what do all those letters after my name mean you ask?

Over the weekend I added a few letters after my name...6 to be exact. You may now refer to me as:

Melanie Freeland, LEED ap.

(In case you were wondering, I'll also answer to Toad, Melnel, or The Favorite Child)

LEED, for all you none industry folk, stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a green building rating system for design and construction which encourages the use of sustainable products and systems (yes, I copied that from the website). The "ap" simply indicates that I am an "Accredited Professional" who has a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles, ie. I passed the test. Wohoo!