Before starting William Verde & Associates, Jay was Vice President and co-founder of Plan-It Hardware™, the first comprehensive green products distributor in the hardware and home improvement industry.  Plan-It Hardware’s Green it Yourself™ retail program included a robust product evaluation process, in-store signage and merchandising, store staff training, and community outreach.  The program has been endorsed by the city of San Francisco and was the only hardware distributor approved by Green America, the nation’s largest listing of screened green businesses.  Jay is contributing editor and writes the Green Retail column for Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest, which are also posted on the Green Supply Blog.  He has also completed a two-week intensive E.A.T. permaculture course and Training for Transition. Prior to Plan-It Hardware, Tompt led bioplastics pioneer Earthware Biodegradables and spent the early part of his career advising Silicon Valley companies on branding and communications issues, including Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 program.  Tompt has an MBA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.