About Us

Board of Directors

 

dimensional hemp wood

Our Story

Like minded people have come together with a shared mission to use hemp as a sustainable building resource. Beyond education, we demonstrate the uses of hemp in building and are working towards certification of hemp building materials.

What We Do

Industry Networking

Take part in regional and national conversations on the developing hemp building industry. Become a leader. Find your destiny.

Advancing Policy

In the Certifications committee, the focus is on leading the way in acceptance into codes and determining how to calculate the carbon footprint of hemp building products.

Educating the Public

Education is key to the progress of our industry. The Education committee is working hard to provide reliable information that can be disseminated far and wide. 

Creating an Inclusive Industry

Creating an inclusive environment and trying to make diversity a priority are key goals of the USHBA. The Diversity & Inclusion committee was setup to help guid the organization as it grows.

Our Mission 

The purpose of the USHBA is to support and advocate for hemp building professionals, projects and materials in the United States. To facilitate thorough education the establishment, stabilization, and growth of a thriving American hemp building Industry.

USHBA Board of Directors

Founder of Hemp Build Network/Triple P Fund

I am active in building with hemp, and I am passionate about the benefits of healthy homes, and a healthy planet through the use of this quality construction material. Because of my active role in building with hemp and educating about my experiences, I have found myself in a leadership position in many circumstances representing the industry.

As an industry leader, I am passionate about sharing and collaborating with others in such a way as to move the industry forward. As a society we don’t share that better health with each other and the planet without the widespread adoption of hemp as a building material. For these reasons I have chosen to lead. I am excited to serve as president of USHBA

Email: Ray@ushba.org

President of Hemp Ventures

Ryan Doherty has helped lead the supply chain initiatives at the USHBA since their inception. His group has created Building and Supply Chain maps and working to create hemp hurd standards.

Ryan leads Hemp Ventures sales and marketing activities in addition to developing new hemp based products and processes for material production. Experienced in supply chain operations, production planning, inventory management, new product development, logistics, and integrated business process management. Ryan excels at working with customers to understand new applications for Hemp Ventures materials in existing product lines. He has an unyielding drive in his pursuit of a viable, sustainable and profitable hemp fiber supply chain in North America that benefits the farmers and the planet.

Email: vp@ushba.org

The USHBA has meant so much in my journey to learn about and report accurately on the US hemp building industry. I am so impressed by this tiny-but-mighty organization and how much quality work has been done, particularly achieving certification in the International Residential Code. This amazing feat was achieved via hundreds of volunteer hours.

But our membership is MUCH too small. Volunteers cannot be exploited and burned out to do the important work needed by this organization. We need to build our membership to have the budget to give value to members.

We are the active face of hemp building for the multi-billion dollar US construction industry. We offer the solutions the building industry seeks — we just need to come to their attention.

Email: Secretary@ushba.org

I’m a diversified accounting professional with a strong background in development, leadership and analytic skills. I’m the founder of The Hemp Accountant- Remote accounting practice prioritizing clients in the Marijuana/CBD/Industrial Hemp Space

Email: Treasurer@ushba.org

I’m Ingrid Fay, a Chicago native with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design (2007). In 2023, I got to work on a reciprocating dodecagon made with handmade Hempcrete blocks, historic lime plaster, an adobe floor with a wood tongue & grove ceiling.
Jumping all in, I found myself living on a jobsite with 5-7 men, using an actual outhouse, showering in the woods, meeting my first scorpions & discovering the disrespectful June & July heat of the Texas Hill Country. This changed my life’s trajectory dramatically.  

 I’m a natural networker & enjoy connecting people with other people who are on the same mission of taking action toward building a better place for us all. Mother Earth included. I’m seeking collaboration with fellow hemp enthusiasts who see the endless potential for hemp to heal the planet.
I’m specifically focused on the built environment & interiors using hemp in all ways beneficial. It’s through collaboration & community that we’ll discover the ways to heal our built environment. I believe that Hempcrete is a part of the cure.

Email: Ingrid@ushba.org

After finishing my undergraduate studies in Environmental Science and Biochemistry I started my first hemp farm in 2021. Since then I have been an active participant in the USHBA and travelled all around the country learning all I could about hempcrete building systems and the hemp supply chain. Over the past few years I have been participating in research variety trials with the Midwest Hemp Research Collaborative in order to find out what genetics and farming methods best serve hemp producers in the midwest to produce hemp at scale for hurd and fiber production.
In 2023 I left my job as a facility director at a cannabis extraction laboratory and began to pursue hemp building full time. I am now in the process of building our first hemp house and plan to use my experience to develop sustainable and accessible healthy communities here in Michigan. I am also researching how to incorporate hemp into some widely used and wasteful building materials.
Email: Cody@ushba.org

I am the Director of Operations for US Heritage Group, where I oversee the manufacturing, supply chain and product development, as well as manage our educational and training programs. I have a BS in Civil Engineering with a MS in Engineering Management. I have over 10 years of experience working with hempcrete construction and have been involved in all stages of the hemp building process, including material manufacturing and supply chain, design, permitting, installation, and finishing. I have run training workshops for contractors, architects, and homeowners. I regularly participate in industry events, panels, and expos.

The recent changes in the permitting of projects and availability of materials mean hempcrete is more accessible than ever. However, most individuals getting into the industry have incorrect or incomplete information on the way hempcrete works. The USHBA is the organization to guide newcomers to the industry and help existing members maintain the most current standards and best practices to develop hempcrete to its greatest potential.

Email: Education@ushba.org

I’m an Architect, with a deep interest in bringing hempcrete further forward.

Email: Certifications@ushba.org

 

President of the Indiginous Habitat Institute, transferring the technical side of French hempcrete knowledge to the U.S. and helping develop tribal hemp economies specializing in housing.

I would like to see indigenous interests represented at the table. Tribes can offer a lot to the industry. I would like to help fill in industry knowledge to get hempcrete construction underway at scale in the U.S.

Email: Lisa@ushba.org

 

USHBA Staff