercial helps clients reduce operating expenses while deepening a commitment to environmental sustainability through green energy upgrades. These upgrades include solar energy, battery and fuel cell storage, landscape conversions, LED lighting conversions, and installation of EV charging stations, among others. Its detailed and efficient property transformation services include researching and applying for grants, incentives and rebates; providing ROI calculations for each element of the project; applying for the most advantageous financing options; establishing performance metrics; assembling the trades team and managing the installation process; and collaborating with client’s marketing and leasing strategies to maximize the project’s value-add.

Clear Blue Commercial’s successes include nearly tripling a Petaluma office building’s value in eight years after providing a multitude of energy upgrades at no cost to the owner. The owner, who bought the property in 2011 for $3 million, recently sold it for $8 million. Additionally, it has performed a number of turf conversions from grass to drought-tolerant landscapes in an effort to both decrease water usage and the expense to the landlord. Its largest project, dubbed Mulchstock, eliminated 64,000 square feet of lawn and is saving 1.6 million gallons of water annually.

Added Marty Pistone, Clear Blue Commercial owner/agent, “Smart resource usage is good business for the short- and long-term. Our goal is to aggregate financial incentives with as little out-of-pocket investment and as much savings as possible for our clients. Additionally, our projects make facilities healthier, boost employee satisfaction, create positive marketing opportunities and increase the property’s value. It truly is a winning combination for the property owner, building users and the planet.”

About Clear Blue Commercial
Clear Blue Commercial is a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, sustainability consulting and project management company dedicating to maximizing its clients’ investments, saving its clients’ time, and adding value to local communities. A North Bay Business Journal Community Philanthropy and Outstanding Facility Management award winner and voted Best Green Business in 2016 by Northbay Biz magazine, Clear Blue Commercial has successfully saved its clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in green upgrades and energy savings. Clear Blue Commercial is the only commercial real estate firm to be a certified Green Business, a certified Small Business, a certified Woman Owned Business, and a B-Corp.