Faren Dancer
President, Sundancer Creations LLC, Custom Builders
Designer & Builder of The Emerald Home
Principal of SunMax, LLC
President of the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association
Past Chair of the Santa Fe Green Building Council
Co-Chair of LEED for Homes New Mexico
Director, Unicopia, Inc.
Brief Biography:
After four decades in the building industry, Faren Dancer has emerged as a national force for green,
sustainable building practices and energy efficiency as expressed through his articles, classes, seminars,
committees, public appearances and projects. He is the current President of the Santa Fe Area Home Builders
Association, Co-Chair of LEED for Homes New Mexico, Past Chair of the Santa Fe Green Building Council, Founder
of the Santa Fe Green Building Summit and owner of Sundancer Creations, Custom Builders. His recently completed
project, the Emerald Home, was the pilot for Santa Fe’s new building codes and recipient of a United States Green
Building Council educational grant as the subject of an online course on Green, Net-Zero Energy Building through
the Santa Fe Community College (available Spring 2010). Mr. Dancer is also working with the City in producing an
educational documentary for builders, the public as well as City inspectors and Plan Reviewers. His educational
involvement also includes consulting and training for New Mexico State Inspectors and Plan Reviewers through the
New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID).
His work over the past year includes presentations at the IECC Codes Conference in Minneapolis, striving
for the 30% Solution, and representing the building industry at a National Press Conference in Washington
DC, announcing the formation of the Building Energy Efficient Codes Network (BEECN), a new coalition of
business, industry and Non-Profits all in support of zero carbon emissions from the building sector by the year 2030.
Mr. Dancer is also Director of Unicopia, Inc., a 501c3, Public Benefit Corporation whose mission is educational
outreach and the evolution of sustainable building models, from modest, off-grid, zero energy homes, to Communities
with low impact, modular building systems, centralized energy, renewable transportation and food production.
Maxine Swisa
President of SunMax, LLC
Eco Broker / Associate Broker - Santa Fe Realty Partners
Brief Biography:
Maxine Swisa has lived in Santa Fe since 1987. In June, 2007, she retired from a 25 year career in Information Technology.
Shortly thereafter, Ms. Swisa began discovering a network of builders, business and real estate professionals in Santa Fe who
were involved in building and supporting energy efficient, green homes. She realized that learning about building zero energy
green homes was the next logical step for her personal and professional development. During this time, Ms. Swisa obtained her
real estate license and began working for Santa Fe Realty Partners as an Associate Broker. Because of Maxine’s particular interest
in building green, energy efficient, high performance homes, she received her designation as an Eco-Broker, specializing in Green building practices.
Before joining Santa Fe Realty Partners, Maxine was Chief Information Officer for a publicy-traded company for over seven years. As the CIO,
Maxine oversaw all strategic planning for the Information Technology department, as well as day to day operations, including networking and
application development. She also directed office administration, plant management and employee professional development. She supervised almost
50 employees and structured an IT organization that supported a company with $60 billion in assets.
Ms. Swisa and Mr. Dancer decided to work together as business partners to build The Emerald Home, the first zero energy, LEED for Homes “Platinum” certified home in New Mexico. The Emerald Home is an exciting endeavor that sets a new standard for sustainable building practices and is a vision for the future of homebuilding.