17³Ô¹ÏÍø

TORONTO — Effective May 9, current Passive House 17³Ô¹ÏÍø (PHC) CEO Chris Ballard will be departing the role with the appointment of incoming CEO Michael Quast. 

Ballard has led Passive House 17³Ô¹ÏÍø for more than five years, guiding the organization through unprecedented challenges, states a release, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and advancing the national conversation around sustainable, high-performance building.

“Becoming CEO of Passive House 17³Ô¹ÏÍø and helping to guide it for more than five years has been an honour,” said Ballard in a statement. “This is an amazing community of smart and passionate people. Together, we’ve trained thousands of building professionals, made our voices heard at the highest levels of government and industry, and positioned 17³Ô¹ÏÍø as a leader in Passive House design and construction. I leave with immense pride — and full confidence in Michael as the right leader to take PHC to the next level.”

Quast has more than two decades of leadership experience spanning construction, sustainability, brand development and stakeholder engagement.

His accomplishments include designing and building Oakville’s first straw bale home, spearheading award-winning branding initiatives with The Holmes Group, and shaping regulatory and consumer protection strategies in Ontario’s new home warranty program.

“It’s an incredible honour to join Passive House 17³Ô¹ÏÍø at this pivotal moment,” said Quast. “Chris has set a high standard and built a passionate community of changemakers. I look forward to working with the team, our partners, and our members to scale our impact and lead the transformation toward a more sustainable, resilient, and high-performance built environment across 17³Ô¹ÏÍø.”